[spam][spam] spam

[Undiscussed Horrific Abuse, One Victim of Many]

faileda lgorithm

----------------------------
The Spam Diatribes
Extract 5921

Once upon a time,
Once upon a time,
Once upon a time

BANG! Let's go somewhere similar to open source culture and paste it in.

CHECK THIS GREAT THING THAT HAPPENED RECENTLY:

https://libreboot.org/news/usa-libre.html

Article published by: Leah Rowe

Date of publication: 8 January 2022

Introduction
This event of such global importance to Free Software projects, and
the Free Software movement as a whole, has made me decide to write an
article. The events in question, covered by this article, will occur
on 11 January 2022. This is just three days away from today, 8 January
2022 when this article was written, so if you make a decision, you
should make it now, today, and prepare. Please continue reading.

If you live in New Hampshire or in one of the neighbouring states,
especially Massachusetts, please listen up! If you are further away
and unable to reach New Hampshire all that easily, please spread the
following news anyway. It’s important. As alien as it may seem to many
of my readers, I’m actually writing parts of this article as though
someone who has never heard of Free Software is reading it, because I
expect precisely that such people will read this particular article.

You will see the term Free Software used in this article, but some
people call it Open Source Software. However, you should call it Free
Software. The word “free” refers to freedom, not price, though the
software is usually also free as in gratis / zero price.

The opposite of Free Software is called proprietary software, or
non-free software. Proponents of Open Source sometimes call non-free
software Closed Source, but you should call it non-free or
proprietary, to highlight the fact that it isn’t free.

What’s happening in New Hampshire?
An important bill is being proposed in New Hampshire, which would
enshrine much of what we know as Free Software into law. Here is the
proposed bill, technically named “HB1273”:
https://gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/billText.aspx?sy=2022&id=1363&txtFormat=html

You can read it for yourself, but here is a paraphrasing of what it proposes:

Specifically bans state-run websites from serving non-free javascript to clients
Creates a commission to provide oversight, watching the use of Free
Software by state agencies
Bans state agencies from using proprietary software - maybe this could
include schools, in the future!
If a person is tried in a criminal case, they have the right to audit
the source code of any proprietary software that collects evidence
against them
Encourages data portability (able to transfer data from one program to another)
Bans certain non-compete clauses and NDAs (non-disclosure agreements)
pertaining to Free Software projects
Bans state/local law enforcement from assisting with the enforcement
of copyright claims against Free Software projects
Bans state agencies from purchasing non-free software if free software
exists, for a given task
However, this is only a short summary. You are advised to read the
bill in detail. It’s not very long.

At first glance, it may not seem that the bill affects individuals,
but don’t be fooled; this is a hugely positive step forward for
everyone! If the state is using Free Software, that most likely means
it’ll be used in education aswell.

Although perhaps not immediately and readily apparent, this is a stake
in the heart of proprietary software’s current dominance, because it
would remove one key element of its attack against us; its abuse of
education services.

If education services are using Free Software, that means they’ll
probably have children (the ones being educated) using it too. This is
a huge step, and it will result in more Free Software developers in
the future. Free Software will become more and more mainstream to the
masses, which can surely only be a good thing!

Freedom is always superior. The more people that have it, the better
off we all are, because freedom is also collective; it relies on
others around us also having it, so that we can defend each other. If
more people have it, especially if it results in more Free Software
developers in the future, that’s one thing, but imagine if more states
like what they see and start to copy the new legislation.

Now imagine that countries besides the US start doing it, inspired by
the US’s success (and I think it will be a resounding success).

Imagine a world where Free Software, free as in freedom, is the
default everywhere. Imagine a world where Free Software licensing is
required reading material in schools. Imagine a world where any five
year old can install a free operating system such as GNU+Linux, and
Computer Science is mandatory in schools from a young age. Imagine
filing your tax returns with Free Software, exclusively. Imagine not
even thinking about that, because it became the norm.

Imagine a world where proprietary software doesn’t exist, because it
is obsolete; entire generations of people are taught to value freedom,
and to staunchly defend it, helping each other learn and grow (and
produce better software in the process, with less bugs, because people
are now free to do that, without relying on some evil company).

Imagine a world where you’re no longer being spied on because NSA,
Apple and Microsoft no longer have backdoor access to your computer.
Imagine having the ability to say no, because that’s what freedom is.
Try to imagine it!

Free Software is a revolution that we in the Free Software movement
have rigorously upheld and fought for, over many years, but we still
face an uphill battle because children are not taught in schools about
free computing, nor are they encouraged to learn; they are taught to
view computers as products to throw away every 1-2 years, that they
can run a few apps on but otherwise are not allowed to do anything
with. The concept of a general purpose, fully reprogrammable computer
is heavily suppressed in mainstream culture. Most people in the world
do not run a free operating system; the idea of a computer being a
mere appliance is normalized (as opposed to the idea of it being a
highly liberating tool for development and the expansion of human
knowledge).

This is what we in the Free Software movement have fought for over the
years. We believe that knowledge is a human right, that the ability to
share, study, learn, adapt and modify the software is an inalienable
right that everyone must have. The four freedoms are absolute.

One of our biggest problem has been simply that schools and
governments do not teach people about free computing. The right to
learn, the right to read and the right to hack. Our governments are
made up of human beings just like you or me, and they can be
bought/corrupted; Microsoft, Apple and many others (such as IBM) have
done this for years, having the national infrastructures governing us
run on their proprietary systems, instead of systems that respect
freedom; it is essential that these systems run free software, because
a free and democratic society should expect nothing less. Those
companies buy influence and they own your politicians.

All of this could change very soon. Something is happening in New
Hampshire, which could redefine our movement and give free software
real power instead.

HOW TO HELP
TESTIFY IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL
The reading of the bill is happening on 11 January 2022. This is when
you should go to New Hampshire.

Location of hearing: Legislative Office Building in Concord, New Hampshire:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Hampshire_Legislative_Office_Building

The organizer of the proposed bill, Eric Gallager, has left
instructions on Twitter. The following is a nitter link, which lets
you view the relevant Twitter thread without running non-free
Javascript in your browser:
https://nitter.net/cooljeanius/status/1479663133207764992

The original Twitter URL is:
https://twitter.com/cooljeanius/status/1479663133207764992

Further instructions for what room to go to, when you get there:
See Nitter link:
https://nitter.net/cooljeanius/status/1479062316532604930

(original twitter link:
https://twitter.com/cooljeanius/status/1479062316532604930)

Please read both threads very carefully!

YOU NEED TO GO TO NEW HAMPSHIRE IN PERSON!

If you’re able to go to New Hampshire to attend the reading of the
bill, please do so! Voice your support of the bill, and say why you
think it’s important.

Tell the lawmakers that you demand freedom!

This thread on Twitter is where Eric announced that the reading of the
bill is to proceed (original Twitter URL):
https://twitter.com/cooljeanius/status/1479555737223413760

More states/countries will follow
If this bill is passed in New Hampshire, more states will likely
follow. It will lead to a massively renewed drive to liberate all
computer users, and US laws tend to be copied/pasted around the world
too.

This bill, if passed, will have a hugely positive impact on Free
Software at a global level.

You must support this bill. If you want to see it pass, please go to
New Hampshire on 11 January 2022 to make sure your voice is heard.

OUR ENEMIES WILL BE THERE
The proprietary software companies like Microsoft and Apple will also
be there, trying to argue the case against the use of Free Software.

There is already precedent; please watch this video, which shows how
Microsoft (for example) might behave in the reading of the bill. This
video is from a discussion within the European Union, several years
ago:
https://vid.puffyan.us/watch?v=W_S0k1sx8EM (invidious link. works
without javascript enabled, if you wish)

They will try to trick the law makers by claiming things such as:

“Free software is insecure / you will get hacked” - nothing could be
further from the truth! Free operating systems such as GNU+Linux,
FreeBSD and especially OpenBSD, are among the most secure operating
systems available.
“Free software is used by criminal hackers” - here, they use the term
hacker to describe someone who illegally gains access to someone elses
computer. Don’t fall for it. Maintainers of free operating systems
like GNU+Linux distros or the BSDs are actively working to make the
internet and computers in general more secure
“Software authors deserve to be paid!” - In fact, many free software
devs are paid to work on Free Software! Many companies, including big
ones, work on it. There are also hobbyists or otherwise unpaid people,
who might work on Free Software for a number of reasons (wanting to
make the world a better place, wanting the glory of recognition for
solving a major problem, and more often than not, simply because it is
fun to do so and you make a lot of friends too!) - No, these companies
(e.g. Microsoft) are only arguing in reality for the ability to pay
their shareholders, and they control the software exclusively. In
fact, free software has repeatedly and consistently over the years
defined the computing industry, creating all kinds of new employment
opportunities; for example, docker is widely used today and it is free
software, used by millions of companies for commercial gain, and the
apache web server revolutionized the web back in the day, enabling
lots of ISPs to easily host websites - many of the common protocols
that we depend upon today, that businesses depend upon (and get paid
to maintain or provide services/support for) are in fact free as in
freedom!
“Developers should get recognition for their work” - in free software,
you can easily make a name for yourself with relatively few resources
except your own computer and an internet connection, plus some cheap
hosting. When most developers work on proprietary software such as
Windows, they don’t get recognition; their copyright is assigned to
their employer (e.g. Microsoft) who will take all the credit!
“Free software is unreliable / costly to maintain” - actually, it has
been well known for years that free software is generally more stable
and reliable than proprietary. In cases where it isn’t, it is quickly
improved, and in complete freedom. Free software has a lower cost to
maintain and service, and you have a free market where you can choose
who you hire to write/maintain it for you (if you won’t do that
yourself); meanwhile, proprietary software such as Windows is often
full of bugs, crashes often and there is only one provider of support
most of the time, who will charge a heavy price, while also charging a
lot of money for the software itself - free software is free as in
freedom, but also usually free as in zero price.
“Free software comes from potentially untrustworthy sources” - This is
pure nonsense, because the very freedoms provided by free software
(access to source code, ability to work on it yourself, and see what
others did) means that people generally do not add malware to public
software sources, because they’d be discovered instantly.
Distributions of GNU+Linux and other free operating systems are often
maintained by many people, who verify the safety of each software
package that they provide; they are also usually provided by each
distro, in a central repository unlike with, say, Windows where you
really are randomly executing binaries from all kinds of locations
(often even without checking the cryptographic checksums of those
files, to verify their integrity). It’s very hard to become infected
with malware on a free system, precisely because security is handled
much better; the design of unix-like operating systems in particular
is also naturally more secure, due to better separation of root/user
privileges.
“Free software isn’t controlled, and is unknown.” - this is completely
false. These non-free software companies are only talking about their
control, and it’s quite telling that they completely disregard yours,
in this very sentence. In fact, Free Software is controlled, but it’s
not controlled by some external entity; your installation of free
software is controlled by you.
If you’re familiar with the Matrix films, proprietary operating
systems like Windows/MacOS are basically like the Matrix; bland, no
individuality, no independent thought, everything tightly controlled.
By contrast, free operating systems (such as GNU+Linux distributions
or the BSDs) are like zion/io; vibrant, full of life, buzzing with
activity, everything loose and free, and everyone is different (a
highly diverse culture of people from all walks of life, acting in
common cause but nonetheless individuals).

Meanwhile, Windows is known to have backdoors. Microsoft actively
informs the NSA about how to exploit them, so that it can break into
people’s computers and steal private data.

Proprietary software companies are evil, and must be opposed. They
know that if this bill passes, their days are numbered.

Defend freedom! Don’t listen to any of the arguments against it by
proprietary software companies; they don’t care about you, and instead
only care about profit. They fundamentally do not want you to have any
sort of freedom over your own computer, and they actively pursue
tactics (such as DRM) to thwart you.

Microsoft and Apple are not your friends. There is no such thing as
the Windows community. When you use proprietary systems, you are
isolated from everyone around you, and so are they. You are the
product, for the non-free software to exploit at the behest of their
developers who only care about money.

However, there is such a thing as the Free Software community. It is a
vibrant community, consisting of millions of people collectively all
over the world, and they are all free to work with each other
infinitely. It gave us most of the technology that we take for granted
today, including the modern internet, where ISPs run free software
almost exclusively!