Re: [Linux-aus] Australian Digital Civil Rights Quiz

[Glen Turner <glen.turner@aarnet.edu.au>]

Hi Janet,

I'm not arguing against the substance of what you wrote.

<nit picking>

> - statistical data modelling

Not a good example. I don't understand how Excel works, but I
know its stats functions are crap because there is an external
standard to test them against. Equally I know the functions in
SAS are brilliant.  Both are closed source.

There is a question about the rights inherent in a data model,
especially those used in public policy, but again that is an
important fight for others.

> - cryptography

Interesting example.  All that DRM hardware is really aimed at:
 - providing a secure channel, even in the face of a compromised
   operating system.
 - providing secure storage of keys.

And people need this -- look at the dreadful state of Internet
banking.  But the agenda of MPAA, etc is that this hardware is
only to protect *their* "property" -- not to protect yours.

In short, DRM hardware isn't necessarily a bad thing -- a DRMed
channel from the keyboard to the ethernet card would be marvellous
for Internet banking.

The problem is that the current DRM hardware has a different focus --
dumbing down computers into DVD players.

</nit picking>

Cheers,
Glen