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Good Reason to use Open Source
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I'm sorry, but you're wrong lol. It doesn't matter if you use something like Windows (legally or pirated) or an open source system. All the authorities need is an excuse to come in and take it. A piracy raid is good enough an excuse in that kind of situation, even if they ran an open source system.
If they have the authority to waltz in and cart out the computers, it doesn't matter what's on it, they can still rip them out to "Verify" that they are running legal MS Windows systems, even outlaw open source if desired. To make matters worse the Russian Federation (ditto, respectively for the PRC) could always insert sufficient means of control into prominent Russian language Linux distributions without it being known. Either the easy way (do it or be thrown into the modern version of the gulag) or the hard way (secretly). If they took steps even further than The Great Fire Wall, they could do much more dastardly things. Best way around it, don't base any such operations in Russia... and instead worry about how to stay in secure touch across the border. Dang, I sound like I'm talking about cold war era espionage! I also don't want to think about the odds of the NSA reading my mail :-o.
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My Journal Thou shalt check the array bounds of all strings (indeed, all arrays), for surely where thou typest ``foo'' someone someday shall type ``supercalifragilisticexpialidocious''. |
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I am not familiar with how oppressive the Russian Software Police (or what the ex-KGB types call themselves these days) can be. I do not live there.
The point is that it would be legal unless they outlaw the internet and OpenBSD. Can they make a group download the Russian approved version of OpenBSD used a a web server. There are Russian contributors to the OpenBSD project and 2 FTP mirrors. Quote:
Last edited by shep; 18th September 2010 at 02:09 AM. Reason: spelling |
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If the Russian government decided to go far enough, yes shep they could make it impossible to download vanilla OpenBSD (etc).
Why? Well if we exclude long distance wireless fun and arms races to hook on to service outside the border, if the government can control the equipment that makes wired Internet access *work* within Russia's borders: they have the power to control it. If you have that much control over Internet access, then it is technically possible (even if it has never been done to my knowledge) to filter the traffic as much as you are willing to throw effort into doing it. Just because it isn't child's play doesn't mean it is impossible. For sake of exploration, let's postulate that Russia does or can institutionalise the ISPs within their borders and all the stuff those ISPs rely on to provide clients with Internet service. Up until the point that it leaves the Russian border. In short that means the Russian Federation could put any ISP in or out of business as they choose by managing the resources required for running an ISP in Russia. Here's a little off the top of my sick head for a starting point:
That would make the best way to get basic stuff done, "Safely" require loading free software OSes off physical medium purchased over the black market, or other wise smuggled into the country. Even then the authorities can just waltz in and take your computers because some dick across the street says they saw you using something that is not paid for Microsoft tech. Government has the power to do anything they damn well please. It's like taking the proverbial candy from a baby. Even in America, all we have in our favour is some bundles of paper saying what candy we are allowed to keep. The only way that can be enforced is with the force of the people being governed. Perhaps I just put to much stock in my nations declaration of independence and to little in the concept of government lol
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My Journal Thou shalt check the array bounds of all strings (indeed, all arrays), for surely where thou typest ``foo'' someone someday shall type ``supercalifragilisticexpialidocious''. Last edited by TerryP; 18th September 2010 at 06:47 PM. |
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You can always feign sudden amnesia. "Sorry, agent O'Brien, but I often forget things like passwords and keys. Feel free to make a copy of my ultra top secret files (Tetris saved games, Illuminati multiverse conquest meetings transcripts, etc.) though and try to brute force the encryption by the dawn of the 4th millenium."
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May the source be with you! |
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True, one could try ... but the consequences might not be maximally pleasant. Thoughts of being poked by soft pillows while being held on a comfy chair come to mind (the pythonesque Spanish inquisition).
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Quote:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/wo...d.html?_r=1&hp |
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