Re: [colorforth] /. and the new bios

[Albert van der Horst <albert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, 19 Jun 2004, Kurt B. Kaiser wrote:

> <maslicke@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
>
> > There are many people who would like to cripple the PC. There
> > is something known as DRM (Digital Rights Managment), the
> > intention is to impose artificial copying restrictions on
> > digital media. I have even heard of DRM in the bios,
> > althougth I don't exactly the mechanisms employed. Microsoft
> > has been the major proponent of this crippleware.
>
<SNIP>
>
> Although MS keeps changing the name and the plans, the goal remains
> the same.  They will promote this as the solution to rampant computer
> security failures, spam, etc., and they will be believed by the people
> who count.
>
> Even if we come up with a HW work-around, it's likely that at some
> point in the not too distant future that you will not be able to
> connect to the Internet without a certified, signed OS running on
> certified, signed HW.  There will be a lot of lobbying for this
> because it will sell a lot of HW/SW.  Of course, there will be a lot
> of resistance, at least for a while, because people won't want to
> discard their perfectly good computers.  So it's likely to happen
> in stages, like boiling the frog.

The Internet was designed to withstand atomic warfare.
There is a fall back to a uucp network with modems.
Such a network can be destroyed, one machine at a time only.
Once upon a time our companies machine got *all* of the uucp news ...
with a 1200 baud modem.
That was a hell of a lot of information. A couple of thousands
machine sprinkled throughout Europe and the US could keep up the
spirit of the Internet, if the worst comes to the worst.

> At some point we will need a separate net if we want to communicate
> freely using our own tools.  Will it be allowed?

There was a time that any digital connection over the telephone
was strictly regulated, with databases of every location of a
300 baud modem.

But now...
There is even a way to hide digital communication in
what looks like normal phone conversations, using winmodems.
It goes like this. You phone your friend. You just talk nonsense.
And a DSP hides the digital messages into the small talk.

> --
> KBK
>
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Albert van der Horst,Oranjestr 8,3511 RA UTRECHT,THE NETHERLANDS
        One man-hour to invent,
                One man-week to implement,
                        One lawyer-year to patent.
albert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://home.hccnet.nl/a.w.m.van.der.horst

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