Re: Sysadmins

[Alfred M\. Szmidt]

   > > Your comment that the administrator controls the boot loader is
   > > true today. It will probably continue to be true that the
   > > administrator can *replace* the OS. Given coming changes in PC
   > > architecture, it will probably *not* continue to be true that
   > > this can be done without detection, and it will not necessarily
   > > be true that changing the OS will allow successful inspection
   > > of data written by the previous OS.
   > 
   > And who will do this detection, other then the admin? Or do you
   > mean Treacherous Computing, introducing another "trusted" entity
   > even more out of your control?

   What you call "treacherous computing" is in fact a value-neutral
   technology. Freedom advocates have been so busy deriding DRM that
   they have utterly failed to consider other, socially positive uses
   of this technology.

There are no socially positive uses of something that limits someones
freedom.  Treacherous computing is no way near `value-neutral', it
lets another entity control what someones machine does without their
consent, and Digital Restrict Managment is a way of letting one single
entity say `Sorry, you are only allowed to play this song using this
hardware, and you are not allowed to share it'.

Digital Restrict Managment and Treacherous Computing have as many
positie uses as slavery has, I mean, hey, who cares that you are
forced to work from 06:00 to 00:00 as long as it makes the world a
better place for some.

Anyone who states that a way to restrict peoples freedoms is a
socially positive is deluding themselfs.