Re: Bad ideas from Microsoft et al

From: Samantha Atkins (samantha@objectent.com)
Date: Mon Apr 07 2003 - 22:02:44 MDT

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    Hal Finney wrote:
    >
    > No one is forcing you to run such an app, and no one is forcing the
    > content companies to download the data to you. The trusted computing
    > technology makes possible a new kind of transaction which cannot occur
    > today. Consumers may choose to adopt this technology in order to take
    > part in these kinds of transactions. There is no need for coercion
    > or a legal mandate.

    If I cannot get the content and apps I need to do my work
    without using TCPA then I am being forced to run it. If it
    destroys alternatives then I am forced to run it. It has very
    strong potential to do precisely that.

    >
    > Why would you revolt and attempt to kill this technology? What gives
    > you the wisdom to intervene in a free choice by another person to
    > decide what technology to use? You would not object if a person tried
    > to use cryptography to cloak his communications with someone else. What
    > is wrong with someone using technology that lets him make a kind of
    > commitment that is not possible today?
    >

    Because this technology is designed to kill choice and many
    things I hold dear. It is not simply a matter of individual
    choice. It is choice removed from individuals and enshrined in
    fundamental hardware empowering potentially or require
    potentially for far too many applications.

    > It frankly astonishes me that libertarians oppose trusted computing
    > technology. I seem to be the only one who sees things differently.
    > I believe in freedom. That means I accept that other people may make
    > decisions differently than I would. Their decisions may even have
    > an indirectly negative impact on me. But I would not say that I was
    > justified in trying to take options away from them, to prevent them from
    > using a technology like this. I would really appreciate a libertarian
    > and freedom oriented explanation of why voluntarily-adopted trusted
    > computing technology should be fought.

    It is about just the opposite of freedom. You don't understand
    that yet, apparently.

    - samantha



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