From: Charles Hixson (charleshixsn@earthlink.net)
Date: Wed Apr 09 2003 - 12:09:02 MDT
Alex Ramonsky wrote:
>>
>> Hi,
>> My wife would like to ask a question...
>> ...
>>
>> /Could someone explain to me what happens if I write my own
>> software? /
>> //
>> /Let's say I write a GUI Windows application called
>> "Thing-Editor" which edits "Thing-Documents" (files whose format
>> I define without reference to anything else). /
>> //
>> /Will any of these new "trusted" systems prevent me from
>> compiling and linking my software? Will they prevent me from
>> running it? Will they prevent me from giving away free copies to
>> all my friends? Will they prevent the distribution of
>> "Thing-Documents"? /
>> //
>> /Surely, a box which won't let you compile and run programs isn't
>> really a computer - it's an entertainment console. /
>> //
>> /Have I misunderstood this or am I right to be scared?
>> /
>>
>> ...
>> Jill
>
>
As I understand the proposed implementation, only MS signed & approved
software would be allowed to run, although there was talk that the first
versions would allow you to bypass the restriction after reading a
warning. This might or might not include programs that you had written
yourself. Perhaps programs created on your computer wouldn't trigger
the flag. (This is certainly technically possible, but I don't know
what the intention is.
Entertainment console isn't a bad description. Many have held the X box
up as the current prototype for the new MS environment. They probably
don't have any inside information, but one can't be sure. But with MS
working toward "Web Services", they may not even envision you storing
the files that you create on your local disk. (They already seem to be
claiming ownership of all documents produced with their
software...though I'm not sure as IANAL -- and since I long ago decided
not to agree to their EULAs, I can only read what others post about
them. But they were already bad enough.) So it looks like the target
environment that they are aiming for has all data stored remotely, and
processed by programs that reside on remote servers. Possily the
computation will also be done remotely. The services would be
subscription based, and under total control of MS. Sort of like the old
time-share computer setup that mainframes used to use. In that light,
what they would be leasing (not selling) would be a fancy access
terminal to which you had strictly limited rights. It's a model that's
worked before.
-- -- Charles Hixson Gnu software that is free, The best is yet to be.
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