Linux Update withholds Security Details

[JimH]

If Alan is trying to make a statement about the ridiculous excuse the DCMA is for a law, this isn't the way to do it.

Quote:
Citing a controversial U.S. copyright law, a top Linux developer announced this week that Americans would not be given details about the security fixes in an update to the open source operating system, a first for a software development community that prides itself on transparency.

http://www.securityfocus.com/news/274

Jim H

[Spot]

Honestly, I don't blame him one bit.
If the least that happens is that the DMCA is repealed/rewritten, I think the ends will justify the means.

[paradox]

Honestly, I don't blame him one bit.
If the least that happens is that the DMCA is repealed/rewritten, I think the ends will justify the means.

I understand what your saying, but you have to consider who you are trying to appeal to. Our representatives could give little care to the small(in comparison) community of open source developers/users. Many of them if any of them will never get wind of this and instead we only end up suffering because he is making a fruitless plight to the US.

Of course we will still get wind of what has been changed because he is posting the fixes on the web, but restricting access to the site to US. Well another Brit will surely let us in on the fixes. It is just quite ridiculous that we have to do it this way.

I understand the point he is trying to make, and I sympathize with it, but I whole heartedly disagree with it. We can not start making a "transparent" OS a slightly opaque OS. This is exactly what our friends up here in Redmond want.

Aragorn

[Aaron_Adams]

The problem with Alan is he seems to be acting like talking about security implementation with Americans is "illegal" or something. I dunno, I could be wrong but thats sort of what it seems like.

Have you guys read about the SSSCA ? Its the scariest thing since the release of Win95 ( I was luckily a Mac user at the time.) I can't remember if it was in the news here or not, but I'm gonna leave a link anyways. It would essentially make the distribution of free software illegal.

link : http://cryptome.org/sssca.htm

The above is a draft of the bill. The first congress meeting (whatever its called, I'm Canadian! lol) was actually supposed to go through yesterday I believe, but was cancelled and may not be rescheduled at all. Although, the Senator behind it (I believe) is planning on rewriting the bill so that it isn't so harsh. Microsoft, IBM, Motorola, Intel, Compaq, and others have all joined together to oppose the bill. Lets hope they do it once its rewritten as well. For once Microsoft is on the non-evil side.

This got somewhat off-topic, but it still fits to me.
Please correct me on any misgiven information about the bill, I did this all off the top of my head so... some of it could be incorrect. ( or all of it )

[JimH]

Have you guys read about the SSSCA ? Its the scariest thing since the release of Win95 ( I was luckily a Mac user at the time.) I can't remember if it was in the news here or not, but I'm gonna leave a link anyways. It would essentially make the distribution of free software illegal.

link : http://cryptome.org/sssca.htm

Yes, the SSSCA bill is worse then the DMCA. RedHat has posted a page where users can respond.

http://www.redhat.com/opensourcenow/article2.html

We can only hope the SSSCA will be stopped and the DMCA will be repealed. Didn't I read that the Canadian government was working on a bill similiar to the DMCA?

Corporate dollars in the pockets of "corrupt" politicians is hard to stop.

Jim H

[paradox]

This bill is absolutely ridiculous! There is still the idea of the Linux commune up in Canada, anyone game?

Aragorn

[jman_77]

I'm so there