From: Jim Choate <ravage@einstein.ssz.com>
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 08:27:48 +0800
To: cypherpunks@einstein.ssz.com (Cypherpunks Distributed Remailer)
Subject: RE: GPL & commercial software, the critical distinction (fwd)
Message-ID: <199810041331.IAA30976@einstein.ssz.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text



Forwarded message:

> From: Matthew James Gering <mgering@ecosystems.net>
> Subject: RE: GPL & commercial software, the critical distinction (fwd)
> Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1998 02:43:25 -0700 

> One thing that has changed fundamentally in the Information Age is the
> ability for the consumer to get informed -- the ease if information
> publishing and retrieval and the inability to control it.

Actualy you are ascribing an effect as the cause. The information is there
because the holders believe it's in their best interest to dissiminate it.
As companies (the US Army' current behaviour is a good example) become to
respect the distribution capability of the internet you'll see a reduction
of information available.

> Reputation has
> more value then ever.

Malarky. Reputation is irrelevant, just examine the prisoners delima.
Those who put reputation over action are setting themselves up for a classic
abuse of trust.

> Government cannot protect people from their own decisions, and should
> not have the right to take those decisions away.

> I wouldn't eat at McDonalds even with all the regulation.

You've got to be married or have lots of free time...;)

> More often than not regulation is a false sense of security, and often
> protects companies from legitimate liability (although god knows our
> liability/tort system is completely out of whack).

More often that not regulation is the result of abuse of the market by a
manufacturer and is imposed ex post facto. It's intent is to eliminate
future abuses.


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