[ale] AT&T Broadband blocking inbound http?

[Joseph A. Knapka]

Jeff Hubbs wrote:
> 
> > I think it should be handled like a recall.  The CREATOR of the
> > DEFECTIVE product should be responsible for correcting the problem as
> > well as liable for damages, prior to the recall.
> >
> > If the brakes on my car fail and I have a wreck because of a defective
> > design, the automobile manufacturer would be found at fault.  Look at
> > the recent Ford/Firestone fiasco.
> >
> 
> Unfortunately, the concept of what is "defective" comes into play.  It
> appears as though in general, no one is willing to treat software like a
> tire.  A tire is a solid, examinable object with examinable procedures going
> into its manufacture; it can be studied, evaluated, improved.  The study and
> evaluation can be performed independently, with or without the
> manufacturer's cooperation.  Software such as MS IIS is inscrutable and its
> origins and operation are not available for study.  In fact, MS makes it
> illegal for you to delve too far into studying its operation by disassembly,
> decompiling, etc.  Software such as this is viewed as having, in addition to
> its expected and desired operation, a "bottomless pit" of problems, flaws,
> and even an invisible potential for intentional behavior that serves an
> agenda that may have nothing to do with you or may exploit or even harm you.
> Imagine a popular, ubiquitous operating system that ships with the behavior
> of running a distributed code-cracking client; regardless of the purpose of
> the crack or whose code is being cracked, it would be exploiting your
> resources to those ends.
> 
> I put it to you:  this is the strongest argument one can make to support the
> position that not only is Free Software a preferable alternative to non-Free
> Software, non-Free Software is INVIABLE for any situation where complete and
> correct operation or absence of malevolent/pathological operation is
> important.

Absolutely.
 
Hmm. Code Red is really great PR for Open Source. Any bets that
a cabal consisting of Linus, ESR, and Stallman is behind the
whole thing?

-- Joe Knapka
"You know how many remote castles there are along the gorges? You
 can't MOVE for remote castles!" -- Lu Tze re. Uberwald
// Linux MM Documentation in progress:
// http://home.earthlink.net/~jknapka/linux-mm/vmoutline.html
2nd Lbl A + 1 = 2nd Pause 2nd Prt GTO 2 R/S
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