Summary: “Just be honest!” is a simple motto for any site; but some sites sell out in pursuit of money or grandiosity, unlike us (we turned 14.5 years old on Friday)
37.5 years ago a guy from MIT wrote about a “new Unix implementation”. Aged 30 back then, he argued that “GNU will be a kernel plus all the utilities needed to write and run C programs: editor, shell, C compiler, linker, assembler, and a few other things. After this we will add a text formatter, a YACC, an Empire game, a spreadsheet, and hundreds of other things. We hope to supply, eventually, everything useful that normally comes with a Unix system, and anything else useful, including on-line and hardcopy documentation.”
“Too many so-called ‘news’ sites have been reduced to lying/selling.”This kind of very simple history isn’t suiting the agenda of the deception (marketing) agency known as ‘Linux’ Foundation, so they’ll be lying a lot more later this year. They even hired a man from Microsoft to take the lead in this campaign (as chief communicator). EPO examiners certainly value the concept of prior art and scientific history (objective reality), so maybe they can relate to this too. See, the technology giants basically bribe a lot of the press (they pass money as part of “sponsored content” or “advertising contracts”), so they basically shape or distort the narrative. Right about now António Campinos — just like Benoît Battistelli before him — wastes tens of millions of euros bombarding the media with EPO puff pieces. We can barely keep count/stock of it all (some isn’t in English, either) and it serves to show what a lot of the media became. Those with the money control and own the ‘story’. But we deserve better than this and we ought not expect the media to play along.
In any event, here in Techrights we’ll soon publish our 30,400th post and our audiocast resumed last week (it started 11 years ago). Since then the MP3 and Ogg versions have been accessed nearly 3,700 times (in less than a week), so it’s fair to say people do care and we still have momentum/inertia. “Just be honest!”
As per lookup.icann.org, our site exceeded 14.5 years in age (last Friday):
Created: 2006-11-07 14:21:12 UTC
Curiously enough, even though we started by focusing on software patents and patent issues (later European software patents as well), nowadays we cover a much broader range of topics. The important thing is, we aren’t trying to sell anything. We’re just being brutally honest and people evidently appreciate that. It also makes us an attractive target for corporate discretisation campaigns. █
As Wikipedia explains, regarding the GNU Manifesto: “Some parts of the GNU Manifesto began as an announcement of the GNU Project posted by Richard Stallman on September 27, 1983 in form of an email on Usenet newsgroups. The project’s aim was to give computer users freedom and control over their computers by collaboratively developing and providing software that is based on Stallman’s idea of software freedom (although the written definition had not existed until February 1986). The manifesto was written as a way to familiarize more people with these concepts, and to find more support in form of work, money, programs and hardware.”
From CSvax:pur-ee:inuxc!ixn5c!ihnp4!houxm!mhuxi!eagle!mit-vax!mit-eddie!RMS@MIT-OZ
From: RMS%MIT-OZ@mit-eddie
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards,net.usoft
Subject: new Unix implementation
Date: Tue, 27-Sep-83 12:35:59 EST
Organization: MIT AI Lab, Cambridge, MA
Free Unix!
Starting this Thanksgiving I am going to write a complete
Unix-compatible software system called GNU (for Gnu's Not Unix), and
give it away free(1) to everyone who can use it.
Contributions of time, money, programs and equipment are greatly
needed.
To begin with, GNU will be a kernel plus all the utilities needed to
write and run C programs: editor, shell, C compiler, linker,
assembler, and a few other things. After this we will add a text
formatter, a YACC, an Empire game, a spreadsheet, and hundreds of
other things. We hope to supply, eventually, everything useful that
normally comes with a Unix system, and anything else useful, including
on-line and hardcopy documentation.
GNU will be able to run Unix programs, but will not be identical
to Unix. We will make all improvements that are convenient, based
on our experience with other operating systems. In particular,
we plan to have longer filenames, file version numbers, a crashproof
file system, filename completion perhaps, terminal-independent
display support, and eventually a Lisp-based window system through
which several Lisp programs and ordinary Unix programs can share a screen.
Both C and Lisp will be available as system programming languages.
We will have network software based on MIT's chaosnet protocol,
far superior to UUCP. We may also have something compatible
with UUCP.
Who Am I?
I am Richard Stallman, inventor of the original much-imitated EMACS
editor, now at the Artificial Intelligence Lab at MIT. I have worked
extensively on compilers, editors, debuggers, command interpreters, the
Incompatible Timesharing System and the Lisp Machine operating system.
I pioneered terminal-independent display support in ITS. In addition I
have implemented one crashproof file system and two window systems for
Lisp machines.
Why I Must Write GNU
I consider that the golden rule requires that if I like a program I
must share it with other people who like it. I cannot in good
conscience sign a nondisclosure agreement or a software license
agreement.
So that I can continue to use computers without violating my principles,
I have decided to put together a sufficient body of free software so that
I will be able to get along without any software that is not free.
How You Can Contribute
I am asking computer manufacturers for donations of machines and money.
I'm asking individuals for donations of programs and work.
One computer manufacturer has already offered to provide a machine. But
we could use more. One consequence you can expect if you donate
machines is that GNU will run on them at an early date. The machine had
better be able to operate in a residential area, and not require
sophisticated cooling or power.
Individual programmers can contribute by writing a compatible duplicate
of some Unix utility and giving it to me. For most projects, such
part-time distributed work would be very hard to coordinate; the
independently-written parts would not work together. But for the
particular task of replacing Unix, this problem is absent. Most
interface specifications are fixed by Unix compatibility. If each
contribution works with the rest of Unix, it will probably work
with the rest of GNU.
If I get donations of money, I may be able to hire a few people full or
part time. The salary won't be high, but I'm looking for people for
whom knowing they are helping humanity is as important as money. I view
this as a way of enabling dedicated people to devote their full energies to
working on GNU by sparing them the need to make a living in another way.
For more information, contact me.
Arpanet mail:
RMS@MIT-MC.ARPA
Usenet:
...!mit-eddie!RMS@OZ
...!mit-vax!RMS@OZ
US Snail:
Richard Stallman
166 Prospect St
Cambridge, MA 02139
Later also formalised:
@Article{Stallman:1985:GM,
author = "Richard Stallman",
title = "The {GNU} Manifesto",
journal = j-DDJ,
volume = "10",
number = "3",
pages = "30--??",
month = mar,
year = "1985",
CODEN = "DDJOEB",
ISSN = "1044-789X",
bibdate = "Mon Sep 2 09:09:39 MDT 1996",
bibsource = "http://www.ddj.com/index/author/index.htm;
http://www.math.utah.edu/pub/tex/bib/dr-dobbs-1980.bib",
acknowledgement = ack-nhfb,
}
Are we still human? Or just numbers on a system somewhere?
Summary: Techrights will be dealing a lot more with erosion of what people have come to assume were “rights” (real rights, such as human rights, labour rights, not copy “rights” or patent “rights”); when rights are reduced to rubble the long-term consequences are severe, shows history
A COUPLE OF HOURS ago we released the second episode of TechBytes (for this season). Coming up next is a bunch of Met memoirs and those merit many future episodes, especially in light of ‘police state’ creeping in fast, with new and oppressive laws being rushed through…
The United Kingdom (UK) isn’t particularly unique in that regard. Under the veil of national health crisis each and every nation took some personal liberties away, sometimes for unjustifiable purposes and reasons.
At the moment, there are also interesting developments around ownership of games (with Atari/MAME you at least keep the media, e.g. binaries, cassettes), ownership of software, and general control over both games and software. Consider Valve DRM and Stadia games, Microsoft monopoly (now they just offer ‘passes’, not binaries), DRM integrated into gaming consoles, and all sorts of other ‘developments’ which curtail rights of ownership…
Where are we going with all this? Are people being reduced to mere tenants? Universally?
Those of us who still talk about these issues (or are being talked down on) are likely to become more vocal. The urgency grows. RMS, who was undermined by corporate shills donning an “open source” hat (open ‘core’, openwashing etc.), is going to speak tomorrow. It’ll be a virtual talk in the UK. I’ve met RMS several times in the UK and he seems to like the country, albeit he’s really concerned about authoritarianism creeping/settling in. This isn’t the same UK he knew decades ago. Nowadays, in London at least, you cannot even go on a subway or a bus without giving your identity. You cannot pay cash and hop aboard. They don’t allow that anymore. But here in Manchester it’s still possible to pay with cash for public transport, albeit other issues have surfaced during lock-downs. Basically, they’re trying to compel people to get “apps” (i.e. purchase so-called ‘phones’) and in some places it’s no longer possible to pay with cash, not even for a bottle of water or a little piece of pastry.
Technology has a lot to do with all this. As noted above, a lot of that boils down to digital payments, subscriptions, Internet connection and so on. The Web has many issues as well. As somebody put it a few hours ago: “Today we have what I term the “HTTP monster”. A handful of oligarchs have now ceased [sic] the whole of the internet, have turned it into government spying shit, the telemetry is out of hand and propaganda is the norm.”
“Where are we going with all this? Are people being reduced to mere tenants? Universally?”Technology can be a force for good, but it also poses a risk to human rights (on many levels). In our articles and podcast (or “audiocast” as we prefer to call it; “pod” is a misleading term) we intend to explore this issue again and again. Tim has a lot of experience in that area, so his insights are invaluable.
As for myself, I have seen many examples of human and labour rights being crushed at the EPO. That helps put things in perspective. █
Summary: Tim and Roy produce their 2nd audiocast since TechBytes returned
In this episode: Roy and Tim (TechBytes hosts)
Show notes 08/05/2021 (by Tim)
In today’s show we focus on privacy, talking mainly on the subject of social media, we ponder the questions of what is this data being used for and by whom and also speak on the VPN and how vigilance is still required.
We look into the wider implications of privacy, Google services, working from home and ways that you can protect your privacy/data.
The appeal/lure of social media comes up and we consider promoted/paid-for # (hash) tags.
Should you be held accountable for things that were acceptable in the past but not in the present? We talk about this in relation to cancel culture and the wider implications.
We briefly cover Microsoft and talk about the future of Windows, including Windows 10X being apparently discontinued.
Tim covers a very affordable USB HDMI capture device and the topic of cheap technology is briefly covered.
Summary: People who work for (or receive funding from) Nazi-associated IBM are still trying to turn the work/legacy of Richard Stallman (RMS) into dust/ashes
Kick him in the S
Monopolies we bless
By manufacturing a mess
“GPL cremated for fun”Cancel the leader
Our sponsors are much bigger
Our legitimacy so meager
Our boss did a "hail Hitler"
Join our petition
Microsoft hosting the mission
We need more attrition
Anecdotal tales for friction
FSF begone
Until then our job ain’t done
GPL cremated for fun
It’s the sharing we strive to shun █
“The raising of voices in conversation does not have a context independent or culturally universal emotional valence. For some it is normal and expected. For some it borders on a taboo. Taking the complaint about RMS raising his voice at face value: it borders on antisemitism. [...] This doesn’t mean that RMS or anyone has free reign to be a constant holy terror, always screaming and yelling, but that is not what I ever saw RMS do and is not what any of the complainers have said he does. Raised voices among friends and allies typify some cultural backgrounds—including mine, ironically enough. It can, when in those cultural contexts, a bit creepy if someone does not communicate this way. One asks: what is that quiet person hiding from us? Interruption is a similarly culturally variable communication style. In some cultures I mix in, it is expected and is often a sign of engagement with what one is saying – silence comes off as rude / checked out. In other cultures, the opposite—interruption—is not allowed. In a multi-cultural world, we should all be tolerant and flexible in our communication styles. (RMS, meanwhile, is being made to do the limbo by people who think they get to define the One True Civil Converstation [sic] Style. Flexibility in style is a two-way street, chums.) None of this means that people making complaints have invalid feelings that should be ignored. Of course not. But it does mean that the particular demands against RMS, and the relentless character assassination, need to stop. Lastly, neither Deb nor any of us is qualified to assess whether or not a single person, RMS in this case, “drives people away from the movement” on balance. That’s an incredibly arrogant assertion that centers one own cultural expectations and projects them onto an entire planet of people. Can we end the pointless debate of such assertions once and for all?”
In any event, here in Techrights we’ll soon publish our 30,400th post and our audiocast resumed last week (it started 11 years ago). Since then the MP3 and Ogg versions have been accessed nearly 3,700 times (in less than a week), so it’s fair to say people do care and we still have momentum/inertia. “Just be honest!”
The United Kingdom (UK) isn’t particularly unique in that regard. Under the veil of national health crisis each and every nation took some personal liberties away, sometimes for unjustifiable purposes and reasons.
Those of us who still talk about these issues (or are being talked down on) are likely to become more vocal. The urgency grows. RMS, who was undermined by corporate shills donning an “open source” hat (open ‘core’, openwashing etc.), is going to speak tomorrow. It’ll be a virtual talk in the UK. I’ve met RMS several times in the UK and he seems to like the country, albeit he’s really concerned about authoritarianism creeping/settling in. This isn’t the same UK he knew decades ago. Nowadays, in London at least, you cannot even go on a subway or a bus without giving your identity. You cannot pay cash and hop aboard. They don’t allow that anymore. But here in Manchester it’s still possible to pay with cash for public transport, albeit 
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