[GTALUG] Surveillance Capitalism [was another thread]

[Alvin Starr]

On 4/2/21 10:45 PM, Russell Reiter wrote:
> On Fri, Apr 2, 2021, 10:13 PM Alvin Starr via talk, <talk at gtalug.org 
> <mailto:talk at gtalug.org>> wrote:
>
>     On 4/2/21 2:29 PM, Russell Reiter via talk wrote:
>>     Red Hat has just dropped its Free Software Foundation funding and
>>     support.
>>
>>     Now that Red Hat is pretty well owned by IBM, wouldn't you like
>>     to ask all those people, how far back in IBM's own history of
>>     misdeeds; notwithstanding rumors, innuendo and just plain gossip;
>>     the rest of us should look when judging the actions of  others.
>>
>>     I sure would.
>>
>>     https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_and_the_Holocaust
>>     <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_and_the_Holocaust>
>>
>>     Stallman was outspoken about surveillance capitalisim and WSL.
>>     Those are big cages to rattle with one tiny tin cup.
>>
>>     Just in case you don't think an NGO is capable of such insider
>>     machinations. I highly recommend the following book which has a
>>     pretty good evaluation of how the powers that be; leveraged
>>     trends, NGO (charity) connections and industry (read IBM)
>>     influences which gave Bill Gates his silver spoon running head
>>     start with MS DOS.
>>
>>     https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2760759-the-making-of-microsoft
>>     <https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2760759-the-making-of-microsoft>
>>
>>     Don't even get me started on WSL as an organized plan to disrupt
>>     linux freedom.
>>
>>     Engage Encompass and Eradicate are proven techniques of
>>     imperialism and capitalisim.
>>
>>     I think Red Hats "Woke Spoke" is Broke on this one, but with all
>>     that IBM money behind them, they will break this one guy out of
>>     the big picture, just because they can.
>>
>>
>>     Russell
>
>
>     I may just be thick but I don't see what any of the above has to
>     do with Surveillance Capitalism.
>
>     Or at least my understanding of Surveillance Capitalism that can
>     be described by
>     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveillance_capitalism
>     <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveillance_capitalism>
>
> Heres Richard Stallman on open source surveillance capitalisim eight 
> years ago.
>
> https://youtu.be/CP8CNp-vksc <https://youtu.be/CP8CNp-vksc>

OK.  But you did not reference anything like this in your original posting.

You kind of came out of nowhere making statements that seemed to have no 
relationship to your subject.

>     And for the life of me I can't see what any of this has to do with
>     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Surf_League
>     <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Surf_League>.
>
> Heres an article on WSL - Windows Subsystem for Linux but I understand 
> your confusion.
>
> https://fossbytes.com/richard-stallman-microsoft-linux-love-will-hurt-free-open-source-software/amp/ 
> <https://fossbytes.com/richard-stallman-microsoft-linux-love-will-hurt-free-open-source-software/amp/>

This is not an amazingly new idea.

Something like 25 years ago a group of us developed a way to run Unix 
binaries on top of DOS.

It was not the end of Opensource software which was GCC and EMACS at the 
time.

A chunk of the work we did ended up in the IBCS2 binary emulation in Linux.

WSL is just a optimized VM engine.

Think of it as an integrated VirtualBox or VMWare.

I am really not a fan of Microsoft as just about anybody who knows me 
will attest to but I also don't see them as being run by a Mike Myers 
Dr. Evil kind of character.

Most of the "Windows weenies" I know will run screaming from WSL and I 
expect that the primary uptake will be by Linux users who are forced by 
corporate doctrine to use Windows as a platform.

It may be that in the long run WSL will actually erode the dominance of 
Windows and MS.

That of course is my particular take and you are free to disagree.

>
> I guess the entire thread is about protecting the right to engage free 
> speach and the cost to individuals who go against the populist notions 
> which are propigated by powerful organizations and their associate 
> influencers.
>
> At least thats my take on these current events as they relate to linux 
> topicality.
>

-- 
Alvin Starr                   ||   land:  (647)478-6285
Netvel Inc.                   ||   Cell:  (416)806-0133
alvin at netvel.net              ||

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