[UFO Chicago] I give up

[Jordan Bettis]

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I've re-read the discussion regarding Intellectual Property on this
list, and I've decided that I've been wrong all along.  Through his
cunning interpretation of current IP law and appeal to the
self-serving computer professional in all of use, Mr Ormis has made me
realize the folly of the Free Software movement.

I now understand that it's not about what the users want, it's about
what the developers want. I mean, do you know any users? They're not
all that nice, and they didn't go to all the trouble that the
developer went to to develop the system that they use. I've therefore
accepted Tim O'Reilly's "freedom zero" which is basically: freedom
on the part of the developer to fuck the users as hard as he wants.
I think we all can agree that that is a very fair and equitable
policy when one considers the amount of work the developers must
put into their program.

Now, a very dangerous idea has developed in some people's minds
(perhaps some on this very list). The idea is that "persons under the
law" should be treated as second class citizens when it comes to
intellectual property. They claim that the IP laws were supposed to
protect the "little guy", and that corporations therefore should not
be able to horde patents like Imelda Marcos hoarded shoes. I find this
bigoted opinion downright disturbing (not to mention the fact that most
computer professionals would have a very hard time arguing that they
qualify as "little guys" anyway). To think that in this day of
enlightenment, we could ever think to treat other people as being
somehow 'lesser' than us is absurd. If we continue like this, how
long until corporations are being barred from eating at our lunch
counters, and have to drink at separate drinking fountains? How long
before young corporations are being shipped off to second rate=20
schools? I don't believe that that is a future that any of us want.

In accordance with this newfound clarity, there will be a few changes
made around here.  Effective immediately, I shall begin moving all of
my personal computers away from the needlessly complex Debian
GNU/Linux operating system in favor of Microsoft Windows XP.  I find
XP's "quick start" guide to be very informative and to the point.  In
addition, the MSDN network online is a very attractive resource with a
reasonable usage agreement.

I've come to realize that, the sooner we reject the siren call of Free
Software and Free Beer from communists like Richard Stallman and
accept the fact that Microsoft (and others) are offering us nothing
more than the American Way codified into software, the better off
we'll all be.

--=20
Jordan Bettis <http://www.hafd.org/~jordanb>
When I do this, some people think it's because I want my ego to be fed. Of=
=20
course, it's not like I'm asking you to call it Stallmanix.
				-- Richard Stallman on GNU/Linux

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