Interesting People mailing list archives
Re: Kindle 2.0
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:56:26 -0500
Begin forwarded message: From: Thomas Lord <lord () emf net> Date: February 11, 2009 5:19:02 PM EST To: dave () farber netCc: ip <ip () v2 listbox com>, krulwich () yahoo com, lauren () vortex com, peterb <peterb () fsf org>, Nick Carr <ncarr () mac com>
Subject: Re: [IP] Re: Kindle 2.0 For IP if you forward it there. On Wed, 2009-02-11 at 07:09 -0500, David Farber wrote:
Begin forwarded message: From: Krulwich <krulwich () yahoo com> Date: February 11, 2009 4:40:42 AM EST To: dave () farber net Subject: Re: [IP] Re: Kindle 2.0 Reply-To: krulwich () yahoo com
I think that Amazon and Sprint should be congratulated and commended for moving to a model of network access being free as subsidized by service. There are always kinks to work out on a new approach, and such kinks need to be met with respect and suggestions and not derision.
You should read Stallman's "Right to Read" essay. Let's at least understand the play being made by several different major players here: The full circuit being sold as Kindle but also represented by many other examples is: 1) A limited-purpose device designed to be a substitute for (many uses of) a general purpose computer. Users are not free technically or legally to fully reprogram this device. 2) Restrictions (technological and legal) that prevent users from inspecting, modifying or replacing the software on this device. Users can not remove annoying limitations imposed by the software and they can not discover if they are being surveilled. 3) Network connectivity not sold as but intended to substitute for (many uses of) a general purpose network connection. The network neutrality debate, whichever side you are on, is mooted if people access the net mainly through contracts like Kindle's. 4) Tying, by technical and legal means, of the user's network access to a particular ISP and to higher level network services. All traffic will go through deep packet inspection for any purpose the vendor chooses - or at least the vendor and his partners are taking pains to ensure that option. 5) Application of this degree of control over users to restrict a user's freedoms to access content, share content, copy content, etc. Restrictions upon users in the form of surveillance. 6) Legal tying of certain cultural content to this resulting "network" so that the propagation of works can be surveilled and controlled. The only legal way to distribute some works will be over one of these private overlay networks, to authorized devices. 7) Increasing redefining of cultural works (music recordings, "books", etc.) to (allegedly) "add value" by tying consumption to concurrent network access to specialized services (e.g., downloading and displaying song lyrics as a song plays). The purpose being to force user's to consume by subscription, rather than purchase, and to increase the opportunities to surveille users. Add a few additional features to a Kindle and, as far as most users are concerned, it will have all the practical benefits of a tablet computer or notebook computer. It isn't hard to imagine a product in just a few more years with all of the restrictions of user freedom that the Kindle has - but that is offered up to people as a complete substitute for a personal computer. It's a perfect storm of an attack on user freedom: telecom, media companies, device manufacturers, anti-software-freedom types, and the more shadowy types of anti-privacy folks all aligned in their interest in this circuit of control that devices and contracts like this represent. And these shackles practically sell themselves to people eager to try them on because of the "gee-whiz" factor of a fancy display and technically competent interface. In his somewhat famous essay, Richard Stallman predicted this around 1997. The essay was amended in 2007: "The Right to Read" - Richard M. Stallman http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html He's a smart guy. -t ------------------------------------------- Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/ Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
Current thread:
- Kindle 2.0 David Farber (Feb 09)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- Re: Kindle 2.0 David Farber (Feb 09)
- Re: Kindle 2.0 David Farber (Feb 09)
- Re: Kindle 2.0 David Farber (Feb 10)
- Re: Kindle 2.0 David Farber (Feb 11)
- Re: Kindle 2.0 David Farber (Feb 12)