PPRuNe Forums - Trusted Computing and Palladium

As you say, long but worth the read. This has to be the scariest thing I've ever seen. Seems that even my ongoing move to Linux may not save me.

Not surprisingly, the few Governments who even dimly comprehend the implications of this are not that concerned. After all, it is they who will benefit (in the medium short term at least). Certainly M$ has now amply demonstrated that they are effectively beyond/above the law and can now create or modify law to suit themselves

What I find difficult to understand is the depth of M$ motivation for all this. Yes, we all know that Billg doesn't like piracy, nor do any of us who produce anything marketable. [I don't mind students passing around copies of my e-lectures, but I'd be unhappy if someone was to publish it as part of a marketed e-textbook without my consent].

But this utterly relentless drive for world domination just seems bizarre, the stuff of cheap thrillers. Almost unbelievable if we didn't have the indirect (and not so indirect) evidence for it.

Why? It can't be for riches, since M$ will soon be the wealthiest and most powerful company in the world? Power? What could be the motivation for anyone wanting to have such power? Again, the sort of thing one associates with cheap science fiction.

Ironic that M$ cries about the "freedom to innovate" while covertly pursuing a vision that will deny this to everyone except M$.

Will the old sci-fi cyberpunk against the omnipotent fantasies eventually become politically necessary rather than curiosity and mischief-making? If they do it then it will be partly because M$ is busily creating the new order that demands it.

Fahrenheit 451 was perhaps more prophetic than Ray Bradbury ever dreamed.