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- <header>
- <h1 class="p-name">Do users control the software they use?</h1>
- </header>
- <section data-field="subtitle" class="p-summary">
- ‘Playful cleverness’ as RMS puts it, has been a much awaited jargon for the motivation behind building new things
- in computing be it…
- </section>
- <section data-field="body" class="e-content">
- <section name="4ea9" class="section section--body section--first">
- <div class="section-divider">
- <hr class="section-divider">
- </div>
- <div class="section-content">
- <div class="section-inner sectionLayout--insetColumn">
- <h3 name="e846" id="e846" class="graf graf--h3 graf--leading graf--title">Do users control the software
- they use?</h3>
- <p name="d5e1" id="d5e1" class="graf graf--p graf--startsWithSingleQuote graf-after--h3 graf--trailing">
- ‘Playful cleverness’ as <a href="https://stallman.org/rms-lifestyle.html"
- data-href="https://stallman.org/rms-lifestyle.html" class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"
- rel="noopener" target="_blank">RMS</a> puts it, has been a much awaited jargon for the motivation behind
- building new things in computing be it software or hardware. A more popular jargon being ‘hacking’ or some
- choose a more euphemistic term ‘ethical hacking’ to distinguish themselves from the colloquial pirates.
- Ethical, in itself is a subjective term. Would someone call Amazon ‘ethical’ for having <a
- href="https://stallman.org/amazon.html" data-href="https://stallman.org/amazon.html"
- class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" rel="noopener" target="_blank">universal backdoor(s) in Alexa
- and Kindle</a>? Perhaps, a <a href="https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html"
- data-href="https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html" class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"
- rel="noopener" target="_blank">freedom respecting</a> (in terms of software) person would not.</p>
- </div>
- </div>
- </section>
- <section name="7c06" class="section section--body">
- <div class="section-divider">
- <hr class="section-divider">
- </div>
- <div class="section-content">
- <div class="section-inner sectionLayout--insetColumn">
- <p name="0c33" id="0c33" class="graf graf--p graf--leading">It’s quite bewildering to see that the software
- we use in our daily lives are intrinsically controlling the way we interact with them. These may have
- serious <a href="https://stallman.org/google.html" data-href="https://stallman.org/google.html"
- class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" rel="noopener" target="_blank">ramifications</a> on privacy and
- freedom. What we call as 'using' a software is actually turning out be 'used by' the
- software. For example, we believe that we use Facebook for making friends, following news, communication,
- advertising etc but in reality we are being used by social media platforms in giving out private details,
- targeted for incessant advertising and acting as a servant for the Government. Do you think Facebook would
- not give data to the Government, third parties and data brokers? In fact, Facebook can do whatever they
- wish to, <a href="https://stallman.org/facebook.html" data-href="https://stallman.org/facebook.html"
- class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" rel="noopener" target="_blank">without any informed consent from
- its users</a>. The privacy and usage terms devised by these social media bigwigs are obscure, malicious,
- intrusive and ephemeral. Facebook and other social media sites chews on user’s data and spits out targeted
- ads which makes the users buy things they don’t need. Public opinions are hugely influenced through these
- social networking sites. Anyone can pay Facebook to get their propaganda through.</p>
- <p name="81b9" id="81b9" class="graf graf--p graf-after--p graf--trailing">In fact Facebook doesn’t allow
- its usage, by blocking users and victimizing them. Yet, I continue to visit that website because it is
- built to make people addicted. Checking notifications from people. Every notification pumping a small dose
- of dopamine. Man is such a gregarious being that socializing becomes inevitable. These philosophers and
- spiritual gurus who preach of aloneness (a made up word I guess because the spell-checker doesn’t seem to
- agree), disenchantment, austerity, mindfulness and awareness are doing it through Facebook and other
- social media sites. How thoughtful!</p>
- </div>
- </div>
- </section>
- <section name="e3ef" class="section section--body">
- <div class="section-divider">
- <hr class="section-divider">
- </div>
- <div class="section-content">
- <div class="section-inner sectionLayout--insetColumn">
- <p name="5f51" id="5f51" class="graf graf--p graf--leading">These ways of wisdom is enriched through
- experience. Memories are like those binoculars through which we see our present and chart the future
- course. Without it we are blind. Every action would be spontaneous and impromptu. No more déjà vu. No more
- hesitations and conflicts. Just perpetuity without classification and discernment. This ushers a
- possibility. A possibility of a beginning and not a means to an end.</p>
- <figure name="c09c" id="c09c" class="graf graf--figure graf-after--p graf--trailing">
- <div class="aspectRatioPlaceholder is-locked" style="max-width: 600px; max-height: 559px;">
- <div class="aspectRatioPlaceholder-fill" style="padding-bottom: 93.2%;"></div><img class="graf-image"
- data-image-id="1*iSWLGPx3ZFgzvHBaAk1_PA.png" data-width="600" data-height="559"
- data-is-featured="true" src="assets/img/stallman.medium.png">
- </div>
- <figcaption class="imageCaption">What Freedom Means by Michael Pagnotti</figcaption>
- </figure>
- </div>
- </div>
- </section>
- <section name="3092" class="section section--body">
- <div class="section-divider">
- <hr class="section-divider">
- </div>
- <div class="section-content">
- <div class="section-inner sectionLayout--insetColumn">
- <p name="e50a" id="e50a" class="graf graf--p graf--leading graf--trailing">One fine night, just about
- midnight I woke up and realized the mention of a <a href="https://ryf.fsf.org/"
- data-href="https://ryf.fsf.org/" class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" rel="noopener"
- target="_blank">freedom respecting hardware</a>. A <a href="https://jordanebay0011.wixsite.com/website/product-page/libreboot-x200s-notebook-8gb-ram-256ssd"
- data-href="https://jordanebay0011.wixsite.com/website/product-page/libreboot-x200s-notebook-8gb-ram-256ssd"
- class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" rel="noopener" target="_blank">notebook</a> which was modified
- to allow the users to use it without sacrificing their freedom. Freedom of using the hardware in whichever
- way they wished. No hidden backdoors to spy on them. So, went ahead to get a <a
- href="https://libreboot.org/" data-href="https://libreboot.org/" class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"
- rel="noopener" target="_blank"><em class="markup--em markup--p-em">Libre</em> machine</a> with a free
- (as in free speech) operating system. Completely customizable to suit my experience. No <a
- href="https://www.gnu.org/proprietary/proprietary.html"
- data-href="https://www.gnu.org/proprietary/proprietary.html" class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"
- rel="noopener" target="_blank">proprietary</a> or confidential programs on it. A day of true liberation
- for my computing. Would I call my self with an erstwhile maligned term 'Hacker' which now is just
- a passé by appending an 'Ethical' tag to it? Perhaps, hacking in its true spirit would mean
- 'playful cleverness’ without any good or evil morality. Morality, still is an issue of societal
- acceptance and preferences. More so, an issue of conflict between cults on various disagreements.</p>
- </div>
- </div>
- </section>
- <section name="33de" class="section section--body section--last">
- <div class="section-divider">
- <hr class="section-divider">
- </div>
- <div class="section-content">
- <div class="section-inner sectionLayout--insetColumn">
- <p name="8255" id="8255" class="graf graf--p graf--leading graf--trailing">In fact, me writing an article on
- Medium would be frowned upon if I were a devout follower of the free software philosophy. Simply, because
- I’m writing on a website that uses <a href="https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/javascript-trap.html"
- data-href="https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/javascript-trap.html" class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"
- rel="noopener" target="_blank">non-free JavaScript</a>. I tell myself that at the end of the day -
- "Neither am I a true conformist nor a contentious rebel, but somewhere in between."</p>
- </div>
- </div>
- </section>
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