Ubuntu & Africa

[Russell McOrmond]

Daniel Robitaille wrote:
> There are some reports that half of the pirated Vista contains adware,
> malware, trojan horse, etc:
> http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/01/25/HNpiratedvista_1.html

   I'm also wondering if people are thinking of the social and 
longer-term political side of things.  People who infringe software 
copyright are making themselves dependent on software which they can't 
get support for, and where they are always vulnerable to legal attacks.

   Entire countries are having their economies put at risk over these 
issues.  When the WTO comes down on these countries they end up having 
harm done to them, when switching to FLOSS and other legal 
no-marginal-cost based knowledge development, distribution and funding 
would avoid the problem entirely.


   One of the most embarrassing statements I saw recently was from the 
president of Romania who claimed that "Pirating" Microsoft Corp software 
helped Romania to build a vibrant technology industry.

http://www.digital-copyright.ca/node/3676

   I think this is nonsense, given all they can become is one-way 
'users' of software and not practitioners.  FLOSS is required to create 
a vibrant technology industry that are producers, participants and 
practitioners rather than only retailers, users, consumers.

-- 
  Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://www.flora.ca/>
  Please help us tell the Canadian Parliament to protect our property
  rights as owners of Information Technology. Sign the petition!
  http://www.digital-copyright.ca/petition/ict/

  "The government, lobbied by legacy copyright holders and hardware
   manufacturers, can pry my camcorder, computer, home theatre, or
   portable media player from my cold dead hands!"