Re: [TCLUG:17041] <OT:anti-M$> *scary* stuff...

[Adam Maloney <adam@iexposure.com>]

It has nothing to do with open source vs commercial software.  Sure,
commercial software companies may be trustworthy, but to trust any
software that they want to install without your knowledge or consent?

There was a huge thread about this on [NT]bugtraq recently.  There are 2
grim possibilities for abuse

1) The trustworthy commercial software vendor decides that you need to
upgrade to their latest version, which breaks something, or they decide
that they want to install their free but very valuable screen
saver/marketing material or whatever.

2) The trustworthy commercial software vendor has a security breach, and
some hacker kiddie can suddenly sign their software.  We don't even have
to think about what could happen in that case.

Obviously it's most likely not some microsoft plot to take over our
computers, but in the tradition of microsoft it allows the user to open
himself up to a lot of potential abuse and security problems in the name
of convenience.

Nick.T.Reinking@supervalu.com wrote:
> 
> Where?
> 
> The top part says that you can check a box to consider
> all commercial software trustworthy.  The second part
> says that a commercial software company is likely to
> maintain support for a product.
> 
> I consider commercial software to be as trustworthy, if
> not more trustworthy, than OSS software.  Note that
> trustworthy isn't the same thing as secure.  :)  That can
> go either way, too.
> 
> Don't people saying that Open Source Software is
> completely trustworthy scare you?
> 
> Nick Reinking
> 
> dieman@ringworld.org, on 05/02/2000 12:52:00 PM
> To: tclug-list@mn-linux.org @ PMDF
> cc:
> Subject: Re: [TCLUG:17041] <OT:anti-M$> *scary* stuff...
> 
> On Tue, 2 May 2000 Nick.T.Reinking@supervalu.com wrote:
> 
> > And be a little more mature.  Spelling Microsoft/MS as
> > Micro$oft, or M$, or having Winblows isn't exactly the
> 
> Dude. they just rationaled to the user that money == trusted software.
> 
> Doesn't that stand for anything to scare you in this world?
> 
> --
> Scott Dier <dieman@ringworld.org> #nicnac@efnet 612.301.0265
> http://www.ringworld.org/  finger:dieman@destiny.ringworld.org
> 
> Wait. Watch. Wonder.
>         -J
> 
> Besides, where could any governmental logic have come from, anyway, when
> people lived in the condition known as freedom -- than is, like beasts,
> monkeys, cattle?
>         -Yevgeny Zamyatin, We p.15
> 
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-- 
Adam Maloney
Systems Administrator
Internet Exposure, Inc.