Computers

Access to open-source software enabled me to build a career when traditional education-to-career paths turned out to be incongruent with the way I process and learn new information. Free, as in Freedom, (Remember Freedom? We use that word a lot in the USA+), is a critical feature and truly free projects are worth supporting to help Americans, (and yes, others, too), access beneficial technology, research, innovate, and create. Americans, (and others too), can use these resources to build better lives for themselves and others.

Links

• Hiding from the marketing department: Surveillance Self-Defense Guide Greed has destroyed the anonymity of the Internet and our every move is watched and evaluated for profit or worse. It’s OK because it’s free, right? And who cares what I do?
  If your neighbors paid part or all of your cable bill so they could monitor and directly influence and even control what you watch on your TV based on who’s paying them, would you let them do it? (and no, nobody is going to pay you for watching them, either. That’s not an option unless you change your life and become The Watcher.)

(Here’s a hint, whenever you see an ad on the Internet, you’re being watched. Sound like an alarmist conspiracy? Yes, but it isn’t; it’s reality.)

• Terms of Service in a human language You can’t use that expensive thing you just unboxed until you agree to whatever this ridiculous document is. Ever wonder what you’re agreeing to so you can use that thing you just paid for?

(Hint: It takes a certain amount of stupidity to “own” and use a smart phone.)

• Fix your stuff You can probably fix your stuff with a little care. I can fix many things, and if I can do it, I’m sure you can too–as long as you’re allowed to. (Yes, you should fight misguided freedom stealing laws like the DMCA and if you can’t fight them yourself, find people who can and help them somehow.)

• Linux Foundation Ranking Discover and compare open source projects across various performance metrics

• FreeBSD Open Source Operating System Access to FreeBSD, its documentation, and community is what launched my career.

SDF Old Computer Challenge

Powerbook 3400c

The 3400c running NCSA Telnet, connected to Lambda Moo.

The Old Computer Challenge snuck up on me this year. I was hoping to get my 1997 Powerbook 3400c up with BeOS but I still haven’t found a functioning CD-ROM drive that is reasonably priced. However, Jeff Geerling has already published a solution. Until then, I will be running MacOS 9. Fortunately, it still has a copy of NCSA telnet so I can still get to Lambda Moo for DJ Screwtape’s Zhen House set inside LambdaMOO show.