New USB standard threatens Linux

[Oren Beck]

Jonathan Hutchins wrote:
> Cringeley says that the new Windows standard for USB devices specificly 
> excludes Linux:
> 
> http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20040916.html
> _______________________________________________
>

To my reading this is not merely a "security " issue . And Linux alone 
is not the endgame for the concept .
Nor is it a response to competing OS pressures . Though it serves as 
such to a degree .
This is primarily an attempt at extortion from media producers and 
consumers.
And the other implications ?  Well some of them should frankly scare the 
shit out of  you !
0r shall we ignore the political misuses of serialized Globally Unique 
Identification Device  mechanisms .
After all - our government _never_ would use such things for repression ?

What sparks my personal concern is a move to Orwellian concepts such as 
each piece of "paper"
having a GUID !

Said GUID being irrevocably linked to the author of each electronic 
expression .
While in certain circumstances an absolute authentication with the 
converse non-repudiation
is a very GOOD thing it is not so good in others . Thus dies free and 
anonymous discourse  .
Dissent becoming literally self incriminatory is a fantasy beyond 
compare to a repressive regime .
This trend to lock down media based on potential for use soon will reach 
a logical end .
  A  Quasi Soviet mentality of  ALL writable media being locked down or 
shackled by a GUID!
I was recently told that Soviet era copiers had their platen glass 
serial # etched so each copy was traceable .
Other than of course those possessed by the Oligarchy or equipotential 
forces and used for Agitprop and Disinformation

  A Copyleft universe has ZERO need for such at the hardware level - 
Police states on the other hand ?

The whole so-called "trusted" platform  oxymoronic brain fart sadly is 
being taken seriously by folks who should  be loudly describing how 
execrable such a scheme will be to live with . Now does failure to act 
earn the result ?
Where Linux and Open Source consider security as preventing exploits MS 
views the security issue as digital rights mangling merged with 
literally holding your data conditionally hostage in obfscutated formats 
 An Operating System that makes multiple copies of files and goes to 
inordinate lengths in concealing them -let alone the fact it does so at 
all hardly can be considered a paragon of virtue . Any  experts here 
know of GUID or similar in  any Open Sopurce software that are *NOT* 
explicitly declared and controllable easily !


But for the efforts of some who may scream loudly enough THX 1138 may be 
more our future than 1984 .

Oren Beck

www.campdownunder.com

" Just because one CAN does NOT mean one always SHOULD "