Skip to main content

To Be Sure Use FOSS

Amazon deleted “1984” the novel, from its Kindle devices without user help. Microsoft can block use of Windows XP if they suspect that your copy is obtained illegally. Internet services being offered for free one day and gets cancelled the next. Your data entrusted for storage in an online storage is safe or is it?

You'd like to be assured that if you purchase a machine for personal use that once you put your data there, you have total control over what happens to it. Of course apart from the power outage and bugs, you assume that you will always have access to your information. You assume that when you purchase a software contained in that CD you have in your hand and paid for it with your money, you have FREE use. That whatever content is generated when you use it, is yours. You assume too much.

The only way to be completely sure is to use free and open source (FOSS) software. Software that can be used and modifed by anyone and can be passed on to anyone who wants it. In other words, software that are non-proprietary, limited-rights reserved or none at all.

Most of us are aware of open source because Google has been giving away most of their software codes to the open source community. The open source model of developing software is arguably the right way to go. Everything is transparent, it is efficient, talent from all over the world is pooled. If you want proof that this is the way to go, you only have to look at Mozilla and its open source products like Firefox and Thunderbird. Without the open source alternatives from Mozilla and the Linux community, Microsoft would have us use Vista and demand upgrades in our machines.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Password Issues On Ubuntu Login

I found myself unable to enter my login credentials when prompted to do so in Ubuntu. I think I might have changed it then forget about it. I've been running the current session for more days than I should have. I forget. So what's the solution to my problem. How do I get in to my system now? It involved getting into the grub menu somehow. I am uncertain as to how to do that exactly in your system. So there's a couple of ways to do it (finger's crossed). When booting at system start, use the esc key or the shift key. The first one worked for me. The timing is key. Wait until the bios banner shows then hit the esc key once. I am using Ubuntu 22.04.4 here. I have a current version of grub. The grub menu will give you options and the one you want is: root. Yes you want root privileges to set the root password. It should give you a terminal access where you can issue commands. Type: #mount -rw -o -s remount / ==> this command mounts the filesyste...
Post a Comment
Read more

Reflections On My Blogging: Keeping It Honest

When you're facing a white, blank screen trying to decide what to write, it seemed hopeless and hopeful at the same time. It's like watching a boat with its sails unfurled but there's no wind, yet you wait and then see the tide turning. You have to stop the distractions. Shut the door. Wait until your breathing is regular and your mind relaxed, like your wrists on the table infront of you. I imagine me looking sideways but not hearing anything. The sounds come much later. I see the big mass of color first, the greens. Just the vegetation, moving, not even individual trees, not leaves, just the big green. Then behind it the blue sky, unfocused and floating. Do not concern your brain with the details. Forget the words and the punctuations. But be mindful of the flow, trace the outlines, hear the motions. Sometime these things don't have a name, give it a name. How do you give something a name and still be honest? How do you keep your writing honest? I...
Post a Comment
Read more

Webapps in Unity

So it has been 4 months since Ubuntu 14.04 came out. This is LTS and supported for 6 years by Canonical. The first mobile device with Ubuntu pre-installed is promised to come out later this year, 2014. It's time to check out how the apps perform so far. It is a good idea. I use Gmail and Twitter and Facebook. Why not a webapp in a desktop? So I start the Twitter and Gmail webapp. So far it has crashed my computer 6 times. Not a very good sign. On the other hand it does work but not as stable as opening them in Firefox. -- Use my PGP key if you want to encrypt your replies/messages to me. You are invited to also send me your PGP keys so we can communicate in private.
Post a Comment
Read more