From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:57 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:06 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Unrehersed Redundancy
Message-ID: <20060312181757.3061040679@volo.yukidoke.org>

[Kiko][1], Micah, and I ate at [Legal Seafood's][2] yesterday and had
this little message on the bottom of our bill:

> PLANNING A REHERSAL DINNER? MAKE YOUR ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME EXPERIENCE
UNIQUE. JOIN US.

Where I come from, rehearsals are things are things that, by definition,
happen more than once. When they do happen, it's usually with an _a_
between the _e_ and _r_.

Of course, I have to respect Legal for so succinctly combining a
redundancy and a contradiction on the same topic.

    [1]: http://www.async.com.br/~kiko/

    [2]: http://www.legalseafoods.com

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20051116-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:57 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:06 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Quote of the Day
Message-ID: <20060312181757.16ED940684@volo.yukidoke.org>

> Antiquated technology makes for emancipatory possibilities.

>

> ?Alan Toner _(2005)_

Perhaps a truism. Perhaps merely what I fear is a prescient statement.

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/ip/20051027-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:57 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:06 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] No Price Is Too Much
Message-ID: <20060312181757.476104067A@volo.yukidoke.org>

[This article][1] from [Access North Georgia's Newsroom][2] describes
how there is a investigation in Cobb County into allegations that, "the
bidding process for the 100 million dollar laptop program was slanted in
favor of apple."

Making a laptop for 100 million dollar hardly seems that difficult.
[Some of us][3] are more ambitious.

If you haven't seen it, the first demo of the laptop was [unveiled in
Tunis][4] and is _totally_ green. Congratulations to everyone else who
put in long days (and nights) on making this demo shine.

    [1]: http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfullstory.asp?ID=67237

    [2]: http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/

    [3]: http://laptop.media.mit.edu

    [4]: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4445060.stm

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/projects/20051117-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:57 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:06 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] =?utf-8?b?TmltbWVy4oKC?= on Creative Commons
Message-ID: <20060312181757.56F954067C@volo.yukidoke.org>

[Seth Schoen][1] pointed me to [this article][2] by Ray Nimmer (not to
be confused with the (more) famous copyright scholar David Nimmer).
Nimmer? is an outspoken advocate of strong copyright and is very
skeptical of free software.

What is interesting about this article is the overlap between my
argument in [Toward a Standard of Freedom][3] and the argument made by
Nimmer?. Nimmer?'s subject is the free information movement and he
argues against a principled position and a social movement toward
freedom. He argues that part of Free Software's maturation can be seen
in what he sees as the movement's tendency to look beyond its principles
and standards. He positively describes a trend of putting aside core
values and principles -- both in terms of the particular values in the
FSD, OSD and DFSG and in terms of the method of building a movement
around a defined standard of freedom -- as, "an assertion of productive
and healthy individualism [that] arguably, reflects an expansion of the
core ideas of open source outside the narrow confines of its own
limiting doctrines."

He holds up Creative Commons as a productive example of how the free
information and culture movement is getting beyond their whole doctrine,
principles and standards nonsense. If we look at CC as part of a larger
free information movement that may eventually start influencing free
software, he may be right.

Open Source succeeded in separating the doctrine and definitions of Free
Software from its principles and ethical arguments. Creative Commons,
and others following their example, has now introduced a broader free
information movement that has fully excised any fixed definitions of
freedom and openness and has even abandoned the strategy of providing
definitions at all.

This of course, is precisely the argument I made in [Toward a Standard
of Freedom][3] but it's a little disconcerting to see it made by someone
on the other side who then comes to the opposite conclusions. As Seth
put it, "Nimmer is saying that CC is doing exactly what you're saying
it's doing, except that he thinks it's good because he doesn't like free
software!"

    [1]: http://www.loyalty.org/~schoen/

    [2]: http://www.ipinfoblog.com/archives/licensing-law-issues-36-
open-source-license-proliferation-a-broader-view.html

    [3]: http://mako.cc/writing/toward_a_standard_of_freedom.html

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/ip/20051120-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:57 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:06 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Cilia
Message-ID: <20060312181758.5D31840680@volo.yukidoke.org>

I think "Cilia" is a pretty name for a girl. My biologist friends
disagree. As far as I'm concerned, it sure beats Flagella.

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20051118-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:57 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:07 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Buy Yesterday Day
Message-ID: <20060312181758.616C740681@volo.yukidoke.org>

[Buy Nothing Day][1] is upon us again. As usual, it's being held in the
US on [Black Friday][2] and [elsewhere][3] either on Friday or the day
after.

I'm a supporter of BND and try to celebrate each year. Unfortunately, it
usually ends up turning into, "buy everything you would buy today the
day before day." This arrangement is certainly more convenient for those
who like to eat but perhaps not entirely in the spirit of things.

    [1]: http://www.adbusters.org/metas/eco/bnd/

    [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_friday_(shopping)

    [3]: http://www.buynothingday.co.uk/

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20051123-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:57 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:07 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] ...And Straight Up Is Right Out
Message-ID: <20060312181758.694CD40688@volo.yukidoke.org>

In my computer supported collaborative work seminar, we were discussing
the design of table-top systems for synchronous collocated
collaboration. There was a bit of conversation on the problems and
strategies with images projected onto the table (e.g., people getting in
the way of the beam). There seemed to be consensus that most simple and
effective solution was projectors mounted directly above the table.

I pointed out that, in this context, straight down was the most
straightforward.

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20051121-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:57 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:07 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] "You May Go About Your Business"
Message-ID: <20060312181758.6D88440683@volo.yukidoke.org>

Access and borrowing privileges at Harvard libraries is one perk of
being an MIT graduate student. Actually taking advantage of the
privileges of course is a borderline Kafka-esque quest that involves 5
forms, several databases, two universities, a rather impressive MIT
libraries official stamp, and three geographically separated offices on
opposite ends of Cambridge. Only once all those obstacles are
triumphantly overcome can one go through the two card swipes and/or
manual verifications necessary to get into the Widener stacks.

The [webpage][1] makes it sound easy and, in all fairness, nothing about
the process is threatening or difficult. While the libraries are worth
the effort, it is long and tortuous: by no means for the
bureaucratically faint of heart.

The high point of the process, in my opinion, is picking up one's ID
from the Harvard ID office. The ID office is appropriately located on
the ninth floor of a building that requires ID to enter.

    [1]: http://libraries.mit.edu/ordering/non-mit-access/harvard.html

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20051122-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:07 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Upcoming Events @ The Acetarium
Message-ID: <20060312181758.725EE40686@volo.yukidoke.org>

This coming Friday, [The Acetarium][1] will host a party to celebrate
the beginning of my twenty-fifth year of life.

According to the [CDC's live expectancy data][2] for people of my sex,
age, and racial demographic, I am projected to live 51.0 years past this
coming Friday. In three months, perhaps I should throw a "1/3 of my
projected lifespan party."

Details are on [The Acetarium][1] website. If you're in Boston and would
like to come, please [let me know][3].

    [1]: http://www.acetarium.com

    [2]: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr53/nvsr53_06.pdf

    [3]: http://mako.cc/contact.html

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20051124-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:07 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Debian in Boston
Message-ID: <20060312181758.774ED40687@volo.yukidoke.org>

After a unfortunate bout of downtime, I'm happy to announce that Sam
Hartman has officially revived the Debian-Boston-Social mailing list and
our community is back in business.

If you're in Boston and would like to participate in key signings,
meetings with local and traveling free software hackers (Debian and
otherwise) and to stay keyed into a crowd of people in Boston working on
and using Debian and its derivatives, _this_ is your list.

You should feel free to attend events and to plan and announce your own
in pubs and other points of interests.

With its strong academic predisposition and its important place in the
history of free software, the Boston/Cambridge has no excuse being shown
up by places like New York City when it comes to having a happening
Debian scene.

You can [sign up here][1].

    [1]: http://www.meepzorp.org/mailman/listinfo/debian-boston-soc

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20051127-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:07 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Cinderella
Message-ID: <20060312181758.7C20840689@volo.yukidoke.org>

I was sad to see that the local [Cinderella's Pizza][1] is open (and
delivers!) past midnight. They do not serve pumpkin pizza (or any other
pumpkin dishes) at any time of the night.

If I were in charge, things would be different.

    [1]: http://web.mit.edu/afs/athena/user/w/c/wchuang/www/menus/menus/
Cinderella's.txt

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20051129-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:07 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Unacceptable Behavior in Any L4e
Message-ID: <20060312181758.8B97840690@volo.yukidoke.org>

Because there are people that seem to be unclear on the subject:

The reason people type "l10n" and "i18n" instead of "localization" and
"internationalization" is because the words' length makes them difficult
to type. Tech communities are willing to put up with this ungainly and
opaque shorthand for the sake of our wrists.

In spoken English, "EYE-eighteen-EN" is not easier to say that the
expanded form. Pronouncing the keyboard shorthand does _not_ imply that
speaker is savvy or in the know. It should not be done.

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20051128-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:07 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] When Push Comes To...
Message-ID: <20060312181758.818814068C@volo.yukidoke.org>

[Mika][1] and I were discussing logistics for our [upcoming party][2]
and wondering where we would put people if the crowd got too big.

I said something along the lines of, "well if push comes to shove, we
can always stick people in the back room." Clearly misunderstanding,
Mika's face showed a mixture of confusion and disgust.

We were only able to continue after I made it clear that I my intention
was _not_ to isolate and quarantine my friend, [Media Lab][3] colleague,
and neighbor, [Push Singh][4] in our bedroom.

    [1]: http://mika.yukidoke.org/nikki

    [2]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20051124-00.html

    [3]: http://www.media.mit.edu

    [4]: http://web.media.mit.edu/~push/

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20051125-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:07 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] OLPC and Charges of Technological and Cultural
	Imperialism
Message-ID: <20060312181758.945A840691@volo.yukidoke.org>

Quim Gil asked [a number of good questions][1] about the [One Laptop Per
Child][2] initiative. I will not answer all of his questions now and am
not sure answers exist yet for every question. With that said, I will
try to answer his final question with the traditional disclaimer that
the thoughts expressed here are my own and may or may not be shared by
others within the project are not the official position of OLPC.

Quim asked, "what measures will be taken to avoid or [inhibit] the
spread of a (unconscious or well-intentioned?) cultural neocolonialism?"
I have been asked this question many times. It is an issue that concerns
me personally. As such, I'll give you my personal feelings on the
subject.

Discussion of cultural colonialism, Westernization, Americanization or
techno-imperialism are hardly limited to OLPC. Sometimes it comes in the
form of reactions against what is seen as the homogenizing or
Americanizing effect of US-based multinationals (e.g., McDonald's or
Nike) or against the culturally oriented US-based motion picture or
recording industries. In terms of technology, the debate is often framed
in terms of [Appropriate Technology][3].

There is an argument that modern information technology -- designed and
developed in highly industrialized countries to address their particular
set of cultural contexts and needs -- may be inappropriate and
potentially dangerous in the developing world. This is a fair critique.
But while there may be a danger, insisting that the technology be kept
out is unrealistic and may miss the larger evil.

These discussions can not responsibly ignore the fact that, depending on
whose numbers you trust, there are between and 1 and 2 _billion_ mobile
phones in the world today and that number will reach something like [2.6
billion operational units in 2009][4]. That's nearly half the world
population and it's not hard to find out where most of those phones are
going:

> All the growth in subscribers is coming from emerging markets," says
David Taylor, Motorola's director of strategy and operations for high-
growth markets. Researchers predict that of the 1 billion cell phones
expected to be sold in 2010, half will be in developing economies.
([link][5])

Information and communication technology is, in one form or another, on
a _fast track_ into the developing world. That may very well be a
problem but it's not the _biggest_ problem in this field. The bigger
problem is the nature of the technology that is being imported.

People in the, rich and developed countries may have cellphones, but
they frequently also have computers: full-fledged, reprogrammable,
hackable computers; computers that they can use to write software,
design hardware, install new OSes on, and even -- if they are really
adventurous -- use to reprogram their mobile phone.

People in the developing world will have information technology (in the
form of cellphones at least) but do not have the ability -- no matter
how interested, talented, or intelligent they are -- to change the way
they work. _This_ is the greater danger.

The most powerful and empowering quality of information technology in
the context of personal computers is that as communication is being
mediated, facilitated, and _defined_ through software on computers fully
within users' control, each user has the ability to determine the terms
on which they communicate. In a world where people are communicating,
trading, voting, learning, working, and organizing through digital
channels, massive power lies in the hands of those who have the tools
(e.g., computers and development platforms) and access and permission
(e.g., Free and Open source software) necessary to make the necessary
changes.

In three years, there will be a billion people in the developing world
who are using information technology on the terms and at the whim of the
today's global elite and they will _not_ be able transcend their role
and consumers and subservients in this context. Their ability to
transcend their depressed role in larger economic contexts will be
highly influenced by this fact. The developing world's "computers" will
not be able to create or change the software that define them. The code
that runs these devices will be proprietary and will remain immutable
even in the context of additional hardware.

Unless we do something about it.

As far I'm concerned, that something is two steps:

  * We need to create and distribute -- real computers that can be used
as development platforms -- at a price that can begin to compete with
their alternatives (e.g., phones, thinclients, WebTVs, etc).

  * We need to make sure that these machines are hackable -- totally
hackable -- on every level. That means open hardware. That means Free
and Open Source software. That means open specifications, protocols, and
data formats.

That is my personal goal in OLPC and it is one that has seemed to have
been echoed by others involved in the project.

Of course, I have hardly washed myself or my project of the stigma of
cultural imperialism yet. That said, while making a completely malleable
machine allows every user to, if they choose to, transcend their role as
a consumer of technology and technologically-defined culture, one side
effect of this process is that it also allows them to do so _on their
own terms_. Because the machine is completely free and open, users are
free to use the machine in ways that not only have the originators not
considered, but that they _could not_ imagine. With time, the machine --
and its software in particular -- can be rewritten, reshaped, and
eventually replaced with something of, by, and for its users.

Of course, this will not happen overnight. As the first step, OLPC will
attempt to create something we think provides a compelling and flexible
platform with which the world can learn and build. With this in hand,
governments and ministries of education that purchase the machine will
get to shape (or replace?) the platform in line with their own ideas and
curricula. As the students and communities to which the machines are
deployed learn and build with and upon the machine, another
transformation will occur. As those communities grow in relation to
their technology, this change will be sustained.

The potential for this dynamic and empowering relationship is the reason
I'm [here][6].

    [1]: http://www.desdeamericaconamor.org/blog/en/node/166

    [2]: http://laptop.media.mit.edu

    [3]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appropriate_technology

    [4]: http://www.smallbizpipeline.com/infrastructure/166401047

    [5]: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_45/b3958061.htm

    [6]: http://www.media.mit.edu

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20051215-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:07 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Getting Involved in OLPC (IAP Class)
Message-ID: <20060312181758.AD6F740692@volo.yukidoke.org>

The press, others, and even myself have made much of the [Media Lab][1]
and [One Laptop Per Child's][2] decision to embrace a platform that is
fully free and open. There are two major reasons for working with the
free world on this project. The first is the philosophical reasons that
[I've laid out recently][3]. The second is the fact that a free platform
will help us leverage the work of a large community to accomplish
building, testing, and improving what we believe will ultimately develop
into a new and more relevant type of software platform for the world's
children.

In terms of building community, our first goal must be harnessing the
power of the existing free software world and interested parties
therein. Later on (i.e., once the machines exist) we can focus on
getting governments, non-profits, and ultimately some of the students
using the machine, to contribute as well. While there's clearly a
bootstrapping phase, we unfortunately, we haven't done much of either so
far.

Up until now, Red Hat has been doing the legwork in the realm of
software. So much so that at points it has been difficult even for some
of us officially working on the project (e.g., myself) to make
meaningful contributions. While we've had many people express interest
in helping with the project from elsewhere in MIT and in non-MIT world,
we've been at a loss for ways to plug folks in.

As part of a larger effort to address these issues in the next month or
so, [Walter Bender][4], myself, and David Cavallo are organizing a short
workshop on getting involved in the OLPC/$100 laptop project for people
at MIT. We will also be posting information from that workshop online
for everyone. If you're at MIT and are interested, please show up. If
you are in the area but without an MIT or Harvard affiliation, [contact
me][5]. If you're out of the area and are interested in getting
involved, just stay tuned.

The workshop is being offered as a three hours one-day-only IAP class.
You can check out [the IAP web page][6] and then show up.

We will be done with plenty of time to rest up before the [MIT mystery
hunt][7] begins. It looks like I'll be hunting with Codex Dresden.

    [1]: http://www.media.mit.edu

    [2]: http://laptop.media.mit.edu

    [3]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20051215-00.html

    [4]: http://www.media.mit.edu/~walter/

    [5]: http://mako.cc/contact.html

    [6]: http://student.mit.edu/searchiap/iap-7176.html

    [7]: http://web.mit.edu/puzzle/www/index.html

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060102-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:07 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] <cite>The Enemies of Books</cite> by William Blades
Message-ID: <20060312181758.E719040693@volo.yukidoke.org>

While searching for treasures in [Widener's][1] stacks recently, I found
a beautiful 1896 edition of William Blade's classical book on book
collecting and book maintenance: The Enemies of Books. The title and
driving metaphor of the book won me over right away. Books seem like
inert and relatively unobjectionable objects. Many people dislike
_certain_ books or do not care for books in general but who could be the
enemies of books _in general_?

Some people may not like books but William Blades is not one of these
people. Blades _loves_ books ([Caxtons][2] in particular) and has, to
say the least, a long list of ways that he wants to see books treated.
Anything that violates Blade's sensibilities becomes the enemy of
William Blades. Blades is happy happy to speak for books in general.

Enemies enumerated include both individuals like the "Bagford the
Biblioclast", behaviors, occupations, nature, states of beings,
children, and most women. There are chapters on fire, water, gas and
heat, dust and neglect, ignorance and bigotry, the bookworm, other
vermin, bookbinders, collectors, and servants and children.

The book contains something for almost everyone. Blades opens a
wonderfully out-of-date section on the danger of gas lighting in
libraries stating that, "unfortunately, I can speak from experience on
the dire effect of gas in a confined space." Who can't? Nowhere though,
is Blades as worked up as when he discusses the evils done by
bookbinders who trim (and who frequently _overtrim_) the margins of
books while binding or rebinding them. Blades explains:

> Dante, in his "Inferno," deals out to the lost souls various tortures
suited with dramatic fitness to the past crimes of the victims, and had
I to execute judgment on the criminal binders of certain precious
volumes I have seen, where the untouched maiden sheets untrusted to
their care have, by barbarous treatment, lost dignity, beauty, and
values, I would collect paper shavings so ruthlessly shorn off, and
roast the perpetrator of the outrage over their slow combustion. In
olden times, before men had learned to value the relics of our printers,
there was some excuse for the sins of a binder who erred from ignorance
which has general; but in these times, when the historical and
antiquarian values of books is freely acknowledged, no quarter should be
granted to a careless culprit.

When collectors' turns comes up, Blades rants for pages on the evils of
collectors who rip out the title pages or colophons of otherwise good
books to build large bibliographic collections.

As [Mika][3] was looking through the book, the title page fell from the
old and rather fragile binding. It seems that we may have a candidate
for a new addition to the book. On the other hand, perhaps we have a new
distinction: the enemy of The Enemies of Books.

    [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widener_Library

    [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Caxton

    [3]: http://mika.yukidoke.org/nikki

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/books/20060103-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:07 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Lazy Police
Message-ID: <20060312181758.22CF840696@volo.yukidoke.org>

In about a week, the MIT police department is going to install
proximity-card locks in the building. I am worried about the fact that
the MIT card office [stores data about card use for 14 days][1] but am
optimistic about seeing this issue addressed.

However, I suspect that the MIT police department has an ulterior motive
in installing this new system. Currently, if somebody is locked out of
the building, he or she can call the MIT police to be let in. Of course,
the individual must first show their MIT ID card to the police. In the
new system, where the MIT ID _is_ the key, it seems like there will be
very few situations where the police need to follow-up on lockouts.

As a work-reduction measure for the police, it seems quite clever.

    [1]: http://web.mit.edu/mitcard/privacy.html

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060105-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:07 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Confusables
Message-ID: <20060312181758.2DD4140694@volo.yukidoke.org>

A few days ago, I compared [Mika][1] (unfavorably) to a [Decepticon][2].
Not having played with transformers as a child and having grown up in
Japan where, evidently, they are called "Destrons" instead, she missed
the reference. She asked if they were anything like [Leprechauns][3].

As it turns out, they're not.

    [1]: http://mika.yukidoke.org/nikki

    [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decepticons

    [3]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprechaun

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060106-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:07 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] First Lets Fix the Foam
Message-ID: <20060312181758.A84EB40689@volo.yukidoke.org>

In [this article][1], Xinhua's headline tells us, "Likely cause of space
shuttle trouble found: NASA."

While I'm sure this statement is true, I think that swapping the text on
the sides of the colon would be closer to their intent by locating the
source of the information -- and not the source of the problem -- with
the agency. NASA, after all, is a pretty tricky problem.

    [1]: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-
12/04/content_3875244.htm

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060104-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:07 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Cobblers
Message-ID: <20060312181758.DA42B40689@volo.yukidoke.org>

If you use dict to look up the word "cobbler" with a "standard" set of
dictionaries installed, you'll get a [GCIDE][1] definition and the
following [Wordnet][2] definition:

> **cobbler** (_n_)

>

>   1. a person who makes or repairs shoes [syn: {shoemaker}]

>   2. tall sweetened iced drink of wine or liquor with fruit

>   3. made of fruit with rich biscuit dough usually only on top of the
fruit [syn: {deep-dish pie}]

Normally, if you misspell a word or try to look up the plural form of a
noun, dict will suggest the correct word. However, if you look up
"cobblers" you get:

> **cobblers** (_n_)

>

>   1. nonsense; "I think that is a load of cobblers"

>   2. a man's testicles (from Cockney rhyming slang: cobbler's awl
rhymes with ball)

It's not clear to me whether this was non-graceful failure or even
failure at all. It is clear that it was not what I was looking for. An
educational experience nonetheless.

    [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GCIDE

    [2]: http://wordnet.princeton.edu/

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060108-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:08 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Principles, Software and Freedom
Message-ID: <20060312181758.DB6EC40694@volo.yukidoke.org>

Apologies to anyone that finds this preachy or holier-than-thou. I don't
consider myself immune to this criticism: my mobile phone still runs
non-free software. I realize that what I describe here is a process for
everyone. I'm just trying to make sure nobody gets too comfortable with
the status quo.

It's been interesting to see non-hackers finding inspiration in the
free/open source software movement. In particular, I've been watching
this phenomena for a couple years in the the non-profit and NGO sector.
Folks in these groups are often very philosophically aligned with the
freedom movement behind free software and there are a number of
organizations that are involved in promoting free software and the ideas
behind it to NGOs and beyond.

What's amazing to me is that in _many_ situations, major advocates of
free and open source software in these areas -- people who are
advocating the software because of the freedom and not only for the
pragmatic benefits -- don't actually use free software on their desktops
or in other places they could.

Sure, everyone uses Firefox. Sure, everyone uses Apache and GNU/Linux
for their web servers. Sure, everyone uses Drupal, Mambo, Plone, or
another free CMS. But one can't help but notice that Firefox, Apache,
and free CMSs are higher quality, more featureful, and easier to use
than the proprietary alternatives.

People arguing for free software from a principled position need to
remember that principled positions are sometimes inconvenient. Free
software is no exception. It's frequently different, sometimes
incompatible and a bit more work. In some situations (dare I say it?),
it's not as good as the proprietary alternatives.

We _all_ need to remember that living a principled life is not always
the easiest path. If you take a principled position against GMO foods or
in favor of organic produce, you'll probably spend more and shop farther
from your house. Your favorite fruit may not be in season year-round. If
you only buy fair-trade clothing, your garment choices will be cut down
in ways that will sometimes be inconvenient.

It's nice when taking a principled position also means you get to do
what is most convenient. But there's little principle in taking a
principled position _only_ when it's convenient.

Yes. There are problems -- often major -- with free software: usability,
documentation and otherwise. There are also [ways to address these
problems][1]. Few of them require that you be or become hacker but
almost all of them involve using the software first. I don't have to
think hard to recall all of the times I've received contributions (e.g.,
documentation, suggestions, translations, patches, etc.) from people who
don't use my software.

If you don't think that spreading free software is an ethical act, you
can happily ignore me. If you agree that it's the right thing, think
hard about your principles and challenge yourself to take the next step
-- whatever that is.

    [1]: http://www.ubuntu.com/community/participate

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060109-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:08 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Fame
Message-ID: <20060312181758.0480040696@volo.yukidoke.org>

I have no desire to be famous.

Of course, I wouldn't mind if people didn't think of (a rather
lecherous) [someone else][1] when they heard my name.

    [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Hill

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060117-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:08 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Imperfectionism
Message-ID: <20060312181758.EEA4140695@volo.yukidoke.org>

Someone suggested that I was a perfectionist yesterday. The truth is
very much the opposite. I'm an **imperfectionist**.

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060110-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:08 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Sharing Chat Accounts
Message-ID: <20060312181758.0959340697@volo.yukidoke.org>

<@biella> I can't speak for biella, but...

Oh, I think you can.

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060119-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:08 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] I'll Be Here All Night
Message-ID: <20060312181758.15A7140687@volo.yukidoke.org>

And now, for a visual pun about the [king of fruits][1]:

![/copyrighteous/images/durian_gray.png][2]

    [1]: htttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian

    [2]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/durian_gray.png

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060118-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:08 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] LugRadio and <em>Me</em>
Message-ID: <20060312181758.2444A40689@volo.yukidoke.org>

I was very pleased to hear that [my recent scribblings on free software
and principles][1] managed to get some air time on [the last LugRadio
broadcast][2] (46:30 into the broadcast). I was even _more_ pleased when
I listened to the show.

Not everyone agreed with my argument, my tactics or my motivations but
they, as a group, managed to uncover many of the metaphors and lines of
thought that led to my writing the piece in the first place. More
importantly, they engaged in _exactly_ the type of discussion that I
hoped to prompt.

I'll embarrassingly admit that it was my first time listening to the
show. I tend to not be a fan of recorded speech in general as it strikes
me as an inefficient use of bandwidth (both mental and DSL). That said,
I have to admit that the show sounds like a whole lot of fun!

    [1]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060109-00.html

    [2]: http://www.lugradio.org/episodes/42

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060123-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:08 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] For Everything A Name
Message-ID: <20060312181758.290E840688@volo.yukidoke.org>

I've recently been [speaking][1] [quite a bit][2] about people who are
principled, and sometimes not so principled, about free software.

Now, I'm not convinced that name calling has ever done any movement much
good but I won't let that stop me when I want a few concise way to
describe different groups of unprincipled, hypocritical, struggling, or
just plain confused free software users -- at least not when it's all in
good fun. I do not, as I've mentioned before, consider myself immune
from either my criticism or my epithets. To appreciate either term, you
merely must recognize that the term FLOSS is often used to mean Free,
Libre and Open Source Software.

The first great term is the brilliant neologism _flip-flosser_, a
creation of Dafydd Harries. It is perfect for describing the on-again
off-again free software user.

My own addition is the more edgy _flosstitute_: an solid poke at anyone
willing to sell out their principles and their movement for a little
political good will or a slicker desktop.

    [1]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060109-00.html

    [2]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060123-00.html

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060124-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:08 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Memory
Message-ID: <20060312181759.4800B40694@volo.yukidoke.org>

My friend Radu uses memoryaid as his IM name. I added his nick to
[Bitlbee][1] several days ago but had to take advantage of Bitlbee's
"rename" functionality to do a little rename memoryaid radu. I couldn't
remember that Radu was the person behind that nick.

    [1]: http://www.bitlbee.org

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060130-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:59 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:08 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Memories From Winters Past
Message-ID: <20060312181800.4B9294067A@volo.yukidoke.org>

I don't think I ever blogged about the time I saw an ambulance being
jump-started by another ambulance.

[![/copyrighteous/images/ambulance_jumpstart-small.png][1]][2]

I laughed at the time but the situation made me very uneasy. Nobody
wants to see something they depend upon in crucial moments in such a
pathetic state. In the future, I think they should do these sort of
jump-starts indoors.

Of course, it did answer one question. An ambulance's ambulance is, it
turns out, just another ambulance.

    [1]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/ambulance_jumpstart-
small.png

    [2]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/ambulance_jumpstart.jpg

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060205-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:18:00 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:08 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Maybe Not
Message-ID: <20060312181800.79C0C40683@volo.yukidoke.org>

I saw an advertisement for PubCon today. It merely listed their name and
their slogan/motto/catchphrase: "We start where other conferences
finish."

I thought about that for a second until I figured it out. Where do other
conferences finish? Obviously, they finish _at the pub!_ Hell, any
decent conference will they finish in the pub not just once but _every
night_. What a great idea! Why not just avoid the whole conference bit
altogether and just go to the pub in big groups of like-minded people!

It turns out, it's just some gathering for anyone "involved in the
production, marketing, or management of a internet web site."

Very disappointing. I will not go. You shouldn't either.

If I remember and have time when PubCon is Boston (unlikely, remind me
if you like the idea) -- April 18-20, 2006 -- I will try to organize my
own PubCon, which will _actually_ start where other conferences
(including PubCon it turns out) finish.

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060219-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:09 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] <cite>Grave Matters</cite> by E. R. Shushan
Message-ID: <20060312181758.9482740686@volo.yukidoke.org>

Last weekend I was in New York again which meant that I had an
opportunity to engage in what was, while I was living there, tied with
Belgian beer for the status of my favorite vice: one dollar books.

One of my more intriguing finds was a Grave Matters: a book consisting
wholly of epitaphs. The book was a fun and very quick read In terms of
the content, the epitaphs are more than able to speak for themselves. A
sampling might include...

There are people who seems glad to go, like Lydia Snow:

> Gladly I quit this vile, decrepit clay,

>

> To rise in endless youth, in endless day.

>

> ? _Wellfleet, Massachusetts 1816_

There are folks like John Young or Richard Hind whose epitaphs are
written by "friends" who were being perhaps a bit too honest:

> JOHN YOUNG

>

> Those who knew him best deplored him most.

>

> ? _[unverified]_

>

>

>

> Here lies the body of Richard Hind,

>

> Who was neither ingenious, sober, or kind.

>

> ? _Chestnut, England, c. 1880_

There are epitaphs that are just plain confusing like Nicholas Round's:

> Here lies the body of Nicholas Round

>

> Who was lost at sea & never found.

>

> ? _Great Yamouth, England, c. 1790_

Additionally, the book is full of warnings and clever rhymes -- not of
all which seem completely appropriate for a gravestone.

While I still suspect it's a little premature, I'd like to borrow from
Thomas Greenhill at least in part for my own epitaph:

> Earth to earth's shovel up is shut,

>

> A Hill into a Hole is put.

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/books/20060126-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:09 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] <em>RubyVote</em>
Message-ID: <20060312181800.6136040680@volo.yukidoke.org>

Authors who name their software using a one-word combination of the
language the software is written in followed by a word that describes
functionality are advertising their own unoriginality. Such names are
slightly more acceptable when describing libraries where the language
_might_ actually matter.

Then again, I might just be trying to rationalize RubyVote. RubyVote, of
course, is the very descriptive, accurate, and uninspired name of a new
election methods library I've just written and released in on
[RubyForge][1]. Here's the short description:

> An election methods and voting systems library written in Ruby. It
provides a simple, consistent and well documented interface to a number
of preferential, positional, and traditional election and voting
methods.

Yes. Condorcet and Cloneproof-SSD are supported.

The homepage and project pages, both of which are also descriptive,
accurate, and uninspired, can be found here:

  * **Homepage:** [http://rubyvote.rubyforge.org][2]

  * **Project Page:** [http://rubyforge.org/projects/rubyvote][3]

The software is distributed under the GNU GPL.

    [1]: http://rubyforge.org

    [2]: http://rubyvote.rubyforge.org

    [3]: http://rubyforge.org/projects/rubyvote

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060127-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:09 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] cat - >> ~/.zshrc
Message-ID: <20060312181759.B028740679@volo.yukidoke.org>

alias psudo=fakeroot

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060125-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:09 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Yet Another GPLv3 Article
Message-ID: <20060312181800.B6BD840684@volo.yukidoke.org>

I've finally recovered from hosting a significant (in quality and also
in quantity) chunk of the GPLv3 conference in [the Acetarium][1]. Over
the last week, I've taken some time to reflect on and digest some of the
license itself and, more importantly I think, the process by which it
the license is being evaluated.

While most of us try not talk about the products of our digestion, I've
put together an essay with some of my thoughts on the issue. In
particular, I talk about what I think is _really_ at stake in the GPL
revisions process and how we, as a community, can best proceed to the
best possible license.

[The article][2] is currently a feature on [Newsforge][3]. Comments and
feedback are welcome!

    [1]: http://www.acetarium.com

    [2]: http://www.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=06/01/27/1432248&tid=31

    [3]: http://www.newsforge.com/

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060129-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:09 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] If You Thought the Flessenlikker Had a Good Name...
Message-ID: <20060312181800.BE1B940687@volo.yukidoke.org>

I just created a stub in Wikipedia for the
[Hydrodaktulopsychicharmonica][1]. I will visit the [Music Library][2]
today for more information on this wonderfuly named instrument. If you
have more information already, please contribute to the page.

    [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrodaktulopsychicharmonica

    [2]: http://libraries.mit.edu/music/

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060202-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:59 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:09 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Debian: A Force To Be Reckoned With
Message-ID: <20060312181800.E84DC40688@volo.yukidoke.org>

I submitted the following [proposal][1] for a talk at [Debconf6][2]:

> This talk offers a "Debian Themed" quick tour through the academic,
legal, and business worlds. It overs insight into what everyone outside
of Debian is saying about, doing with, and learning from the Debian
project.

>

> In doing so, it hopes to give Debian participants some insight into
fields and areas that they are largely unfamiliar with (e.g.,
management, sociology, anthropology, economics, computer supported
collaborative work, etc.). It illuminates what others -- especially
academics -- find useful or inspiring about the project and to
facilitate self-reflection and self-improvement within Debian. It
reflects on the impact that Debian has had in the world beyond the
Debian project and, in particular, in those areas that many Debian
developers may not be familiar with.

The good news is that the proposal was accepted. The bad news is that
this means I actually have to finish doing the research to make the talk
happen.

To make the talk excellent, I wanted to solicit examples from _you_,
great Debian community. I've already got my own list but I'd like to
hear what _you_ think I should talk about?

What I'm _not_ looking for is examples of people or organizations that
use Debian. This talk is not about people who use the OS or the people
who build it. This is about people who have learned from Debian as a
community.

Primarily, I'm looking for academic publications on Debian. However,
anyone who has learned and designed a system or community based on such
a paper or from observation would be good as well. People who use or
have learned from our voting structure might be a good example as would
communities with a Debian-derived social contract. Software engineering
research is fair game.

Be creative but remember that I've got a limited time on the podium and
may be forced into the unpleasant position of being ruthlessly
selective.

Please add examples to [this wiki page][3] or just email
[mako@debian.org][4].

That's if for now and I'll see you in... Umm... Oaxtepec.

    [1]: https://www.debconf.org/comas/general/proposals/51

    [2]: https://www.debconf.org/

    [3]: http://wiki.mako.cc/Debconf2006Talk

    [4]: mailto:mako@debian.org

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060212-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:09 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Lost and Still Lost @ The Acetarium
Message-ID: <20060312181800.0479540690@volo.yukidoke.org>

Who ever said that the rewards of free software hacking are immaterial?

Last summer, I described how [Debian hackers traveling through 106 Haven
in New York tended to leave leave with lighter bags than they arrived
with][1].

After the GPLv3 kick-off a couple weeks ago, I can say [the
Acetarium's][2] visitors have been no less generous. That said,
[Mika][3] and I are not as confident in our ability to identify the
owners of misplaced items. Perhaps you can help.

They say that the sum can be greater than its parts. Mika has discovered
that this may, in fact, be the case with the Acetarium's lost and found.

If you recognize this man is or can lay claim to any of his parts or
possessions, please [contact me][4] and help us get him home.

[![/copyrighteous/images/lost_man-small.png][5]][6]

    [1]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20050620-00.html

    [2]: http://www.acetarium.com

    [3]: http://mika.yukidoke.org/nikki/

    [4]: http://mako.cc/contact.html

    [5]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/lost_man-small.png

    [6]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/lost_man-full.png

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060203-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:18:00 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:09 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Remembering Push Singh
Message-ID: <20060312181800.094B540691@volo.yukidoke.org>

I haven't blogged recently and have been somewhat quiet and out of touch
over the last few weeks more generally. I've certainly been busy but
have also been trying to find words to describe the recent death of my
friend and colleague, Push Singh.

Push was a next-door neighbor at the Media Lab, an academic neighbor in
the Electronic Publishing research group, and a neighbor in my building
at home. If you've come to parties at [the Acetarium][1], chances are
you met him. Push was an up-and-coming AI researcher and something of a
protege of Marvin Minsky. He had recently accepted an appointment to the
MIT Faculty starting next year. His loss has come as quite a shock to
everyone, to say the very least.

Last Thursday was the last of several organized memorial services for
Push and it now seems that its time for those of us effected by his
death to get back to our lives.

Rather than poorly summarizing Push and his impact on me here, I can
point you some of the things that I and others said about him on [a wiki
page we have created][2] to collect remembrances and in the
[obituary][3] published in MIT Tech Talk.

Push will be missed and I will continue to mourn his loss.

    [1]: http://www.acetarium.com

    [2]: http://pedia.media.mit.edu/wiki/Push_Singh

    [3]: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2006/obit-singh.html

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060310-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:17:58 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:09 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] The News Makes You Stupid
Message-ID: <20060312181800.F005140689@volo.yukidoke.org>

I've been spending what is increasingly clearly _too_ much time reading
the news lately and think it might have a negative impact on my
intelligence.

Here's one example of why I think this, taken from local news:

> A teenager accused of going on a rampage at a gay bar with a hatchet
and a gun sometimes glorified Nazism and had a swastika tattoo but never
previously expressed any prejudice toward gays, friends say.

I'm sure he was the tolerant, sensitive, pro-gay-rights, secure-in-his-
own sexuality kind of Nazi. Thanks [Forbes][1] for filling us in. Even
if his friends _are_ in fact ignorant enough to believe this, I'm don't
see how this is newsworthy.

Here's another bit from international news

> The United States is expelling a Venezuelan diplomat after the Caracas
government Thursday ordered an American naval attach? to depart for
alleged spying.

>

> ...

>

> State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack did not accuse Figueredo of
any wrongdoing and did not explain why she was designated for expulsion
other than to say she was the "most appropriate" choice.

>

> McCormack said the United States does not like to engage in what he
termed "tit-for-tat diplomatic games," but said that Venezuela initiated
the action and U.S. officials were forced to respond.

Copyrighteous spokesman Benjamin Mako Hill reminds McCormack of the
definition of "tit-for-tat diplomatic games."

    [1]:
http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/ap/2006/02/04/ap2500197.html

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060201-00
From BenjaminMakoHill  Sun Mar 12 13:18:00 2006
From: BenjaminMakoHill (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:18:09 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] RubyVote 0.2
Message-ID: <20060312181800.0E30E40692@volo.yukidoke.org>

I kicked a new version of [RubyVote][1] out the door last week. This
version has support of [Instant Runoff Voting][2] contributed by Alexis
Darrasse. Thanks! I'm not a huge IRV fan but others are so it's
important to have it in the library.

There's a gemified version with [range voting][3] plus an improved IRV
implementation that may have landed in the SVN repository by the time
you read this. I'll release another version in the next week or so once
everything has settled.

    [1]: http://rubyvote.rubyforge.org/

    [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant-runoff_voting

    [3]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Range_voting

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060312-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:31 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Quote of the Day
Message-ID: <20060312182328.A2AE840683@volo.yukidoke.org>

> Antiquated technology makes for emancipatory possibilities.

>

> ?Alan Toner _(2005)_

Perhaps a truism. Perhaps merely what I fear is a prescient statement.

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/ip/20051027-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:36 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Cilia
Message-ID: <20060312182328.ACE5B40679@volo.yukidoke.org>

I think "Cilia" is a pretty name for a girl. My biologist friends
disagree. As far as I'm concerned, it sure beats Flagella.

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20051118-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:36 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] No Price Is Too Much
Message-ID: <20060312182328.C088A4067C@volo.yukidoke.org>

[This article][1] from [Access North Georgia's Newsroom][2] describes
how there is a investigation in Cobb County into allegations that, "the
bidding process for the 100 million dollar laptop program was slanted in
favor of apple."

Making a laptop for 100 million dollar hardly seems that difficult.
[Some of us][3] are more ambitious.

If you haven't seen it, the first demo of the laptop was [unveiled in
Tunis][4] and is _totally_ green. Congratulations to everyone else who
put in long days (and nights) on making this demo shine.

    [1]: http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfullstory.asp?ID=67237

    [2]: http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/

    [3]: http://laptop.media.mit.edu

    [4]: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4445060.stm

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/projects/20051117-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:36 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Unrehersed Redundancy
Message-ID: <20060312182328.B52954067A@volo.yukidoke.org>

[Kiko][1], Micah, and I ate at [Legal Seafood's][2] yesterday and had
this little message on the bottom of our bill:

> PLANNING A REHERSAL DINNER? MAKE YOUR ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME EXPERIENCE
UNIQUE. JOIN US.

Where I come from, rehearsals are things are things that, by definition,
happen more than once. When they do happen, it's usually with an _a_
between the _e_ and _r_.

Of course, I have to respect Legal for so succinctly combining a
redundancy and a contradiction on the same topic.

    [1]: http://www.async.com.br/~kiko/

    [2]: http://www.legalseafoods.com

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20051116-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:36 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] =?utf-8?b?TmltbWVy4oKC?= on Creative Commons
Message-ID: <20060312182328.D3B7040680@volo.yukidoke.org>

[Seth Schoen][1] pointed me to [this article][2] by Ray Nimmer (not to
be confused with the (more) famous copyright scholar David Nimmer).
Nimmer? is an outspoken advocate of strong copyright and is very
skeptical of free software.

What is interesting about this article is the overlap between my
argument in [Toward a Standard of Freedom][3] and the argument made by
Nimmer?. Nimmer?'s subject is the free information movement and he
argues against a principled position and a social movement toward
freedom. He argues that part of Free Software's maturation can be seen
in what he sees as the movement's tendency to look beyond its principles
and standards. He positively describes a trend of putting aside core
values and principles -- both in terms of the particular values in the
FSD, OSD and DFSG and in terms of the method of building a movement
around a defined standard of freedom -- as, "an assertion of productive
and healthy individualism [that] arguably, reflects an expansion of the
core ideas of open source outside the narrow confines of its own
limiting doctrines."

He holds up Creative Commons as a productive example of how the free
information and culture movement is getting beyond their whole doctrine,
principles and standards nonsense. If we look at CC as part of a larger
free information movement that may eventually start influencing free
software, he may be right.

Open Source succeeded in separating the doctrine and definitions of Free
Software from its principles and ethical arguments. Creative Commons,
and others following their example, has now introduced a broader free
information movement that has fully excised any fixed definitions of
freedom and openness and has even abandoned the strategy of providing
definitions at all.

This of course, is precisely the argument I made in [Toward a Standard
of Freedom][3] but it's a little disconcerting to see it made by someone
on the other side who then comes to the opposite conclusions. As Seth
put it, "Nimmer is saying that CC is doing exactly what you're saying
it's doing, except that he thinks it's good because he doesn't like free
software!"

    [1]: http://www.loyalty.org/~schoen/

    [2]: http://www.ipinfoblog.com/archives/licensing-law-issues-36-
open-source-license-proliferation-a-broader-view.html

    [3]: http://mako.cc/writing/toward_a_standard_of_freedom.html

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/ip/20051120-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:36 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Debian in Boston
Message-ID: <20060312182328.2DC5740681@volo.yukidoke.org>

After a unfortunate bout of downtime, I'm happy to announce that Sam
Hartman has officially revived the Debian-Boston-Social mailing list and
our community is back in business.

If you're in Boston and would like to participate in key signings,
meetings with local and traveling free software hackers (Debian and
otherwise) and to stay keyed into a crowd of people in Boston working on
and using Debian and its derivatives, _this_ is your list.

You should feel free to attend events and to plan and announce your own
in pubs and other points of interests.

With its strong academic predisposition and its important place in the
history of free software, the Boston/Cambridge has no excuse being shown
up by places like New York City when it comes to having a happening
Debian scene.

You can [sign up here][1].

    [1]: http://www.meepzorp.org/mailman/listinfo/debian-boston-soc

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20051127-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:36 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Cinderella
Message-ID: <20060312182328.4DC0C40689@volo.yukidoke.org>

I was sad to see that the local [Cinderella's Pizza][1] is open (and
delivers!) past midnight. They do not serve pumpkin pizza (or any other
pumpkin dishes) at any time of the night.

If I were in charge, things would be different.

    [1]: http://web.mit.edu/afs/athena/user/w/c/wchuang/www/menus/menus/
Cinderella's.txt

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20051129-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:36 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Lazy Police
Message-ID: <20060312182328.5ECFD40690@volo.yukidoke.org>

In about a week, the MIT police department is going to install
proximity-card locks in the building. I am worried about the fact that
the MIT card office [stores data about card use for 14 days][1] but am
optimistic about seeing this issue addressed.

However, I suspect that the MIT police department has an ulterior motive
in installing this new system. Currently, if somebody is locked out of
the building, he or she can call the MIT police to be let in. Of course,
the individual must first show their MIT ID card to the police. In the
new system, where the MIT ID _is_ the key, it seems like there will be
very few situations where the police need to follow-up on lockouts.

As a work-reduction measure for the police, it seems quite clever.

    [1]: http://web.mit.edu/mitcard/privacy.html

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060105-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:37 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] OLPC and Charges of Technological and Cultural
	Imperialism
Message-ID: <20060312182328.576F94068C@volo.yukidoke.org>

Quim Gil asked [a number of good questions][1] about the [One Laptop Per
Child][2] initiative. I will not answer all of his questions now and am
not sure answers exist yet for every question. With that said, I will
try to answer his final question with the traditional disclaimer that
the thoughts expressed here are my own and may or may not be shared by
others within the project are not the official position of OLPC.

Quim asked, "what measures will be taken to avoid or [inhibit] the
spread of a (unconscious or well-intentioned?) cultural neocolonialism?"
I have been asked this question many times. It is an issue that concerns
me personally. As such, I'll give you my personal feelings on the
subject.

Discussion of cultural colonialism, Westernization, Americanization or
techno-imperialism are hardly limited to OLPC. Sometimes it comes in the
form of reactions against what is seen as the homogenizing or
Americanizing effect of US-based multinationals (e.g., McDonald's or
Nike) or against the culturally oriented US-based motion picture or
recording industries. In terms of technology, the debate is often framed
in terms of [Appropriate Technology][3].

There is an argument that modern information technology -- designed and
developed in highly industrialized countries to address their particular
set of cultural contexts and needs -- may be inappropriate and
potentially dangerous in the developing world. This is a fair critique.
But while there may be a danger, insisting that the technology be kept
out is unrealistic and may miss the larger evil.

These discussions can not responsibly ignore the fact that, depending on
whose numbers you trust, there are between and 1 and 2 _billion_ mobile
phones in the world today and that number will reach something like [2.6
billion operational units in 2009][4]. That's nearly half the world
population and it's not hard to find out where most of those phones are
going:

> All the growth in subscribers is coming from emerging markets," says
David Taylor, Motorola's director of strategy and operations for high-
growth markets. Researchers predict that of the 1 billion cell phones
expected to be sold in 2010, half will be in developing economies.
([link][5])

Information and communication technology is, in one form or another, on
a _fast track_ into the developing world. That may very well be a
problem but it's not the _biggest_ problem in this field. The bigger
problem is the nature of the technology that is being imported.

People in the, rich and developed countries may have cellphones, but
they frequently also have computers: full-fledged, reprogrammable,
hackable computers; computers that they can use to write software,
design hardware, install new OSes on, and even -- if they are really
adventurous -- use to reprogram their mobile phone.

People in the developing world will have information technology (in the
form of cellphones at least) but do not have the ability -- no matter
how interested, talented, or intelligent they are -- to change the way
they work. _This_ is the greater danger.

The most powerful and empowering quality of information technology in
the context of personal computers is that as communication is being
mediated, facilitated, and _defined_ through software on computers fully
within users' control, each user has the ability to determine the terms
on which they communicate. In a world where people are communicating,
trading, voting, learning, working, and organizing through digital
channels, massive power lies in the hands of those who have the tools
(e.g., computers and development platforms) and access and permission
(e.g., Free and Open source software) necessary to make the necessary
changes.

In three years, there will be a billion people in the developing world
who are using information technology on the terms and at the whim of the
today's global elite and they will _not_ be able transcend their role
and consumers and subservients in this context. Their ability to
transcend their depressed role in larger economic contexts will be
highly influenced by this fact. The developing world's "computers" will
not be able to create or change the software that define them. The code
that runs these devices will be proprietary and will remain immutable
even in the context of additional hardware.

Unless we do something about it.

As far I'm concerned, that something is two steps:

  * We need to create and distribute -- real computers that can be used
as development platforms -- at a price that can begin to compete with
their alternatives (e.g., phones, thinclients, WebTVs, etc).

  * We need to make sure that these machines are hackable -- totally
hackable -- on every level. That means open hardware. That means Free
and Open Source software. That means open specifications, protocols, and
data formats.

That is my personal goal in OLPC and it is one that has seemed to have
been echoed by others involved in the project.

Of course, I have hardly washed myself or my project of the stigma of
cultural imperialism yet. That said, while making a completely malleable
machine allows every user to, if they choose to, transcend their role as
a consumer of technology and technologically-defined culture, one side
effect of this process is that it also allows them to do so _on their
own terms_. Because the machine is completely free and open, users are
free to use the machine in ways that not only have the originators not
considered, but that they _could not_ imagine. With time, the machine --
and its software in particular -- can be rewritten, reshaped, and
eventually replaced with something of, by, and for its users.

Of course, this will not happen overnight. As the first step, OLPC will
attempt to create something we think provides a compelling and flexible
platform with which the world can learn and build. With this in hand,
governments and ministries of education that purchase the machine will
get to shape (or replace?) the platform in line with their own ideas and
curricula. As the students and communities to which the machines are
deployed learn and build with and upon the machine, another
transformation will occur. As those communities grow in relation to
their technology, this change will be sustained.

The potential for this dynamic and empowering relationship is the reason
I'm [here][6].

    [1]: http://www.desdeamericaconamor.org/blog/en/node/166

    [2]: http://laptop.media.mit.edu

    [3]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appropriate_technology

    [4]: http://www.smallbizpipeline.com/infrastructure/166401047

    [5]: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_45/b3958061.htm

    [6]: http://www.media.mit.edu

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20051215-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:37 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] ...And Straight Up Is Right Out
Message-ID: <20060312182328.641C240693@volo.yukidoke.org>

In my computer supported collaborative work seminar, we were discussing
the design of table-top systems for synchronous collocated
collaboration. There was a bit of conversation on the problems and
strategies with images projected onto the table (e.g., people getting in
the way of the beam). There seemed to be consensus that most simple and
effective solution was projectors mounted directly above the table.

I pointed out that, in this context, straight down was the most
straightforward.

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20051121-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:38 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Upcoming Events @ The Acetarium
Message-ID: <20060312182328.6D7F740684@volo.yukidoke.org>

This coming Friday, [The Acetarium][1] will host a party to celebrate
the beginning of my twenty-fifth year of life.

According to the [CDC's live expectancy data][2] for people of my sex,
age, and racial demographic, I am projected to live 51.0 years past this
coming Friday. In three months, perhaps I should throw a "1/3 of my
projected lifespan party."

Details are on [The Acetarium][1] website. If you're in Boston and would
like to come, please [let me know][3].

    [1]: http://www.acetarium.com

    [2]: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr53/nvsr53_06.pdf

    [3]: http://mako.cc/contact.html

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20051124-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:38 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] "You May Go About Your Business"
Message-ID: <20060312182328.73E4640685@volo.yukidoke.org>

Access and borrowing privileges at Harvard libraries is one perk of
being an MIT graduate student. Actually taking advantage of the
privileges of course is a borderline Kafka-esque quest that involves 5
forms, several databases, two universities, a rather impressive MIT
libraries official stamp, and three geographically separated offices on
opposite ends of Cambridge. Only once all those obstacles are
triumphantly overcome can one go through the two card swipes and/or
manual verifications necessary to get into the Widener stacks.

The [webpage][1] makes it sound easy and, in all fairness, nothing about
the process is threatening or difficult. While the libraries are worth
the effort, it is long and tortuous: by no means for the
bureaucratically faint of heart.

The high point of the process, in my opinion, is picking up one's ID
from the Harvard ID office. The ID office is appropriately located on
the ninth floor of a building that requires ID to enter.

    [1]: http://libraries.mit.edu/ordering/non-mit-access/harvard.html

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20051122-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:38 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Buy Yesterday Day
Message-ID: <20060312182328.94A4C40686@volo.yukidoke.org>

[Buy Nothing Day][1] is upon us again. As usual, it's being held in the
US on [Black Friday][2] and [elsewhere][3] either on Friday or the day
after.

I'm a supporter of BND and try to celebrate each year. Unfortunately, it
usually ends up turning into, "buy everything you would buy today the
day before day." This arrangement is certainly more convenient for those
who like to eat but perhaps not entirely in the spirit of things.

    [1]: http://www.adbusters.org/metas/eco/bnd/

    [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_friday_(shopping)

    [3]: http://www.buynothingday.co.uk/

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20051123-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:38 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] When Push Comes To...
Message-ID: <20060312182328.BD4D640687@volo.yukidoke.org>

[Mika][1] and I were discussing logistics for our [upcoming party][2]
and wondering where we would put people if the crowd got too big.

I said something along the lines of, "well if push comes to shove, we
can always stick people in the back room." Clearly misunderstanding,
Mika's face showed a mixture of confusion and disgust.

We were only able to continue after I made it clear that I my intention
was _not_ to isolate and quarantine my friend, [Media Lab][3] colleague,
and neighbor, [Push Singh][4] in our bedroom.

    [1]: http://mika.yukidoke.org/nikki

    [2]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20051124-00.html

    [3]: http://www.media.mit.edu

    [4]: http://web.media.mit.edu/~push/

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20051125-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:38 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Unacceptable Behavior in Any L4e
Message-ID: <20060312182328.CCBB440683@volo.yukidoke.org>

Because there are people that seem to be unclear on the subject:

The reason people type "l10n" and "i18n" instead of "localization" and
"internationalization" is because the words' length makes them difficult
to type. Tech communities are willing to put up with this ungainly and
opaque shorthand for the sake of our wrists.

In spoken English, "EYE-eighteen-EN" is not easier to say that the
expanded form. Pronouncing the keyboard shorthand does _not_ imply that
speaker is savvy or in the know. It should not be done.

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20051128-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:38 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Getting Involved in OLPC (IAP Class)
Message-ID: <20060312182328.D75D740679@volo.yukidoke.org>

The press, others, and even myself have made much of the [Media Lab][1]
and [One Laptop Per Child's][2] decision to embrace a platform that is
fully free and open. There are two major reasons for working with the
free world on this project. The first is the philosophical reasons that
[I've laid out recently][3]. The second is the fact that a free platform
will help us leverage the work of a large community to accomplish
building, testing, and improving what we believe will ultimately develop
into a new and more relevant type of software platform for the world's
children.

In terms of building community, our first goal must be harnessing the
power of the existing free software world and interested parties
therein. Later on (i.e., once the machines exist) we can focus on
getting governments, non-profits, and ultimately some of the students
using the machine, to contribute as well. While there's clearly a
bootstrapping phase, we unfortunately, we haven't done much of either so
far.

Up until now, Red Hat has been doing the legwork in the realm of
software. So much so that at points it has been difficult even for some
of us officially working on the project (e.g., myself) to make
meaningful contributions. While we've had many people express interest
in helping with the project from elsewhere in MIT and in non-MIT world,
we've been at a loss for ways to plug folks in.

As part of a larger effort to address these issues in the next month or
so, [Walter Bender][4], myself, and David Cavallo are organizing a short
workshop on getting involved in the OLPC/$100 laptop project for people
at MIT. We will also be posting information from that workshop online
for everyone. If you're at MIT and are interested, please show up. If
you are in the area but without an MIT or Harvard affiliation, [contact
me][5]. If you're out of the area and are interested in getting
involved, just stay tuned.

The workshop is being offered as a three hours one-day-only IAP class.
You can check out [the IAP web page][6] and then show up.

We will be done with plenty of time to rest up before the [MIT mystery
hunt][7] begins. It looks like I'll be hunting with Codex Dresden.

    [1]: http://www.media.mit.edu

    [2]: http://laptop.media.mit.edu

    [3]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20051215-00.html

    [4]: http://www.media.mit.edu/~walter/

    [5]: http://mako.cc/contact.html

    [6]: http://student.mit.edu/searchiap/iap-7176.html

    [7]: http://web.mit.edu/puzzle/www/index.html

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060102-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:39 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] First Lets Fix the Foam
Message-ID: <20060312182328.E045B4068A@volo.yukidoke.org>

In [this article][1], Xinhua's headline tells us, "Likely cause of space
shuttle trouble found: NASA."

While I'm sure this statement is true, I think that swapping the text on
the sides of the colon would be closer to their intent by locating the
source of the information -- and not the source of the problem -- with
the agency. NASA, after all, is a pretty tricky problem.

    [1]: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-
12/04/content_3875244.htm

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060104-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:39 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] <cite>The Enemies of Books</cite> by William Blades
Message-ID: <20060312182328.DB53F40688@volo.yukidoke.org>

While searching for treasures in [Widener's][1] stacks recently, I found
a beautiful 1896 edition of William Blade's classical book on book
collecting and book maintenance: The Enemies of Books. The title and
driving metaphor of the book won me over right away. Books seem like
inert and relatively unobjectionable objects. Many people dislike
_certain_ books or do not care for books in general but who could be the
enemies of books _in general_?

Some people may not like books but William Blades is not one of these
people. Blades _loves_ books ([Caxtons][2] in particular) and has, to
say the least, a long list of ways that he wants to see books treated.
Anything that violates Blade's sensibilities becomes the enemy of
William Blades. Blades is happy happy to speak for books in general.

Enemies enumerated include both individuals like the "Bagford the
Biblioclast", behaviors, occupations, nature, states of beings,
children, and most women. There are chapters on fire, water, gas and
heat, dust and neglect, ignorance and bigotry, the bookworm, other
vermin, bookbinders, collectors, and servants and children.

The book contains something for almost everyone. Blades opens a
wonderfully out-of-date section on the danger of gas lighting in
libraries stating that, "unfortunately, I can speak from experience on
the dire effect of gas in a confined space." Who can't? Nowhere though,
is Blades as worked up as when he discusses the evils done by
bookbinders who trim (and who frequently _overtrim_) the margins of
books while binding or rebinding them. Blades explains:

> Dante, in his "Inferno," deals out to the lost souls various tortures
suited with dramatic fitness to the past crimes of the victims, and had
I to execute judgment on the criminal binders of certain precious
volumes I have seen, where the untouched maiden sheets untrusted to
their care have, by barbarous treatment, lost dignity, beauty, and
values, I would collect paper shavings so ruthlessly shorn off, and
roast the perpetrator of the outrage over their slow combustion. In
olden times, before men had learned to value the relics of our printers,
there was some excuse for the sins of a binder who erred from ignorance
which has general; but in these times, when the historical and
antiquarian values of books is freely acknowledged, no quarter should be
granted to a careless culprit.

When collectors' turns comes up, Blades rants for pages on the evils of
collectors who rip out the title pages or colophons of otherwise good
books to build large bibliographic collections.

As [Mika][3] was looking through the book, the title page fell from the
old and rather fragile binding. It seems that we may have a candidate
for a new addition to the book. On the other hand, perhaps we have a new
distinction: the enemy of The Enemies of Books.

    [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widener_Library

    [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Caxton

    [3]: http://mika.yukidoke.org/nikki

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/books/20060103-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:39 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Confusables
Message-ID: <20060312182328.02B3C40691@volo.yukidoke.org>

A few days ago, I compared [Mika][1] (unfavorably) to a [Decepticon][2].
Not having played with transformers as a child and having grown up in
Japan where, evidently, they are called "Destrons" instead, she missed
the reference. She asked if they were anything like [Leprechauns][3].

As it turns out, they're not.

    [1]: http://mika.yukidoke.org/nikki

    [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decepticons

    [3]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprechaun

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060106-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:39 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Principles, Software and Freedom
Message-ID: <20060312182329.2DF5F4067A@volo.yukidoke.org>

Apologies to anyone that finds this preachy or holier-than-thou. I don't
consider myself immune to this criticism: my mobile phone still runs
non-free software. I realize that what I describe here is a process for
everyone. I'm just trying to make sure nobody gets too comfortable with
the status quo.

It's been interesting to see non-hackers finding inspiration in the
free/open source software movement. In particular, I've been watching
this phenomena for a couple years in the the non-profit and NGO sector.
Folks in these groups are often very philosophically aligned with the
freedom movement behind free software and there are a number of
organizations that are involved in promoting free software and the ideas
behind it to NGOs and beyond.

What's amazing to me is that in _many_ situations, major advocates of
free and open source software in these areas -- people who are
advocating the software because of the freedom and not only for the
pragmatic benefits -- don't actually use free software on their desktops
or in other places they could.

Sure, everyone uses Firefox. Sure, everyone uses Apache and GNU/Linux
for their web servers. Sure, everyone uses Drupal, Mambo, Plone, or
another free CMS. But one can't help but notice that Firefox, Apache,
and free CMSs are higher quality, more featureful, and easier to use
than the proprietary alternatives.

People arguing for free software from a principled position need to
remember that principled positions are sometimes inconvenient. Free
software is no exception. It's frequently different, sometimes
incompatible and a bit more work. In some situations (dare I say it?),
it's not as good as the proprietary alternatives.

We _all_ need to remember that living a principled life is not always
the easiest path. If you take a principled position against GMO foods or
in favor of organic produce, you'll probably spend more and shop farther
from your house. Your favorite fruit may not be in season year-round. If
you only buy fair-trade clothing, your garment choices will be cut down
in ways that will sometimes be inconvenient.

It's nice when taking a principled position also means you get to do
what is most convenient. But there's little principle in taking a
principled position _only_ when it's convenient.

Yes. There are problems -- often major -- with free software: usability,
documentation and otherwise. There are also [ways to address these
problems][1]. Few of them require that you be or become hacker but
almost all of them involve using the software first. I don't have to
think hard to recall all of the times I've received contributions (e.g.,
documentation, suggestions, translations, patches, etc.) from people who
don't use my software.

If you don't think that spreading free software is an ethical act, you
can happily ignore me. If you agree that it's the right thing, think
hard about your principles and challenge yourself to take the next step
-- whatever that is.

    [1]: http://www.ubuntu.com/community/participate

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060109-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:40 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Cobblers
Message-ID: <20060312182328.10A734067C@volo.yukidoke.org>

If you use dict to look up the word "cobbler" with a "standard" set of
dictionaries installed, you'll get a [GCIDE][1] definition and the
following [Wordnet][2] definition:

> **cobbler** (_n_)

>

>   1. a person who makes or repairs shoes [syn: {shoemaker}]

>   2. tall sweetened iced drink of wine or liquor with fruit

>   3. made of fruit with rich biscuit dough usually only on top of the
fruit [syn: {deep-dish pie}]

Normally, if you misspell a word or try to look up the plural form of a
noun, dict will suggest the correct word. However, if you look up
"cobblers" you get:

> **cobblers** (_n_)

>

>   1. nonsense; "I think that is a load of cobblers"

>   2. a man's testicles (from Cockney rhyming slang: cobbler's awl
rhymes with ball)

It's not clear to me whether this was non-graceful failure or even
failure at all. It is clear that it was not what I was looking for. An
educational experience nonetheless.

    [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GCIDE

    [2]: http://wordnet.princeton.edu/

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060108-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:40 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Fame
Message-ID: <20060312182329.4BDFD40694@volo.yukidoke.org>

I have no desire to be famous.

Of course, I wouldn't mind if people didn't think of (a rather
lecherous) [someone else][1] when they heard my name.

    [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Hill

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060117-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:29 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:40 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] I'll Be Here All Night
Message-ID: <20060312182329.590C040681@volo.yukidoke.org>

And now, for a visual pun about the [king of fruits][1]:

![/copyrighteous/images/durian_gray.png][2]

    [1]: htttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian

    [2]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/durian_gray.png

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060118-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:29 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:40 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] <cite>Grave Matters</cite> by E. R. Shushan
Message-ID: <20060312182329.6F7B140680@volo.yukidoke.org>

Last weekend I was in New York again which meant that I had an
opportunity to engage in what was, while I was living there, tied with
Belgian beer for the status of my favorite vice: one dollar books.

One of my more intriguing finds was a Grave Matters: a book consisting
wholly of epitaphs. The book was a fun and very quick read In terms of
the content, the epitaphs are more than able to speak for themselves. A
sampling might include...

There are people who seems glad to go, like Lydia Snow:

> Gladly I quit this vile, decrepit clay,

>

> To rise in endless youth, in endless day.

>

> ? _Wellfleet, Massachusetts 1816_

There are folks like John Young or Richard Hind whose epitaphs are
written by "friends" who were being perhaps a bit too honest:

> JOHN YOUNG

>

> Those who knew him best deplored him most.

>

> ? _[unverified]_

>

>

>

> Here lies the body of Richard Hind,

>

> Who was neither ingenious, sober, or kind.

>

> ? _Chestnut, England, c. 1880_

There are epitaphs that are just plain confusing like Nicholas Round's:

> Here lies the body of Nicholas Round

>

> Who was lost at sea & never found.

>

> ? _Great Yamouth, England, c. 1790_

Additionally, the book is full of warnings and clever rhymes -- not of
all which seem completely appropriate for a gravestone.

While I still suspect it's a little premature, I'd like to borrow from
Thomas Greenhill at least in part for my own epitaph:

> Earth to earth's shovel up is shut,

>

> A Hill into a Hole is put.

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/books/20060126-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:29 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:41 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] The News Makes You Stupid
Message-ID: <20060312182329.83C0540696@volo.yukidoke.org>

I've been spending what is increasingly clearly _too_ much time reading
the news lately and think it might have a negative impact on my
intelligence.

Here's one example of why I think this, taken from local news:

> A teenager accused of going on a rampage at a gay bar with a hatchet
and a gun sometimes glorified Nazism and had a swastika tattoo but never
previously expressed any prejudice toward gays, friends say.

I'm sure he was the tolerant, sensitive, pro-gay-rights, secure-in-his-
own sexuality kind of Nazi. Thanks [Forbes][1] for filling us in. Even
if his friends _are_ in fact ignorant enough to believe this, I'm don't
see how this is newsworthy.

Here's another bit from international news

> The United States is expelling a Venezuelan diplomat after the Caracas
government Thursday ordered an American naval attach? to depart for
alleged spying.

>

> ...

>

> State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack did not accuse Figueredo of
any wrongdoing and did not explain why she was designated for expulsion
other than to say she was the "most appropriate" choice.

>

> McCormack said the United States does not like to engage in what he
termed "tit-for-tat diplomatic games," but said that Venezuela initiated
the action and U.S. officials were forced to respond.

Copyrighteous spokesman Benjamin Mako Hill reminds McCormack of the
definition of "tit-for-tat diplomatic games."

    [1]:
http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/ap/2006/02/04/ap2500197.html

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060201-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:28 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:41 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Imperfectionism
Message-ID: <20060312182329.5DA1140695@volo.yukidoke.org>

Someone suggested that I was a perfectionist yesterday. The truth is
very much the opposite. I'm an **imperfectionist**.

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060110-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:29 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:41 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] If You Thought the Flessenlikker Had a Good Name...
Message-ID: <20060312182329.BDBA04068C@volo.yukidoke.org>

I just created a stub in Wikipedia for the
[Hydrodaktulopsychicharmonica][1]. I will visit the [Music Library][2]
today for more information on this wonderfuly named instrument. If you
have more information already, please contribute to the page.

    [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrodaktulopsychicharmonica

    [2]: http://libraries.mit.edu/music/

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060202-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:29 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:42 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Sharing Chat Accounts
Message-ID: <20060312182329.D2E6840690@volo.yukidoke.org>

<@biella> I can't speak for biella, but...

Oh, I think you can.

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060119-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:29 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:42 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Memory
Message-ID: <20060312182329.E51F340693@volo.yukidoke.org>

My friend Radu uses memoryaid as his IM name. I added his nick to
[Bitlbee][1] several days ago but had to take advantage of Bitlbee's
"rename" functionality to do a little rename memoryaid radu. I couldn't
remember that Radu was the person behind that nick.

    [1]: http://www.bitlbee.org

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060130-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:29 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:42 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Lost and Still Lost @ The Acetarium
Message-ID: <20060312182329.E9F9440697@volo.yukidoke.org>

Who ever said that the rewards of free software hacking are immaterial?

Last summer, I described how [Debian hackers traveling through 106 Haven
in New York tended to leave leave with lighter bags than they arrived
with][1].

After the GPLv3 kick-off a couple weeks ago, I can say [the
Acetarium's][2] visitors have been no less generous. That said,
[Mika][3] and I are not as confident in our ability to identify the
owners of misplaced items. Perhaps you can help.

They say that the sum can be greater than its parts. Mika has discovered
that this may, in fact, be the case with the Acetarium's lost and found.

If you recognize this man is or can lay claim to any of his parts or
possessions, please [contact me][4] and help us get him home.

[![/copyrighteous/images/lost_man-small.png][5]][6]

    [1]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20050620-00.html

    [2]: http://www.acetarium.com

    [3]: http://mika.yukidoke.org/nikki/

    [4]: http://mako.cc/contact.html

    [5]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/lost_man-small.png

    [6]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/lost_man-full.png

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060203-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:29 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:42 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] RubyVote 0.2
Message-ID: <20060312182329.0954C40684@volo.yukidoke.org>

I kicked a new version of [RubyVote][1] out the door last week. This
version has support of [Instant Runoff Voting][2] contributed by Alexis
Darrasse. Thanks! I'm not a huge IRV fan but others are so it's
important to have it in the library.

There's a gemified version with [range voting][3] plus an improved IRV
implementation that may have landed in the SVN repository by the time
you read this. I'll release another version in the next week or so once
everything has settled.

    [1]: http://rubyvote.rubyforge.org/

    [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant-runoff_voting

    [3]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Range_voting

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060312-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:29 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:42 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] For Everything A Name
Message-ID: <20060312182329.13D1040698@volo.yukidoke.org>

I've recently been [speaking][1] [quite a bit][2] about people who are
principled, and sometimes not so principled, about free software.

Now, I'm not convinced that name calling has ever done any movement much
good but I won't let that stop me when I want a few concise way to
describe different groups of unprincipled, hypocritical, struggling, or
just plain confused free software users -- at least not when it's all in
good fun. I do not, as I've mentioned before, consider myself immune
from either my criticism or my epithets. To appreciate either term, you
merely must recognize that the term FLOSS is often used to mean Free,
Libre and Open Source Software.

The first great term is the brilliant neologism _flip-flosser_, a
creation of Dafydd Harries. It is perfect for describing the on-again
off-again free software user.

My own addition is the more edgy _flosstitute_: an solid poke at anyone
willing to sell out their principles and their movement for a little
political good will or a slicker desktop.

    [1]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060109-00.html

    [2]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060123-00.html

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060124-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:29 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:43 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] cat - >> ~/.zshrc
Message-ID: <20060312182329.37ADC40686@volo.yukidoke.org>

alias psudo=fakeroot

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060125-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:29 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:43 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] LugRadio and <em>Me</em>
Message-ID: <20060312182329.57E2B40699@volo.yukidoke.org>

I was very pleased to hear that [my recent scribblings on free software
and principles][1] managed to get some air time on [the last LugRadio
broadcast][2] (46:30 into the broadcast). I was even _more_ pleased when
I listened to the show.

Not everyone agreed with my argument, my tactics or my motivations but
they, as a group, managed to uncover many of the metaphors and lines of
thought that led to my writing the piece in the first place. More
importantly, they engaged in _exactly_ the type of discussion that I
hoped to prompt.

I'll embarrassingly admit that it was my first time listening to the
show. I tend to not be a fan of recorded speech in general as it strikes
me as an inefficient use of bandwidth (both mental and DSL). That said,
I have to admit that the show sounds like a whole lot of fun!

    [1]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060109-00.html

    [2]: http://www.lugradio.org/episodes/42

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060123-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:29 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:44 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] <em>RubyVote</em>
Message-ID: <20060312182329.6631E4069B@volo.yukidoke.org>

Authors who name their software using a one-word combination of the
language the software is written in followed by a word that describes
functionality are advertising their own unoriginality. Such names are
slightly more acceptable when describing libraries where the language
_might_ actually matter.

Then again, I might just be trying to rationalize RubyVote. RubyVote, of
course, is the very descriptive, accurate, and uninspired name of a new
election methods library I've just written and released in on
[RubyForge][1]. Here's the short description:

> An election methods and voting systems library written in Ruby. It
provides a simple, consistent and well documented interface to a number
of preferential, positional, and traditional election and voting
methods.

Yes. Condorcet and Cloneproof-SSD are supported.

The homepage and project pages, both of which are also descriptive,
accurate, and uninspired, can be found here:

  * **Homepage:** [http://rubyvote.rubyforge.org][2]

  * **Project Page:** [http://rubyforge.org/projects/rubyvote][3]

The software is distributed under the GNU GPL.

    [1]: http://rubyforge.org

    [2]: http://rubyvote.rubyforge.org

    [3]: http://rubyforge.org/projects/rubyvote

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060127-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:29 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:45 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Memories From Winters Past
Message-ID: <20060312182329.91FDB4069C@volo.yukidoke.org>

I don't think I ever blogged about the time I saw an ambulance being
jump-started by another ambulance.

[![/copyrighteous/images/ambulance_jumpstart-small.png][1]][2]

I laughed at the time but the situation made me very uneasy. Nobody
wants to see something they depend upon in crucial moments in such a
pathetic state. In the future, I think they should do these sort of
jump-starts indoors.

Of course, it did answer one question. An ambulance's ambulance is, it
turns out, just another ambulance.

    [1]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/ambulance_jumpstart-
small.png

    [2]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/ambulance_jumpstart.jpg

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060205-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:29 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:45 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Maybe Not
Message-ID: <20060312182329.B1C2E40679@volo.yukidoke.org>

I saw an advertisement for PubCon today. It merely listed their name and
their slogan/motto/catchphrase: "We start where other conferences
finish."

I thought about that for a second until I figured it out. Where do other
conferences finish? Obviously, they finish _at the pub!_ Hell, any
decent conference will they finish in the pub not just once but _every
night_. What a great idea! Why not just avoid the whole conference bit
altogether and just go to the pub in big groups of like-minded people!

It turns out, it's just some gathering for anyone "involved in the
production, marketing, or management of a internet web site."

Very disappointing. I will not go. You shouldn't either.

If I remember and have time when PubCon is Boston (unlikely, remind me
if you like the idea) -- April 18-20, 2006 -- I will try to organize my
own PubCon, which will _actually_ start where other conferences
(including PubCon it turns out) finish.

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060219-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:29 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:45 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Debian: A Force To Be Reckoned With
Message-ID: <20060312182329.C4D3540685@volo.yukidoke.org>

I submitted the following [proposal][1] for a talk at [Debconf6][2]:

> This talk offers a "Debian Themed" quick tour through the academic,
legal, and business worlds. It overs insight into what everyone outside
of Debian is saying about, doing with, and learning from the Debian
project.

>

> In doing so, it hopes to give Debian participants some insight into
fields and areas that they are largely unfamiliar with (e.g.,
management, sociology, anthropology, economics, computer supported
collaborative work, etc.). It illuminates what others -- especially
academics -- find useful or inspiring about the project and to
facilitate self-reflection and self-improvement within Debian. It
reflects on the impact that Debian has had in the world beyond the
Debian project and, in particular, in those areas that many Debian
developers may not be familiar with.

The good news is that the proposal was accepted. The bad news is that
this means I actually have to finish doing the research to make the talk
happen.

To make the talk excellent, I wanted to solicit examples from _you_,
great Debian community. I've already got my own list but I'd like to
hear what _you_ think I should talk about?

What I'm _not_ looking for is examples of people or organizations that
use Debian. This talk is not about people who use the OS or the people
who build it. This is about people who have learned from Debian as a
community.

Primarily, I'm looking for academic publications on Debian. However,
anyone who has learned and designed a system or community based on such
a paper or from observation would be good as well. People who use or
have learned from our voting structure might be a good example as would
communities with a Debian-derived social contract. Software engineering
research is fair game.

Be creative but remember that I've got a limited time on the podium and
may be forced into the unpleasant position of being ruthlessly
selective.

Please add examples to [this wiki page][3] or just email
[mako@debian.org][4].

That's if for now and I'll see you in... Umm... Oaxtepec.

    [1]: https://www.debconf.org/comas/general/proposals/51

    [2]: https://www.debconf.org/

    [3]: http://wiki.mako.cc/Debconf2006Talk

    [4]: mailto:mako@debian.org

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060212-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:29 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:46 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Yet Another GPLv3 Article
Message-ID: <20060312182329.9E9BD40689@volo.yukidoke.org>

I've finally recovered from hosting a significant (in quality and also
in quantity) chunk of the GPLv3 conference in [the Acetarium][1]. Over
the last week, I've taken some time to reflect on and digest some of the
license itself and, more importantly I think, the process by which it
the license is being evaluated.

While most of us try not talk about the products of our digestion, I've
put together an essay with some of my thoughts on the issue. In
particular, I talk about what I think is _really_ at stake in the GPL
revisions process and how we, as a community, can best proceed to the
best possible license.

[The article][2] is currently a feature on [Newsforge][3]. Comments and
feedback are welcome!

    [1]: http://www.acetarium.com

    [2]: http://www.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=06/01/27/1432248&tid=31

    [3]: http://www.newsforge.com/

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060129-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sun Mar 12 13:23:29 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sun Mar 12 13:23:46 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Remembering Push Singh
Message-ID: <20060312182329.D8FB940683@volo.yukidoke.org>

I haven't blogged recently and have been somewhat quiet and out of touch
over the last few weeks more generally. I've certainly been busy but
have also been trying to find words to describe the recent death of my
friend and colleague, Push Singh.

Push was a next-door neighbor at the Media Lab, an academic neighbor in
the Electronic Publishing research group, and a neighbor in my building
at home. If you've come to parties at [the Acetarium][1], chances are
you met him. Push was an up-and-coming AI researcher and something of a
protege of Marvin Minsky. He had recently accepted an appointment to the
MIT Faculty starting next year. His loss has come as quite a shock to
everyone, to say the very least.

Last Thursday was the last of several organized memorial services for
Push and it now seems that its time for those of us effected by his
death to get back to our lives.

Rather than poorly summarizing Push and his impact on me here, I can
point you some of the things that I and others said about him on [a wiki
page we have created][2] to collect remembrances and in the
[obituary][3] published in MIT Tech Talk.

Push will be missed and I will continue to mourn his loss.

    [1]: http://www.acetarium.com

    [2]: http://pedia.media.mit.edu/wiki/Push_Singh

    [3]: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2006/obit-singh.html

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060310-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Mon Mar 13 16:20:25 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Mon Mar 13 16:20:38 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] The Patent is Pending
Message-ID: <20060313212028.9CADC4061A@volo.yukidoke.org>

We often hear about the technical advances that occur at [Debconfs][1].
For example, using only Debconf signage, I once invented a portable
toilet that was the size of a single sheet of A4 paper.

The picture is a bit blurred but you can get the idea:

[![/copyrighteous/images/portable_toilet-small.png][2]][3]

    [1]: http://www.debconf.org

    [2]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/portable_toilet-small.png

    [3]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/portable_toilet.jpg

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060313-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sat Mar 18 15:50:09 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sat Mar 18 15:50:19 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Debian and Deliberation
Message-ID: <20060318205009.E4B2E4050E@volo.yukidoke.org>

I was very concerned by Martin Krafft's [appeal][1] to voters in the
Debian Project Leader election to shut up about their own "biased"
opinions on the race. He argued that the candidates should campaign and
that anyone who wants to spread their point of view should be running
themselves or keeping their opinions to themselves and getting real work
done.

Perhaps I just buy into the whole [deliberative democracy][2] concept
but I think this attitude is dangerous. In fact, I think it's
_essential_ that Debian publicly weigh the benefits of possible
decisions and discuss, argue, and debate as a group. I think that every
instance of public discourse (and no, flaming is not discourse) on
project policy or leadership is a sign of a healthy and involved
electorate and I'd like to see more of it.

The leadership of the Debian _project_ is at stake in this election. Our
organization is more complex than a wheel with the DPL at the center.
Our decision should be made _as a project_ with a complex organization.
That means conversations need to work the way the project does.

Obviously, we vote as individuals. But that's precisely why
conversations and discussions, through which we can make decisions as a
_community_, play such an important role in informing our votes.

I'll leave talking about enfranchisement in Debian, and the lack
thereof, for another day.

    [1]: http://blog.madduck.net/debian/2005.03.17-public-vote

    [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deliberative_democracy

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20060316-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Sat Mar 18 15:50:09 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Sat Mar 18 15:50:21 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Too Long
Message-ID: <20060318205009.C7C3740510@volo.yukidoke.org>

Yesterday was [St. Patrick's day][1]. I saw a group of [WASP][2]
[Harvard College][3] students wearing green St. Patrick's Day
[sombreros][4].

In the words of [Joe Wenderoth][5], "This Freak Show is too long."

    [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Patrick%27s_Day

    [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WASP

    [3]: http://www.college.harvard.edu/

    [4]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sombrero

    [5]: http://archive.salon.com/audio/poetry/2002/11/26/wenderoth/

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060317-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Thu Mar 23 13:50:04 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Thu Mar 23 13:50:07 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Taking the "Open" out of "Open Media Commons"
Message-ID: <20060323185004.E031A40608@volo.yukidoke.org>

There's a [disturbing little press release][1] floating around where the
Sun-backed [Open Media Commons][2] announces it's release of a new DRM
specification to be implemented using free software. That people are
creating DRM systems under open source and free software licenses is not
surprising; much of the encryption technology on which DRM is based has
been free and open for a long time. What _is_ disturbing is that it
contains what appears to be an endorsement by Lawrence Lessig:

> Lawrence Lessig, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Creative
Commons and Professor of Law at Stanford Law School: "In a world where
DRM has become ubiquitous, we need to ensure that the ecology for
creativity is bolstered, not stifled, by technology. We applaud Sun's
efforts to rally the community around the development of open-source,
royalty-free DRM standards that support "fair use" and that don't block
the development of Creative Commons ideals."

Lessig's position seems to be that DRM is bad and should not exist. But
in a world where it _does_ exist, he thinks that not-quite-so-bad DRM is
better than the alternatives. Probably true, but is _that_ the sort of
message we want to be sending?

The fact that the software is "open source" is hardly good enough if the
purpose of the software is to take away users freedom -- in precisely
the way that DRM does.

It doesn't help that EFF has [already spoken out against this
project][3].

Lessig is on the board of directors of both [EFF][4] and [FSF][5]. I
think it is smart for members of either organization who are opposed to
DRM, even when it's sweetened up, to contact those organizations and let
them know how you feel.

On the OMC website, there is a photo of two young attractive people
listening to a single pair of headphones. Apparently, the people in the
picture need to share a single pair of headphones because the Open Media
Commons rights management system won't allow them to share the digital
media itself.

![/copyrighteous/images/omc_sharing.png][6]

    [1]: http://www.linuxelectrons.com/article.php/20060322062359676

    [2]: http://www.openmediacommons.org/

    [3]: http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2005_08.php#003929

    [4]: http://www.eff.org

    [5]: http://www.fsf.org

    [6]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/omc_sharing.png

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/ip/20060323-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Tue Mar 28 12:50:10 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Tue Mar 28 12:50:14 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Old Ironsides
Message-ID: <20060328175010.E204340581@volo.yukidoke.org>

[Mika][1] and I are hosting a guest visiting who has decided to do many
of the normal tourist things while in Boston. Yesterday he went on the
[freedom trail][2] and saw [Old Ironsides][3].

Old Ironsides is, of course, the USS Constitution and it is the oldest
commissioned ship in the US Navy. Constructed from 2,000 oak trees (!)
it is one of the few ships in the US Navy whose sides are _not_ made of
iron. In this sense, Old Ironsides is a bit of misnomer. Admittedly, the
nickname is catchier than the more accurate Old Sides.

    [1]: http://mika.yukidoke.org/nikki

    [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Trail

    [3]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Ironsides

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060328-00
From mako at atdot.cc  Tue Mar 28 12:50:10 2006
From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous, Benjamin Mako Hill)
Date: Tue Mar 28 12:50:15 2006
Subject: [copyrighteous] Micro-Pornography?
Message-ID: <20060328175010.C26CC4059C@volo.yukidoke.org>

Can graphical representations of asexual reproduction accurately be
called "micro-organism porn?"

![porn_binary_fission.png][1]

**Binary Fission: Porn or Not?**

![porn_mitosis.png][2]

**Mitosis: Porn or Not?**

    [1]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/porn_binary_fission.png

    [2]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/porn_mitosis.png

URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/reflections/20060327-00