[Fwd: Re: sad treacherous computing day]

Ben Finney ben at benfinney.id.au
Wed May 9 22:51:35 UTC 2007


> Date: Wed, 09 May 2007 17:34:27 -0400
> From: Richard Stallman <rms at gnu.org>
> 
>     Can TC be used to enhance security if it's used with free 
>     software?
> 
> If you can do this without contributing to any tendency to 
> legitimize treacherous computing, then it is harmless.  But you must 
> MAKE SURE you don't contribute to such a tendency.  Don't leave it 
> to chance!

This is the important point. It's very easy to rationalise a purchase 
of hardware containing treacherous computing technology with the 
fallacious logic of "It's possible to conceive of a non-harmful use; 
therefore, it's not certain that this is harmful; therefore, I can 
dismiss any argument telling me I shouldn't buy this."

That faulty logic has been distressingly common in this thread.

-- 
 \        "The right to search for truth implies also a duty; one must |
  `\     not conceal any part of what one has recognized to be true."  |
_o__)                                               -- Albert Einstein |
Ben Finney <ben at benfinney.id.au>
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