[vox] Open Source talk at MOCC

[Bill Kendrick]

On Fri, Dec 12, 2003 at 12:55:21AM -0800, Ryan wrote:
> > Fortunately, most of the rest of the audience wanted to 'move on.' :^)
> 
> What did you say? Did you tell him about the software you've written?

I explained that, unlike what folks like SCO claim, that Open Source software
is developed 'in the open' and is therefore very tracable.  That's as far
as I got before the folks who run the club started taking the mic away from
him. ;^)

I _wanted_ to point out the fact that his comment has little to do with
Open Source, since, as I pointed out, 'proprietary' software houses pirate
code, too.  Hell, I think Microsoft got in trouble for it recently!


As with all things 'done in the dark,' it's a lot harder to tell just how
bad a problem is.  You can be pretty assured, though, that the problem is
always 'worse than it appears.' :^)

e.g., for every huge plague-like virus we see come out, which has a high
'burn rate', and gets patched quickly, how much is out there we don't know
about?  Shoot, viruses are being written which are specifically meant to
infiltrate corporate networks for espionage.  They might barely impact
a few 1000 people around the globe, and remain 'under the radar,' but then
there's the unheard "BOOM!" of it creeping in and stealing secrets.

Computers scare me sometimes. :^/  Thank goodness for Open Source.
It gives me SOME sense of security.

(Then I find a file named "root.bin" in my homedir and think
"HOLY CRAP!  WHAT'S THIS!?"  ... then I notice the "rescue.bin" sitting
next to it.  Hehehehehe :)  *sigh*)

-bill!