1

Topic: Game changer

Today I read about a thing that made me feel fear.
As you probably know, there is some pressure (even laws in place) for age verification, in some cases down to the OS level.
But today, I learned that a piece of software present in almost all Linux systems, Systemd, already implemented the collection of users age, because some laws demand to have it in the near future. And what makes me fear is basically that Systemd is not optional for any of the big Linux distributions. I would say this is quiet relevant.

Even after some concerns from the community (https://github.com/systemd/systemd/pull/40954) this is going forward. And it makes me think that, even in the case of opensource (like systemd) freedom/privacy could be underprotected. I terms of governance would NOT say the Systemd/Linux OS is like Windows or Mac, a gap is still there. but the opinion of the community is not that strong anymore.

2

Re: Game changer

The term "open-source" is a vague one and false promise, a foul compromise. The trending to accept this as something replacing the original idea of free, libre software has turned out exactly what was warned about. So this trend exactly brought us here to this point, all-together with systemd, wayland and many more "trending" inclusions and it will not stop there. Even though Hyperbola may be at this current point not influenced, it will sooner or later until the lesson maybe learned or not: Everything comes for a price!

Either we are willing to accept this payment and follow, perhaps with Rust as elementary package distributed needs that? Or we clearly make statement against these "trends" - it is not only one. The resulting laws (plural) are just the starting-point: The first and foremost result of the service-companies not willing to understand that they have ruined society that much and endangered democracy. Yes, I talk about companies like Meta, Google and others. Meta is approved to be behind the first ones lobbying to include age-verification within the operating-system, so they do not have to do anything more - perhaps just using the interfaces.

This brings back the point made a longer period of time here for Hyperbola: Complete offline-system!
Seems impossible for many people to imagine that we all had a life before the "web" and "internet-services" and their era. It worked out, was perhaps also slower. And yes, we survived and existed - including hobbies and interests. And yes, free software was also developed - on different ways. And yes, this means no "Amazon" and other delivery services doing within "only 24 hours" to have something in front of the own door. Perhaps we really need to rethink fully about reduction and what it means to do something instead to rely on the idea that "someone is doing something for me". Too many people just use the phrase "I use open-source" instead to evaluate that their used software comes with a meaning and need for support when they like it. Not money alone, with helping hands and ideas. Just to stand there and demand? A common point for our time as people await that "it just have to run". But this is not automatism.

I do not say that we all need to cut out everything, but it is really time to rethink our usage, our responsibility and what the important "democracy" stands for. We all should remember that free, libre software not exists just like that within any air-free room and therefore no stance in political positioning needs to be taken. The exact opposite: If we as free, libre software community want democracy (even more of that) and defend it, we need to oppose "trends" mentioned above, we also need to act for human rights, for a good living and without being threatened on-going by data-brokes, by platforms clearly doing nothing good with our data, by organizations being lazy not doing their essential commitment (yes, I mean you dear FSF as an example). There is much to do: So let us do that. It is not impossible to reduce the "web" and "internet", but for this we need to take a stance.

Human being in favor with clear principles and so also for freedom in soft- and hardware!

Certainly anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices: For a life of every being full with peace and kindness, including diversity and freedom. Capitalism is destroying our minds, the planet itself and the universe in the end!

3

Re: Game changer

It is nice that you mention about an offline-system. Some weeks ago I had technical problems and I was a week without internet connection, what made me realize that these days computer are almost useless without a permanent and fast internet connection. What basically means that a fraction of our information processing is not running in our computer.
It is not that I reject Internet, I have no problem on exchanging with providers of my election (smtp servers or http servers like this one), but the majority of the people let (or are pushed to) processing most of their information to a cascade of internet players (mostly unknown) and, in the last few years, let AI to digest just everything.
That was just to say that I would be happy with an OS where internet is just an option.