[FSUG-Bangalore] Cloud computing is a trap, warns GNU founder Richard Stallman

[Praveen A]

2008/10/2 Aanjhan R <aanjhan at gmail.com>:
> On Wed, Oct 1, 2008 at 6:00 AM, Vikram Vincent <vincentvikram at gmail.com> wrote:
>> "Web-based programs like Google's Gmail will force people to buy into
>> locked, proprietary systems that will cost more and more over time,
>> according to the free software campaigner"
>

hmm I should seriously start using thunderbird for gmail, so that all
my eggs are not in the same basket.

> Not a troll. But just curious. Wasn't AGPL created for Web
> applications?? If yes, why this dual stand? Also, now how many of the
> "free" software activists can afford to have their own mail servers
> setup? So everybody must stop using email? May be not even google
> search because thats also a web application IMO and one must have ones
> own version of Search running on his/her own computer.
>

There is two things in this.

1) The software itself - which AGPL tries to address
2) The actual data and privacy concerns

RMS has been an advocate of privacy for a long time and I don't see
any thing new in his position.

The problem here is people depending more and more on data on some one
else's computer. Not just for mails, but for documents, personal data
on the social networks...

There is an interesting discussion going on in ilugd list and one of
the comment I would like to mention here.

It was Iran going on a virtual stand still when US government banned
all US companies from operating in Iran since it was depending on
Microsoft software. Now they are on GNU/Linux. Now think about a case
if US does that to India, say when we do a nuclear test in future and
google is banned to work in India.

It is a serious concern.
-- 
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