Free and open source software and strong encryption, our best allies...

News about how our information is being intercepted, or how our computers can be compromised either by hackers or by back doors built into it by the vendor for whatever reason. This means that our information and rights are under constant attack, meaning that we need to defend ourselves and be aware on how to protect our computers.

This where free and open source software and strong encryption tools comes in, since this combination means that the software is our best bet that is safe and it doesn't have any back doors that could compromise our information stored on it. The encryption can give us two locks, one is that it if someone gets the information we have, they can't read it since they won't have key to it's decryption. On the other hand, encrypting the information we send over the Internet, means that if it's intercepted it will be unreadable to the people who did so.

Depending on proprietary software, and not encrypting our information, is the best way to loose control of our information and to give away our privacy away. There is always a risk that we can get our system compromised or that our privacy is intruded without our consent, but with by using free and open source software along side encryption we can minimize that risk.

Now, more than ever, it's time to start doing these two things.

That OS X 10.9 Mavericks is free doesn't impress me at all...

So, OS X 10.9 Mavericks has been released and the upgrade from the previous version will be free. If I haven't been getting a great OS for free for years, since I've been using Ubuntu for 4 years as my main OS.

It bugs me is that while the new OS X will be free as it cost nothing, it's not really free in way that respects people's rights the way free and open source software does. Mavericks is still tied to Apple's hardware, not to mention that the source code is not available to be studied, modified and redistributed by users freely.

While Apple does make some good software and hardware, it really bugs me the level of control them even after you buy them. Not only that, how some features are just being added to their software are made to seem as innovations introduced by them which have been around on other OSes for some time.

Yes, sometimes their version is more polished than the previous software; but the fact that there was software that did that before them still stands.

If you want a quality OS that cost you no money at all, while it truly respects your freedoms as an user you should be looking to GNU/Linux for it. There are several distros that are easy to use, and don't require you to be an expert programmer to be able to use them at all. If you get interested to learn more to tweak your OS, or other software, there are great tools and forum where you can learn to do so and contribute to the community at large.

Yes, that the new OS X comes for free is just means that you won't be giving any money for it. But, you're still quite giving away many of your freedoms to Apple.

The Ubuntu 13.10 upgrade has been going quite well...

I made the jump to Ubuntu 13.10, aka Saucy Salamander, since it came out on last Thursday. So far, I've liked the new version of Ubuntu and the experience as a whole has been great.

What I've liked the most, is the fact that the upgrade has been seamless. Other than minor things, like new icons, things have been business as usual. Which is great, since it means that I can keep going on as before with just a few things to have to get used to.

This is one of the reasons why I love Ubuntu, with every release things have been getting better while it keeps being pretty solid and stable. Ubuntu has become the OS of choice for me, and the one that I recommend each time I can. It's not perfect, yet it's the OS that better fits me and what I use the computer for.

It's one of the best options out there for people that new to open source software, and want to jump to an open source OS; while it's also pretty solid for people like me that know their way around a computer, but not want to mess to much with it.

If you want a modern, stable and user friendly OS, the new version of Ubuntu is the way to go.

Trademarks being abused...

You know trademark law is taken out of context when anyone can make this use of it. That BSA(Boy Scouts of America) can force Hacker Scouts to change its name, or face legal consequences because BSA holds the trademark on the world Scout.

It's quite offensive that anyone can deny the use of a word because of trademark. Specially in cases like this one, mainly because BSA is denying the use of the word Scout without a reasonable explanation on why Hacker Scouts are infringing on their trademark.

Besides, Hacker Scouts aren't some shady organization. What they do something beneficial for both society and the individual, by giving kids the skills to help be better prepared to face the world or simply enjoy it more. They job is a great way to introduce kids to the world of technology in a collaborative way, while using open source methods.

I believe that we need more people that work like Hacker Scouts do, because do all of a great service in our way to make a better society. Supporting such organization is something we should all do, and shouldn't be bullying them over the use of a word.

Please, visit the Hacker Scouts web page and support them if you can.

Lost hunger of knowing...

It's rather surprising how many people lose their sense of wonder, and just stop asking questions about the world around them. They seem contempt to just cruise by, without wanting to know more about whatever they come across. Some even feel threaten by anyone wanting to know more, even if the answers to the questions being ask could be beneficial to everybody.

Many fear that knowing how something works would make it less wonderful, that by the act of knowing you take value away. Knowing the inner workings of something would make it less marvelous, that it would make it less worthy in their eyes.

I don't agree at all with that at all, knowing actually makes things more wonderful. The fact that we know more about something doesn't take away, but adds to it. That we know more, means that we've more to wonder about. Knowledge about the universe we live in, not only our world, makes for a more wonderful and magnificent place.

That hunger of knowing how things work, and are related to each other, has made our lives fuller and worth living. It has added years to our lives, while being able to enjoy them in good health and has given us the chance to share more with our loved ones.

One thing that out thirst of knowing has shown us, is that there will be more questions to answer and greater riddles to solve. In many ways we might never know everything, which is a good thing because that way we can continue to move forward and be better. It's that never ending quest to know that will take us to new places.

Instead of teaching our children not to question, we need to give them the tools to do it in a way that will improve their lives. The sky is no longer the limit, I don't longer believe there is a limit if we keep looking for answers.

Open development for security protocols and standards...

One of the good things that came from what was leaked Edward Snowden, is that security protocols and standards are being checked for flaws and vulnerabilities. Some have been found, no doubt more will come in time, with steps being taken fix them.

With all the work being done to tighten security, and people being more aware about the importance of securing their systems to protect their privacy, it's important to keep an eye on that work so that their information is safe and their privacy respected. The importance of security protocols and standards are paramount on both cases, and thus the work to harden them is vital.

That's why there is a need to have them developed in an open way, so that they can be constantly checked and improved by as a large a community as possible. They will never be completely fool proof, but the open development can help to minimize the risk by allowing patches to be submitted sooner later later.

With more of our lives taking place on the digital realm, the protocols and standards used to protect our information can't continue to be developed behind closed doors. People need, and should have the right, actually know how what they use to protect themselves work and be able to study it freely. All development should be carried out openly, in a way where the validation of those protocols and standards takes the input of a wider community.

Security will be enhance with more people working together to make it better in an open and collaborative environment, not with less people working behind closed doors.

The right combination...

I've thinking about getting a tablet, yet I don't really think that it would be all that useful for me. My needs are better covered by the laptop smartphone combo, and tablets don't really fit my needs.

When sitting at home, the laptop computer is a lot better for me. I still use the keyboard a lot to write both on my blog or emails. While on the go, the smartphone fits my needs since it allows me to write short messages, share photos or short thoughts in a more practical way for me.

The combination of computer, smartphone and tablet is still rather dependent on how do you access information and if you need to create things using a computer. What any person should get is dependent on what they are going to do with those devices, since that device needs to conform to what that person needs to do with it.

What most people will have in common in most cases, is that we all are going to be using smartphones while on the go since they are the most convenient way to access or share information quickly when you just want do it quickly and you're aren't going to do it for a long period of time.

Tablets and laptops are easier to use for extended periods of time, just that they excel at different things. Tablets, for the time being, are better suited for consuming media and information. Their format suits better to consuming, rather than creating, content. I don't doubt that in the near future you'll be able to create content as easily on them, as you do on a computer, yet the time is not now.

Computers are still the best way to create content, specially work that need a lot of computing power. Also, it's more comfortable to work for extended periods of time on a computer than it is on a tablet.

For me, the perfect coordination is the laptop-smartphone.

What could have been...

While I was reading this article at Ars Technica, I couldn't help but to feel a bit of sadness and nostalgia. I really liked Nokia's mobile phones, and I had high hopes for their Symbian OS. By the time they released the N8 smartphone with Symbian^3 on it, I was really hopeful about the OS.

Another thing I really liked, was that Nokia had open sourced Symbian and that made it an option for me. The idea that my favorite mobile brand used an open sourced OS was very appealing, since I enjoyed using it. I would loved to see Nokia throwing it's weight behind Symbian, so that by now there would be two open source mobile operating systems at the market. The other being Android, which has matured a lot since it was released.

In a way, I'd have loved to see Nokia adopting Android when it stop using Symbian on their smartphones. In that case, I would still be on Nokia's field. In many ways, I felt betrayed when by the switch to Windows. Ever since they did so, I haven't even considered buying anything from Nokia. Before that, I was loyal to Nokia.

Now, it's to late for any kind of change. Seems that Nokia really went south, and it got lost somewhere only to become somewhat irrelevant at the smartphone arena.

It's a shame where Nokia has come, it comes to show that the future is not certain for anyone.

Sad mishandling of information...

One of the virtues of the Internet, is that it democratizes the flow of information. It allows individuals to share information, or to access it, in various ways, in any format they dim to be more convenient and at any time they have the chance to do so. Those who are interested on that information can access it the time that suits them best, and redistribute it to others that might find such information interesting or valuable.

More than ever before, the flow of information is free to flow not only from hand to hand or to a hand full of people. Now, information can be flow much faster and to much more people than it has ever been possible. Not only that, it no longer has the constraints of time and location to tie it down. Information generated at one corner of the world, can reach anywhere around the world in an instant.

It's sad, and enraging, that some governments try to limit that free flow of information or use it against the people. Even worse, is when they try to get access to private information without going through the passes they legally have to access such information.

The flow of information needs to be unimpeded by no one, but the person from who the information originated from. Each of us, must have every guarantee that we have full and total control of our information, and thus the way it flows. Our information should only arrive to our intended destination, and shouldn't be tempered on transit in any way, shape or form.

If the government thinks it needs to intercept it, it should be made to give a valid reason before it's allowed to intercept it to read it. The government shouldn't be able to do so without proving, beyond reasonable doubt, that it has a valid argument to do so.

While information is a common good, that belongs to us all, not all information should be treated like that. Some information is private to the individual, and that information should be treated as the property of that individual. All other information, specially that the is comes from public areas, needs to remain in the hands of the public.

The flow of information should be unimpeded, at all times, so we all can access it on equal terms.

Development doesn't define free software...

There is a lot of people who argue that free software should be developed on a community level, and there is a lot of resentment when it's development it's constrained to the walls of whoever needs that specific needs.

Yet, free software has nothing to do with how it's developed. It's about being able to access to the source code to study it, to modify it as you see fit, and to redistribute it without any restrictions that hinder you from doing so. If the license has no restrictions on those attributes, it's free software independently on how it's developed.

The choice of how to develop any free software is from the people who are going to be develop it, and it has to suits their needs. At the end, development is independent complying with what free software guidelines ask for.

If you don't want to use free software that isn't developed directly by the community, don't use it. But, that doesn't give you the right to go around telling people don't to use it or speak ill of those who choose to to develop their software without the help of the community.

The community should be picky about developers actually complying with what free software licenses ask them to, and not how develop their software. If they give free access to their source code to be studied, modified and redistribute it, then it's all well and dandy. That they respect what makes free software free, is far more important than how they develop said software.

Anything else than the core values of free software, it's more about personal taste than anything else.

You got to be kidding...

It's hard to take any legal system seriously, when just about anyone can sue over how a word is used to name a group or a product without taking the context of how it's used into account.

The lengths some take in order to "protect" what they think of as their intellectual property is just plain wrong. A case that comes as a perfect example of this point is the Boy Scouts of America treating to sue a group called Hacker Scouts over the use of the word Scouts.

I don't really know why should the Boy Scouts of America need to do this, since Hacker Scouts are dedicated to teach children raging from eight to 12 do protects having to do with science and engineering. Which is not the things that Boy Scouts do, but not something that is demeaning or that's unlawful.

Other than that both are Scouts, the other thing that both organizations have in common is that fact that both give out badges that earn by completing projects.

I can't see how anyone could confuse the two, or why Boy Scouts of America could have a problem with an organization like Hackers Scouts being scouts too. Both organizations are doing things that are great for both society and individuals, yet are doing so by different means.

Hacker Scouts should be allowed to keep the Scouts for their name, since I don't see them misusing the word or how they could be confused with the Boy Scouts. The organization is doing a great thing to promote science and engineering among kids, which is needed if we want to keep our world getting better for all.

I leave you the links to the page of the Hacker Scouts page and to the article in Ars Technica with the Boy Scouts of America actions against them below: 

http://www.hacker-scouts.org/

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/08/be-prepared-to-litigate-boy-scouts-pressures-hacker-scouts-to-drop-scouts/

Spread the word, and support Hacker Scouts to keep their name.