Tsikbal: from my perspective

Users right to hack the devices, and the software that runs in them, shouldn't be questioned at an level. It should be a given than users have the right do any modification they want to any device they lawfully bought, and even to share how they did such hack. If there should be a limit, is that users should not profit with those hacks without compensating the original vendor. Even though the people who do the hacking can expect some sort of compensation for the time they invested making a hack useful, there should be a clear limit on how that compensation is made. Yet, users should be allowed to share with others within some reasonable limits. Those limits shouldn't make it impossible for users to actually hack their devices, just how they are allowed to share the information about how to do a hack and how they can expect to be compensated for the time and effort put into doing so. The most important thing is that users must remain o...

As I keep using the BlackBerry Bold I got, the more I'm liking the experience, yet I'm still quite interested on an Android smartphone. When time comes to get a replacement, it will be decided by my ability to use an Android device for some time in order to directly compare it with the BlackBerry I'm using. So far, the biggest issue I've with the BlackBerry Bold is the optical trackpad, I just don't seem to be able to get used to it. So, it seems that a touchscreen device seems a better option for me. With this in mind, it seems that if I decide to stay with Blackberry it would be with the Z10, which is an touchscreen base smartphone. Yet, I'd like to keep all my devices running open sourced software, as such Android is still a strong contender. And if the Firefox OS hits the market on time for consideration, it's also a strong contender. The choice it's still some mounts away, so there is some time to do some testing.

I've been using a BlackBerry Bold for the four days, and even it's got the Blackberry 6 OS which is dated, I found that it's quite enjoyable to use. The only thing is that bothers me a bit, is that the software is closed source and I'd prefer to use FOSS. Yet, I'm quite taken with both the software and the hardware. I just find that they work quite well, just with a bit of a lag because of the age of the device. I don't mind it much, since the lag is not that long and I see the device as something that I intend to use just while I save enough to get a new one. With the experience, with what I've been reading about the new BlackBerry's OS and the Z10 I'm starting to considering them as a serious buy for me. I've enjoying the whole experience with both the software and the hardware, I'm just able to set the phone just as I want it with relative ease. Now the only two serious contenders I've in mind for my next smartphone is the...

What needs to be protected should be data contained by software, not the software itself. After all, keeping data safe is important to keeping our privacy. Accessing the internal working of software should be allowed, in a way such action should taken from granted. The study, modification, and redistribution of a piece of software should be something that can be done by any user who wished to do so. On the other hand, such actions on data shouldn't be allowed. Software and data should be separate things, and data should be protected by default. All data belongs to the original user, as such only that user has the authority on how the data it produces can be used and by who it can be used in what manner. Individuals have the right to legally own their data, and shouldn't lose that ownership under any circumstance at all. Only permissions are granted on certain parts of our data to a given party, and those permissions can be revoked at the time on which the individua...

Like in every other area in human activity, we need women to active in every way on tech and science if we want them to be in good shape. Any woman that wants to come into these areas should be able to do so, on equal terms with her male counter parts. The fact that women that have a talent for science or tech, are not actively encouraged is both sad and disturbing. We need them to come, actively contribute if we want to advance as a society. Their contributions are as valuable as any one a male can make, and not allowing them to do so has a negative impact not only on a personal level. It also negatively affects society at large, because at the very least we can suffer a minor set back. Both science and tech need to be stop being viewed as men's turf. It's the turf of any one that wants to work in it, regardless of their gender. What should be taken into account, is the quality of their work and research. Until both women and men can actually be equally respected ...

It's sad to see how curiosity is killed, and replaced with the inability to question the what happens around us. Some just do what they are told, never really thinking about what they are doing and why they are doing it. Others don't even dare to do even that, they even see any kind of questioning as an act of disloyalty. The idea of an individual thinking by himself, or herself, it's an aberration and something that must be avoided at all costs. There is no higher need than to live a life where they are told what to think and do by those they view as superior to them, they are sheep. Curiosity is a virtue, one that should be fostered and allowed to grow. There is no age in life where curiosity should be avoided, since it leads us to meet and surpass new challenges. By doing so, it allows great discoveries that make our lives richer fuller. What's better, the benefits are not only for the individual that followed his curiosity to it's satisfaction. It b...

It's both sad and enraging that copyright laws are used to prevent people to repair devices they own, and effectively enforce planned obsolescence since there is no way to actually keep any of your devices up and running. Since service manuals can be copyrighted, it means that companies can deny access to them by independent repair shops or just users that want to have the information. Which means that people outside the company, can't make any repair at all. Thus, giving the companies the chance to enforce planned obsolescence by making their products unrepairable after a certain point in time. This is unacceptable, since the products we buy are our owned by us. We should have unrestricted access to the information needed to service the products we own, either by ourselves or by independent repair shops if we choose to take them there. Most importantly, by allowing to those products to have a longer life-cycle expectancy the impact they have on the environment wil...