[wsfii-discuss] Control Freaks: Modding and the Clash with Law

Tue Nov 1 14:00:37 UTC 2005

On Tue, Nov 01, 2005 at 01:58:49AM -0800, Charles core Stevenson wrote:
> On a side note did you guys see this:
> 
> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20051031-5498.html
> 
> On 10/31/05, Karel Kulhavy <clock at twibright.com> wrote:
> >
> > Modding is IMHO taking a crappy proprietary item, partially reverse
> > engineering it and changing. Free software development is proper
> > development attitude from the very beginning
> 
> 
> It seems like modding ourselves and our environment is part of a broader
> evolutionary unfolding. Those parasites who have attached to the core
> arteries of human civilization and demand that the extremities owe them for
> the service is laughable. Although I think you're view is consistently
> cynical Karel, no offense intended, we should recognize that one of the
> quickest routes to empowerment is using these mass produced commodity units
> like game consoles which represent the best price-performance ratios
> available unrestricted. I agree that if everyone invested their time and
> energy into creating Free alternatives that the end result might resonate
> with the needs of the masses rather than the profit margins of an economic
> machine.
> 
> But back to modding. I just recently started reading a book called The
> Singularity is Near by Ray Kurzweil. I recommend it to anyone on this list
> as he extrapolates current trends and data to show that technology is the
> new paradigm of evolution and following an exponential growth rate. That
> basically we'll jump from modding hardwire to create hives and meshes, to
> hacking nanotech and modding ourselves into higher and more unimaginabe
> forms of intelligence.... basically spiralling towards the big bang as it
> were. Hrm... so I just though of MCs thread as cool and haven't had the
> proper time to respond more eloquently... so forgive this rant. It's 3am.
> LOL! What are you opinions on modding as it relates to evolution
> transcending biology? How do free information infrastructures ensure that
> this evolution occurs peacefully and with little bloodshed and struggle for

We currently have blodshed, struggle for power and abuse through
preemption and don't have any evolution transcending biology. Free
information infrastructures don't ensure anything at the moment. I
haven't yet even seen a functional free network.

> power and abuse through preemption? Or is this just a pipe dream?

Empty talks about how it would be cool if we had are a pipe dream.
Actual action isn't a pipe dream.

> peace,

bullshit, war. But war vithout violence, a silent war of technological
development. Which is actually more peace than the "peace" we are having
today - an automaton conformist "peace".

CL<

> core

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