# LANGUAGE translation of https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/the-root-of-this-problem.html # Copyright (C) YEAR Free Software Foundation, Inc. # This file is distributed under the same license as the original article. # FIRST AUTHOR , YEAR. # #, fuzzy msgid "" msgstr "" "Project-Id-Version: the-root-of-this-problem.html\n" "POT-Creation-Date: 2021-10-01 10:56+0000\n" "PO-Revision-Date: YEAR-MO-DA HO:MI+ZONE\n" "Last-Translator: FULL NAME \n" "Language-Team: LANGUAGE \n" "Language: \n" "MIME-Version: 1.0\n" "Content-Type: text/plain; charset=CHARSET\n" "Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n" #. type: Content of: msgid "" "The Problem Is Software Controlled By Its Developer - GNU Project - Free " "Software Foundation" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><h2> msgid "The Problem Is Software Controlled By Its Developer" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><address> msgid "by Richard Stallman" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "I fully agree with Jonathan Zittrain's conclusion that we should not abandon " "general-purpose computers. Alas, I disagree completely with the path that " "led him to it. He presents serious security problems as an intolerable " "crisis, but I'm not convinced. Then he forecasts that users will panic in " "response and stampede toward restricted computers (which he calls " "“appliances”), but there is no sign of this happening." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Zombie machines are a problem, but not a catastrophe. Moreover, far from " "panicking, most users ignore the issue. Today, people are indeed concerned " "about the danger of phishing (mail and web pages that solicit personal " "information for fraud), but using a browsing-only device instead of a " "general computer won't protect you from that." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Meanwhile, Apple has reported that 25 percent of iPhones have been " "unlocked. Surely at least as many users would have preferred an unlocked " "iPhone but were afraid to try a forbidden recipe to obtain it. This refutes " "the idea that users generally prefer that their devices be locked." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "It is true that a general computer lets you run programs designed to <a " "href=\"/proprietary/proprietary.html\">spy on you, restrict you, or even let " "the developer attack you</a>. Such programs include KaZaA, RealPlayer, " "Adobe Flash Player, Windows Media Player, Microsoft Windows, and MacOS. " "Windows Vista does all three of those things; it also lets Microsoft change " "the software without asking, or command it to permanently cease normal " "functioning [<a href=\"#note1\">1</a>]." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "But restricted computers are no help, because they present the same problem " "for the same reason." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "The iPhone is designed for remote attack by Apple. When Apple remotely " "destroys iPhones that users have unlocked to enable other uses, that is no " "better than when Microsoft remotely sabotages Vista. The TiVo is designed to " "enforce restrictions on access to the recordings you make, and reports what " "you watch. E-book readers such as the Amazon “<a " "href=\"/philosophy/why-call-it-the-swindle\">Swindle</a>” are designed " "to stop you from sharing and lending your books. Features that artificially " "obstruct use of your data are known as Digital Restrictions Management " "(DRM); our protest campaign against DRM is hosted at <a " "href=\"https://www.defectivebydesign.org/\">defectivebydesign.org</a>. (Our " "adversaries call DRM “Digital Rights Management” based on their " "idea that restricting you is their right. When you choose a term, you choose " "your side.)" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "The nastiest of the common restricted devices are cell phones. They transmit " "signals for tracking your whereabouts even when switched “off”; " "the only way to stop this is to take out all the batteries. Many can also be " "turned on remotely, for listening, unbeknownst to you. (The FBI is already " "taking advantage of this feature, and the US Commerce Department lists this " "danger in its Security Guide.) Cellular phone network companies regularly " "install software in users phones, without asking, to impose new usage " "restrictions." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "With a general computer you can escape by rejecting such programs. You don't " "have to have KaZaA, RealPlayer, Adobe Flash, Windows Media Player, Microsoft " "Windows or MacOS on your computer (I don't). By contrast, a restricted " "computer gives you no escape from the software built into it." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "The root of this problem, both in general PCs and restricted computers, is " "software controlled by its developer. The developer (typically a " "corporation) controls what the program does, and prevents everyone else from " "changing it. If the developer decides to put in malicious features, even a " "master programmer cannot easily remove them." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "The remedy is to give the users more control, not less. We must insist on " "free/libre software, software that the users are free to change and " "redistribute. Free/libre software develops under the control of its users: " "if they don't like its features, for whatever reason, they can change " "them. If you're not a programmer, you still get the benefit of control by " "the users. A programmer can make the improvements you would like, and " "publish the changed version. Then you can use it too." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "With free/libre software, no one has the power to make a malicious feature " "stick. Since the source code is available to the users, millions of " "programmers are in a position to spot and remove the malicious feature and " "release an improved version; surely someone will do it. Others can then " "compare the two versions to verify independently which version treats users " "right. As a practical fact, free software is generally free of designed-in " "malware." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Many people do acquire restricted devices, but not for motives of " "security. Why do people choose them?" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Sometimes it is because the restricted devices are physically smaller. I " "edit text all day (literally) and I find the keyboard and screen of a laptop " "well worth the size and weight. However, people who use computers " "differently may prefer something that fits in a pocket. In the past, these " "devices have typically been restricted, but they weren't chosen for that " "reason." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Now they are becoming less restricted. In fact, the OpenMoko cell phone " "features a main computer running entirely free/libre software, including the " "GNU/Linux operating system normally used on PCs and servers." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "A major cause for the purchase of some restricted computers is financial " "sleight of hand. Game consoles, and the iPhone, are sold for an " "unsustainably low price, and the manufacturers subsequently charge when you " "use them. Thus, game developers must pay the game console manufacturer to " "distribute a game, and they pass this cost on to the user. Likewise, " "AT&T pays Apple when an iPhone is used as a telephone. The low up-front " "price misleads customers into thinking they will save money." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "If we are concerned about the spread of restricted computers, we should " "tackle the issue of the price deception that sells them. If we are " "concerned about malware, we should insist on free software that gives the " "users control." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><h3> msgid "Postnote" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Zittrain's suggestion to reduce the statute of limitations on software " "patent lawsuits is a tiny step in the right direction, but it is much easier " "to solve the whole problem. Software patents are an unnecessary, artificial " "danger imposed on all software developers and users in the US. Every program " "is a combination of many methods and techniques—thousands of them in a " "large program. If patenting these methods is allowed, then hundreds of those " "used in a given program are probably patented. (Avoiding them is not " "feasible; there may be no alternatives, or the alternatives may be patented " "too.) So the developers of the program face hundreds of potential lawsuits " "from parties unknown, and the users can be sued as well." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "The complete, simple solution is to eliminate patents from the field of " "software. Since the patent system is created by statute, eliminating patents " "from software will be easy given sufficient political will. (See <a " "href=\"https://endsoftwarepatents.org\">End Software Patents</a>.)" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><h3> msgid "Footnote" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><ol><li> msgid "" "Windows Vista initially had a “kill switch” with which Microsoft " "could remotely command the computer to stop functioning. Microsoft " "subsequently <a " "href=\"https://badvista.fsf.org/blog/windows-genuine-disadvantage/\">removed " "this</a>, ceding to public pressure, but reserved the “right” to " "put it back in." msgstr "" #. TRANSLATORS: Use space (SPC) as msgstr if you don't have notes. #. type: Content of: <div> msgid "*GNUN-SLOT: TRANSLATOR'S NOTES*" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Please send general FSF & GNU inquiries to <a " "href=\"mailto:gnu@gnu.org\"><gnu@gnu.org></a>. There are also <a " "href=\"/contact/\">other ways to contact</a> the FSF. Broken links and " "other corrections or suggestions can be sent to <a " "href=\"mailto:webmasters@gnu.org\"><webmasters@gnu.org></a>." msgstr "" #. TRANSLATORS: Ignore the original text in this paragraph, #. replace it with the translation of these two: # #. We work hard and do our best to provide accurate, good quality #. translations. However, we are not exempt from imperfection. #. Please send your comments and general suggestions in this regard #. to <a href="mailto:web-translators@gnu.org"> # #. <web-translators@gnu.org></a>.</p> # #. <p>For information on coordinating and contributing translations of #. our web pages, see <a #. href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations #. README</a>. #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Please see the <a " "href=\"/server/standards/README.translations.html\">Translations README</a> " "for information on coordinating and contributing translations of this " "article." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "Copyright © 2008, 2010, 2014, 2021 Richard Stallman" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "This page is licensed under a <a rel=\"license\" " "href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons " "Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>." msgstr "" #. TRANSLATORS: Use space (SPC) as msgstr if you don't want credits. #. type: Content of: <div><div> msgid "*GNUN-SLOT: TRANSLATOR'S CREDITS*" msgstr "" #. timestamp start #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "Updated:" msgstr ""