[GRLUG] FYI Linux Red Flag News Release

[Brad De Vries]

On Thu, Dec 4, 2008 at 2:58 PM, Tim Schmidt <timschmidt at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Thu, Dec 4, 2008 at 2:45 PM, Adam M. Erickson <adam at openfad.com> wrote:
>> http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-10113243-16.html?tag=mncol
>>
>> News hit Slashdot on Wednesday that China is forcing its Internet
>> cafes to use licensed copies of Red Flag Linux.
>>
>> Just another reason I'm a proud American, in a recession or not.
>
> They'll do things the way they see best...  Certainly China is no
> human rights champion, but then, neither are we.
>
> We intercept, analyze, and record interesting bits of all internet
> traffic that travels within our country, and render, torture, and
> imprison individuals based on that information.
>
> We also routinely regulate industry - often forcing it to use
> american-made products or services in preference to overseas products.
>
> I could certainly see China mandating the use of Red Flag on internet
> cafe machines (notice - personal computer and industry computers
> aren't mentioned - just a specific industry) for several good reasons.
>
> - National security concerns (Windows is made by a company under heavy
> regulation by opposing super-powers)
> - Viruses / Spam / Malware / Botnets (Internet Cafe machines are
> extremely heavily used, connected to very fast pipes, and some of the
> most likely (and most dangerous!) machines to be infected with hostile
> software.  A keylogger on a home machine might learn your bank account
> credentials.  A keylogger on a cafe machine might learn thousands.
>
> A little draconian?  Sure.  Too draconian?  Yup.  Pot, kettle.  Kettle, pot.
>
> --tim

Tim, I hate the idea of getting into a big flame war about which
country is best or worst but I do have two questions for you regarding
your post above:

1) Are you implying that the US is as bad as China in the area of both
human and corporate rights oppression?
"Certainly China is no human rights champion, but then, neither are we."
"Pot, kettle.  Kettle, pot."

2) Have you considered relinquishing your US citizenship and becoming
a citizen of China?

Brad.