Much of the war against computer freedom has centered on things like copyright, net neutrality, and SOPA, but Cory Doctorow argues that this isn't a war at all. It's a skirmish, the opening salvos in what could soon be an overwhelming attack by commercial and governmental entities.
We ain't seen nothing yet, basically.
Computers are everything now, from cars to toothbrushes to office buildings to airplanes. And once everyone else starts acting like the music industry and other media companies -- trying to crimp our digital rights through nefarious software, lawsuits, and legislation -- then you'll really see some next-gen firepower. As Doctorow said in "Lockdown," an article posted online at Boing Boing early this year, the battle will center on us controlling our computers: "Freedom in the future will require us to have the capacity to monitor our devices and set meaningful policies for them ... to maintain them as honest servants to our will, not as traitors and spies working for criminals, thugs, and control freaks."
When you consider that these "devices" will permeate nearly every aspect of our lives in the future, you can begin to appreciate how many front lines the coming war could have. Get primed on the shock at Doctorow's Long Now Foundation seminar, "The Coming Century of War Against Your Computer."
Cory Doctorow appears Tuesday, July 31st at 7:30 p.m. at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission (at Fourth St.), S.F. Admission is $10.
