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[lionman]

Paul Graham has posted a new essay titled 'Good Bad Attitude' talking about the hacker attitude toward rules and government regulation of Intellectual Property. Choice quote: "[Hackers] can sense totalitarianism approaching from a distance, as animals can sense an approaching thunderstorm."I thought this was interesting, and rather liked the quote

Comments

[banner]

I don't think things are as bad as he's saying, though I do agree that some of the things getting patents are a bit ridiculous.

[lionman]

I happen to agree with you. But, it's good to be kept mindful of what could be and the direction we are going.

[arian_maral]

Problem is, most the slashdork types with their inflated sense of superiority as 'hackers' do NOT know when to give up. I'm afraid that the more they push (right or wrong) the harder the authorities are going to push back. And guess who is going to lose? It isn't hollywood and it isn't the intellectual property owners, unfortunately.

And the great mass of average americans? Guess who THEY are going to side with? Self-proclaimed smart-aleks or the owners of rights with government backing? Remember the golden rule of American law and politics...them what has the gold makes the rules. And most hackers, with notable exceptions, are not the guys with the gold but rather working for the guys with the gold. Arrogance (and that article reeks of it) and slogans like 'Information wants to be free' are not only useless without the political clout to back it up, but counterproductive.