Lessig: Open Source Solution to Privacy/Rights On Line

This is a few weeks old, but it's a really good article. Markar writes: "Lawrence Lessig states in a article on WideOpenNews states that rights and privacy on line can best be preserved through Open Source protocols and software. Lessig warns that corporations and government are already using software and protocols that subvert individual rights and privacy on line, and warns that protocols must be kept open to keep government and industry from building regulations into Internet software. Lessig discusses the possibility and implications of Digital ID uses in CyberSpace. "

Protocals and Control

[Markar]

Basically Lessig states that privacy, who and how the internet is used can be controlled through the use of protocals. Lessig warns that things will only get worse, pay-per-use could become the norm, whether listening to music or reading a book or an article. Closed protocals can be written that eliminate privacy on-line and that result in oppression by those that write the code upon those that use the protocals. By keeping the protocals open freedom rather than oppression is more likely, similar to 'to many eyes all bugs are shallow,' also you can't 'hide' a 'reardoor' in an open protocal.

Of course no one would violate our trust and write oppressive closed protocals ;-) The article is really relevant to what is happening right now. I bought the book and plan to give it a thorough read.

Lessig's page

[bckspc]

After you've read the article and its soundbites, go read Lessig's own writing at: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/lessig.html [harvard.edu]

Good stuff.