Kinda what I got.
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| notbob Mar 19, 2016 5:46 PM EDT |
When I finished reading, I went, "Huh?". The second comment sez it all: "Not surprising, but would you please explain how a Linux phone would make a difference." |
| dotmatrix Mar 19, 2016 8:59 PM EDT |
FOSS Force Article wrote:Actually, it may be worse than doing nothing, as the press has announced this as a big victory, which lulls the public into thinking that everything is under control when it’s not. It seems this is the author's point. I suppose the 'Linux Phone' reference refers to the control of one's own computing platform and information. However, a cookie is a cookie is a cookie. Cookies have nothing specific to do with GNU/Linux... Would a FFOS or Tizen phone be any better? Probably not. I think what the privacy market needs is a 'kit-phone' ... like the 'kit-PCs' of yesteryear... Simply buy a SIM and done. http://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/28/science/personal-computers-kit-computer-turns-out-to-be-a-sane-idea.html And... of course... RMS was and is correct on this topic: http://www.networkworld.com/article/2200967/software/cell-phones-are--stalin-s-dream---says-free-software-movement-founder.html And here is the appropriate quote: RMS wrote:Theoretically, Stallman says, phones that use only free software can protect themselves from the danger of electronic eavesdropping. "If it's all free software, you can probably protect yourself from that, because that's caused by the software in the phone," he says. But this is not the same as a Linux phone... it's the FOSS and the ability to modify the software, which then allows for discovery and removal of surveillance items like the Verizon 'super-cookie'... I'm sure RMS would be happier if that FOSS phone ran HURD rather than Linux. |
| JaseP Mar 20, 2016 12:59 AM EDT |
We had a Linux phone. It was called the Nokia N900. It was the best smartphone ever produced (especially when considering its features, for the time). I still have mine,... and would still be using it, had it not been obsoleted (abandoned by Nokia, along with plans for its successors). It was a full blown Debian based platform... Unfortunately, the market doesn't bare out a platform like that,... Because it is only truly useful to the geek set. No one else sees the point. That's the problem. So, we get Android as the next, best alternative. But, you have to be able to root your phone, and/or replace the firmware (open bootloader) to get everything out of them. So, Stallman is, of course, 100% right again,... And everything he says falls on deaf ears, just like usual. So, instead of truly empowering mobile computing devices, we get walled gardens, and platforms that call back to big brother (and I haven't even addressed the issue of the terribly insecure cell modems they contain... ). So, for the geek set, we must research the heck out of carriers, and devices, to find the ones who screw us least, and are hackable, respectively (which generally means T-Mobile and a middling Android phone that's been out a year). Otherwise, do as Stallman does, and don't have a cell phone at all. |
| penguinist Mar 20, 2016 2:17 AM EDT |
I am so happy with my 64GB Nokia N9 "Linux Phone". The N9 was immediately killed by Microsoft when they bought the business from Nokia, but I was lucky enough to have gotten one before it disappeared. Now I will be nursing it along by replacing batteries and doing what minor maintenance I have to do with the hope that this dream phone will last a lifetime. I'm so angry with Microsoft for killing such a great product. And Microsoft is still trying to convince people that it is friendly toward Linux. sheesh, give me a break! |
| mbaehrlxer Mar 23, 2016 2:00 AM EDT |
the one thing that tizen has going for it is that the principal engineer is rasterman. when i met him a few days ago and introduced myself by holding up my tizen based z1, he proceeded to tell me how to get root access it (it involves taking the os image, changing permissions on a specific file (i think su or sudo) and then reflashing the image). rasterman would like to do nothing more than produce an open developer friendly phone, unfortunately, while he is in charge of developing the tizen operating system, he is not the one in charge of making products. (for example the fact that you need a windows tool to flash the phone is caused by the mobile division creating the phone products, and beyond his control) greetings, eMBee. |
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