[Lancaster] Twitter

[Mike Dent]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: lancaster-bounces at mailman.lug.org.uk [mailto:lancaster-
> bounces at mailman.lug.org.uk] On Behalf Of mp
> Sent: 20 February 2009 11:38
> To: Lancaster Linux User Group
> Subject: Re: [Lancaster] Twitter
>
>
>
> Richard Smedley wrote:
> > On Thu, 2009-02-19 at 23:19 +0000, mp wrote:
> >> Hmmm, Twitter is non-free software.
> >>
> >> But there are Free Software alternatives.
> >> http://www.techenclave.com/open-source/identi-ca-open-source-
> twitter-alternative-114388.html
> >> http://gigaom.com/2009/01/14/identica-gets-funding-to-make-open-
> source-twitter-variant/
> >
> > Identi.ca is great - the Lconica software is something
> > we're looking at implementing for a community.
> >
> > However, although I'm on both Identi.ca and Twitter,
> > it's the latter that most others (beyond the Free
> > Software community) are on. Any suggestions as to
> > how to change this are most welcome :-)
>
> Get off Twitter, but twit it first to all your friends/contacts,
> stating
> that you move to the Free Software alternative, because you believe in
> the free Internet, which is being eroded by Twitter, Facecrack,
> AOL/TimeWarner et al. When invited to Twitter, when spoken to about it,
> state that it is bad for freedom, like some would say about things like
> McDonalds.
>

Hmm, I'm not sure about this free Internet thing. If the companies/universities/ISP's etc that the
Internet connects through wanted to start charging for data or electricity at their sites then who
are we to grumble?
I think so far we have had a great ride and should be thankful for that, it's certainly not our
right to have it like that forever.

How ethical a company are Cisco (as an example of a maker of lots of internet routers and switches)
if they are not ethical, do we stop using those portions of the internet which use their kit?

yes it would be nice if the internet were run on free open source software routers which were powered by
wind/hydro/solar power but I don't think it will happen for many years to come.

Enjoy it while it lasts :)

Mike

> Like ethical consumerism - Sainsbury's is not going to go away by
> shopping in it. Shopping in Single-Step is better for the earth.
>
> Cyberspace is a space in a rather real sense, but it is being enclosed
> by non-free projects. The more that join the non-free, corporate
> networks, the easier it will be to introduce traffic prioritisation at
> switch level, which the network providers are very keen to implement -
> hard and software ready to go (debated in the US under the terms
> "network neutrality" and "common carriage"). If the majority of
> Internet
> users are on Facecrack and Twitter (which will be highly prioritised),
> then few will complain about the end of the free flowing internet.
>
> Facecrack and Twitter etc. are the preconditions for the end of free
> traffic on the internet.
>
> mp
>
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