[Sheflug] Re: [SlugBug] Your PC fixed by volunteers at the Community Computer Cafe!

[Alan Dawson]

Quoting Andy Davidson <andyd at lug.org.uk>:

> But what you're doing is devaluing the work of commercial computer 
> repair people.  This is dangerous.  I'm sure it's not your intention to 
> take a means to earn away from local IT shops, but this is precisely 
> what you risk doing.

I'm sure they are able to make a rich living fitting ISA nic's, jiggering around
with IRQ's and interrupts and replacing analogue modems on worn out 5-10 yr old
PC's running Win95 and Win 98 for the unemployed, pensioners, refugees and
other economically dispossed.

> 
> If people can't be allowed to make money out of IT, the industry will 
> collapse in on itself.  I don't like the idea that my pay might be cut 
> because my trades and unique skills that I have invested years learning 
> are being handed out on the street corner (as it were.)
> 

But thats the nature of IT, smarter systems that configure themselves.  Hmm I
dont think we should have dhcp on this network because it will make the skilled
job of configuring IP addresses redundant.

And as for students writing an operating system in their bedrooms, outlaw it
immediately. 

Only certified GIT's ( Government Information Technicians ) are allowed to take
the lid of a PC, with only mandatory approved hardware / software to be
installed.

Now in my humble opinion this isn't as OT as may seem.  With things like

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/19/microsoft_wto_winning_without_firing/
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/11/20/163245&tid=103&tid=226&tid=17


,the rest of the TCPA,DMCA, software patents nonsense
and more years of Dubya and his corporate cronies in the states, will you even
be allowed to develop and run free software soon?

This is no time to forget the links between free software and free speech.

see you at the G8 in Scotland ?

http://www.dissent.org.uk/content/view/64/55/


AED
-- 
"The long revolution is creating small federated microsocieties, true guerilla 

 cells practising and fighting for this self-management. Effective radicality  
 authorises all variations and guarantees every freedom. "