[ale] Linux apparently illegal in MA

[Robert Reese~]

>> Maybe you're right, though.  What is there to get angry about?
>> We already live in a non-free state, we must not be missing
>> much... or maybe it's "free enough," and since this isn't
>> happening to _us_ (at the moment), we shouldn't bother ourselves
>> with it...
>>
>
> Let me put this another way -
>
> What is there to get angry about that also has to do with Linux?

My guess is you didn't read the link I attached in the post nor any of the 
documents on the site relating to the issue.


> The subject header is very misleading.

How so?


>If it said instead 'Linux
> misuse apparently illegal in MA', the public's reaction would have
> been more like 'well, duh'.

Read the docs.  Nowhere does claim MISUSE of Linux as a basis for the warrant.  
However, the very fact that he had Linux on his machine was cited as probable 
cause for the warrant.


> And if the dude had been dual booting a
> different version of Windows, folks would have just chuckled about
> it and moved on.

Which is indicative of part of the problem which is the ignorance of our 
government and its Gestapo as it relates to technology, despite "training and 
experience".


>Is the mere fact that the dude happened to be dual
> booting Linux actually a valid pretext for this discussion to occur
> here?

You apparently missed the points of the original post.  Please go back and read 
the article and documents.  You will see your question completely misses the 
mark.


> The government and it's law enforcement appendages abusing power is
> something to be upset about.

Definitely.  So why aren't you?


>It's also nothing new.

And why do you think that is?


> Venting the
> outrage on a mailing list centered around a piece of software is
> neither the time nor the place,

(I see you answered my question.)  Of course this is the time and place!  This 
is extraordinarily relevant to this list.


>if I'm going to get angry about
> something, I voice it where it might actually make a difference

Surely you are not suggesting this post and resulting thread cannot make a 
difference. 


> (for example, I'm a big 2nd amendment rights activist. You'll never
> hear me complain about anything remotely relating to it in this
> forum, I voice my opinions verbosely, eloquently, and often to the
> people that it might make a difference with - my state and US
> senators and representatives)

You might also find, if you were on a hunting list for example, that a member 
might post on that list a story about someone getting a felony conviction which 
resulted in a multi-year sentence because his defective gun misfired at the 
range that his or her post should not have been made to the list?  That it was 
irrelevant and off-topic?  That it was the wrong place and time to report that 
story because you feel that it wouldn't make a difference for the list members 
to be aware of that miscarriage of justice?

Awareness of these issues is critical to the recipients of this list and others 
like us.  Can I assume you are also unaware of the role the EFF plays in 
countering these events?  Do you think that people might like to know about what 
the EFF is doing, and find out about the EFF if they didn't know?  If they 
didn't know about the EFF and I didn't tell them, do you think it possible that 
they would continue to not know about the EFF?  Do you think that by alerting 
folks about this case may, whether directly from list members or from strangers 
finding these posts via search, give them the opportunity to contact their 
politicians and/or support the EFF or the victim of this case?


> Would have been nice if someone participating in this angerfest had
> at least changed the subject header to include an [OT] tag so it
> could be filtered to the trash by those who don't necessarily want
> to see it, but it's cool, I've gone ahead and done it myself.

You'll see that I went ahead and removed the [OT] tag, as I've made it quite 
clear this is certainly within the scope and breadth of the list's topic.

Cheers,
Robert~