Richard Stallman: Reasons Not to Use Netflix
stallman.org
stallman.org
I'd pay a lot of money to see this event on video.
Also, the world seems to be getting along just fine on the MIT license.
/rant
No Netflix and Chill for RMS!
> Rejecting streaming DRM is an ethical imperative because this streaming technology is intended to divide people and make them antisocial.
....eh?
> Every time you hear that some video is produced specifically by Netflix, it would be appropriate to feel a wave of disgust and anger.
Thanks, RMS, for explaining to me how I should feel. I was frequently confused in the past when a Netflix-produced video started, thinking "I'm not sure how I should be feeling about this" but you cleared that right up for me!
Don't tell me what to do, feel, or think, you pretentious prick. I'm happy to listen to your arguments, but by telling me how to react to them, you insult my intelligence, belittle my ability to do what is the right thing for me, and are finally no different from the very organisations you despise and rant against. Your version of "freedom" isn't very free at all.
I think I'll reserve those emotions for more pressing issues in the world...
Also, many issues are connected and DRM/Copywrite/Many things RMS campaigns against will help people who really need help. Things like fighting against the DMCA so farmers can repair farming equiptment that they "own" paves the way for repairing large amounts of these unused vehicles to provide farming equiptment to countries who need them.
Many issues are connected and there are many paths that can be cleared to improve humanity. RMS is just arguing for the one he has experiance with.
Credit cards are a surveillance system too. Their usage gets back to credit bureaus. Your purchase data gets sold to third parties too. As an example, I know that hotels will purchase data directly from companies like Amex for marketing purposes. Should we avoid credit cards too?
I understand his fight, but I also understand that consumers have spoken - as long as they have a product that provides value and is convenient, they'll sacrifice privacy and even their moral thoughts on companies.
He refuses to take Amtrak because they check id, but is fine flying on airplanes because they demand id. If it's because the government requires it for flight, then he's still a sell-out (obviously because he needs to fly sometimes). That's just a rationalization to feel better.
Which is why I'll keep using Netflix, but still pay attention to the negatives.
How can it be an injustice if both parties enter into the agreement willingly?
The only time they'd revolt over any privacy issue would be if their browser history was leaked or sold, like in a recent South Park episode.
I genuinely think that he's mentally ill. I don't say that to be mean. He seems to be extremely paranoid and anti-social. Those traits never end well.
How is he paranoid, as opposed to extrapolating potential abuse from known vulnerabilities (be it technology or legislation)?
How is he anti-social, as opposed to going against popular use of technology to the point of it being impractical and maybe being a bit asocial?
I certainly don’t see him throwing around any delusional or irrational arguments, though the latter may be debatable; He’s not saying that he (or anyone else) is such an interesting person or involved with such interesting activities that they must be persecuted, but that there are ethical considerations to the use of popular technology.
Seen through the lense of his ideology as pertaining to software, I don’t really think there’s anything worrying here.
suspicion and mistrust of people or their actions without evidence or justification.
I think he definitely fits that definition on occasion.
How would you say that RMS' "paranoia" differs from regular suspicion?
There's quite a leap from being skeptical of others' intentions and pointing out potential dangers to paranoia [1].
[1]: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/paranoia-and-d...
I feel he misunderstands the concept of Big Brother. It doesn't matter if there's a screen in the wall, in your pocket, or nothing at all and you're alone in the woods; Big Brother knows.