Have you heard of the slippery slope? A cornerstone of American political philosophy?
Arguments like this one are why the authoritarian ratchet continues to turn unimpeded over time.
Arguments like this one are why the authoritarian ratchet continues to turn unimpeded over time.
If your slippery slope argument can't withstand a simple statement that something is at the top of the slope, it's not much good.
Next thing you know you've walked 100 miles and it's too late to turn back.
The slippery slope argument says that open source software is a stepping stone to a world where all commercial activity is banned. Should we therefore oppose open source software?
> The slippery slope argument says that open source software is a stepping stone to a world where all commercial activity is banned.
No it doesn't.
Yes, it does.
And no, there is absolutely no argument for a slippery slope here. Especially considering we've had OSS for what, 50 years now? And corporations are doing just fine. Unlike the vast history of authoritarianism and government oppression and violence that occurs exactly through this mechanism of giving an inch over and over again until they have taken miles.
Don't be an idiot.
And your provided "slippery slope argument" is just a straw man argument. No one in this thread made that argument. The slippery slope is the authoritarian ratchet.
If you want to restrict your kid's access to the internet, install software that does that. I think in 2026, when kids have personal devices, key word "personal", meaning there is an expected level of privacy we should respect, effective insulation against the bad parts of the internet will not be achieved through software. Meanwhile, this legislation will be used to prevent children from turning into organized free thinkers.