artodeto's blog about coding, politics and the world

Zak Ragoff has written an important article about Tim Berners-Lee decision he has to make right now.

Tim decided it the past to not include closed source binary blob software running in the browser without any control to lock down the web to something big companies can control. Was this the right decision? Well, see where HTML or javascript is used and answer the question on your own.

Big, DRM companies like Netflix, Apple, Google and Microsoft (they are just the vassals from MPAA and RIAA - America, fuck yeah! ;-)) are working on a standard called Encrypted Media Extension. This proposal is created to gain control over anything. You can start with Videos but the proposal is "open for change", so it is a no brainer to add images, audio, more or less even the whole HTML or Javascript under the "cover" of a DRM.

Beside the fact that big companies can decide who can see what, there is an even bigger issue rotating in my open source mind. I, as a user, have to run closed source binary code and all I can do is pray or blindly trust that this companies are not fooling around with me like mining all my data or that they are taking security serious. Well, call me blinded by the past, but this never happens on close source software.

Please Tim, do it like Linus has done it with NVidia and give them a nice "I don't care" kick in their buts.