[PLUG] Creative writing

[Jeff Schwaber]

> > > > DMCA
> > > 
> > > I don't think that makes Jeff's point any less valid, however.
> > 
> > no I think DMCA is completely wrong and I think it harms the software
> > industry in this country.
> > 
> > You should be able to disassemble code for any purpose.
> 
> Right.  That's what Jeff was implying the way I read it.

Oh I absolutely think that. I've yet to hear a good argument against it.

I'm arguing for much much further opening: I think if you sell a
product, you should have access to its workings and specifications in
entirety. I should be able to see (NOT MODIFY/REDISTRIBUTE, just see)
Windows code. In the original form.

If somebody did modify/redistribute it, it'd be immediately obvious
because they'd have to give the code with it. And then it's just
copyright law.

The benefits to this scheme are thus: anyone could read any code and
therefore make interoperable code. I'd know what was in what DLLs in
Windows, so if I wanted to change stuff for my own personal use, I could
(why should this be illegal? If I dub a pop hit with my own voice it's
legal, provided I don't redistribute it. I can sing Cher to my heart's
content on my own tapes.)

And finally: programmers knowing their code would be seen by outside
companies would be shamed into writing cleaner code, and we'd be able to
find security bugs faster and suggest fixes.

It wouldn't be open source. It'd be accountable source. I think I have a
right to know what is in a program that someone sold/gave to me, before
I run it on my machine.

I have a right to nutritional information for food (and ingredients)
before I eat something, and programs harm machines as badly as Olestra.

Jeff