[PLUG] Feedback wanted: Virtual PLUG Events

[Ben Koenig]

On Fri, Mar 27, 2020 at 11:01 AM Michael Dexter <dexter at pdxlinux.org> wrote:

> All,
>
> I'm here for the software and personal freedom. I see open source/free
> software as one of the best strategies (regardless of the specifics), to
> achieve more personal freedom for all individuals. If I were to have a
> smart home, it would HAVE to be based on open source software and I want
> to help everyone else benefit from my configs and discoveries.
>
>
So, just a quick word of caution regarding open source. The definition of
"open source" is pretty flexible these days. When talking about personal
freedom and individual liberty you have to keep in mind that simply putting
the source code up on github does not make the service secure.

For voip and video chat services, note that there are 2 applications that
need to be open sourced.
- Client
- Server

With the sudden increase in demand in remote access technologies, and the
misinformation floating around about open source software being more
secure, it is important to be wary of new services that you've never heard
of. For the foreseeable future, I recommend taking an extra paranoid
approach to your Web of Trust. It's times like these that scammers start to
crawl  out of the woodwork to take advantage of the weak, the sick, and the
under-educated.

Being a Linux user does not make any of us immune to identify theft through
the use of malicious web services. Nothing in this world is free.
Everything has a cost, so when you see someone offering a "free"
webservice, ask yourself the following question:

How the hell do they pay for the server bandwidth required for a video
streaming service???

"FreeConferenceCall" ??? Really? This feels like a flashback to the 90's.
Gold Bond healing powder, and a magic pill to help your child focus in
school. I swear, do people not remember the stupidity of all those
FreeCreditReport.com ads?
-Ben