[sdiy] TCPA / Palladium -- more trouble for DIYers & hardware hackers

[Batz Goodfortune]

Y-ellow Neil 'n' all.
At 09:50 PM 7/1/02 +0100, Neil Johnson wrote:

> > >http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/tcpa-faq.html
>
> > Way too much OT stuff on this list lately.
>
>Not necessarily -- this TCPA stuff could, and more than likely will,
>impact on what it is that we do.  Some things to think about:

Here here.

The point about the cost of CAD software etc I thought wouldn't have been 
lost on anyone here. Though it crossed my mind that most of us are already 
still using some old crap we bought years ago. This only strengthens my 
point about how much better can they make certain software?

Unless things change radically of course. But I don't expect that to happen 
quickly or affordably. You could suppose that someone might invent a 
machine that can take in raw ingredients and spit out a complete PCB in 30 
seconds and costs about the same as a bubble jet printer. Yeah I'm sure 
we'd all be chafing at the bit to get hold of something like that. Even if 
that means that we have to run one of these abhorrent operating systems to 
do it. Perhaps some new processor or other embedded technology needs a 
special IDE to code for it. Perhaps someone will invent a xilinx/altera 
type chip that's pure analogue? But even if any of that happens, it's not 
likely to be affordable if for no other reason that we can't afford the ransom.

This affects everything. And I know Jim is a consummate bit bolter on these 
boxens so it's going to affect him one way or another. We here, and other's 
like us are the TRUE innovators. Technically, creatively and artistically. 
It is at the core of what we do. And it is these very things that are under 
threat.

Sure it's off topic but I'm damn grateful Atom posted it. The real problem 
is that this, and a few other nasty bits of ill-conceived political 
thuggery are designed to relieve us from quality time with our soldering 
irons. Or any other creative pursuits. We can't simply get on with it. We 
have to always have one eye looking over our shoulders to navigate an ever 
increasing mine field just to do the things we've always done. Just to be 
who we are and do what we're good at.

Be absolutely Icebox.

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