Today is July 4th. We here in the United States like to remember this as the day when a bunch of upstart yokels from the colonies had the unmitigated gall to decide we wanted to rule ourselves. Terrible thing, that. It sets a bad precedent for the other subjects, some of whom may decide that they want self-rule as well. Allow that to happen and pretty soon, the whole empire will be in shambles.
So, there was a war.
It became pretty brutal in this area; loyalists and Indians banded together to pillage the countryside. Families massacred, women shot down, children scalped, old men hung from trees, etc. Part of the local history, although not really the stuff they teach in school these days. It happened, nonetheless.
Therefore, we celebrate our independence and revel in our freedoms that were so hard won. Freedoms to do things like speak our minds, own firearms, and enjoy limited government intrusion in our lives. As human beings, we have rights to legal safeguards that ensure the legal system will not be abused. We enjoy the freedom to travel within our own borders unmolested. We can worship or not worship in any way we choose.
We are free, for example, to exchange ideas and develop technology that benefits us and others. Free to learn about things like open source software and even help write the code. Imagine my surprise then, to find out by visiting a website called “Linux Journal,” I am now an extremist? I have frequented many such Linux websites, forums, subreddits, and so on over the years, all in an effort to better understand and apply the open-source operating system. I am now, apparently, on a watch list.
This is an article from ars Technica that outlines the NSA program: The NSA thinks Linux Journal is an Extremist Forum.
This is an article from the Linux Journal website: Are you an Extremist? WARNING: If you click that link, then clearly you are.
My only conclusion to this is open source software is bad because of TEH TERRORISM!!11!!! Well, that and appears to be eating into Microsoft’s and Apple’s market share.
So, put me on a watch list, and make sure you spell my name right. You can track everywhere I go. Hell, I’ll even make entertaining for you.
Happy Fourth of July, Extremist!
I approve of this EXTREMELY entertaining rant! 😉
If you’re not on a watchlist, you’re doing something wrong.
Besides, Real Red Blooded ‘Muricans don’t use that weirdo pot-smelling Linux stuff. They pay for their software guldurnit, free software is for Commies.
If you love your country you’ll insist on real, not-free operating systems like Windows (except 8, which is for soccer-loving foreigners or Vista which causes spontaneous Jihad) Or Whatever it is those computers named after that fruit are running these days.
Remember, Not free = Not terrorism. Don’t make Janet Napolitano come over there.
I am equally an Extremist. Linux forever!
Oh my god not these fucking ‘freedom’ weirdos getting all sweaty again because they are ‘free’ to scream about free ‘code’
I am an engineer designing embedded systems and everyday some sweaty little twat starts screaming that I MUST use linux to run the simplest task on a small embedded system and I simply tell them to fuck off and die and I use my bare metal code to make it small fast and cheap.
Really, “me”?
Really?
Take a breath or two.
Don’t they teach the kids in school these days that our founding fathers were (typing this word will set off some alarms) terrorists?