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So basically, they're telling me that I should spend my hard-earned cash on what is essentially a dumb terminal running terminal apps off a domain server. Well aside from the VERY obvious privacy issues, I see a number of other problems with it:
First, there is not necessarily any domain server, which must mean that they plan on doing this through Internet - trouble is, some people don't even have Internet, let alone fast internet with 100% uptime. Even if they did, think of the bandwidth it would consume to have all this rights management crap and remote scanning going on all day.
Second, security in the form of, for example, firewalls and local user rights, would have to be dispensed with entirely, since they would provide a very convenient means of blocking the application servers (or phone-homes, however it is structured). This opens up a great new opportunity for hackers who find security holes in the TC platform to release worms, virii, and other nasties into every single user's PC without them even knowing about it, much less being able to clean it without the proper "authorization."
But most important of all, the concept by its very nature is distinctly anti-competitive - it is being done solely to discourage competition with popular "trusted" software and hardware products. Companies that want to win the war need only grease the right palms to ensure that their competitors are never "TC-compliant." They also want to take away the First Sale rule and the constitutional right to reverse-engineer - how interesting. I'm surprised that the U.S. government would have the audacity to file an antitrust suit against Microsoft (not that the suit itself wasn't necessary, deserved, and long overdue) and then support this kind of nonsense. But I'm sure the technology intrigues them because it will enable them to spy on users and censor them.
I'm curious as to what effect this would have on the music production industry, I could see it as seriously limiting people's abilities to share samples, distribute music, etc. Are they going to have a host of new file formats that only work on specific software? No more of the generic .WAV file that basically any tracker can sequence? Are people going to have to pay to get their tracks digitally signed so others can listen?
I have an inkling of what this technology will actually do. Unlike the current situation where there is still some interoperability between different hardware (PC, Mac, Alpha) and operating systems (Windows, Linux, BeOS), TC will most likely serve to further divide and isolate the computer n00bs who buy their equipment from Future Shop and Best Buy, and the more experienced users who put together their own systems and perhaps use Linux or some other lesser-known OS. Reading that article conjures up the image of two very distinct technological "sects", the free-enterprisers who all work tirelessly together to build a private free community, and the consumers who get everything perfect the way they want but pay through the nose for it. Think of it like a two-tiered system...
Ah well, I know that was a ridiculously long post and I apologize to whoever I've bored stiff, but this is the first I've heard of TC and I find it very interesting and rather shocking. I hope that as a future electrical engineer, I'll never be in the position of having to work on this technology...
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My party schedule:
2009-02-21 - DJ Attention @ I'm So Popular
2009-06-18 - DJ Annoying @ People Need To Know Where I'll Be
2012-11-32 - DJ Insufferable ɸ Or At Least the Stalkers I Complain About
2048-06-66 - Spastic & Whocares ¶ Although I'm Actually Flattered
9999-45-81 - Tweaker Gimp ☼ I Probably Won't Even Go To This But I Have To Make Sure I Fill Up All The Available Space Here
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