Re: Privacy (Re: [ProgSoc] P3)

[Telford Tendys <telford@nospam.progsoc.uts.edu.au>]

I dunno why I am repeating myself to you guys but there is no way to 
force someone to send a legit PSN over the internet. It is a software
issue and only effects users of propriety software, and even then only
when supplied by suppliers who feel like supporting PSN stuff.

Since Netscape source is out and about, anyone on any OS can compile
a version of Netscape that delivers any PSN that they feel like.
End of problem.

On Thu, Feb 18, 1999 at 01:02:10PM +1100, alister air wrote:
> On Thu, 18 Feb 1999, Daniel Cafe wrote:
> 
> > I think there actually could be a good reason for this serial number, and
> > that is rebadging of cpus.
> 
> Unfortunately Intel doesn't much care about this, and the PSN will not be
> used in this way.

It seems logical that Intel would use the PSN in this manner, it is the only
purpose that makes the slightest bit of sense. I know that people are saying 
that it won't be used for this and this seems totally confusing to me.

> > Once again I think people are overreacting over something simple.
> 
> Nope - the PSN does nothing useful, and can be used for nasty purposes.
> So I've no intention of even considering a P3 processor for my home.  What
> worries me is that I'll be stuck with a P3 when I next upgrade my work
> computer in one and a half years' time, and that any future servers will
> also have P3s.

Look, if you use ANY propreitary software then you have already sold out so 
many rights that you have nothing left to complain about. A program can get
a reasonably solid idea of your machine by looking at IO ports, interrupt
usage, hard drive block structure, etc so it is already possible to get a
very close to unique ID on who you are for someone who really wants to track 
you down. Since Win98 and MacOS have no way of preventing a user program
from scanning the hardware details, there is nothing a user can do to prevent
this. You are arguing about the stable door when the horses backside is
barely visible on the horizon.

Your options are to switch to open-source software so take the drubbing
that you deserve.

	- Tel

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