Microsoft rents Time Square; releases ads featuring egomaniacs for Windows 7 launch

I fully admit that my reaction to all the hubbub surrounding the Windows 7 launch is likely to be far more negative and partisan than most, but honestly: doesn’t it seem somewhat tasteless, tactless, and brazenly irresponsible for Microsoft to go to such extravagant lengths to promote its products in an era in which a [...]

Linux Collaboration Summit: a few thoughts and goals

Two weeks ago, I had the immense privilege of attending the Linux Foundation’s annual Collaboration Summit.  The experience was eye-opening and educational in a wide variety of ways, and got me thinking seriously about where Linux currently stands in the software ecosystem, what the operating system represents (or what it should represent), and what needs [...]

A Response to Facebook’s Terms of Service

Actually, the following is really a response to every outrageous disclaimer, release of liability, reservation of “rights, “and other blatantly unethical (and dubiously legal) provision that appears in the EULAs (End User License Agreements), ToSs (Terms of Service notices), and lack of Privacy Policies that are constantly being shoved down our throats by large corporations. [...]

Facebook pulls a “Google”; now owns all user info

I think it likely that we all just haven’t paying attention for the past few years, and collectively failed to notice that facebook has always given themselves the right to do whatever they want with the content their users post – but for whatever reason, the New York Times reports that Facebook’s recent changes to [...]

“Don’t be Evil”? Google’s content policy certainly ain’t angelic

Some of you will doubtless already be experts on Google’s privacy policies (or lack thereof), and many of you have probably heard vague mentions of some of their more disasterous public appearances – but to all those who haven’t had a chance to actually read Google’s formal statement of its policies regarding user-supplied content, be [...]