Software is control

It is becoming increasingly clear to me over time how important open source software is to the future of freedom for people.

If you don't know what software is running on your computer, then guess what?  You don't own your computer, it owns you.

This is relevant to the subject of expanding fair use to cover all non commercial use of copyrighted material because: it is copyright concerns that are being used as a justification for you not having control over the software running on your computer.  You can't be trusted not to steal data. Therefore, you must run Windows or MacOS X or locked down Android or whatever.  For example, if you want to use a CableCard in a computer, the encryption used on it is currently licensed only for Windows, because the cable companies don't want you to be able to look at what it's actually doing on your computer.

Already most people are starting to become aware of how services like Google and Facebook can collect large amounts of information about them.  It shouldn't be controversial that if people have leverage, they will use it.  And in this automated world we are building for ourselves, the temptation is much too great.

And if you think good moral people won't do it; trust me--sociopaths will.  They definitely will.

Just fyi running Linux on your computer has never been easier.  I'd suggest Ubuntu if you're not technically inclined.

And if you are technically inclined--what the hell is wrong with you?