Re: [silk] More from Bill Joy

["Arsalan Zaidi" <arsalan_zaidi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

He's got some points... but I really doubt you can halt progress by saying
"It's illegal!"
The whole "If you outlaw knowledge, only outlaws will have that knowledge"
argument.

Besides, there have been people saying this in every age.

Bow and Arrow:
===========

Cave man 1: "OOg Blahbooga aks toka bai.>"
<translation>
"We can't allow people to use this weapon of mass destruction! It's so easy
to make, any monkey can cook it up at home; and will you just *look* at it's
possible destructive potential! One man could kill a hundred withit from
afar and they wouldn't be able to defend themselves!"

Cave man 2: "<grunt>"
<translation>
"You got a point there. Let's ban the damned things!"

Cave man 3:" OOG! Btak-aai toka boo! <BASH>"
<translation>
"I'm OOG the open source cave man and I'm going to [break/smash] your head
open with this open source CD. <BASH>"

[cave talk was rather terse in those days]

Printing Press
=========

Monk 1 : "<insert latin here>"
<translation>
"We can't possibly allow those idiots to print 'books'! Just think about it,
every lay man with a copy of the bible he can understand. The confusion that
would result. Without the Church to guide understanding and interpret the
text, a thousand sects would spring up, each with it's own views. Society
would disintergrate! We've got to stop this! Ban the damned things!"

Monk 2: "<insert latin here>"
<translation>
"Kewl!!"

and so it goes...

--Arsalan.