[nycbug-talk] OpenBSD and blobs

[Marc Spitzer]

On 12/14/06, michael <lists at genoverly.net> wrote:
> On Thu, 14 Dec 2006 10:17:33 -0500
> "Marc Spitzer" <mspitzer at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > On 12/14/06, Jeff Quast <af.dingo at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > The windows driver wraps, binary blobs, and drivers under NDA out
> > > there and the users who accept them are an absolute shame to the
> > > cause of the open source community. The attitude of "I just want it
> > > to work" is short sighted, selfish, and harmful.
> >
> > I just want it to work is a perfectly reasonable attitude for an end
> > user to have.  I as an end user need wireless on my laptop this is how
> > I do it.  Now this is how I do it is the interesting bit, do I use a
> > blob or just install windows or linux?  All three work and I need
> > wireless, I do not need xBSD nearly as much.  If some one wants to
> > provide a different alternitive, open source driver for example, fine
> > but t it is not on the table yet is it?
> >
> > marc
>
> I have wireless in my laptop and an AP at home.  I run OpenBSD and "it
> just works".
>
> Frankly, we don't need xBSD or wireless or anything *that* badly.  But
> when we do, we have choices.  As a user (and like the above post), I
> paid for the hardware and want to use it.  I support the spirit behind
> open source drivers and chose not to use binary drivers.
>
> I chose a model by a vendor that has provided documentation and is
> supported by the project.
>
> While I see/hear the argument to blindly accept binary drivers, I don't
> understand the choice to do so... as per reasons stated already. Nobody
> is forcing anyone to make the choice of using binary drivers.. people
> make that choice on their own.  And, as stated by many, to the
> detriment of others.
>
> I had a choice; and after careful thought, believe I made the right one.
>
> You have a choice.
>

I am talking about users, myself when I put on my user hat as well.
And when wearing that hat I want web/email to just work.  That
includes the network as well.  Now most of the time I like playing
with computers, poking around in the kernel etc, but sometimes I just
need things to work.  If blobs, or even windows, get things to work as
I need it to then that is what I do that is all.  If you need to do
all kinds of leg work, upto compiling a custom OS, to get things
running then by the meer fact of you doing this you are not an end
user nor are you behaving as one.

marc
-- 
Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.
Albert Camus