[Foxfyre]

http://beta.news.com.com/2061-10804_3-5884130.html

...goodbye open source


Seriously....this is a crock. If the FBI is given these powers, good-bye everything that isn't government or microsoft sanctioned.

Linux...emulators...small open source programs and freeware...bittorent....EVERYTHING. I will stop using a computer AT ALL if something like this happens.

Good-bye 2005....Hello 1984. :hdbash: :cuss2:

 

[Player-X]

I am glad that US law dosn't apply outside US borbers even if some groups think it does

 

[__Xzyx987X]

First of all, don't blow this out of proportion. Vague laws with broad ramifications slipping under the rader is nothing new. The thing is, if anyone decides to start enforcing those laws to their full extent, people will be so outraged that the backlash will force the government to repeal it.

That's not to say this particular law isn't a problem, because it is. The FBI may decide they're going to enforce it as much a they think they can get away with for now, and when people get used to that then take it a little further, and a little further. Eventually, it could become a big deal. But for now, it's a little to early to buy your plane tickets to Canada. As long as they do something to limit the enforcibility of the law before too long, it really isn't all that bad.

 

[Vanit]

I'm still wondering how they're going to implement it and enforce it.

 

[DarkAurora]

I wish the government would just leave PC users alone -_-

 

[3x3cUt0r]

that's what i love from the third world countries, they don't mess with pc users

 

[KillerShots]

End result: negligable effect. Open source, not being necessarily based in America, will ignore this. Users will ignore this. Prosecution would be difficult to follow up with.

Also of note: Even if this does terminate services such as PGPfone, etc... any criminal organization could easily grab any average joe coder to write up a similar piece of software within a month for secure and unmonitored communication. They could even throw encryption into the mix easily. Hell, if this really does happen, I will code my own and keep it hidden till I need it. Similar to the fact that I will buy a fully automatic Steyr Aug if guns are outlawed. Call it a safety measure.