Back at it again

Again I find myself wishing I had contributed more to this little project.  I don't imagine that many people read it, but there might be one here or there.  I am very excited because I just purchased a Macbook.  

I have spent the last few days wondering why I ever stopped buying Apple products.  I'm not sure I can trace it back to one particular time, but for one reason or another it happened.  It's been so refreshing to have a computer just work.

Don't get me wrong, I love Ubuntu.  In fact, the Ubuntu Netbook Remix for the Acer AspireOne (my other computer) is just awesome.  It transforms that machine into something usable.  My hatred of Windows grows deeper every day. 

So this post - back at it again, has a two fold meaning.  Back at posting at this blog - at least for a while, and back at the Apple game again.  

More on Receipt Checks

I recently complained about receipt checkers at the doors of businesses. Consumerist.com posted an article about this very topic. Reading through the comments, it is all starting to make sense why we Americans are in the situation we find ourselves. People will put up with just about anything in order to not have a hassle, and even defend illegal actions.

I applaud those who stand up to this type of thing. To many, it just seems petty and annoying to do something like this. However, when every place we visit or every action we take is second guessed and checked by a corporation or government, how can we possibly continue to believe we are free? These are scary times, indeed. I am shocked that people would defend unjust (and illegal) actions because they could have been avoided by just doing what you are told, regardless of how unreasonable, intrusive or illegal they may be.

I said I am shocked, but I am not the least bit surprised. I think that our national motto should be changed to "if you nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about."

Commercial Software

I find myself in a strange situation. For once, I am actually upset because I believe someone is copying software. I am not a person who is pro-piracy, necessarily. In fact, I don't care for taking something by force, whether by land or by sea. Oh, wait, not that kind of piracy.

What I mean, is I am not a person who would advocate copying commercial software for no good reason. At HOPE Number Six, Richard Stallman gave an interesting anecdote about giving a copy of commercial software to a friend. On the one hand, you violate the license. On the other hand, you are denying a request from a friend. In a situation like that, you choose the lesser of two evils and give your friend a copy of the software. So, under those circumstances, I believe that giving a copy of something to someone to check out or use is fine. In fact, it's probably a great source of sales, though business models do not account for this type of advertising. But I digress.

Most work I do for people on computers is done for very little money, if any, and out of a desire to help people. That being said, I refuse to copy commercial software for someone and put it on their computer. For one, I avoid non-free software at every opportunity. Install OpenOffice.org for someone who can't figure it out or who has a slow internet connection, absolutely. Install Microsoft Office without a valid license, no way in hell. Install Linux on an old system for someone who only uses it for e-mail, in a heartbeat. Use a cracked copy of XP to do the same thing, forget it.

For me, it's not about "stealing" from some big corporation. Without getting into a debate over the word stealing, it is strictly liability avoidance. If I were to install that copy of MS Office, I would open myself up for liability for distributing this software. More importantly, I would put that computer user in a position of having this software on their computer and potentially causing devastating consequences for them. In our Corporate States of America, who knows when copying software could land you in some terrorist detention camp. It's just not worth it. Especially when free software is, in my opinion, a better option anyway.

So this leads me to the problem I am struggling with at the moment. A person who I have known for years is very, shall we say, liberal in their interpretation of software license agreements. I have not ever witnessed this first hand, but I have a feeling that this person may, from time to time, provide high dollar software for free to organizations that would not otherwise be able to afford it. While I admire the willingness to improve technology and help those out who need it, I worry about the situation that it puts them in, and how that could affect them in the future. I have no proof, and I've never observed it, but it is more likely than not, if that makes sense. Of course, I could just be completely wrong and he donates the software.

What I don't understand is why. Why would someone risk the penalties in this day and age of million dollar lawsuits for downloading cracked programs or music? I would wager that I could accomplish the exact same result using free or open source software. Sure, it is a little more work and requires more than point and click, but it is completely legit, and the providers of the software would love any donation they could provide. The problem is not this person's lack of technical expertise, it is certainly there. Probably more so than my own knowledge, in fact.

Surely, instead of risking the spending of thousands or millions in legal fees at some point down the road, it would be better to donate a few bucks to the developers of free and open software that meets your needs. I guess some people are more brave than me. For me, it's just not worth it to do this, when there are better options available.

A Civil Disobedience Thought

It has occurred to me lately how we tend to triage our civil disobedience, if we choose to do so. I know I may sound like I have lost my mind, but there is a thought behind this. Basically, when we decide to disobey a law or cultural custom, we do so by weighing the consequences of those actions. That may have been something I have learned as I have grown older, but I have always been a person who has thought out most decisions, almost to a fault.

An example that comes to mind is a classic that all of us have encountered. This is when you find yourself at a red light in the middle of the night, not a person in sight for blocks. Some of us wait for it to turn green, others will disobey the stupidity of the situation and just go.

A real world example of this is one that I have argued with my friends and family. This concerns using unprotected wireless Internet from neighboring individuals. Some view this as “stealing,” while others think it is perfectly acceptable. I find myself being one who does not see it as doing anything wrong. If I were to broadcast an unencrypted, unprotected signal into surrounding houses, I would expect for those who could to utilize it.

I know that the person who owns a certain wireless router that broadcasts into a neighborhood I know probably does not have selfless intentions and is giving his or her access away to benefit everyone. It is probably someone with a laptop who does not want to have to be tied to one specific location and just opened the box and plugged it in. This practice is very common and has likely been the cause of much grief for many people.

As I look at this unsecured connection, I think about all the things that probably go on over this network. Banking, e-mail, web browsing and other things that could potentially expose this individual to embarrassment or liability. I have not used this network, but I am sure others have. If not neighbors, probably wardrivers. I would be more than willing to help this person secure their network, but I wonder the best way to bring this to this individual's attention.

Most people who use this free Internet access probably don't think of it as civil disobedience. Or maybe they do. For me, in this era of secret laws, sneak and peek warrants, and torture, it's just not worth risking that to get a little free Internet.

Rural Connectivity

As I mentioned a couple of posts back, one of the biggest drawbacks to living in the country is having to put up with slower speed connections. As we discussed this move, one of my big reservations was having to deal with limited Internet connectivity. I am an Internet addict and it is the one link that I have with the world in general. Not having Internet here would be, well, unimaginable.

My only frame of reference was when I lived in this area many years back. I was a system administrator for a small ISP that covered a large geographical area. At that time, 56k modems had just entered the market. In most places, 9600 was about as fast as you could run, regardless of the modem upgrades. Usually it was less. The facilities were simply not in place for data communications. Needless to say, we had unhappy customers because they had just bought the latest and greatest 28.8 or 33.6 modem and their connection was just as crappy as with their old 14.4 modem. That's another story, though.

So I investigated options, satellite being the one option that seemed to be the only alternative to slow dialup. However, this also caused a monumental problem, because one of the contracts I had obtained required VPN connectivity. Satellite and VPN are two things that do not go well together, as you probably already know. Plus, satellite is terribly expensive and very few people that I have talked to who have it have much good to say about it.

So I was talking with some people who live out here, and they told me that there is DSL available. I was completely shocked, it had not even entered my mind. Of course, the local phone company did not have any information on their web site, so I had to call to get the details. I was still a little skeptical, but since the house we were going to live in was a short walk from the local switching office, I knew I would have a good chance of a fairly decent connection.

After it was all said and done, we ended up with DSL. It is much cheaper than satellite, running about $35 per month. During the evening hours, I easily can go over 1.5MB, but during the week day, I am lucky to sustain 700k. Not that I'm complaining, I'm still amazed that this is even possible in an area this remote. I also found out that the network admin for the phone company is a person I used to know quite well. He has also been helpful in throwing some business my way.

I was working on a computer the other day for a person who is in an even more remote area. That connection was pathetic, 21k reliably over dialup. As we talked, I learned that the phone company was trying to upgrade some equipment in some of their stations and that DSL may become a possibility for them. It is worth noting that the local phone company, like the electric provider, is a cooperative. Basically, they're not the evil phone company that many of you may know. When you call the office, a real person answers the phone. Hard to imagine, I know.

I must admit, that I'm not too savvy on the whole DSL world. We have always had cable access, and have explored that in depth. Sometimes enough to get a letter from the provider(s). Anyway...

I am hoping, as I have some time, to learn more about DSL and how it is implemented in the rural areas such as this. I would think that if it can be done here, that it must be being done in other areas similar to this. So for those of you considering what I have done, you may not have to give up the high speed internet. Granted, it's not 5MB, but it's certainly better than dialup and has not been a hindrance whatsoever with any of my projects.

Receipt Checkers

Something that has been a minor annoyance has seemed to get more common lately. This is checking receipts at the door as you leave a retail establishment. I am not talking about places like Costco or Sam's Club, where the receipt check is part of the membership agreement. At least in those places, I know that it is required and that to become a member requires I allow their employees to search my purchases.

Two days ago, I was at Wal-Mart and purchased three items. I stood in line well over ten minutes and watched as the receipt checker carried her duties to the extreme. What bothered me more than her looking in women's purses, opening up items people had bought and just generally being way too zealous, was that these people were watching and consenting to this. As I watched this happen, I became aware that this apathetic attitude toward invasions of our privacy are the reason we will soon be a country completely willing to let anyone do anything to us. As long as it fights terror or keeps the prices low on chinese crap at Wal-Mart, people will put up with just about anything.

As I watched her go about her job, I knew it was going to be a fight. The last time I was at this particular Wal-Mart and the receipt checker was out, I purchased a bag of dog food. On that exit attempt, the woman actually got in front of me, and stopped me from leaving. Normally I just say "no" and walk past them when they ask to see my receipt and there are no problems. But she was actually preventing me from leaving. So I said no, and she just stood there, a battle of wills. So I asked her, "are you accusing me of stealing this?" She seemed taken aback and just said "no." But she did not move. So finally, I had to show her the receipt to leave. And I have regretted not taking a stand ever since.

As I continued to watch her, I also noticed she wasn't checking everyone's receipt. The "random" check appeared to only affect those who did not have items in bags -- even if they were too large to fit in bags. Oh yeah, and minorities, even if they did have stuff bagged. All of the women who had to have their purses examined were minorities. Unbelievable.

So as I'm leaving, she comes running over and tells me that she needed to see my receipt. I just replied, "no, you don't," and kept walking. I did not look back and she said something to me, but I did not hear it. From there, I went straight home and wrote a letter to Wal-Mart, both the store and their corporate office, explaining how violated and insulting this is to customers. I felt better, but I doubt anything will change.

What they do not seem to understand, or at least acknowledge that they understand, is that by asking to see a receipt, they are by default accusing that person of stealing the item. Why people are not insulted by this and just let it happen exasperates me.

So why would I feel that this is anything of concern? Call me paranoid, but this is how people are conditioned to accept and comply with unreasonable requests. If you could go back in time and tell airport travelers ten years ago that they would have to take their shoes off and not have any liquids to fly on an airplane in a few years, what do you think the reaction would be? People complain about this all the time. Scientists have commented on the likelihood of destroying an airplane with liquids. Yet we all still put up with it.

Wal-Mart is large part of many people's lives, whether they choose it or not. For many people across this country, Wal-Mart is the only source of media, food and other essentials because everything else is gone. And when people will accept this treatment from a minimum wage worker at Wal-Mart, it will not be hard for them to accept having it done by a person in authority, such as a police officer on the street at any time. Every day, I am more and more apprehensive about the future of our nation.

The Country Life

So when I talk about country life, I am not exaggerating. We are extremely remote and the nearest civilization with a gas station is 30 miles away. The nearest library, 40 miles. This was a big adjustment for us, since we have been used to having everything available virtually a few minutes away for the past few years. Not to mention, a much larger income.

I grew up in this area, so if one is to call a place "home," this is one of the two places I would classify in that category. Like most hackers I had a very difficult time in school. For one thing, there is no way to be different in a place like this. Everyone participates in activites. Since sports are the only activities, well, that's what you have. Since I am not a sports person, I'll leave your imagination to figuring out just how much fun life for me was.


All of that aside, it is truly an amazing and unique place to live. The solitude and peace are unmatched. While there are many more scenic rural places one could live, we have a unique opportunity in this place. First of all, the rent is the right price, free. I live in the house I grew up in and trade keeping up the place and improving it for staying free. Second, there are not technology services available for 60 miles in any direction.


This last part was what was the motivating factor of this move. I had no desire to be a business person, but my job was going to kill me. I want to make enough money to survive, maybe do some fun things and anything else is just extra. We knew when we made this move that money would be tight, and we have not been wrong. However, we are now almost eight months into this adventure, and I am busier than I ever imagined.

Web sites, cleaning up spyware infections, technical support, writing for local media, and a variety of other tasks have taken a large part of my time. And the trend seems to continue, as I have received some grants to design some more web pages for communities. It is starting to take off, and, frankly, I'm nervous about my time in the upcoming months.

Save for the limitations of high speed internet access, people here are very receptive to technology and fascinated with the knowledge that I have brought with me. So, when I look out my window at night and can see the stars, I know something about this place that I did not see when I lived here in my youth. It's no better or worse than anywhere else, just different.