5 ms·

Wikileaks publishes documents on plan to curb free software in the EU

129 points by db42 16y ago

sage_joch 16y ago
"According to Wikileaks has leaked this file because it is important to make public policy is influenced by pressure groups, and for the record of what is happening in the European Commission." This is kind of hard to read.
- michael_dorfman 16y ago
  I imagine it should read "to make certain that public policy is influenced..." and "for recording what is happening..."
  - Hagelin 16y ago
    I imagine it should read *"to make public [that] policy is influenced by pressure groups...”
kprobst 16y ago
That site is so laden with 'social media' crud it's impossible to scroll or read with Firefox.
- Udo 16y ago
  I gave up half-way through as well. The news content isn't all that exciting either. Lobbying groups have pressured for laws against open software before and they have tried to undermine public open source initiatives regularly. Microsoft is especially egregious at this, we knew that for some time now as well. On the other hand, this underscores an important point (assuming we're all on the same page here, being pro OS and all): our interest groups are in need of support. Make donations to the EFF or the CCC, and get involved in their activities. Our freedom is at stake. And that's not some empty piece of rhetoric either, because important battles have already been lost or are currently in the process of going badly.
  - kiba 16y ago
    Incidently, a group of hackers/ciphergeeks and I spend a month writing a letter to the EFF to accept bitcoins. The EFF will most likely to liquidate it for US dollars and then add info on 'way to help' page on donating bitcoin to the EFF. We achieved our primary objective of promoting bitcoins. Now, Computer Chaos Club is probably our next target. We understood that the bitcoin network would probably be targeted by people hostile to liberty in the future when it is more popular.
- bigfudge 16y ago
  safari reader makes it bearable...
- Twisol 16y ago
  Painful proof of another recent HN item: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1771607 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1771607
- nostromo 16y ago
  Firebug showed me over 400 http requests just for that one article. I wonder how that guy from Russia a few days ago feels about this site?
  - kiba 16y ago
    Who is this Russian dude that you're referencing?
    - nostromo 16y ago
      "Tell HN: Your social widgets are losing you visitors right now" http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1771607 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1771607
  - pibefision 16y ago
    I remember that guy too! that history was great. 35MB from russia it's amazing
- nene 16y ago
  Damn. And the Wikileaks page itself is down for maintenance :(
- mike-cardwell 16y ago
  Even with NoScript, Ghostery, AdBlock, Flashblock and Beef Taco installed, it still takes forever to load/render. Possibly the worse example of this type of site I've seen.
- baskinghobo 16y ago
  I am wondering, why doesn't the scroll wheel work like the right side scroll bar which is always 100% responsive?
Stevenup7002 16y ago
"the free software"? Is it me or is this blog horribly written, I can't interpret most of it without reading it at least 5 times.
frisco 16y ago
The page started with a gigantic headshot of Assange. That's really not a good way to start, given recent drama...
yungchin 16y ago
The article seems to be a re-hash of a Linux Journal blog post from February 2009: http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/how-hijack-eu-open-source-strategy-paper http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/how-hijack-eu-open-sourc... - just the introduction was added. (to be fair, the blog owner hints to this, crediting Glyn Moody at the bottom, but he doesn't link to the post)
- jdub 16y ago
  Confirmed by Glyn: http://twitter.com/glynmoody/status/26934516909 http://twitter.com/glynmoody/status/26934516909

129 points by db42 16y ago

"According to Wikileaks has leaked this file because it is important to make public policy is influenced by pressure groups, and for the record of what is happening in the European Commission." This is kind of hard to read.

michael_dorfman 16y ago
I imagine it should read "to make certain that public policy is influenced..." and "for recording what is happening..."
- Hagelin 16y ago
  I imagine it should read *"to make public [that] policy is influenced by pressure groups...”

kprobst 16y ago

That site is so laden with 'social media' crud it's impossible to scroll or read with Firefox.

Udo 16y ago
I gave up half-way through as well. The news content isn't all that exciting either. Lobbying groups have pressured for laws against open software before and they have tried to undermine public open source initiatives regularly. Microsoft is especially egregious at this, we knew that for some time now as well. On the other hand, this underscores an important point (assuming we're all on the same page here, being pro OS and all): our interest groups are in need of support. Make donations to the EFF or the CCC, and get involved in their activities. Our freedom is at stake. And that's not some empty piece of rhetoric either, because important battles have already been lost or are currently in the process of going badly.
- kiba 16y ago
  Incidently, a group of hackers/ciphergeeks and I spend a month writing a letter to the EFF to accept bitcoins. The EFF will most likely to liquidate it for US dollars and then add info on 'way to help' page on donating bitcoin to the EFF. We achieved our primary objective of promoting bitcoins. Now, Computer Chaos Club is probably our next target. We understood that the bitcoin network would probably be targeted by people hostile to liberty in the future when it is more popular.
bigfudge 16y ago
safari reader makes it bearable...
Twisol 16y ago
Painful proof of another recent HN item: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1771607 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1771607
nostromo 16y ago
Firebug showed me over 400 http requests just for that one article. I wonder how that guy from Russia a few days ago feels about this site?
- kiba 16y ago
  Who is this Russian dude that you're referencing?
  - nostromo 16y ago
    "Tell HN: Your social widgets are losing you visitors right now" http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1771607 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1771607
- pibefision 16y ago
  I remember that guy too! that history was great. 35MB from russia it's amazing
nene 16y ago
Damn. And the Wikileaks page itself is down for maintenance :(
mike-cardwell 16y ago
Even with NoScript, Ghostery, AdBlock, Flashblock and Beef Taco installed, it still takes forever to load/render. Possibly the worse example of this type of site I've seen.
baskinghobo 16y ago
I am wondering, why doesn't the scroll wheel work like the right side scroll bar which is always 100% responsive?

Stevenup7002 16y ago

"the free software"? Is it me or is this blog horribly written, I can't interpret most of it without reading it at least 5 times.

frisco 16y ago

The page started with a gigantic headshot of Assange. That's really not a good way to start, given recent drama...

yungchin 16y ago

The article seems to be a re-hash of a Linux Journal blog post from February 2009: http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/how-hijack-eu-open-source-strategy-paper http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/how-hijack-eu-open-sourc... - just the introduction was added. (to be fair, the blog owner hints to this, crediting Glyn Moody at the bottom, but he doesn't link to the post)

jdub 16y ago
Confirmed by Glyn: http://twitter.com/glynmoody/status/26934516909 http://twitter.com/glynmoody/status/26934516909