6 ms·

And when did Android fix it? Oh wait, they didn't did they? Open source software freedom means the freedom to write software that slurps up whole address books

And when did Android fix it? Oh wait, they didn't did they? Open source software freedom means the freedom to write software that slurps up whole address books. And it's the user's responsibility to read the source code to ensure it's not doing that. Because obviously most people are capable to do that and also have the time to do that for every piece of software they install, right? At the end of the day, I'd rather Apple and the NSA have my data than some random hacker in russia.

chatman 13y ago
You don't understand what free software means. It means freedom respecting software; something that you control. Apple could still have audited free software into its appstore as it does for nonfree software currently.
- TheZenPsycho 13y ago
  Your comment is incoherent. I know what "Free Software" means. Your definition has no connection to what you assert here: "Apple could still have audited free software into its appstore as it does for nonfree software currently." So, unless you're suggesting that apps be distributed as source code, and compiled locally on your phone, there's no way to determine if the binary the App store distributes is an accurate uncompromised representation of the original source. Furthermore, expecting normal users to examine source code for security holes is an unreasonable burden. The security of iPhone apps is based on how much we trust Apple to maintain that security, and to review the apps. Not in our personal freedom to examine the source code, which we can do already, for many apps. You confuse developer control/freedom with user control/freedom. They are very different things. A user doesn't have programming skills, and their personal interests are in freedom from malware- freedom from developers that have the ability to do whatever they feel like with the user's data. They have no interest in being able to compile their own apps and run them on their own hardware. On the other hand, developers are interested in having the freedom of not being in a sandbox. not having to go through an app review/approval process. The freedom from security restrictions. The freedom to slurp address books. The freedom to override any hardware button, use any API, without limit. Do you not see how developer freedom and user freedom are in conflict?
  - stcredzero 13y ago
    > So, unless you're suggesting that apps be distributed as source code, and compiled locally on your phone, there's no way to determine if the binary the App store distributes is an accurate uncompromised representation of the original source. That's simply not true. If Apple opened its distribution process, and everything was cross compiled (which is already the case) none of what I quoted above would be true. This is nothing for or against free software, it is about correctness.
    - TheZenPsycho 13y ago
      What exactly do you mean by "open its distribution process" ?
      - stcredzero 13y ago
        Let us know exactly what they do the binary, and at least give us public keys to verify signatures.
        TheZenPsycho 13y ago
        I'm just not sure how that would work, without Apple, or the Developer having the opportunity to introduce malicious code. Signature or not, known process or not, there's no way I can think of to compare a clean compile of source, to the binary that you get on the app store since Apple retains a private key that is used to molest the binary in some way. You would have to mean something else by "open its distribution process" Or just blindly trust that Apple knows what they're doing and that it has its customer's interests bound to its own commercial interests.
        stcredzero 13y ago
        You compile it and do the same things to it Apple would have.
        13y ago
gcb0 13y ago
Sorry, but since 2.3 i can install cyanogen mod, which allows me to deny any permission an App asks for. I'm running swype (a keyboard) without access to the network (it crashes if it tries to update) and it works just fine for its intended purpose. And 2.3 is OLD! oh, and no, google android and operator/major brand abused android sucks and should be left out of this discussion. Buying locked phones (and by locked i mean the boot loader being blocked) is the same as buying an iphone. sadly.
- TheZenPsycho 13y ago
  wtf is cyanogen mod? is it something a mere mortal would likely know about?
  - gcb0 13y ago
    As much as a mere mortal know about installing a linux distro.

chatman 13y ago

You don't understand what free software means. It means freedom respecting software; something that you control. Apple could still have audited free software into its appstore as it does for nonfree software currently.

TheZenPsycho 13y ago
Your comment is incoherent. I know what "Free Software" means. Your definition has no connection to what you assert here: "Apple could still have audited free software into its appstore as it does for nonfree software currently." So, unless you're suggesting that apps be distributed as source code, and compiled locally on your phone, there's no way to determine if the binary the App store distributes is an accurate uncompromised representation of the original source. Furthermore, expecting normal users to examine source code for security holes is an unreasonable burden. The security of iPhone apps is based on how much we trust Apple to maintain that security, and to review the apps. Not in our personal freedom to examine the source code, which we can do already, for many apps. You confuse developer control/freedom with user control/freedom. They are very different things. A user doesn't have programming skills, and their personal interests are in freedom from malware- freedom from developers that have the ability to do whatever they feel like with the user's data. They have no interest in being able to compile their own apps and run them on their own hardware. On the other hand, developers are interested in having the freedom of not being in a sandbox. not having to go through an app review/approval process. The freedom from security restrictions. The freedom to slurp address books. The freedom to override any hardware button, use any API, without limit. Do you not see how developer freedom and user freedom are in conflict?
- stcredzero 13y ago
  > So, unless you're suggesting that apps be distributed as source code, and compiled locally on your phone, there's no way to determine if the binary the App store distributes is an accurate uncompromised representation of the original source. That's simply not true. If Apple opened its distribution process, and everything was cross compiled (which is already the case) none of what I quoted above would be true. This is nothing for or against free software, it is about correctness.
  - TheZenPsycho 13y ago
    What exactly do you mean by "open its distribution process" ?
    - stcredzero 13y ago
      Let us know exactly what they do the binary, and at least give us public keys to verify signatures.
      - TheZenPsycho 13y ago
        I'm just not sure how that would work, without Apple, or the Developer having the opportunity to introduce malicious code. Signature or not, known process or not, there's no way I can think of to compare a clean compile of source, to the binary that you get on the app store since Apple retains a private key that is used to molest the binary in some way. You would have to mean something else by "open its distribution process" Or just blindly trust that Apple knows what they're doing and that it has its customer's interests bound to its own commercial interests.
        stcredzero 13y ago
        You compile it and do the same things to it Apple would have.
        13y ago

gcb0 13y ago

Sorry, but since 2.3 i can install cyanogen mod, which allows me to deny any permission an App asks for. I'm running swype (a keyboard) without access to the network (it crashes if it tries to update) and it works just fine for its intended purpose. And 2.3 is OLD! oh, and no, google android and operator/major brand abused android sucks and should be left out of this discussion. Buying locked phones (and by locked i mean the boot loader being blocked) is the same as buying an iphone. sadly.

TheZenPsycho 13y ago
wtf is cyanogen mod? is it something a mere mortal would likely know about?
- gcb0 13y ago
  As much as a mere mortal know about installing a linux distro.