3 Things You Should Know About Digital Rights Management

Stories about Digital Right Management (DRM) have been starting to scare me. This technology has the potential to reek havoc on the already established digital network in this nation . For those of you who don't know what DRM is, its any software that limits the distribution of data. Existing DRM is being used on iTunes store as well as computer software. The software often has to connect to a remote third party server by means of the Internet in order to validate and regulate the use of encrypted data. The use of DRM scares me for three reasons

1. Corporate Control
Your Computer and what You do on it is now dependent on how the owner of the DRM protected software regulate their software, a position that could lead to infringement of our personal rights. The servers that run this nations infrastructure and the average personal computer could be and are dependent on corporate regulation of DRM. Me personally much rather have any organizations private or governmental control my actions on a computer even if it is to protect copy-right interests.

2. Loss Of Ownership
It is the very nature of DRM to have a third party enact controls on consumer goods, a process that could potentially lead to abuse of the technology in the future. The very basis of ownership is the right to use, move and manipulate a good. iTunes once again is a prime example, you pay money to get a song but you can only put it on iTunes and an iPod all the other mp3 players are shit out of luck. While not definite there is a big potential for negative repercussions of being manipulated by how corporations regulate DRM. Providers of DRM technology could assume control of products that have already entered the market place.

3. Security
A real world example of this was DRM software that Sony created for it high definition DVDs . When A DVD was inserted into a computer it opened a “secret” link to the internet to check that DVD was not being copied. While this process was not harmful to the computer it was discovered that the hidden link left a “gap” in antivirus software and that virus could enter and infect the afflicted computer, and while not harmful it was still an example of how this software chould e used to spy on the inccent masses.

BE WARY

Governmental and corporate ignorance about the digital age is no longer a form of protection. We the consumer, we the millennial’s need to educate our self so we don’t get burned by misinformation and give up digital rights we don’t even know we have.I am a full believer in copy-right protection but the fact of the matter is that this technology leaves the consumer wide open. DRM presents a major security risk for computer that contains the software. Over all consumers should be weary of DRM and consider the negative repercussions of its implantation.

-Spooky D

So What Do YOU Want To See

Hi to all of you out there, I just want to thank you all for reading. This blog has just entered it fifth week and the site is up to
2591 hits! Since this blog is dependent on your submissions, I was wondering what you the reader want to see on this blog. Do you think the blog needs? Perhaps a new look, a daily wikipedia article or even the scores of the last drew sports game These are all improvements that might make its way onto the blog. As A site admin I am always looking for good suggestions. So feel free to use this post as a place to submit your ideas or comment on the ones I have suggested. Just remember that your Idea may not make it to the blog. Keep those post submissons coming in, this site needs you!

- Thanks for reading, Spooky D

Who I Will Be Voting For

I’ve been waiting an awfully long time to be allowed to vote. 2008 will be the first election I directly participate in, and so I’ve tried to be as keenly aware as possible of the developing details. I’ve looked into candidates on both sides of the political spectrum, and attempted to educate myself through what means are available to me as to what agendas the candidates have. Careful consideration has brought me to the conclusion that Barack Obama is the person who should become President of the United States.

• Here’s a list of some of the reasons why I (and I hope you as well) will be voting for Barack in 2008:
• Alternative Energy
• Universal Healthcare
• End to War in Iraq
• Affordable Education
• Stem-Cell Research
• Homosexual Civil Union
• Separation of Church and State

He’s not quite perfect, of course. For example, he supports affirmative action, which I loathe on ideological grounds. But that isn’t enough to keep him from standing far, far ahead of my current second-place presidential pick, Rudy Giuliani.

I believe that if elected in the Democratic primaries, Obama will become the next President. However, there is one obstacle to this; one ugly, soulless obstacle. I am speaking of course of Hillary Clinton. She has no political ideology save whatever the most recent opinion polls indicate is most advantageous. For example, she voted in favor of the initial invasion of Iraq, and today decries the invasion as a foolish blunder of the Bush administration. She has no interest in anyone’s benefit but her own. She expects that women will vote for her simply on the basis of her gender. But of course, her key advantage is mere name recognition through her husband and through her First Ladyship. She publicly attacked Obama for accepting campaign donations on the grounds that the donator was a former Clinton sympathizer who became estranged after realizing Hillary’s true character. Quite simply: Hillary is deplorable.

Polls indicate that Hillary leads Barack in the popularity; however, the election is still far over the horizon, and she is steadily losing her lead. I hope I am not being overly optimistic in predicting that this trend will continue.

- Enoch