Re: Design principles and ethics

[Bas Wijnen]

On Tue, May 02, 2006 at 04:05:07PM -0600, Christopher Nelson wrote:
> > > The program is *STOLEN* from me.  That is a problem.
> > 
> > So how did this "theft" (which I don't agree it is, but 
> > anyway) happen?
> 
> I don't know.  If I did, it wouldn't be theft as I would have PREVENTED
> it from happening.

Of course.  But I don't see how a constructor can help you with that.

> Are you saying that you believe that any work a person creates is
> automatically public property?

No.  I'm saying that any work a person creates _and releases_ should be (but
isn't) public property, except that the cost of reproduction should be paid by
the receiver (that is, if you build a chair, and I like it, I should not be
allowed to just take it.  But I should be allowed to copy it, but I must pay
for the materials etc, not you).

Of course I am well aware that this isn't how things currently work.  However,
I think they should work like that, and I'd prefer not to build mechanisms
which enforce other schemes.

> > And why do you think a confined constructor is capable of preventing it?
> 
> If I know that no one can examine AND MODIFY my data, then I can make
> assumptions regarding the legitimacy of that data.

But you do.  We have a protected capability system.  It's your data, and
you're the only one who has access to it.  This data cannot have been "stolen"
without you (probably by accident) giving away this capability (or copying the
data to where someone else can read it).

> If I know that someone can examine, but not modify, that gives me a little
> more security.
> 
> Consider Diffie-Helman key exchange.

I know.  But here we are talking about a protected system.  There is no "man
in the middle", except the kernel (which is trusted).  So there is no problem.
If you are speaking of the problems with encrypted network connections, well
yes, they exist.  But they don't depend on constructors either.

Thanks,
Bas

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