The internet was quieter yesterday than normal. Literally. Yesterday, internet radio stations participated in a Day of Silence to protest the upcoming royalty rate increase that very likely would destroy many of the really good internet radio stations. In all honesty, the only time I can remember using was on 9/11, because I wanted to hear the updates, but had no radio near my desk. While this doesn't directly, I have started to feel the pinch similar influences and lobbying that has affected these internet radio stations.

I started using Linux pretty steadily at the age of 16. I readily grasped the idea of Free (as in Freedom) software for multiple reasons, but initially, the draw was the price. Having downloaded and pirated TONS of copies of Photoshop, Flash, Windows, and the like, Free Software felt better on my conscience. I also saw the power of developing software with open source, which constantly found me in the bookstores buying books about programming languages that I never fully got through.

One day, I found myself purchasing a book about a man named Richard Stallman entitled "Free as in Freedom." I knew nothing of the author or the book itself previously, but the book's description used intriguing vocabulary phrases such as "...Microsoft executives lie awake at night worrying about the antics of a longhaired renegade hacker..." and the like. This was right up my alley at the time in my life (controversy), so I quickly purchased the book, brought it home, and set it on the bookshelf for a year. When I finally forced myself to read it, my opinions began to have facts for and against them gather. I started to see the benefit of open source technology outside of the controversial non-mainstream ideas that I initially began with.

"Free as in Freedom" was published in 2002. Since then, the technology sector has been assaulted with the likes of DRM and other types of copy protection, bandwidth shaping by opponents of net neutrality, the RIAA suing everyone and their dog, and media producers doing everything they can to keep people paying VAST amounts of money for content. Now, before I continue with my schpiel, let me make it known that I have NO problem with people making money. What I do have a problem with is people making money with below par products, or otherwise "resting on their laurels" when it comes to their products.

All of these technological stumbling blocks are brought on by one cause: Greed. It's almost like the companies introducing DRM and the like are using a technological frontier to widen that profit margin even further. When you're spending more money squishing the other guys than perfecting your own product, you can no longer call it an honest buck.

I'd encourage everyone to read "Free As In Freedom" (written by Sam Williams) regardless of their backgrounds and opinions. It will at least help you understand one of the most unique and seminal features of the "hacker" culture.