All the apocalyptic science fiction films have a common denominator. The future is controlled by machines. Artificial intelligence that takes consciousness of itself and decides to annihilate the humanity.

Some time ago, I developed a theory which more or less said that if the artificial intelligence acted this way, it was because they were programmed for humans and with human parameters. Of everybody is known that one of the faults of the human being is massacring what it interprets like a threat. Because of that Skynet, exactly after taking consciousness, states war to the humans in “Terminator”. And the same in “Matrix”.

But leaving sci-fi, we have the human beings (technophobes, neoludites, etc) who every day warn us about our lives being more and more controlled by machines and computers. And that if we do not halt it, it will not take long to arrive this apocalyptic future. And they are right. If we do not achieve in a fast way that public administrations and governments stop using privative software controlled by a mega-corp, this future might be real. Not so fatalistic as in the films, but it could step towards an abusive control.

At home, one can choose the software that wants, even though is always recommended the one that has more transparency and quality instead of the obscure, insecure which does not offer any clear control to the user about what it makes. The thing that is unforgivable, is that computers which contains data from citizens are at mercy of insecure software and the company that creates it, who knows what is really making this software.

Which control do the administrators of this data have if the software fails? What is this about depending on security patches that, when the mega-corp decides to make them, can be late months on to be able to apply? And if even the administrations of the governments do not have total control of the data of its citizens, which control may have the citizens about their own data? No one. And when citizens do not have any control about their data, and for so of their lives, the future where the machines under privative software of the mega-corps absolutely control the lives of the persons turns up.

Because of that the only viable solution is to put this data under the control of free and open source software. And that this software is made public. Software that any person with the necessary knowledge can read and know exactly what it makes and stops making. Software that allows the administrations themselves to develop it for their specific needs without depending on anybody. Software less prone to errors. Software that in case of error, the programmers of the administration can make the necessary solutions (and make public these patches) allowing more speed and citizen data less exposed…

The future has to be governed by free and of open source software.

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 20th, 2005 at 20:17 You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.