This is why geeks should be required to run things past an English major before talking to normal human beings.
If we call a thing "jailbreaking", we're going to be battling negative perceptions forever. We're trying to explain to people who really don't care that they should take time out of their day to help legalize something called "jailbreaking". The RIAA, MPAA and ESA would struggle to dream up a more dubious name if they were embarking on a spin campaign to criminalise it outright.
Why couldn't we have called it "derestricting" or "liberating" or something? Why couldn't we have chosen a positive, all-American sort of name? I know, I know, these are our devices and we're having our freedoms taken from us, so we're totally like POWs, not criminals. We're the good kind of escaped prisoner. Now explain that to my mother in a few short words while Bill O'Reilly accuses you of supporting Al-Qaeda.
For a bunch of geniuses, we do some really dumb things.
Yep. Same thing with "hacking" and "hackathons". Whenever I tell non-techies I'm going to a hackathon they think I'm going to break into someone's network, or something.
Honestly, I think Apple has done a great job of bringing the idea of jailbreaking into the popular lexicon. If you have a good grasp of iOS, you know what jailbreaking is and why Apple shouldn't have the right to stop you.
And honestly, I don't think we could find a better name if we tried. Everyone likes a good jailbreak, especially when the inmate has done nothing wrong.
I'm not sure it's as bad as you think. The cell phone industry and the carriers are the ones who built the jail, and the inmate is you. It is probably worth making sure that nuance is communicated, but it's a powerful image. If you're not a criminal, why are you in jail?
Good point. I suggest "unlocking". It's a common term when it comes to switching networks "Oh my contract is up, I want to move to another phone network, but my phone that I paid for is locked!"
Situations like that (moving phone networks) are commonly understood, and you can easily explain how locking is designed not to protect you, but to try to force you to buy a new phone.
To some extent, geeks' choice of terminology is a deliberate statement of rebellion against the manipulation of language often seen in politics. In that context, the goal of using names and terms like "jailbreaking," "hacker," "pois0n," etc. is to deflate the knee-jerk emotional reaction people have to the trigger words used by the media.
This scared me and makes me feel as if we believe 'normal human beings' are party members from 1984.
> The sacred principles of Ingsoc. Newspeak, doublethink, the mutability of the past. He felt as though he were wandering in the forests of the sea bottom, lost in a monstrous world where he himself was the monster. He was alone. The past was dead, the future was unimaginable. What certainty had he that a single human creature now living was on his side? And what way of knowing that the dominion of the Party would not endure for ever? Like an answer, the three slogans on the white face of the Ministry of Truth came back to him: War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.
Copyright "Czar" Victoria Espinel laid out a roadmap that includes:
Authorize DHS (including its component CBP) to share pre-seizure information about, and samples of, products and devices with rightholders to help DHS to determine whether the products are infringing or the devices are circumvention devices
Basically, giving Hollywood veto rights on anything imported into the country that can be used for jailbreaking. Sounds like we are in danger of losing DMCA jailbreaking protections.
This is a basic freedom issue. The freedom to run software I control on devices I own allows me to be free in how I share and protect my own private information. Apple and Microsoft are trending toward making it more difficult and less legal to run alternative operating systems or unapproved 3rd party software on their platforms. It has to be fought tooth and nail. Fight it legally, and fight it with your pocketbook.
Your freedom to own your smart phone will disappear eventually when Hollywood figures out you didn't actually buy your phone, you are paying a monthly service which pays down your phone, an unspecified price. A percentage of which should go straight to Hollywood.
Like Android devices? I'm not trying to be sarcastic or snide either. I just get a little tired of these arguments when it comes to smartphones and tablets. Every modern smartphone and tablet that I know of comes with some form of "proverbial handcuffs" to varying degrees. Whether it's jailbreaking or rooting, there's no difference.
Jailbreaking does unlock a lot of functionality that should be in a PC. Being able to SSH into the system and use unix tools opens a lot of possibilities. Just being able to rsync music over wifi to my iPod and scrapping iTunes is worth it.
Apple's underlying Darwin system works great on a mobile device. I don't own an Android, but afaik it's underlying Linux system is not as robust as Darwin. So where else do you go for a Linux/Unix based smartphone/tablet?
Where are the Linux tablets, and where is the support from the Linux community for such hardware?
In theory, I agree. In practice, I've realized that most of the jailbreaking phones/tablets are used to download illegal applications and/or without paying. I know this is a somewhat contrived statement, but this is from what I've seen in company/university/engineering departments I've worked/studied.
Note:
I myself had to jailbreak my iphone to install spotify (and asked a friend to pay for it since he's outside of Canada). For some reasons, spotify is illegal here. (Yes, I know, I illegally downloaded an illegal application to legally download/listen to music).
I used a jailbroken iPhone for 2 years, I never once pirated an application, I still purchased plenty of apps from Apple's dumb app store and a few from Cydia. Mostly, I just used it to "background" apps before that was a built-in feature.
Very few of the applications available on Cydia are "illegal", they're just banned from the App Store by Apple. Similarly, there's nothing illegal about linux, but you'll have to jailbreak your ps3 to install it.
Even if 100% of the uses were illegal, this is an issue of principal. When I buy a gadget, I didn't lease it, I bought it. It is mine. As such, I shouldn't have to worry I might go to jail (!!) for modifying my device in a way that doesn't impact anybody else.
[+] [-] jdietrich|14 years ago|reply
If we call a thing "jailbreaking", we're going to be battling negative perceptions forever. We're trying to explain to people who really don't care that they should take time out of their day to help legalize something called "jailbreaking". The RIAA, MPAA and ESA would struggle to dream up a more dubious name if they were embarking on a spin campaign to criminalise it outright.
Why couldn't we have called it "derestricting" or "liberating" or something? Why couldn't we have chosen a positive, all-American sort of name? I know, I know, these are our devices and we're having our freedoms taken from us, so we're totally like POWs, not criminals. We're the good kind of escaped prisoner. Now explain that to my mother in a few short words while Bill O'Reilly accuses you of supporting Al-Qaeda.
For a bunch of geniuses, we do some really dumb things.
[+] [-] untog|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] lukeschlather|14 years ago|reply
And honestly, I don't think we could find a better name if we tried. Everyone likes a good jailbreak, especially when the inmate has done nothing wrong.
[+] [-] jerf|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rmc|14 years ago|reply
Situations like that (moving phone networks) are commonly understood, and you can easily explain how locking is designed not to protect you, but to try to force you to buy a new phone.
[+] [-] nitrogen|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bdg|14 years ago|reply
This scared me and makes me feel as if we believe 'normal human beings' are party members from 1984.
> The sacred principles of Ingsoc. Newspeak, doublethink, the mutability of the past. He felt as though he were wandering in the forests of the sea bottom, lost in a monstrous world where he himself was the monster. He was alone. The past was dead, the future was unimaginable. What certainty had he that a single human creature now living was on his side? And what way of knowing that the dominion of the Party would not endure for ever? Like an answer, the three slogans on the white face of the Ministry of Truth came back to him: War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.
[+] [-] hrktb|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|14 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] guelo|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sehugg|14 years ago|reply
Authorize DHS (including its component CBP) to share pre-seizure information about, and samples of, products and devices with rightholders to help DHS to determine whether the products are infringing or the devices are circumvention devices
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/03/15/concrete-steps-con...
Basically, giving Hollywood veto rights on anything imported into the country that can be used for jailbreaking. Sounds like we are in danger of losing DMCA jailbreaking protections.
[+] [-] postfuturist|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nextparadigms|14 years ago|reply
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYqkU1y0AYc
[+] [-] stretchwithme|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] maeon3|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] yason|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] grannyg00se|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] marcomonteiro|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] losethos|14 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] wavephorm|14 years ago|reply
Apple's underlying Darwin system works great on a mobile device. I don't own an Android, but afaik it's underlying Linux system is not as robust as Darwin. So where else do you go for a Linux/Unix based smartphone/tablet?
Where are the Linux tablets, and where is the support from the Linux community for such hardware?
[+] [-] orangecat|14 years ago|reply
What are you basing that on? You can easily install Unix tools on Android devices. Here's a complete development environment that doesn't even require rooting: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.spartacusrex.spart...
[+] [-] phzbOx|14 years ago|reply
Note:
I myself had to jailbreak my iphone to install spotify (and asked a friend to pay for it since he's outside of Canada). For some reasons, spotify is illegal here. (Yes, I know, I illegally downloaded an illegal application to legally download/listen to music).
[+] [-] rsynnott|14 years ago|reply
You mean to _illegally_ download/listen to music; there's no license in your region.
[+] [-] postfuturist|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] redthrowaway|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] SoftwareMaven|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] reitzensteinm|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|14 years ago|reply
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