The same reason it's bad in Japan. People are packed cheek by jowl on that small island. It's wildly overpopulated. And yet it's a disaster.

China likewise instituted the one child policy to stop rampant overpopulation. It's working, population growth has down .

All of this is also a disaster, for reasons they don't state.

Americans stopped having children because men can't buy houses and start families. They're priced out of the property market. This is also a disaster.

Ukraine has healthy demographics which means every year there is a fresh new crop of 18 year olds available to be drafted into the army to die in the war with Russia.

You already tried that, comrade. Funny how you didn't have any problem putting gay men in lingerie into our kindergartens to groom children, and when we organized and went to the school board, you said we were domestic terrorists. What is a woman?

Obama slapped Chinese solar panels with a punishing tariff to keep them out of our economy. To protect Americans jobs. Then Obama did it it's ok, when Trump does it it's wrong. TDS.

I once thought this essay was dumb and it would never happen.

Well, here we are.

I was wrong, Erik S. Raymond and you were right.

Imagine a student, Sarah, eager to dive into her digital textbook for a

crucial exam. She opens her laptop, clicks on the textbook file, and is met with a stark message: "Access Denied.

Administrative privileges required." Sarah doesn't have the root password to her own computer- a device she paid for, uses daily, and relies on for her education. The software controlling her system locks her out, treating her not as the owner but as a mere user with limited permissions. This scenario isn't just frustrating; it's a stark illustration of why free software - software that grants users the freedom to use, study, modify, and distribute it - is essential in a world increasingly dependent on technology.Free software, as defined by the Free Software Foundation, ensures four essential freedoms: to run the software for any purpose (Freedom 0), to study and modify its source code (Freedom 1), to redistribute copies (Freedom 2), and to distribute modified versions (Freedom 3). These freedoms empower users like Sarah to control their own devices, ensuring they are not at the mercy of proprietary software vendors who restrict access and functionality. Sarah's inability to access her textbook stems from proprietary software that demands a root password she doesn't have, a deliberate design choice that prioritizes corporate control over user autonomy.Proprietary software, like that on Sarah's computer, often locks users out of their own systems. Manufacturers and software companies enforce restrictions through closed-source code, digital rights management (DRM), and administrative barriers, such as requiring root passwords that only the vendor controls. In Sarah's case, the textbook file might be encrypted with DRM, and the operating system- proprietary and opaque - prevents her from bypassing it without administrative access. This isn't just a technical issue; it's a power imbalance. The vendor decides what Sarah can do with her own device, undermining her ability to learn and engage with her education.Contrast this with free software. If Sarah's computer ran a free operating system like GNU/Linux (e.g., Ubuntu or Debian), she would have full access to the system's source code and administrative functions. With root access by default or the ability to set her own password, she could install tools to open her textbook, bypass DRM (if legally permissible), or even modify the software to suit her needs. Free software respects her as the owner of her device, granting her the autonomy to troubleshoot and adapt her tools without external gatekeepers. For a student, this means the difference between studying for an exam and being locked out of critical resources.The broader implications of this scenario extend beyond Sarah's textbook. Proprietary software often restricts access to knowledge, perpetuating inequality. Students in underfunded schools or developing regions, who may rely on older or second-hand devices, are particularly vulnerable. Proprietary systems may require expensive licenses, updates, or specific hardware, creating barriers to education. Free software, by contrast, is typically free of cost and runs on a wide range of hardware, making it accessible to diverse users. Projects like LibreOffice (a free alternative to Microsoft Office) or Calibre (for managing e-books) ensure that students like Sarah can access and study materials without financial or technical barriers.Moreover, free software fosters transparency and trust. With proprietary software, Sarah has no way to know what her computer is doing behind the scenes - whether it's enforcing DRM, collecting her data, or limiting her access intentionally. Free software's open-source nature allows anyone to inspect the code, ensuring no hidden restrictions or surveillance. This transparency is critical in education, where students should focus on learning, not navigating artificial barriers imposed by software vendors.Critics of free software might argue that proprietary systems offer better support, security, or user-friendliness. However, Sarah's case shows how proprietary software can fail users by design. While companies claim their restrictions protect intellectual property or ensure stability, they often prioritize profit over functionality. Free software, supported by global communities of developers, provides robust alternatives. Distributions like Ubuntu offer user-friendly interfaces, and security updates are often faster than those for proprietary systems, as seen with Linux's rapid patch cycles compared to some commercial software.Sarah's predicament also highlights a moral issue: why should anyone be denied control over a device they own? Free software aligns with the principle that technology should serve its users, not control them. By adopting free software, individuals and institutions can reclaim autonomy, reduce costs, and promote equitable access to knowledge. Schools, for instance, could install free operating systems like Linux Mint on student devices, ensuring no one is locked out of learning due to a missing root password.Free software levels the playing field. For students like Sarah, access to resources like the Free Software Foundation (fsf.org) or the GNU Project (gnu.org) provides not just tools but a philosophy of empowerment. By installing a free operating system like Ubuntu (ubuntu.com), Sarah could gain root access to her computer, bypassing the proprietary restrictions that demand a password she doesn't have. She could use open-source tools like Calibre to manage her digital textbooks or LibreOffice to access educational materials in open formats, free from DRM locks (eff.org/issues/drm). These resources, freely available and community-driven, ensure that no student is denied knowledge due to artificial barriers.Proprietary software, by contrast, perpetuates a cycle of dependency. Sarah's locked textbook is a symptom of a system where companies prioritize profit over access, using root passwords and closed code to control users. This isn't just about one student - it's about millions who face similar barriers, from rural schools to developing nations. Free software offers a solution: it's cost-free, adaptable, and community-supported, ensuring that education remains a right, not a privilege gated by corporate keys

.The choice is clear. Free software empowers users to own their technology, access their resources, and shape their futures.

For Sarah, it means opening her textbook and acing her exam.

For society, it means a world where knowledge is truly free.

Well I, for one, am glad someone is sticking up for Microsoft. On Slashdot, no less. And telling off the little guy. Linux still sucks as a desktop OS and always will.

But you go, defend the megabillion dollar abusive monopolist who held computer systems back for decades and punch down on the little guy. Speak truth to the powerless!

Oh, bullshit. It's there along with all the other buttons.

Hell, even in America it's rare to find a building when originally designed had an elevator with no 13 button. I remember my Dad pointing one out when I was a kid.

You just praised Adolf Hitler. Good job there. And Mussolini made the trains run on time, didn't he, you vile little racist!

We can't innovate what we don't have.We don't have any HSR.We were supposed to have highspeed rail already. We gave billions to California to build a line between San Francisco and LA. The Californians simply stole the money and did not build one mile of track.

In China they execute government officials who do this.

Nobody has been arrested for the California theft and nobody ever will be.

Good guy CPC.

Remember: America innovates,China duplicates and Europe regulates.

OK, explain why the Prsident of France called the US 15% tariffs a "dark day" for Europe.

It makes zero sense. Trump the stupidity president fucked AmeriKKKans over with an additional 15% tax which they will pay, not Europeans. So how's that a "dark day"? I don't get it. Usually when we AMeriKKKans score an own goal(which is often) Europeans respond with a chorus of laughter and mockery. Remember when Trump, during his first term, demanded NATO stop rippping us off by refusing to pay their fair share? Their response was to LAUGH IN HIS FACE! An the laughter was general throughout Europe or the next week or so. "We won't pay and you can't make us" was the attitude. So why aren't they laughing again now? Europe isn't paying these tariffs. Where did the laughter go? I don't get any of this, maybe someone can explain in small words, so all us stupidity Trump voters can understand. Maybe with a puppet show?

Do you realize you just made that up in your own mind?

And then wrote it down?

Or do you not realize that?

This is textbook Trump Derangement Syndrome.

You are arguing with yourself. And losing.

You did it again! You just invented something in your own brain! You're arguing against yourself - and losing.

Do you realize that you are having an argument with intrusive voices in your own brain? Or not?

I notice this all the time with TDS sufferers: they invent something and rage against it.

Epstein ran a child rape ring against Americans for Israel. If the truth ewere known, the existence of Isreal would be threatened. Isreal requires an external sponsor to exist. That sponsor is the USA, and if it weren't us, it would be Russia.

Israel has a right to exist!

Don't drive them into the hands of Putin, antisemite.

Besides according to the Left, MAPs are just a sexual orientation like gay. Oppressing them is fascism.

Trump took the EU to the woodshed. They had to drop all of their protectionist tariffs they have against AmeriKKKan goods(I thought protectionism was ad?) and in return America puts a 15% tariff on all of theirs. Moreover they had to write a check to us for hundreds of billions. The tariffs will bring in a shit-ton of money. We can use this to replace the income tax and repeal it entirely.

The usual TDS sufferers are screaming it's a tax on AmeriKKKans but it's not. When's the last time an American bought anything made in Europe? I mean one of us, not the CA/NY American passport holders who write the media articles describing what happened.

Hey, I've got an idea - make things in America and there are no tariffs. It's weird but worth a shot, it could work.

On the contrary, it will have a ton of good effects. All DoS attacks will stop. Fraud will crash and stay there. Email spammers will go away. When alt-right trolls get banned, they will STAY banned. Forever. Imagine an internet without them. A boot stomping on 4chan's face, forever.

This is going to fail bigtime. Nobody will move there for jobs. As a tech professional, I would rather eat glass than live in a flyover state. I have in-demand skills and I have zero desire to live in places that are small minded, lack immigrants, and lack interesting and rich culture. The tech sector is chock full of diverse immigrants and unique people who have no desire to live in a conformist mono-chromatic culture. Tech talents don't want to eat breakfast at the Waffle House.