nmb3000 - Slashdot User

Submission + - The Human Only Public License (vanderessen.com)

Submitted by nmb3000 on Thursday November 06, 2025 @02:21PM

nmb3000 writes: With the rapid ascent of AI training, tools, and a push for more autonomous agents, do we need a new software licensing option for developers that don't want their work used to support or advance these systems? One developer says yes.

Whether artificial intelligence systems will end up being a positive or a negative force for humanity is still an open question. But we might find ourselves one day with AI embedded at every layer of our existence, living lives of toned down and diluted humanity with only our dreams for escape. Although I am not yet convinced of this worst case scenario, I believe it is important that we as software developers have at least the option to opt out of that system altogether, to be able to continue hacking, working, and tinkering in a space of our own in total absence of artificial intelligence systems, and share this luxury with our users.

I designed a software license for this purpose. It is called the Human Only Public License, or HOPL for short.

While a license like this is probably entirely unenforceable and goes against a strict open source ethos (both traits shared with the problematic "do not evil" JSON license), the appeal of continuing the tradition of one human creating something specifically for other humans is understandable. It also gives those developers who are concerned with the negative impact AI tools may have on software development as a field and career a way to push back.

The license is also published on GitHub.

Submission + - EFF Proposes Addressing Online Harms With Privacy-First Policies (eff.org)

Submitted by nmb3000 on Tuesday November 28, 2023 @06:18PM

nmb3000 writes: The Electronic Frontier Foundation has published a new white paper, Privacy First: A Better Way to Address Online Harms , to propose an alternative to the "often ill-conceived, bills written by state, federal, and international regulators to tackle a broad set of digital topics ranging from child safety to artificial intelligence." According to the EFF, "these scattershot proposals to correct online harm are often based on censorship and news cycles. Instead of this chaotic approach that rarely leads to the passage of good laws, we propose another solution."

As for the content of the policies, EFF says:

What would this comprehensive privacy law look like? We believe it must include these components:

No online behavioral ads.
Data minimization.
Opt-in consent.
User rights to access, port, correct, and delete information.
No preemption of state laws.
Strong enforcement with a private right to action.
No pay-for-privacy schemes.
No deceptive design.
A strong comprehensive data privacy law promotes privacy, free expression, and security. It can also help protect children, support journalism, protect access to health care, foster digital justice, limit private data collection to train generative AI, limit foreign government surveillance, and strengthen competition. These are all issues on which lawmakers are actively pushing legislation—both good and bad.

Privacy online has certainly eroded drastically over the last 20 years and it often appears that most regulation of the Internet is drafted by the very entities which benefit from reduced privacy and individual online freedom. Would taking a privacy-first approach and introducing strong regulatory protection for it into law help address the problems raised by citizens and legislators?

Submission + - September 19th is "Talk Like A Pirate Day"

Submitted by nmb3000 on Tuesday September 19, 2006 @01:49AM

nmb3000 writes: Avast, me maties! Today be th' International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Fer today only, ye lubbers no worthy 'nough t' enjoy th' noble vocation o' Pirate can join th' ranks! Firs' ye'll need t' lern t' talk like a pirate, then find yer pirate name, doonload yer ringtones, an' finally sling back some grog. Be smart aboot it, fer today's th' day ninjas fear...ever'one's a pirate! Arrrr!

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