[opensource-dev] Viewers in the directory are being impersonated already

[Jamey Fletcher]

Robert Martin wrote:

> Dusting off an old statement

> The 3PVp will be a semi joke until LL decides to put up a compile farm
> and begin creating "signed builds". Even not using proxies and other
> cloaking all somebody has to do is get the source for a listed viewer
> and then hack and recompile.

> Oh and They can't wait until you can create plugins for the base viewer.

Signed builds won't do any good unless you sign your entire computer 
over to the Trusted Computing Platform, at which point, be prepared for 
files to disappear whenever one of your software suppliers decides you 
shouldn't have that particular file.  Say, for example, that 
competitor's software, that MP3 file you paid for 3 years ago, but a new 
company bought the rights to it, and decided your previously perpetual 
license is no longer valid, or that article you're typing up in their 
cloud/browser based word processing program that explains how they 
deleted files you had a perfect right to own.

Meanwhile, those few allowed to create and distribute content will be 
bemoaning the pirates who have hacked around the TPM module in their 
computers, wanting a tax on everyone to cover monies lost to these 
alleged pirates.  Anyone creating *FREE* content, and trying to 
distribute it to who-ever wants it, will find that they're charged by 
the byte they type, and someone else will be charging by the byte for 
their readers to read it.

It's kind of amazing how people keep making the same suggestions for how 
to prevent piracy of some kind, despite said methods being previously 
discussed and found wanting in similar contexts for 20 or 30 years now. 
  Anyone remember dark burgundy sheets of paper with odd codes on it to 
prevent copying of games?  Just how well did *THOSE* work?