From owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Sep 14 01:09:08 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1C6A716A40F for ; Thu, 14 Sep 2006 01:09:08 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from barnaclewes@gmail.com) Received: from nf-out-0910.google.com (nf-out-0910.google.com [64.233.182.184]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6AE1843D4C for ; Thu, 14 Sep 2006 01:09:07 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from barnaclewes@gmail.com) Received: by nf-out-0910.google.com with SMTP id n29so1974580nfc for ; Wed, 13 Sep 2006 18:09:06 -0700 (PDT) DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=nofws; s=beta; d=gmail.com; h=received:message-id:date:from:to:subject:cc:in-reply-to:mime-version:content-type:content-transfer-encoding:content-disposition:references; b=kJU1g1vhhzF4i7YWbwurvnzhFxd431pc5YO3Csv0RiVZUscVqNlzQwphqZhY9AIqscaZqC1fqTzGo9oayFe5wl7zzloGyCVQybU1Z3qBbazM6xSM//n+EaKfhZ8sb/oReJIdxRwiIV+kXnz8YIDTICUEId6BraS+g16CfjpaO+U= Received: by 10.49.8.1 with SMTP id l1mr11525385nfi; Wed, 13 Sep 2006 18:09:06 -0700 (PDT) Received: by 10.48.238.11 with HTTP; Wed, 13 Sep 2006 18:09:05 -0700 (PDT) Message-ID: Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2006 18:09:05 -0700 From: "Wes Peters" To: "Graham Todd" In-Reply-To: <45072272.5040606@bellanet.org> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline References: <200609121102.12577.cms01@tampabay.rr.com> <200609121141.09204.cms01@tampabay.rr.com> <4506F6DF.5010900@cs.okstate.edu> <4506FE59.6000600@errno.com> <45070021.3000606@protected-networks.net> <20060912195208.GB4099@tirith.brixandersen.dk> <45072272.5040606@bellanet.org> Cc: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Subject: Re: FreeBSD inquire X-BeenThere: freebsd-current@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussions about the use of FreeBSD-current List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2006 01:09:08 -0000 On 9/12/06, Graham Todd wrote: > Henrik Brix Andersen wrote: > > On Tue, Sep 12, 2006 at 02:44:49PM -0400, Michael Butler wrote: > >> Is this as a consequence of the manufacturers paranoia that open-source > >> developers won't comply with wifi regulatory requirements (i.e. channel > >> and power restrictions by country) or some other reason? (not that you > >> can't just plug in any other card into the pcmcia slot ..), > > > > It's not manufacturers paranoia - it a requirement from the FCC (among > > others) that radio control must not take place in user-accessible > > software. > > How does the FCC define a "user" I wonder? Pretty much "not the manufacturer." > Is there a difference > between the "user" of software installed on a laptop and the user of the > included hardware and radio equipment that develops said software. If you're not the manufacturer of the "device", the laptop in this case, you are a user. When the manus sold laptops with slots and let you pick your wireless card, the wireless card was the device and YOU were responsible for an interference caused. > It seems like an engineer to engineer sort of matter that might require > lawyer to lawyer interaction :-\ Reading FCC regulations IS part of engineering, out there in the big bad REAL world. It's important not to confuse "software" with "engineering." ;^) -- Against stupidity the very gods Themselves contend in vain. Friedrich Schiller