If you are new to this series, then you should probably take a look here first. These are nice sites for info as well. If you're not new, but haven't been paying close attention, then you should probably know that internet radio is going the way of net neutrality, i.e., D.O.A.
And what exactly does this have to do with Linux, *BSD, and open source? Well, when you get a bunch of commercial entities that just by happenstance are monopolies or part of a cartel, then there is only one choice available. The choice happens to coincide with you, the consumer, being locked into their system and their vision forever.
Open source software offers a way out, allowing you, the consumer, to have a rich abundance of choices that are unencumbered by DRM, TPM, spyware and other malware, and so much more.
You want to watch that movie on your computer? Under open source systems, no problem. Under the latest and greatest commercial system, um, not so fast; can't have you watching something not approved by your OS vendor, now can we:
Vista enforces new forms of "Digital Rights Management (DRM)". DRM is more accurately called Digital Restrictions Management, because it is a technology that Big Media and computer companies try to impose on us all, in order to have control over how our computers are used.
Yup, you buy a new system--not cheap, even in this 'great' economy, and it is just not that fast. Why? Because your system resources are being used to monitor what exactly you are doing, phoning home (without your knowledge or permission) and just generally clogging up the works.
Frankly, you'd be better off sticking with XP, getting a Mac, or switching to open source. Can't be bothered? Too much trouble? Well then all the talk about fighting global warming, Buy Blue, helping the poor, improving education, ensuring voters' rights is just that: talk. You might have to venture out of the comfort zone and actually learn something: yeah, that's true.
If you are not doing as well as the robber barons CEOs in this 'great' economy, and can't afford to get a new computer to run the latest OS, then open source is the perfect choice for you. It allows you to keep that dusty old box running, and running well, for as long as you want. No forced 'upgrades' that offer little if any new functionality.
The funny (or sad) thing is that DRM hurts the economy, innovation, and cultural advancement. All at your expense, and to the benefit of those who are already wealthy way beyond their needs. Seems a bit odd that progressives wouldn't care about that, as long as their system 'just works'. Oddly enough (or not so) Ubuntu comes with more drivers than Vista out of the box! Stick with XP for now, but the clock is ticking on that one--until 2008, when all support is pulled, and you'll have no choice but to 'upgrade' to Vista.
Oh, and the reason they won't allow Vista to be run in a virtual machine (apart from their not being able to control everything); it breaks the DRM! If that's OK with you, and you really can't be bothered by helping to stop global warming, improving education, helping out the poor (the children!), ensuring voters' rights, making sure that future generations have a rich cultural and technological heritage, stopping scary monopolistic and cartel behaviour, ISPs spying on you and inserting ads (without your knowledge or permission) into your web pages, telcos filtering content (to stop the 'Pirates!!!!') so that they can force their content on you (at their price), then open source is clearly not for you. If you are fine with big corporate monopolies making all your decisions for you forever, and ever (Ra-men), then open source is definitely not for you.
The thing that always gets me is that progressives that don't know about open source all seem to get their news about it from Fox News:Tech Watch; like it is some impossible to install, setup, and run system that might be infested with spyware or be insecure in some other fashion. I've been using open source software for the past eight or nine months, and if you haven't installed a distro in that time frame, then you just don't know how simple it really is nowadays. Simpler, faster, cheaper, and easier to install than Windows and OS X. And I've tried all three variants extensively. Rock solid stable and secure, and able to run on computers that were built in the nineties. I don't know any system outside of open source that can say the same. It's truly astounding. And it's only getting easier and better every day. The price remains the same, however.
Here are a couple of interesting links that have truly nothing to do with open source; I'm off to have a bit of fun, will update as time allows.