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Groups > comp.os.linux.misc > #86869

Re: Linux to be illegal in California?

From Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com>
Newsgroups comp.os.linux.misc
Subject Re: Linux to be illegal in California?
Date 2026-05-18 21:12 +0000
Organization Deepwoods Software
Message-ID <10ufvbq$2q85o$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References (2 earlier) <10u843m$hvvd$1@dont-email.me> <10ub04s$1ajlh$3@dont-email.me> <10uclqs$1omrb$1@dont-email.me> <slrn110mu14.arp.spamtrap42@one.localnet> <gjasdmxav5.ln2@Telcontar.valinor>

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At Mon, 18 May 2026 22:49:20 +0200 "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

> 
> On 2026-05-18 22:35, Robert Riches wrote:
> > On 2026-05-17, rbowman <bowman@montana.com> wrote:
> >> On Sun, 17 May 2026 15:11:25 -0000 (UTC), Rich wrote:
> >>
> >>> But, where *they* could go (note, no idea if the politicians will ever
> >>> reach this point) is requiring some "government authenticator" be used
> >>> for accessing networked services (i.e., for accessing the internet) [1].
> >>>   You would need to use a govt. issued ID (drivers license for US
> >>> residents, national ID card for much of the rest of the world) to
> >>> authenticate your age with the "Age-ta" govt. system, and all internet
> >>> services (i.e., all websites) which "might" in some way happen to
> >>> sometimes offer up "age inappropriate" content [2] to also use the govt
> >>> "Age-ta" system to authenticate that you are indeed "old-enough" to be
> >>> served content.
> >>
> >> The camel's nose is in the tent with the Social Security Administration.
> >> There are two schemes for verification; pick one. I believe both require a
> >> DL or equivalent and a facial photo. Fortunately I don't have to log into
> >> their site.
> > 
> > For those in the US, the IRS is even worse.  They have only one
> > option for authentication, ID.Me.  That option requires either a
> > selfie or a video chat.  My main desktop machine doesn't do
> > selfies, and it doesn't do video chat because it's behind double
> > IPv4 NAT, which Zoom chokes on.  My 4G flip phone doesn't really
> > do selfies, and its browser is way too limited to do video chat.
> > 
> > So, instead of getting a direct deposit from the IRS in April,
> > I'm expecting my refund by paper check in the second half of
> > June--unless the IRS finds yet another way to delay it.  The
> > direct deposit information was perfectly readable on my paper tax
> > return document.  The IRS's OCR just couldn't read it, probably
> > because a few of the digits touched the bounding box.
> 
> In Spain, we no longer fill the taxes in paper, but when we did, years 
> back, there was a page with several large graphical bit codes that 
> scanners could read easily. That was the only part that mattered, they 
> did not OCR the document at all.
> 
> The documents were generated by Acrobat Reader, so not really an open 
> format, which is one reason they disappeared and now we fill them only 
> online.

The problem with "on-line" filing in the US is that the IRS does not have a
way for people filing their to just upload the forms or even to directly fill
them out electronicly directly with the IRS. Instead, there are a number of
*commercial* entities that you can file your taxes with (for a fee for
non-trivial filings), but it is not a direct form filling out, it is some
cutely coded website that is "User Friendly". Well, maybe if you have a dumb
and simple tax return. But if you have even a slightly more complicated tax
return, especially if you are filing a Sced. C {business) and Sched. 4562
(Depreciation), User Friendly becomes really not so friendly. I only bothered
with on-line filing for a couple of years before giving it up and going back
to paper forms. (I use OTS (Open Tax Solver), which generates the forms, I
think using the fill-in forms. The only I have to fill in is the 4562. And I
write a little Tcl program to deal with the Depreciation.

> 

-- 
Robert Heller             -- Cell: 413-658-7953 GV: 978-633-5364
Deepwoods Software        -- Custom Software Services
http://www.deepsoft.com/  -- Linux Administration Services
heller@deepsoft.com       -- Webhosting Services

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Thread

Linux to be illegal in California? Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-05-12 17:33 +0200
  Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2026-05-12 08:57 -0700
    Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2026-05-12 18:16 +0000
      Re: Linux to be illegal in California? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-13 04:52 +0000
        Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2026-05-13 14:25 +0000
      Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-05-13 08:40 +0200
      Re: Linux to be illegal in California? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-13 12:48 +0100
        Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2026-05-13 14:31 +0000
          Re: Linux to be illegal in California? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-13 17:49 +0000
            Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2026-05-13 18:55 +0000
              Re: Linux to be illegal in California? ram@zedat.fu-berlin.de (Stefan Ram) - 2026-05-13 19:13 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-13 22:41 +0200
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-14 02:05 +0000
              Re: Linux to be illegal in California? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-14 02:01 +0000
    Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-05-13 08:38 +0200
      Re: Linux to be illegal in California? gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2026-05-13 13:12 +0000
        Re: Linux to be illegal in California? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-13 17:57 +0000
          Age verification methods (Was: Linux to be illegal in California?) gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2026-05-13 18:26 +0000
            Re: Age verification methods (Was: Linux to be illegal in California?) "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-13 22:44 +0200
          Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Robert Riches <spamtrap42@jacob21819.net> - 2026-05-14 03:31 +0000
  Re: Linux to be illegal in California? John McCue <jmclnx@gmail.com.invalid> - 2026-05-12 20:45 +0000
    Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-05-13 06:18 +0200
      Re: Linux to be illegal in California? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-13 00:24 -0400
        Re: Linux to be illegal in California? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-13 12:55 +0100
          Re: Linux to be illegal in California? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-13 17:54 +0000
      Re: Linux to be illegal in California? John McCue <jmclnx@gmail.com.invalid> - 2026-05-13 17:15 +0000
        Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-05-14 05:44 +0200
        Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2026-05-15 20:29 +0000
          Re: Linux to be illegal in California? John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com> - 2026-05-15 13:50 -0700
          Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2026-05-15 21:44 +0000
            Re: Linux to be illegal in California? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-16 08:42 +0200
              Re: Linux to be illegal in California? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-16 03:04 -0400
              Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-05-16 08:15 +0000
            Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2026-05-16 08:56 +0000
              Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-05-16 23:55 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2026-05-17 10:59 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2026-05-17 15:11 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-17 16:44 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Robert Riches <spamtrap42@jacob21819.net> - 2026-05-18 20:35 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-18 22:49 +0200
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-05-18 21:09 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-19 12:16 +0200
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2026-05-18 21:12 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-19 00:54 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-05-19 02:13 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-19 05:08 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-19 02:03 -0400
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-19 09:03 +0100
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-19 00:50 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-05-18 21:06 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-17 19:59 +0200
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-05-17 22:42 +0000
          Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-05-16 00:37 +0000
            Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2026-05-16 09:16 +0000
              Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Borax Man <boraxman@geidiprime.invalid> - 2026-05-16 12:35 +0000
            Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-16 10:59 +0100
          Re: Linux to be illegal in California? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-16 08:44 +0200
            Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-05-16 08:13 +0000
              Re: Linux to be illegal in California? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-16 23:42 -0400
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-17 06:07 +0100
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-17 02:17 -0400
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-17 10:28 +0100
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-17 16:53 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-17 21:02 +0100
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2026-05-17 15:25 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-17 16:52 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2026-05-17 18:19 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-05-18 21:18 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-19 00:44 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2026-05-18 18:01 -0700
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-18 21:57 -0400
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-19 12:18 +0200
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-19 04:58 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-19 02:38 -0400
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2026-05-17 15:12 +0000
            Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2026-05-16 09:29 +0000
              Re: Linux to be illegal in California? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-16 11:41 +0200
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Roger Blake <rogblake@iname.invalid> - 2026-05-16 22:21 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-17 14:43 +0200
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Roger Blake <rogblake@iname.invalid> - 2026-05-17 13:08 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-05-17 22:49 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Roger Blake <rogblake@iname.invalid> - 2026-05-18 12:34 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-05-19 02:05 +0000
              Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Borax Man <boraxman@geidiprime.invalid> - 2026-05-16 12:32 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2026-05-16 09:49 -0700
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-16 21:32 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Borax Man <boraxman@geidiprime.invalid> - 2026-05-18 12:44 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2026-05-16 20:40 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-16 23:09 +0200
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-16 21:27 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-16 22:14 +0200
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Borax Man <boraxman@geidiprime.invalid> - 2026-05-18 12:37 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-18 13:48 +0100
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-18 18:09 +0200
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-18 16:14 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-05-19 02:07 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-19 04:52 +0000
              Re: Linux to be illegal in California? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-16 21:16 +0000
        Re: Linux to be illegal in California? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-15 22:54 +0200
          Re: Linux to be illegal in California? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-15 23:56 -0400
            Re: Linux to be illegal in California? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-16 08:47 +0200
              Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-05-16 08:11 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-16 11:24 +0200
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam2616@zugschl.us> - 2026-05-16 20:15 +0200
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-16 22:05 +0200
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Roger Blake <rogblake@iname.invalid> - 2026-05-16 22:24 +0000
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2026-05-16 16:21 -0700
                Re: Linux to be illegal in California? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-16 23:38 -0400
  Re: Linux to be illegal in California? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-13 12:44 +0100

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