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Hey, here is some clarification on the browser tests from NSS Labs: http://nsslabs.blogspot.com/2010/12/stopping-malware-with-browser.html http://nsslabs.blogspot.com/2010/12/threat-types-and-terminology.html This should clear up some of the questions. And for full disclosure, yes, I do work there.

For FUCK'S sake, cite the fucking original source not what has been passed through all these useless parasites regurgitating while diluting and colouring whatever facts there were at each step? So, it took me 2 whole minutes to find at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/world/europe/19assange.html

What next: A Tweet referring to a blog copying a Usenet post... How can the editors let these douchebags promote their worthless blogs like this, in the guise of a news story they've plagiarised from someone else?

Netbeans developers claim that fowl play is at the heart of the latest Eclipse GUI code and existing steps in that direction may have been responsible for Eclipse's legendary slowness. The developers' claims stem from their exploratory search of the donated code, where a new GUI code a class called "Beak" was found to contain methods such as doPeck(), doSquark(), doScratch(). Further suspicions were raised when an existing Eclipse non-GUI class called Headless was found to be extending Thread class while overriding the run() method.

Apache foundation members were heard murmuring that these revelations should be no surprise given the way the Eclipse Foundation members voted in the recent JCP vote.

But it never went further than the first (successful) trial:

http://myapplenewton.blogspot.com/2009/05/apple-newton-in-combat.html

http://homepage.mac.com/matthewboulanger/NewtonandGPS.html

William

Here's a good reason to move beyond PAF (it's not been actively developed for a long time): http://genealogysstar.blogspot.com/2009/01/beyond-paf-lineage-linked-database.html

""IP Reputation" systems are basically a step beyond DNSBLs (which only consider things as white vs black). There is a decent explanation in Wikipedia's Sender's IP verification section of their E-mail authentication article" - by Khopesh (112447) on Saturday December 18, @01:54PM (#34601326) Homepage

Thanks - that's to BOTH yourself, and SuricouRavenn, who also replied here in regards to "IP Reputation" & what it is (I have a message for SuricouRavenn here also -> http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1903798&cid=34559886 regarding Windows Defender/Microsoft Security Essentials) - thank you!

I do MUCH THE SAME as a DNSBL, albeit locally... via custom HOSTS files - here is why (long read, but detailed & I think you MAY find it, informative, possibly):

---

20++ ADVANTAGES OF HOSTS FILES OVER DNS SERVERS &/or ADBLOCK ALONE for added layered security:

1.) Adblock blocks ads in only 1 browser family (Disclaimer: Opera now has an AdBlock addon (now that Opera has addons above widgets), but I am not certain the same people make it as they do for FF or Chrome etc.).

2.) HOSTS files are useable for all these purposes because they are present on all Operating Systems that have a BSD based IP stack (even ANDROID) and do adblocking for ANY webbrowser, email program, etc. (any webbound program).

3.) Adblock doesn't protect email programs external to FF, Hosts files do. THIS IS GOOD VS. SPAM MAIL or MAILS THAT BEAR MALICIOUS SCRIPT, or, THAT POINT TO MALICIOUS SCRIPT VIA URLS etc.

4.) Adblock won't get you to your favorite sites if a DNS server goes down or is DNS-poisoned, hosts will (this leads to points 4-7 next below).

5.) Adblock doesn't allow you to hardcode in your favorite websites into it so you don't make DNS server calls and so you can avoid tracking by DNS request logs, hosts do (DNS servers are also being abused by the Chinese lately and by the Kaminsky flaw -> http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/082908-kaminsky-flaw-prompts-dns-server.html for years now). Hosts protect against those problems via hardcodes of your fav sites (you should verify against the TLD that does nothing but cache IPAddress-to-domainname/hostname resolutions via NSLOOKUP, PINGS, &/or WHOIS though, regularly, so you have the correct IP & it's current)).

6.) HOSTS files protect you vs. DNS-poisoning &/or the Kaminsky flaw in DNS servers, and allow you to get to sites reliably vs. things like the Chinese are doing to DNS -> http://yro.slashdot.org/story/10/11/29/1755230/Chinese-DNS-Tampering-a-Real-Threat-To-Outsiders

7.) AdBlock doesn't let you block out known bad sites or servers that are known to be maliciously scripted, hosts can and many reputable lists for this exist:

GOOD INFORMATION ON MALWARE BEHAVIOR LISTING BOTNET C&C SERVERS + MORE (AS WELL AS REMOVAL LISTS FOR HOSTS):

http://ddanchev.blogspot.com/
http://www.malware.com.br/lists.shtml
http://www.stopbadware.org/
http://blog.fireeye.com/
http://mtc.sri.com/
http://news.netcraft.com/
http://www.shadowserver.org/

REGULARLY UPDATED HOSTS FILES SITES (reputable/reliable sources):

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
http://someonewhocares.org/hosts/

"1) Russian criminals have control over the wikileaks.org and wikileaks.info domains and are distributing malware. The current real wikileaks website is wikileaks.ch." - by Anthony Mouse (1927662) on Saturday December 18, @08:04PM (#34603730)

ping wikileaks.ch IS YOUR FRIEND!

Enter the result of that into your custom HOSTS file (Windows: %WinDir%\system32\drivers\etc OR on LINUX: root/etc OR ON ANDROID PHONES: by mounting the system mountpoint first, w/ read + WRITE ability, & then using the SDK tool ADB to PUSH the new HOSTS file into the etc folder there, overwriting the stock-oem model)

E.G.-> (from MY "ping" result, that would go into a HOSTS file for this):

178.21.20.9 wikileaks.ch

PUT THAT INTO YOUR CUSTOM HOSTS FILE (after pinging wikileaks.ch, because the IP address you come up with MAY be different than that which I come up with here).

That's doing a "whitelisting" in your HOSTS file, w/ the proper IPAddress - to - HOST/DOMAINName resolution, so you reach that site (and, you avoid DNS request log tracking in doing so also, bonus, because you NEVER USE THE ISP/BSP (or other) DNS server, period).

---

"2) Spamhaus has been telling people about (1). 3) The Russian criminals are now retaliating by using their botnets to DDoS Spamhaus under the flag of AnonOps." - by Anthony Mouse (1927662) on Saturday December 18, @08:04PM (#34603730)

Hey - They're easy to beat too (Russian criminals), & also by using a HOSTS file...

Albeit, this time, NOT FOR WHITELISTING A SITE, but, rather for "blacklisting" the sites/servers they use or redirect you to, for loading malware onto your systems!

(Between that, & using NoScript or turning off javascript period, you ARE PROTECTED (you really only need it for database accesses when you come down to it, to do "real things" (not playtime stuff, or eyecandy) usually, after all)).

APK

P.S.=> Reputable, reliable, & regularly updated sources for blacklisting data for a HOSTS file are as follows:

GOOD INFORMATION ON MALWARE BEHAVIOR LISTING BOTNET C&C SERVERS + MORE (AS WELL AS REMOVAL LISTS FOR HOSTS):

http://ddanchev.blogspot.com/
http://www.malware.com.br/lists.shtml
http://www.stopbadware.org/
http://blog.fireeye.com/
http://mtc.sri.com/
http://news.netcraft.com/
http://www.shadowserver.org/

REGULARLY UPDATED HOSTS FILES SITES (reputable/reliable sources):

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
http://someonewhocares.org/hosts/
http://hostsfile.org/hosts.html
http://hostsfile.mine.nu/downloads/
http://hosts-file.net/?s=Download
https://zeustracker.abuse.ch/monitor.php?filter=online
Spybot "Search & Destroy" IMMUNIZE feature (fortifies HOSTS files with KNOWN bad servers blocked)

And yes: Even SLASHDOT &/or The Register help!

(Via articles on security (when the source articles they use are "detailed" that is, & list the servers/sites involved in attempting to bushwhack others online that is... not ALL do!)).

2 examples thereof in the past I have used, & noted it there, are/were:

http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1898692&cid=34473398

I had problems with Gmail's web mail, until I started playing with the HTML connections.
http://eugenesopinions.blogspot.com/2010/08/why-googles-services-eg-gmail-analytics.html
If you have any questions, then please ask the questions at the blog.

*Blog link: http://kfmonkey.blogspot.com/

You do know that he makes zero money from the foundation?

Yeah, right.

I suspect there are more than a few Hondurans, Guatemalans, Nicaraguans, El Salvadorians, Belizians, Costa Ricans, and Panamanians who would take exception to that statement

Have you been to any of those countries? When you travel down there, you'll see that they all proudly proclaim that they're part of "Central America." They puposely distance themselves from North or South America. For example, here's a Belizean license plate:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1AAaANrTdAM/SgHAxpUOqcI/AAAAAAAABKg/MVvHKJR7EWI/s400/belize.jpg

The C.A. on the plate stands for "Central America."

Back when Jimbo's former right-hand man, Danny Wool, got the boot, he started letting slip how fast-and-loose King Jimmy The Embezzler really plays with Wikipedia finances.

Yeah. Wikipedia doesn't need money. They just need to jettison dead weight like Mad King Jimmy.

I was researching the Solar two power plant that is now shut down in the Mojave Desert.
I have actually been out to the site and knew the former owner.

It was a molten Salt plant.

http://thegreentank.blogspot.com/2009/09/solar-power-plant-links.html

Remember that time Google promised to hand out 10 million dollars, based on poorly conceptualized public participation, and then ran the participation part of it, got huge press for it, and then...

Oh that is right, they actually gave 50,000,000 dollars ($10 mil each for 5 projects).

So you are saying they will roll out Fiber to 5 times as many places as they promise?

http://donhall.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-fundraisingadvertising-model.html Jeffe Otte, begging maintains dignity and is infinitely cooler than selling out your principles. It's called laziness when you don't want to fundraise yourself. Our society is forgetting the human aspect of a public cause. Administrative work can be outsourced, but what is lost is integrity and neutrality of the organization. Moderators may have biases, but no organization should have a dominating influence on an encyclopedia, the largest repository of knowledge in existence. The above link shows why a bunch of theatre companies in Chicago would rather say great things about a bank they know very little of by having their logo on their Facebook page for a measly $20,000 award to the theatre group with the most votes. Instead of theatre groups asking for donations themselves, it became about Chase bank at every theatre group in Chicago that participated. Suddenly, off-loop theatre seems a lot less soulless. That was one little idea. I'd rather stare at Jimmy Wales's face for an urgent appeal than listen to advertisements abuot how great such and such product is when there's 20 wikipedia entries of better products. Guess which entries would be removed if such an organization bought rights to those pages? Does it happen elsewhere? Certainly Could it happen here? Certainly.

20++ ADVANTAGES OF HOSTS FILES OVER DNS SERVERS &/or ADBLOCK ALONE for added layered security:

1.) Adblock blocks ads in only 1 browser family (Disclaimer: Opera now has an AdBlock addon (now that Opera has addons above widgets), but I am not certain the same people make it as they do for FF or Chrome etc.).

2.) HOSTS files are useable for all these purposes because they are present on all Operating Systems that have a BSD based IP stack (even ANDROID) and do adblocking for ANY webbrowser, email program, etc. (any webbound program).

3.) Adblock doesn't protect email programs external to FF, Hosts files do. THIS IS GOOD VS. SPAM MAIL or MAILS THAT BEAR MALICIOUS SCRIPT, or, THAT POINT TO MALICIOUS SCRIPT VIA URLS etc.

4.) Adblock won't get you to your favorite sites if a DNS server goes down or is DNS-poisoned, hosts will (this leads to points 4-7 next below).

5.) Adblock doesn't allow you to hardcode in your favorite websites into it so you don't make DNS server calls and so you can avoid tracking by DNS request logs, hosts do (DNS servers are also being abused by the Chinese lately and by the Kaminsky flaw -> http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/082908-kaminsky-flaw-prompts-dns-server.html for years now). Hosts protect against those problems via hardcodes of your fav sites (you should verify against the TLD that does nothing but cache IPAddress-to-domainname/hostname resolutions via NSLOOKUP, PINGS, &/or WHOIS though, regularly, so you have the correct IP & it's current)).

6.) HOSTS files protect you vs. DNS-poisoning &/or the Kaminsky flaw in DNS servers, and allow you to get to sites reliably vs. things like the Chinese are doing to DNS -> http://yro.slashdot.org/story/10/11/29/1755230/Chinese-DNS-Tampering-a-Real-Threat-To-Outsiders

7.) AdBlock doesn't let you block out known bad sites or servers that are known to be maliciously scripted, hosts can and many reputable lists for this exist:

GOOD INFORMATION ON MALWARE BEHAVIOR LISTING BOTNET C&C SERVERS + MORE (AS WELL AS REMOVAL LISTS FOR HOSTS):

http://ddanchev.blogspot.com/
http://www.malware.com.br/lists.shtml
http://www.stopbadware.org/
http://blog.fireeye.com/
http://mtc.sri.com/
http://news.netcraft.com/
http://www.shadowserver.org/

REGULARLY UPDATED HOSTS FILES SITES (reputable/reliable sources):

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
http://someonewhocares.org/hosts/
http://hostsfile.org/hosts.html
http://hostsfile.mine.nu/downloads/
http://hosts-file.net/?s=Download
https://zeustracker.abuse.ch/monitor.php?filter=online
Spybot "Search & Destroy" IMMUNIZE feature (fortifies HOSTS files with KNOWN bad servers blocked)

And yes: Even SLASHDOT &/or The Register help!

(Via articles on security (when the source articles they use are "detailed" that is, & list the servers/sites involved in attempting to bushwhack others online that is... not ALL do!)).

2 examples thereof in the past I have used, & noted it there, are/were:

http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1898692&cid=34473398

20++ ADVANTAGES OF HOSTS FILES OVER DNS SERVERS &/or ADBLOCK ALONE for added layered security:

1.) Adblock blocks ads in only 1 browser family (Disclaimer: Opera now has an AdBlock addon (now that Opera has addons above widgets), but I am not certain the same people make it as they do for FF or Chrome etc.).

2.) HOSTS files are useable for all these purposes because they are present on all Operating Systems that have a BSD based IP stack (even ANDROID) and do adblocking for ANY webbrowser, email program, etc. (any webbound program).

3.) Adblock doesn't protect email programs external to FF, Hosts files do. THIS IS GOOD VS. SPAM MAIL or MAILS THAT BEAR MALICIOUS SCRIPT, or, THAT POINT TO MALICIOUS SCRIPT VIA URLS etc.

4.) Adblock won't get you to your favorite sites if a DNS server goes down or is DNS-poisoned, hosts will (this leads to points 4-7 next below).

5.) Adblock doesn't allow you to hardcode in your favorite websites into it so you don't make DNS server calls and so you can avoid tracking by DNS request logs, hosts do (DNS servers are also being abused by the Chinese lately and by the Kaminsky flaw -> http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/082908-kaminsky-flaw-prompts-dns-server.html for years now). Hosts protect against those problems via hardcodes of your fav sites (you should verify against the TLD that does nothing but cache IPAddress-to-domainname/hostname resolutions via NSLOOKUP, PINGS, &/or WHOIS though, regularly, so you have the correct IP & it's current)).

6.) HOSTS files protect you vs. DNS-poisoning &/or the Kaminsky flaw in DNS servers, and allow you to get to sites reliably vs. things like the Chinese are doing to DNS -> http://yro.slashdot.org/story/10/11/29/1755230/Chinese-DNS-Tampering-a-Real-Threat-To-Outsiders

7.) AdBlock doesn't let you block out known bad sites or servers that are known to be maliciously scripted, hosts can and many reputable lists for this exist:

GOOD INFORMATION ON MALWARE BEHAVIOR LISTING BOTNET C&C SERVERS + MORE (AS WELL AS REMOVAL LISTS FOR HOSTS):

http://ddanchev.blogspot.com/
http://www.malware.com.br/lists.shtml
http://www.stopbadware.org/
http://blog.fireeye.com/
http://mtc.sri.com/
http://news.netcraft.com/
http://www.shadowserver.org/

REGULARLY UPDATED HOSTS FILES SITES (reputable/reliable sources):

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
http://someonewhocares.org/hosts/
http://hostsfile.org/hosts.html
http://hostsfile.mine.nu/downloads/
http://hosts-file.net/?s=Download
https://zeustracker.abuse.ch/monitor.php?filter=online
Spybot "Search & Destroy" IMMUNIZE feature (fortifies HOSTS files with KNOWN bad servers blocked)

And yes: Even SLASHDOT &/or The Register help!

(Via articles on security (when the source articles they use are "detailed" that is, & list the servers/sites involved in attempting to bushwhack others online that is... not ALL do!)).

2 examples thereof in the past I have used, & noted it there, are/were:

http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1898692&cid=34473398

20++ ADVANTAGES OF HOSTS FILES OVER DNS SERVERS &/or ADBLOCK ALONE for added layered security:

1.) Adblock blocks ads in only 1 browser family (Disclaimer: Opera now has an AdBlock addon (now that Opera has addons above widgets), but I am not certain the same people make it as they do for FF or Chrome etc.).

2.) HOSTS files are useable for all these purposes because they are present on all Operating Systems that have a BSD based IP stack (even ANDROID) and do adblocking for ANY webbrowser, email program, etc. (any webbound program).

3.) Adblock doesn't protect email programs external to FF, Hosts files do. THIS IS GOOD VS. SPAM MAIL or MAILS THAT BEAR MALICIOUS SCRIPT, or, THAT POINT TO MALICIOUS SCRIPT VIA URLS etc.

4.) Adblock won't get you to your favorite sites if a DNS server goes down or is DNS-poisoned, hosts will (this leads to points 4-7 next below).

5.) Adblock doesn't allow you to hardcode in your favorite websites into it so you don't make DNS server calls and so you can avoid tracking by DNS request logs, hosts do (DNS servers are also being abused by the Chinese lately and by the Kaminsky flaw -> http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/082908-kaminsky-flaw-prompts-dns-server.html for years now). Hosts protect against those problems via hardcodes of your fav sites (you should verify against the TLD that does nothing but cache IPAddress-to-domainname/hostname resolutions via NSLOOKUP, PINGS, &/or WHOIS though, regularly, so you have the correct IP & it's current)).

6.) HOSTS files protect you vs. DNS-poisoning &/or the Kaminsky flaw in DNS servers, and allow you to get to sites reliably vs. things like the Chinese are doing to DNS -> http://yro.slashdot.org/story/10/11/29/1755230/Chinese-DNS-Tampering-a-Real-Threat-To-Outsiders

7.) AdBlock doesn't let you block out known bad sites or servers that are known to be maliciously scripted, hosts can and many reputable lists for this exist:

GOOD INFORMATION ON MALWARE BEHAVIOR LISTING BOTNET C&C SERVERS + MORE (AS WELL AS REMOVAL LISTS FOR HOSTS):

http://ddanchev.blogspot.com/
http://www.malware.com.br/lists.shtml
http://www.stopbadware.org/
http://blog.fireeye.com/
http://mtc.sri.com/
http://news.netcraft.com/
http://www.shadowserver.org/

REGULARLY UPDATED HOSTS FILES SITES (reputable/reliable sources):

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
http://someonewhocares.org/hosts/
http://hostsfile.org/hosts.html
http://hostsfile.mine.nu/downloads/
http://hosts-file.net/?s=Download
https://zeustracker.abuse.ch/monitor.php?filter=online
Spybot "Search & Destroy" IMMUNIZE feature (fortifies HOSTS files with KNOWN bad servers blocked)

And yes: Even SLASHDOT &/or The Register help!

(Via articles on security (when the source articles they use are "detailed" that is, & list the servers/sites involved in attempting to bushwhack others online that is... not ALL do!)).

2 examples thereof in the past I have used, & noted it there, are/were:

http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1898692&cid=34473398

Companies, Universities and even public organizations are moving to Gmail and other Google services (http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/three-million-businesses-have-gone.html).

And those organizations have terrible security policies. Plenty move, but ones with real security policies don't. In order to host data for LA County, everyone that has access to a computer that has data(including the janitor at the data center) needs an FBI level background check. The "cloud" doesn't play nice with that, since that data is distributed all over the States/world

"Reading the report, it sounds like they were just testing the browsers' databases of known malware/phishing sites" - by gman003 (1693318) on Wednesday December 15, @03:51PM (#34565790)

Per my subject-line above? With a GOOD UP-TO-DATE HOSTS FILE?? You don't even NEED to do that!

I update mine daily, from these reliable & reputable sources (for blocking out KNOWN bad sites/servers/host-domain names etc.):

GOOD INFORMATION ON MALWARE BEHAVIOR LISTING BOTNET C&C SERVERS + MORE (AS WELL AS REMOVAL LISTS FOR HOSTS):

http://ddanchev.blogspot.com/
http://www.malware.com.br/lists.shtml
http://www.stopbadware.org/
http://blog.fireeye.com/
http://mtc.sri.com/
http://news.netcraft.com/
http://www.shadowserver.org/

REGULARLY UPDATED HOSTS FILES SITES (reputable/reliable sources):

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
http://someonewhocares.org/hosts/
http://hostsfile.org/hosts.html
http://hostsfile.mine.nu/downloads/
http://hosts-file.net/?s=Download
https://zeustracker.abuse.ch/monitor.php?filter=online
Spybot "Search & Destroy" IMMUNIZE feature (fortifies HOSTS files with KNOWN bad servers blocked)

And yes: Even SLASHDOT &/or The Register help!

(Via articles on security (when the source articles they use are "detailed" that is, & list the servers/sites involved in attempting to bushwhacker others online that is... not ALL do!)).

2 examples thereof in the past I have used, & noted it there, are/were:

http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1898692&cid=34473398
http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1896216&cid=34458500

---

So, IF/WHEN you have a HOSTS file that has up to date blocking data in it? There's really no real need to do "browser based checks" of URL's, other than for "layered-security" purposes (which isn't a BAD THING TO DO, & it's the "current trend" for better security online).

Besides: IE, FireFox, and Opera ALL have methods for blocking out known bad sites already:

---

Opera has URLFILTER.INI (Spybot S&D populates this, alongside the Opera community doing updates to it too)

FireFox has an analog to Opera's filter file (which is what SpyBot S&D populates alongside a HOSTS file too vs. known bad sites)

IE has "restricted zones"

---

Still - the folks @ MS doing this in IE9 (which I use here)? Not a bad thing at all, for "layered-security"...

APK

P.S.=> Even the folks @ WIKIPEDIA aren't against blacklists like HOSTS:

---

PERTINENT QUOTE/EXCERPT (from -> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/12/16/wikileaks_mirror_malware_warning_row/ )

"we are in favour of 'Blacklists', be it for mail servers or websites

---

Why? Well, because they work... especially for layered security online... apk

That's a great list. One item on the list, "External security provider", has huge security implications for PostgreSQL down the road.

Who, exacly, is fed up with the "cloud" besides we, the average slashdotters? People are using "cloud" services more and more, like Facebook, Flickr, Gmail, etc. Companies, Universities and even public organizations are moving to Gmail and other Google services (http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/three-million-businesses-have-gone.html).

Where are this people moving from the "cloud" to locally based applications and services?

Meaning... lotsa businesses. You think that those businesses (trying to save a buck by moving into the "cloud") are going to buy new ChromeOS-powered netbooks for their employees to continue working?

I'm sort-of seeing the netbooks and the "cloud for businesses" as two separated market segments (and the very definition of a market segment says that what happens with the prices/sale-volumes in one won't influence what happens in others: if not so, the market segmentation is faulty).

Who, exacly, is fed up with the "cloud" besides we, the average slashdotters? People are using "cloud" services more and more, like Facebook, Flickr, Gmail, etc. Companies, Universities and even public organizations are moving to Gmail and other Google services (http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/three-million-businesses-have-gone.html).

Where are this people moving from the "cloud" to locally based applications and services?

Your characterization fails to convey that you understand why he says what he does. Freedom, for its own sake, is worth pursuing. He doesn't make his claims exaggerating and mischaracterizing like you do ("the universe will explode"). He gives frank and factual examinations of reality showing where a loss of freedom leads to people losing their rights. You picked a particularly poor time to make your half-hearted critique as right now Amazon has again been caught removing e-books from customer's "Kindle" devices, including Amazon workers chastising those seeking a refund for the e-books that have been taken from them without their consent. It's not hard to see how paying for an e-book you don't get to keep and having someone else choose what you're allowed to read on your device is bad for people. Things like this help us understand why Stallman refers to the Amazon Kindle as the Amazon Swindle. He saw stuff like this happening many years ago and wrote his dystopic short story about the practical consequences of non-freedom. Check out his reaction to a 2005 incident when a Harry Potter book was sold before its intended for-sale date; I haven't read anyone else give a cogent thoughtful analysis like he did.

You said "Like most other expressions of concern that come from brother Stallman" and then cited none. Your followup cites nothing. Saying "not that his concerns are never valid" is meaningless because nobody is wrong all the time; you're saying that as a shield so you can come back later and claim that your objections only contain mild inaccuracies when your theme is profoundly wrong and undefended. You seem to want to criticize Stallman for being unpopular (with an audience that should know better than to accept claims like yours without specific evidence, quite frankly) yet you ignore the examples he points to and what's going on around you.

There are number of developments. Challenge to find backdoor: http://maycontaintracesofbolts.blogspot.com/2010/12/openbsd-ipsec-backdoor-allegations.html Jason Wright's response: http://marc.info/?l=openbsd-tech&m=129244045916861&w=2

The games that promised to go open source from the previous Humble Bundle did follow through. From the humble site:

As of 5/11/10, Aquaria, Gish, Lugaru HD, and Penumbra Overture pledge to go open source.

Announcements and source code links:
Aquaria goes open source.
Lugara goes open source.
Gish goes open source.
Penumbra goes open source.

The games that promised to go open source from the previous Humble Bundle did follow through. From the humble site:

As of 5/11/10, Aquaria, Gish, Lugaru HD, and Penumbra Overture pledge to go open source.

Announcements and source code links:
Aquaria goes open source.
Lugara goes open source.
Gish goes open source.
Penumbra goes open source.

First of all, I'd like to say that I'm a huge proponent of Chrome OS. I did a month-long "live in a browser" stint two years ago.

That said, this is an extension of what I've been doing for years: back up my apps with debconf-get-selections and keep a backup of my files. It's nothing new (even my backups weren't local before). The only real difference? This is seamless.

http://inphobe.blogspot.com/2009/07/mining-saturns-rings.html

Great source of natural resources, all ground up and separated by density, but we have to stake our claim before some aliens use it all up

Hi mattack2,

I wouldnt "have" anyone die, human or nonhuman. I certainly wouldnt kill one person to save one other, or two others. Do you think to act as such would be ethical?

All animal use is equal, why, or perhaps better, how would we rank evils?

Its as easy to be Vegan as not, and its the least other animals deserve.

If you are further interested, might I suggest this recent post on my blog, in regards to speaking out for respect towards other animals. I mention both The Animals Film , and Earthlings, while I never normally bring them up, I dont believe actual footage helps initially, its important we actually *know* what we are doing to others. You mentioned the awful "experiments" and "testing" we force on other animals:

http://coexistingwithnonhumananimals.blogspot.com/2010/12/iphone-or-ipod-touch-is-activists-best.html

For anyone else interested in Veganism, I'd recommend again

http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/

Thanks for replying to me mattack2 :-)

Actually, look at the various states where those same people were up in arms when SCOTUS ruled against those displays.

As for Cuccinelli...you can judge a person for the company he keeps and the comments he makes:
http://gayrights.change.org/blog/view/for_ken_cuccinelli_discrimination_is_funny

As a heterosexual who happens to be a Hispanic but not a Christian, people like this concern me. And any politician that cozies up to Falwell and his Liberty U....definitely deserves careful watching.

Add in the stuff found here http://americanloons.blogspot.com/2010/10/91-ken-cuccinelli.html (which gives links to his lunacy)...and we should be scared when he charges into court because HE thinks something is unconstitutional!

I went on a hike to Trolltunga in Spring and had better phone coverage over the whole trip than I did in NYC. It does seem weird to me that I can sit on a mountaintop in the middle of a huge national park and get great 3G coverage, but in America's most populous city I can't have a five minute phone conversation without getting the call dropped. The usual retort is that Norway has tons of oil and so can afford great infrastructure, but Sweden and Finland manage pretty well on relatively meagre GDPs.

The one constant guarantee when it comes to stories on slashdot about American broadband coverage (or lack thereof) is that someone will point out how vast the US is compared to Japan and that is why the coverage is so shit. Except in the US the coverage also sucks for wireless broadband in the major cities, and the coverage in Scandinavia is world-leading despite having a population densities well below of that in the US. (Norway and Finland have almost half the population densities). The obvious reason why the infrastructure sucks is that it's not getting invested in.

Exhibit A: Beer Goggles for Gmail :)

I'm from Invercargill, New Zealand. Right now, I'm about ... 20KM or so from the "Living Cell Technologies facility", or so we can suppose, the location is "top secret".

Its a very interesting topic, I am Vegan, I see it as absolutely *horrid* that we would even think of harming other animals, we would not do this to Human animals...or would we?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guatemala_syphilis_experiment

What do you think happens in Gitmo, and Area 51?

As a local of the area, I can speak more in detail of what goes on, of the coverage at a local, and national level. Its basically treated as the second coming of jesus, that his will be a miracle cure, and *MOST IMPORTANTLY*, that our Mayor claims all the credit, for all the money that this WILL (because its going to succeed dammit) bring to the area.

For more on their story, of being left on a bunch of rocks just before Antartica for Whalers to kill, of being designated "an introduced species", who MUST be killed by our Department of "Conservation", apart from a few kept alive as a novelty, please visit my blog post. I include an Australian news video which shows a tour of the awful facility. To my knowledge, this sort of coverage has never occurred in my area, where this is happening, perhaps for fear of public backlash. I also include a letter I wrote to my local newspaper, which was answered by LCT:

http://coexistingwithnonhumananimals.blogspot.com/2010/05/video-of-pig-transplant-facility-in.html

To what end will we abuse others? Its as easy to be Vegan as not, and its the least other animals deserve.

To learn more about Veganism, please visit http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/ or try one these podcasts http://coexistingwithnonhumananimals.blogspot.com/2010/07/vegan-info.html

Jordan Wyatt
Invercargill Vegan Society

I'm from Invercargill, New Zealand. Right now, I'm about ... 20KM or so from the "Living Cell Technologies facility", or so we can suppose, the location is "top secret".

Its a very interesting topic, I am Vegan, I see it as absolutely *horrid* that we would even think of harming other animals, we would not do this to Human animals...or would we?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guatemala_syphilis_experiment

What do you think happens in Gitmo, and Area 51?

As a local of the area, I can speak more in detail of what goes on, of the coverage at a local, and national level. Its basically treated as the second coming of jesus, that his will be a miracle cure, and *MOST IMPORTANTLY*, that our Mayor claims all the credit, for all the money that this WILL (because its going to succeed dammit) bring to the area.

For more on their story, of being left on a bunch of rocks just before Antartica for Whalers to kill, of being designated "an introduced species", who MUST be killed by our Department of "Conservation", apart from a few kept alive as a novelty, please visit my blog post. I include an Australian news video which shows a tour of the awful facility. To my knowledge, this sort of coverage has never occurred in my area, where this is happening, perhaps for fear of public backlash. I also include a letter I wrote to my local newspaper, which was answered by LCT:

http://coexistingwithnonhumananimals.blogspot.com/2010/05/video-of-pig-transplant-facility-in.html

To what end will we abuse others? Its as easy to be Vegan as not, and its the least other animals deserve.

To learn more about Veganism, please visit http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/ or try one these podcasts http://coexistingwithnonhumananimals.blogspot.com/2010/07/vegan-info.html

Jordan Wyatt
Invercargill Vegan Society

Only if we let it happen.

http://anonops.blogspot.com/

"I'm starting to hate the internet. More and more it seems like the internet is turning into one big bug in the ass. I have to specifically opt out of fucking invasive bullshit toolbars that I didn't ask for, had no interest in, and no desire to have corrupting my machine. I got an idea for all you assholes who think that is the way to make money....HOWS ABOUT YOU WORK ON PROJECTS THAT MAKE US FREER RATHER THAN FURTHER CONFINE OR TRACK US??? Is it really so much to ask to be able to scan, upload, download, chat, skype, mud, "be on the web" without fear of being constantly surveiled? I'm not a tree. My psychological profile, shopping habits, surfing habits, political interests, are not "fruit" to be picked and sold on the market, and as such ARE NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS!!! If I want your shit, I will use the most powerful investigatory tool humankind has ever invented, find it myself, and possibly even buy it! If what you had to offer was worth having I might even buy it again. But, until that point, LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!

-Oz" -

Ok, then YOU of all people, want to read this (not selling anything here, HOSTS files free & you already have one (you just have to fill your OS' copy of your HOSTS file w/ the right data to stop a lot of the problems you complain of online, & reputable + reliable sources for currently updated HOSTS files are below)):

16++ ADVANTAGES OF HOSTS FILES OVER DNS SERVERS &/or ADBLOCK ALONE for added layered security:

1.) Adblock blocks ads in only 1 browser family (Disclaimer: Opera now has an AdBlock addon (now that Opera has addons above widgets), but I am not certain the same people make it as they do for FF or Chrome etc.).

2.) HOSTS files are useable for all these purposes because they are present on all Operating Systems that have a BSD based IP stack (even ANDROID) and do adblocking for ANY webbrowser, email program, etc. (any webbound program).

3.) Adblock doesn't protect email programs external to FF, Hosts files do. THIS IS GOOD VS. SPAM MAIL or MAILS THAT BEAR MALICIOUS SCRIPT, or, THAT POINT TO MALICIOUS SCRIPT VIA URLS etc.

4.) Adblock won't get you to your favorite sites if a DNS server goes down or is DNS-poisoned, hosts will (this leads to points 4-7 next below).

5.) Adblock doesn't allow you to hardcode in your favorite websites into it so you don't make DNS server calls and so you can avoid tracking by DNS request logs, hosts do (DNS servers are also being abused by the Chinese lately and by the Kaminsky flaw -> http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/082908-kaminsky-flaw-prompts-dns-server.html for years now). Hosts protect against those problems via hardcodes of your fav sites (you should verify against the TLD that does nothing but cache IPAddress-to-domainname/hostname resolutions via PINGS &/or WHOIS though, regularly, so you have the correct IP & it's current)).

6.) HOSTS files protect you vs. DNS-poisoning &/or the Kaminsky flaw in DNS servers, and allow you to get to sites reliably vs. things like the Chinese are doing to DNS -> http://yro.slashdot.org/story/10/11/29/1755230/Chinese-DNS-Tampering-a-Real-Threat-To-Outsiders

7.) AdBlock doesn't let you block out known bad sites or servers that are known to be maliciously scripted, hosts can and many reputable lists for this exist:

GOOD INFORMATION ON MALWARE BEHAVIOR LISTING BOTNET C&C SERVERS + MORE (AS WELL AS REMOVAL LISTS FOR HOSTS):

http://ddanchev.blogspot.com/
http://www.malware.com.br/lists.shtml
http://www.stopbadware.org/
http://blog.fireeye.com/

"I really don't think a step back from the shrinkage is too much to ask"

Especially since it's been done before.

To take an example from the GP, Android was (is) poor for game development until the later 2.3 Gingerbread release. Offline mode isn't a technologically blocking issue -- neither were games really -- but it will see eventual focus. Fortunately for you, most of the support work is already done. Google probably didn't want to do the boring app legwork until the fundamental issues are ironed out.

Langoliers Eat The Past

http://epistolatory.blogspot.com/2010/12/julian-assange-theater-from-it-security.html worth thinking about these issues.

hi LanMan04, People I love in my family have died horrid, slow deaths from cancer, men and women. It takes years to fully claim them, they've lost their breasts, their testicles, their will to live. The latest uncle to die was a living skeleton when he passed on. He really looked like that stereotypical "starving refuge". He couldnt eat towards the end, he couldnt walk, he could just sit...and hope for death.

I think its rather clear that "testing" and "experimenting" on nonhuman animals has not brought about change. We are rather different, as you can tell! :-) Really, if its sooooo important, and if "it would instantly save our loved ones who are dying right now of X", we should be rounding up orphans, right? "cause they're gonna die anyway..."?

I dont know of anyone who would publicly state that. I will fully stand firm and say I'm against "experimenting" on human animals, just as I am against nonhuman animals.

Neither are right, both are awful, rights violations. You're life is your own, and it is precious.

I know my relatives felt that way. But in the end, they wanted to die, rather than keep suffering. Near the end, I'd think both "experimented" on nonhumans, and my cancer suffering relatives lived rather similar lives. Both were awful, perhaps the humans were natural, they were born/caught their problem, for the nonhumans, its fair to assume we deliberately *caused* their problem.

There are enough Nonhumans out there who need our help now, without us harming more.

http://coexistingwithnonhumananimals.blogspot.com/2010/12/birdman-of-invercargill.html

If you are interested in Veganism, please visit www.abolitionistapproach.com to find out more.

As to #4, feel free to read the following with an open mind: http://bobtisdale.blogspot.com/2010/11/multidecadal-changes-in-sea-surface_17.html

Bob is not interested in publishing, but he's gotten offers to co-publish with others. The science seems sound.

Hear hear! Many (mathimatician) theorists try to imagine a scenario/equasion that 'fits the model' of everything we've learned until now - if anything in our present understanding is erronous, that behaviour would be the equivilant of one hurling oneself at a brick wall of one's own making. I think we have to take a step back, take a look at the relational 'big picture' between all things great and small, and re-think our theories.

If it is of interest to anyone (this subject is of a great interest to me), I've tried my hand at it here.

It seems irrelevant where the site is hosted, since they are blocked at DNS level.

I loved this quote from http://cluborlov.blogspot.com/2010/11/americathe-grim-truth.html :

From Fox News to the New York Times, the mass media in the United States is nothing but the public relations wing of the corporatocracy, primarily the military industrial complex. At least the citizens of the former Soviet Union knew that their news was bullshit. In America, you grow up thinking you've got a free media, which makes the propaganda doubly effective. If you don't think American media is mere corporate propaganda, ask yourself the following question: have you ever heard a major American news outlet suggest that the country could fund a single-payer health system by cutting military spending?

Yes it's free, and unfortunately it's too free that people can go on TV and blatantly lie to you with no punishment...

Maybe he uses his teleprompter. Israel does not even use lasers on its sharks

But apparently the Haskell comunity found a programmer that actually care about Haskell just last week, they are now up to 38 people. I quote:

Blah. Can't feel a lot of respect for any programmer who doesn't cultivate an appreciation for different styles of expression. To me that's a fundamental aspect of improving myself as a programmer.

Still, the bit about "hired a Perl hacker" was funny. For sure one of the big temptations in thinking too hard about programming is failing to get anything done. :)

But apparently the Haskell comunity found a programmer that actually care about Haskell just last week, they are now up to 38 people. I quote:

People see words like monads and category theory," Briars continued, swatting invisible flies around his head for emphasis, "and their Giving a Shit gene shuts down...

Do you have any evidence at all that these two women accusing Assange are part of a US government conspiracy?

They don't need to be in on the conspiracy for there to be one. Do you really believe, if they had made the exact same charges with the exact same evidence on some Joe schmoe that nobody had heard of, then dismissed the charges, then re-filed them after Joe schmoe left the country, and the charges aren't even rape, do you really believe Interpol would be involved? Even if the women are acting completely in earnest, the rest of the system sure isn't.

Please provide any links to show that the US is somehow involved in this criminal case.

The evidence is all circumstantial. We know the US and many other governments basically want Assange dead, and short of that want him out of commission. Having the public suspicious of him is a bonus. Interpol and the Swedish police have both been handling the case very strangely. Then the timing coincides so well between renewed police action and renewed leaking. When you put it all together, it still doesn't prove anything, but it's too sketchy not to be cause for legitimate skepticism.