Domain: sethf.com
Stories and comments across the archive that link to sethf.com.
Comments · 727
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Re:Experiment - censorware collateral damage verif
Seth, let me make absolutely sure I understand you here. Are you trying to say that these people are categorizing the worth of a web site by the content posted on a different virtual host?
Yes, in effect. What's happening behind-the-scenes is that some sites are on the blacklist by their domain name, and some sites are on the blacklist by their IP address. When a site is on the blacklist by IP address, and it's a virtually hosted site, then all the virtually hosted sites on that IP address share the same fate in the censorware.For another example discussed, see
http://sethf.com/anticensorware/cyberpatrol/247fo
r 1.phpRegarding the topic of "banning entire IP subnets", MAPS and other spam blacklists don't do that as an implementation effect. They do it as a deliberate tactic. I don't want to get into that topic too much here, but it's a social issue, not a technological one.
Sig: What Happened To The Censorware Project (censorware.org)
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"Younglish" - How do you DO it???Dear John:
Many people will undoubtably ask wide and far-reaching questions about civil-liberties, activism, and running cryptome.org. In contrast, I would like to ask a question perhaps trivial in comparison, but also in the hearts of so very many of your fans.
If this is really ask whatever we'd like
...How in the world do you generate that unique hash of free-association, bafflegab, verbing, just-this-side-of-understandable wording (not sure which side), "Younglish" writing, for which you are reknowned?
Are consciousness-altering substances ever involved? Where they ever involved? Is it effortless, or do you work at it?
This is nowhere in the same league as DMCA, terrorism, and whatnot.
But believe me, inquiring minds want to know.
Sig: What Happened To The Censorware Project (censorware.org)
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Experiment - censorware collateral damage verifyWell, maybe it's safe for me to post this to Slashdot
...[Originally sent to a mailing-list]
In honor of the censorware material just released by ACLU, I thought I'd try a little experiment in distributed verification.
I took one example from Edelman's report:
16. Southern Alberta Fly Fishing Outfitters #6809
http://www.albertaflyfish.com
Blocked by: N2H2 (Pornography - Sep 11, Oct 7), Websense (Sex - Jul 5,
Aug 18, Sep 11)
Yahoo: /Regional/Countries/Canada/Business and Economy/Shopping and
Services/Outdoors/Fishing/Fly Fishing/Lodges/
Google: /Regional/North America/Canada/Alberta/Recreation and
Sports/Fishing
Fly fishing in Alberta Canada on the world famous Bow River.
Now, what does censorware have against this site? Maybe it doesn't like too many 'Fly' references in one place? No, it turns out that this site has the misfortune to be virtually hosted and share an internet address with:
http://clubexoticx.com - Club Exoticx
There's a bunch of other completely innocuous sites suffering the same collective guilt of the censorware blacklist. I'd like people to go to N2H2's lookup, at http://database.n2h2.com/cgi-perl/catrpt.pl and *verify* this for themselves by testing the following sites:
http://albertaflyfish.com - Southern Alberta Fly Fishing Outfitters
http://alistairbrown.com - Alistair Brown Folksinger
http://eclothing.com - 'The Game Is On Sportswear Company Ltd.'
http://effectivemanagementsolutions.com - Effective Solutions
http://eligh.com - Springboard Consulting
http://eyepowered.com - E Y E P O W E R E D - 360 Degree Panoramas
http://friendlyfacesonline.com - Create personalized family cartoon
http://gear4pickups.com - Gear4Trucks: HitchHoist Portable Truck Crane,
http://informationonhold.com - Information On-Hold
http://letsmakewine.com - Let's Make Wine
http://planetregister.com - Planet Registe
http://ppt-slides.com - 35mm Slides from your computer file
http://proteach.net - Pro Teach Main Page - Baseball instruction
http://rosiedonovan.com - Rosie Donovan Photography
http://springboardtoinnovation.com - Springboard Consulting
Here, I'll make this easy. Just click these URLs:
http://database.n2h2.com/cgi-perl/catrpt.pl?req_U
R L=http://albertaflyfish.com
http://database.n2h2.com/cgi-perl/catrpt.pl?req_UR L=http://alistairbrown.com
http://database.n2h2.com/cgi-perl/catrpt.pl?req_UR L=http://eclothing.com
http://database.n2h2.com/cgi-perl/catrpt.pl?req_UR L=http://effectivemanagementsolutions.com
http://database.n2h2.com/cgi-perl/catrpt.pl?req_UR L=http://eligh.com
http://database.n2h2.com/cgi-perl/catrpt.pl?req_UR L=http://eyepowered.com
http://database.n2h2.com/cgi-perl/catrpt.pl?req_UR L=http://friendlyfacesonline.com
http://database.n2h2.com/cgi-perl/catrpt.pl?req_UR L=http://gear4pickups.com
http://database.n2h2.com/cgi-perl/catrpt.pl?req_UR L=http://informationonhold.com
http://database.n2h2.com/cgi-perl/catrpt.pl?req_UR L=http://letsmakewine.com
http://database.n2h2.com/cgi-perl/catrpt.pl?req_UR L=http://planetregister.com
http://database.n2h2.com/cgi-perl/catrpt.pl?req_UR L=http://ppt-slides.com
http://database.n2h2.com/cgi-perl/catrpt.pl?req_UR L=http://proteach.net
http://database.n2h2.com/cgi-perl/catrpt.pl?req_UR L=http://rosiedonovan.com
http://database.n2h2.com/cgi-perl/catrpt.pl?req_UR L=http://springboardtoinnovation.com
You should get
The Site: [all sites above]
is categorized by N2H2 as:
Pornography
If there's some error-message text in a red font, that means the N2H2 program itself wasn't working, try again.
Now, since I've publicized this, I expect it'll be changed very rapidly for this one item. I have a saying: "Alacrity varies directly with publicity". But this is just one example in a HUGE blacklist. What else is lurking in there?
Sig: What Happened To The Censorware Project (censorware.org)
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NOT IP-less virtual hosting victimThat was a fine conjecture. But in fact, the issue doesn't have anything to do with virtual hosting. It has to do with spammish sites in that netblock.
Read this whole thread about the spammish sites at safesurf.com's ISP
Sig: What Happened To The Censorware Project (censorware.org)
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Important info - spammers in safesurf netblockWithout getting into the whole spam issue, here's some relevant info:
safesurf.com is IP address 63.107.146.25 There were a bunch of spammish sites at OTHER places in the 63.107.146.* netblock. And MAPS will blacklist every single address within a netblock when it "escalates" their dispute.
See this long list of spammish sites once in the 63.107.146.* netblock (June 22 2001)
Note many if not all of these sites have changed address by now.
Sig: What Happened To The Censorware Project (censorware.org)
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Re:InfoCom has SERIOUS links to Bin Laden
Was this site really used for his family's business? When I checked it out, it was for sale, and I didn't see any google references to the old site.
Search Google Groups for "binladen.+com" (the plus sign is needed to make sure the search picks up the .com). There's a bunch of referencesA particularly interesting posting claiming just how much Infocom is tied into various terrorist groups is by Abdul-Khinzeer Kalb'ullah
This material is not a "secret". It's been in the Dallas Morning News, for example.
The point is that there's abundant and extremely strong evidence to investigate InfoCom. It's not a case of "innocent (Moslem) bystanders" at all. Too much of the discussion has been people just doing the standard ranting and flaming, that the government is going after an ISP which "upset" it, that this is bigotry, and so on. Not this time. Not here.
Sig: What Happened To The Censorware Project (censorware.org) - Updated
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District court discussion of age verificationThe topic of credit cards and age-verification has been much argued in the court rulings. It is particularly noteworthy in the following passage in the District Court decision on the CDA:
Perversely, commercial pornographers would remain relatively unaffected by the Act, since we learned that most of them already use credit card or adult verification anyway. Commercial pornographers normally provide a few free pictures to entice a user into proceeding further into the Web site. To proceed beyond these teasers, users must provide a credit card number or adult verification number. The CDA will force these businesses to remove the teasers (or cover the most salacious content with cgi scripts), but the core, commercial product of these businesses will remain in place.
Sig: What Happened To The Censorware Project (censorware.org) - Updated -
InfoCom has SERIOUS links to Bin LadenCheck it out:
whois binladen.com
Registrant:
Binladen (BINLADEN2-DOM) 630 International Pkwy
Suite 100
Richardson, TX 75081
US
Domain Name: BINLADEN.COM
Administrative Contact, Technical Contact, Billing Contact:
Elashi, Bayan (BE159) bayane@INFOCOMCORP.COM
InfoCom Corp
630 International Pkwy, #100
Richardson, TX 75081
(972) 644-5363 (FAX) (972) 644-8609
binladen.com was Osama's family business, not him. But still, there a lot of reason for the FBI's interest.
Sig: What Happened To The Censorware Project (censorware.org) - Updated
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YRO sucks
slashdot editors really have no clue what they're talking about wrt the law and "our rights".
plus then you have the comments which regurgitate wrong assumptions and are taken at face value.
some guys giving legal opinion which sounds more like talking out of their asses.they should just cut this section out altogether. these people are hypocrites of the worst magnitude. an example is here
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Censorware MUST ban privacy, anonymity sitesLet's see if it's safe for me to go back to Slashdot
...Readers may be interested in my anticensorware reports on the above topic, particularly
- http://sethf.com/anticensorware/bess/loophole.php - BESS's Secret LOOPHOLE (censorware vs. privacy & anonymity)
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http://sethf.com/anticensorware/smartfilter/great
e stevils.php - SmartFilter's Greatest Evils - censorware & privacy/anonymity
See also, by Peacefire, http://peacefire.org/babelfish/ - BabelFish blocked by censorware
I'm going to be releasing much more anticensorware work in the near future, but it's not clear if it'll be accepted for consideration on Slashdot. This is in part due to the still-active issue of What Happened To The Censorware Project (censorware.org), and the acrimony between myself and Slashdot editor Michael Sims. I'm trying to see if there is a way to work around that editorial abuse, but frankly I'm a programmer, not a diplomat.
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Censorware MUST ban privacy, anonymity sitesLet's see if it's safe for me to go back to Slashdot
...Readers may be interested in my anticensorware reports on the above topic, particularly
- http://sethf.com/anticensorware/bess/loophole.php - BESS's Secret LOOPHOLE (censorware vs. privacy & anonymity)
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http://sethf.com/anticensorware/smartfilter/great
e stevils.php - SmartFilter's Greatest Evils - censorware & privacy/anonymity
See also, by Peacefire, http://peacefire.org/babelfish/ - BabelFish blocked by censorware
I'm going to be releasing much more anticensorware work in the near future, but it's not clear if it'll be accepted for consideration on Slashdot. This is in part due to the still-active issue of What Happened To The Censorware Project (censorware.org), and the acrimony between myself and Slashdot editor Michael Sims. I'm trying to see if there is a way to work around that editorial abuse, but frankly I'm a programmer, not a diplomat.
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Censorware MUST ban privacy, anonymity sitesLet's see if it's safe for me to go back to Slashdot
...Readers may be interested in my anticensorware reports on the above topic, particularly
- http://sethf.com/anticensorware/bess/loophole.php - BESS's Secret LOOPHOLE (censorware vs. privacy & anonymity)
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http://sethf.com/anticensorware/smartfilter/great
e stevils.php - SmartFilter's Greatest Evils - censorware & privacy/anonymity
See also, by Peacefire, http://peacefire.org/babelfish/ - BabelFish blocked by censorware
I'm going to be releasing much more anticensorware work in the near future, but it's not clear if it'll be accepted for consideration on Slashdot. This is in part due to the still-active issue of What Happened To The Censorware Project (censorware.org), and the acrimony between myself and Slashdot editor Michael Sims. I'm trying to see if there is a way to work around that editorial abuse, but frankly I'm a programmer, not a diplomat.
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Censorware MUST ban privacy, anonymity sitesLet's see if it's safe for me to go back to Slashdot
...Readers may be interested in my anticensorware reports on the above topic, particularly
- http://sethf.com/anticensorware/bess/loophole.php - BESS's Secret LOOPHOLE (censorware vs. privacy & anonymity)
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http://sethf.com/anticensorware/smartfilter/great
e stevils.php - SmartFilter's Greatest Evils - censorware & privacy/anonymity
See also, by Peacefire, http://peacefire.org/babelfish/ - BabelFish blocked by censorware
I'm going to be releasing much more anticensorware work in the near future, but it's not clear if it'll be accepted for consideration on Slashdot. This is in part due to the still-active issue of What Happened To The Censorware Project (censorware.org), and the acrimony between myself and Slashdot editor Michael Sims. I'm trying to see if there is a way to work around that editorial abuse, but frankly I'm a programmer, not a diplomat.
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Censorware MUST ban privacy, anonymity sitesLet's see if it's safe for me to go back to Slashdot
...Readers may be interested in my anticensorware reports on the above topic, particularly
- http://sethf.com/anticensorware/bess/loophole.php - BESS's Secret LOOPHOLE (censorware vs. privacy & anonymity)
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http://sethf.com/anticensorware/smartfilter/great
e stevils.php - SmartFilter's Greatest Evils - censorware & privacy/anonymity
See also, by Peacefire, http://peacefire.org/babelfish/ - BabelFish blocked by censorware
I'm going to be releasing much more anticensorware work in the near future, but it's not clear if it'll be accepted for consideration on Slashdot. This is in part due to the still-active issue of What Happened To The Censorware Project (censorware.org), and the acrimony between myself and Slashdot editor Michael Sims. I'm trying to see if there is a way to work around that editorial abuse, but frankly I'm a programmer, not a diplomat.
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What the hell??First,Michael posts something that isn't incredibly ironic (like his posting of another censorship story). Then Taco posts one not laden with spelling errors (we'll deal with capitalization and punctuation later).
Now, Timothy actually checks to see if this story has been here before, and lo and behold, it has been! And he gives that link and explains why this version of the story should still be posted.
Next thing you know, there's going to be timely and relevent stories here. You know, like "Stuff that matters".Remember, for anti-censorware information, you want to go here and not here, right jellicle?
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what right do you have talking about this michael?
You've got some real balls to come along to slashdot and talk about privacy and setting higher standards for online tech "Journalists"..
Your the same guy that censored www.censorware.org then makes no mention of it again.. That makes you the biggest hypocrite around here imho. You should be talking about these subjects AT ALL.
I'm just curious which censorware software company paid you off.. please indulge yourself here and now, I would love to hear this. If your reading this message and dont know what I'm talking about then you should check out this link Here. Gives the low down on Michael Sims takedown of a good project that all slashdot users should be involved in (because most are disgusted with censorware to begin with).. No thanks to you Michael, You didn't help at all, in fact you've hurt the project. Thanks again. Jerk.
three minutes and this will be modded down by the editors , not the users.. because some moderators would like to moderate it up but fear a good bitch slap.pl from the tryannical slashdot crew. Thanks again Michael. -
Re:michael
Seth, grow up.
To anyone who reads this: this is Seth Finkelstein with his perl script robo-posting his fantasies again. Seth, haven't you realized that most people know what a kook you are? -
Suggestion: Mark editorial moderations clearlyThe link [hostname] indicator is a nice, clever idea. I have a suggestion along the same lines. Please consider doing the same with editorial moderations. Many people don't even know that Slashcode editors have unlimited moderation points
So, when an editor uses those unlimited moderation privileges, it should appear as e.g. -1 Troll [editor's name]. This would avoid the current problem that when comments critical of Slashdot, or a particular editor, are down-modded, there's no way to tell whether the mod is "honest", or an editor abusing his position. This leads to much suspicion, as dishonest editors can say "You can't prove it was me", while honest editors have a cloud over their integrity.
Now, let me say up-front, of course I have an interest here. The acrimony between one Slashot editor and myself is no secret. I don't deny my experiences inform this suggestion. Nonetheless, the idea should stand or fall on its own merits.
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Suggestion: Mark editorial moderations clearlyThe link [hostname] indicator is a nice, clever idea. I have a suggestion along the same lines. Please consider doing the same with editorial moderations. Many people don't even know that Slashcode editors have unlimited moderation points
So, when an editor uses those unlimited moderation privileges, it should appear as e.g. -1 Troll [editor's name]. This would avoid the current problem that when comments critical of Slashdot, or a particular editor, are down-modded, there's no way to tell whether the mod is "honest", or an editor abusing his position. This leads to much suspicion, as dishonest editors can say "You can't prove it was me", while honest editors have a cloud over their integrity.
Now, let me say up-front, of course I have an interest here. The acrimony between one Slashot editor and myself is no secret. I don't deny my experiences inform this suggestion. Nonetheless, the idea should stand or fall on its own merits.
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Censorware IS NOT personalizationJon Katz writes:
Congress has required, for instance, that schools and libraries who want to take advantage of lucrative e-Rate funding for their networking projects employ content-filtering software. The same basic mechanism (content is chosen before it reaches the viewer), but with very different motivations. [emphasis added]
I think there's a reasoning error here, caused by the problematic usage of the word filtering to mean both censorware and what I'd call personalization. There aren't the "same basic mechanism". They are fundamentally different mechanisms, because they are trying to solve different problems. I don't think that I will lose my innocence, that I will be scarred for life, that civilization will be corrupted ... if I see an article by Jon Katz when I don't want to. Finding information which one wants (personalization) involves dramatically different trade-offs than being prevented by an authority from reading information that the authority thinks is mentally harmful (censorware). It's in fact a different mechanism, with only superficial similarity.To see this, note that NONE of the personalization programs require banning anonymizers so that you can't escape the control of the program.
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Re:Any way to get past Bess?The censorware-makers are aware of anonymizers. Thus, censorware often blacklists them too, in all categories. The same holds for sites which offer language-translation services. (though your point about using secure connections is a good work-around, until it gets plugged too
...).
See my reportSmartFilter's Greatest Evils - censorware and privacy/anonymity
Sig: My Latest Censorware Essay:
What Happened To The Censorware Project (censorware.org) -
Re:Just use an Anti-Censorware ProxyUsing an anonymizer tends not to work. Censorware often blacklists them too, in all categories. See my report
SmartFilter's Greatest Evils - censorware and privacy/anonymity
Latest Censorware Essay:
What Happened To The Censorware Project (censorware.org) -
Relevant bill section for ADULTS and LIBRARIES``(C) CERTIFICATION WITH RESPECT TO ADULTS.--A certification under this paragraph is a certification that the library--
``(i) is enforcing a policy of Internet safety that includes the operation of a technology protection measure with respect to any of its computers with Internet access that protects against access through such computers to visual depictions that are--
``(I) obscene; or
``(II) child pornography; and
``(ii) is enforcing the operation of such technology protection measure during any use
of such computers.http://sethf.com/anticensorware/smartfilter/gotal
i st.php
http://sethf.com/anticensorware/smartfilter/greate stevils.php -
Relevant bill section for ADULTS and LIBRARIES``(C) CERTIFICATION WITH RESPECT TO ADULTS.--A certification under this paragraph is a certification that the library--
``(i) is enforcing a policy of Internet safety that includes the operation of a technology protection measure with respect to any of its computers with Internet access that protects against access through such computers to visual depictions that are--
``(I) obscene; or
``(II) child pornography; and
``(ii) is enforcing the operation of such technology protection measure during any use
of such computers.http://sethf.com/anticensorware/smartfilter/gotal
i st.php
http://sethf.com/anticensorware/smartfilter/greate stevils.php -
Re:These are getting redundant - huh?
They all say the exact same thing
...What other reports have an extensive discussion of The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and the legal risks involved in anticensorware investigations?
Hey, at least enjoy the section header quotes
:-)Note a basic finding is that one has no idea about the actual content of the categories. It's common for "Sex" to have everything from feminism to gay rights.
SmartFilter - I've Got A Little List is at
http://sethf.com/anticensorware/smartfilter/gotali st.php -
Links to Seth's Articles
Jamie provided a link to Seth's home page, but not the article itself. Definately give his article, SmartFilter - I've Got A Little List, a read. His Anticensorware Investigations has links to his older work.
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Links to Seth's Articles
Jamie provided a link to Seth's home page, but not the article itself. Definately give his article, SmartFilter - I've Got A Little List, a read. His Anticensorware Investigations has links to his older work.