Slashdot Mirror
New P2P Battle is Heating Up
Digital Dharma writes "News.com has an article about a new P2P war just getting underway in congress. With Senator Hollings retiring, the RIAA and MPAA have found suitable replacement hosts in three key members of the House of Representatives. Lamar Smith, R-Texas; Howard Berman, D-Calif; and John Conyers, D-Mich are taking up arms against P2P networks with a bizarre new bill that would require companies that create certain types of software such as web browsers, instant messaging clients and e-mail utilities to add a warning that it 'could create a security and privacy risk.' How this would deter P2P activity is a bit of a mystery. The article also talks about putting software company executives in jail for failing to correctly label said software, empowering the FBI to release anti-P2P propaganda and other typical RIAA/MPAA sponsored oddities." A network application can create a security risk? Best firewall off every port!
Most software already comes with various warnings attached, so I don't see the fundamental problem of showing them more prominently. Furthermore, I find it hard to believe that a web browser (or any network-related software for consumers) exists for which this warning is unjustified.
(Obviously, there is no P2P connection at all. That is just Slashdot spinning.)
There is a modified version of BT out there where you can throttle your bandwidth. That helped me a lot.
-- Dr. Eldarion --
And you know what? It will. Blocking unused outgoing ports is a good thing. Most attacks on systems result in the attacker useing an outgoing port for somthing like FTP or reverse telnet. All systems I administer have outgoing ports blocked, this gets rid of many potential attacks.
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
It's easy. If outgoing port 80 is allowed, set up a machine at home on your cable modem or DSL, with SSH on port 80.
Now at the office, "ssh -p80" to your machine at home. You can do whatever you want (IM, ftp, browse, IRC, etc.).
If you downloaded a file and need to get it to the office, "scp -P80" or "sftp -oPort=80" will let you do that.
If ANY outgoing port is open, you can do anything you want or need to. The assumption that this isn't the case is the assumption that everyone knows as little as you* do.
* Note: the "you" in the sentence above is generic, and is not directed at the parent or any other specific individual.
Can You Say Linux? I Knew That You Could.
Uh, just because you are communicating over 443 does not mean that your data is encrypted or secure in any way. You can set up a telnet server on 443, and it is no more secure than using the default port 23)
If you are running an unencrypted IM client over 443, then you will be running an unencrypted IM client over 443. There's nothing secure about it. You are a dumbass and a retarded admin.
Somebody mod the parent down, he ain't interesting or informative...
IE 6.. I uses it, and I prefer the interface over Mozilla (1.4) and Opera (whatever) It's more responsive, and gives a better 'feedback'
Bookmarks on the side, yeah, if you want them. I usually put a folder or two in the personal toolbar, then use them as dropdowns. I don't like having EVERY bookmark there, just the commonly used ones.
The only add-on I have for IE is the google toolbar. No popups if I don't want them, and instant access to the search feature.
The only feature I wish I had with IE had was tabbed browsing... but since there won't be any new versions under this engine, I'll have to wait for Longhorn.
I'm not crazy,I'm actively irresponsible.
Actually, it's probably lack of traffic shaping on your end. If you're saturating your upload, you're ack's and udp are probably getting nudged behind. Setup traffic shaping to prioritize for interactive traffic. Checkout leaf to use as a router.
GAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!
Somebody above pointed this out, and I know you're just a parody, but I can't let this slip by:
PORT 443 IS NOT MAGICALLY ENCRYPTED JUST BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER 443!!!!
A port is an integer, nothing more. It's just a number that a client and a server agree to associate with a given connection so that they can keep track (ok, it's not quite that simple since most clients and servers have multiple connections running that are notionally but not actually using the same port).
Associating the number "443" does not magically cause your data to be sent encrypted. Similarly, port 80 (or 21, or 110, or what have you) does not magically prevent you from sending encrypted data: if I set my server to receive https connections over port 80, and you set your client to send https connections over port 80, we will have a secure connection over port 80. If I set my server to listen for a plaintext connection over port 443, and you set your client to send a plaintext connection over port 443, we will have an unsecure connection over port 443. (This is importante because your IM client is almost certainly not encrypting your chats).
OK, like I said above, it's impossible that you actually run a business (and kudos on a brilliant late-90's "do-nothing" firm parody), I just couldn't leave any lurkers with the mistaken belief that something about the number 443 mysteriously encrypts communications.
IHBT IHL IWHAND
All's true that is mistrusted
The only feature I wish I had with IE had was tabbed browsing...
Go here and download a copy of CrazyBrowser for Windows.
It's a wrapper for IE that adds pop-up blocking AND tabbed browsing, but still uses the IE engine. It shares the same folders for favorites, history, temporary internet files, etc., so once you load CrazyBrowser it will look and act just like IE with all your favorites and everything already in place.
Oh, and did I mention it's free (as in beer)?
A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing -- Emo Phillips
--
Power to the Peaceful