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Google Desktop Search Under Fire
AchilleCB writes "Cnn and many other sources are jumping on the Google-privacy-bash bandwagon, they are carrying stories warning of more privacy implications regarding Google's Desktop Search, "if it's installed on computers at libraries and Internet cafes, users could unwittingly allow people who follow them on the PCs, for example, to see sensitive information in e-mails they've exchanged. That could mean revealed passwords, conversations with doctors, or viewed Web pages detailing online purchases." ... Type in "hotmail.com" and you'll get copies, or stored caches, of messages that previous users have seen. Enter an e-mail address and you can read all the messages sent to and from that address. Type "password" and get password reminders that were sent back via e-mail."
fp!
how difficult it would be to make an Open Source version of a desktop search.
pouring hot grits down my pants.
People don't kill people, guns do.
In Soviet Russia, I ruled you
how is it that mass media gets their balls twisted in a knot over something they don't understand when it involves an up-and-coming company with good practices, but when it comes to international politics, they like to walk on by the heinous deeds?
~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
Some public kiosk systems do a better job on privacy than others. I have personally verified that the internet access stations on the local campus (Sun-based, not MS Windows-based) do in fact clear the cache and the history when you log out and let them restart. (Verified by unplugging the network cable and hitting the same site a second time - works if both visits occur within one login, but fails if you log out between.) Also the URL display history is wiped, and the HTML form data history is wiped. (Can't see the answers someone else typed into an HTML form.) Additionally, the cookies are wiped too. It does a pretty good job all around.
The problem? It uses a motif-style window manager and most people don't understand how to close the browser window. (There is no single-click way to do it - you have to pick 'close' from the titlebar menu.) People keep hitting the icon minimize button and thinking that's good enough, and thus walk away from the machine with their previous session still there as an icon you can click on and restore. If you quit out of the browser, then it kills X and restarts, which is what you're supposed to do, and in the process it cleans the entire trail of your stuff.
I've noticed the IT staff has gone around and put up signs telling people that the safe way to "log out" and clear all their private information is to press CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE. Obviously they are getting people to ensure they close everything down by getting them to inelegantly kill X, but it does work and they don't have to explain what is really going on.
Don't label something "offtopic" unless you know the topic well enough to tell what's on topic.
Hey,
t ive
The maker of FileLight should tweak their tool to act as a GNU site-finder-reminder. With some help from KDE, Gnome and others, it could be tied to:
--the kernel for the "core-geeks", hehehe
--the GUI for the user
--file logs for sysadmins or network types
--browser cache for site designers or troubleshooters
--tmp file for those who need it (can be done now)
--Arrays, for cluster analysers
But if it is able to parse and present delimited files it would be greater still. But, file logs are not necessarily following a consistent parsing or delimiter scheme.
I like FileLight, and tho I don't use it much, other than to make sure nosy people in the Library have some eye-candy to visually snort, I think it would be even BETTER if KDE/GNOME/Xfce4 and others help hook FileLight into their GUIs.
Then, tie this into the various browsers, and make it:
--Session-aware
--user-aware (so root can aggregate all of them)
--frequency-sensitive
--file-size-inquisi
and more...
For parents and places where kids (or adults, too) need to be monitored, this took would be pretty neat.
I'm gonna have to look of FileLight's PayPal icon.
Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
"I hear there's rumors on the Internets" -George W. Bush
That's what happens, folks, when you surround yourself with "like-minded" people instead of surrounding yourself with people who ARE smarter'n you... (well, maybe he knows of some "other" Internet, www.DODnet.net? www.RoveNet.net?)
Remember the girl or lady who during the debates asked that man about what kind of people he surrounds himself with?
He replied to the effect that he surrounds himself with like-minded, wholesome, honest people, or something dissembling/evasive like that.
"Internets"
I'm glad I don't have to send multiple forms to the "IRS's".
There are rumors that my will me that twice a week I will receive my "paychecks"...
HAIL TO THE CHIEF!
INHALE TO THE CHIEF!
JAIL(S) TO THE THIEF!
==========
It's a good thing we humans don't have multiple reproductive organs and trash chutes (yep, that trash chute/poop chute)... Double the funn, or the lock-up...
Whuzzup, Doc?
Funny, Bunny, now bend over and cough
Doc Finger(s) inserts one from each hand...to either side of the patient
(Yes, the USN had a Corpsman/Independent Duty Physician/whatever nicknamed "Doc Finger", for he ALWAYS had a "medical" excuse to get a sailor to assume the position for inspection, whether it be a cough, a cold, a headache, sore elbow... hehhe
Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
I'm posting this so that you (the moderator) have some context to consider twitter and not mod him up whenever he posts his filler preformatted rants about installing Knoppix or whatever that unfortunately get him karma every single time and allow him to continue posting his trademark toxic crap (read on) day in and day out. You may consider this a troll - I consider it community service. And I ain't kidding.
If you're a /. subscriber, I invite you to look through some of his posting history. I guarantee that you'll be hard pressed to find someone that is more "out there" than twitter. You'll also probably notice he's got quite an AC following. Don't just read his posts, make sure you go through the replies.
To get an idea of what I'm talking about, check this post out. I mean, this is an article about email disclaimers, right? The parent of the post is complaining about the ads in the linked page and so on, and twitter actually goes off on a rant to blame it on Microsoft and recommend Lynx. WTF?
Here's another. In this post twitter not only calls the OP a troll but attempts to "tell it like it is" while making some vague argument about "GNU". Yes, if you're confused, you're not alone. The reply (modded +4) proceeds to simply destroy his bogus argument. You will notice he did not reply. This is what some people call "drive-by advocacy". A sort of I'll just leave you with my thoughts here and move on to the next flamebait kind of deal. In fact, he almost never replies because he knows that his fanatical arguments simply do not hold up to any sort of discussion. It's not that he's chosen the wrong cause - he's just going at it in a completely wrong way.
More? Just read though this post and the subsequent replies. I guess this stands on its own. Or these two. Or this one.
Still not convinced? This is what twitter considers "humour" while going about his daily "M$" routine.
More? Bad spelling in astounding conspiracy theories, more offtopic FUD and uninformed "I'm right, look at me" rants, promptly proven wrong. Worse even, twitter wants to be RMS, apparently (that first one is a winner). I mean,
I'm posting this so that you (the moderator) have some context to consider twitter and not mod him up whenever he posts his filler preformatted rants about installing Knoppix or whatever that unfortunately get him karma every single time and allow him to continue posting his trademark toxic crap (read on) day in and day out. You may consider this a troll - I consider it community service. And I ain't kidding.
If you're a /. subscriber, I invite you to look through some of his posting history. I guarantee that you'll be hard pressed to find someone that is more "out there" than twitter. You'll also probably notice he's got quite an AC following. Don't just read his posts, make sure you go through the replies.
To get an idea of what I'm talking about, check this post out. I mean, this is an article about email disclaimers, right? The parent of the post is complaining about the ads in the linked page and so on, and twitter actually goes off on a rant to blame it on Microsoft and recommend Lynx. WTF?
Here's another. In this post twitter not only calls the OP a troll but attempts to "tell it like it is" while making some vague argument about "GNU". Yes, if you're confused, you're not alone. The reply (modded +4) proceeds to simply destroy his bogus argument. You will notice he did not reply. This is what some people call "drive-by advocacy". A sort of I'll just leave you with my thoughts here and move on to the next flamebait kind of deal. In fact, he almost never replies because he knows that his fanatical arguments simply do not hold up to any sort of discussion. It's not that he's chosen the wrong cause - he's just going at it in a completely wrong way.
More? Just read though this post and the subsequent replies. I guess this stands on its own. Or these two. Or this one.
Still not convinced? This is what twitter considers "humour" while going about his daily "M$" routine.
More? Bad spelling in astounding conspiracy theories, more offtopic FUD and uninformed "I'm right, look at me" rants, promptly proven wrong. Worse even, twitter wants to be RMS, apparently (that first one is a winner). I mean,
I'm posting this so that you (the moderator) have some context to consider twitter and not mod him up whenever he posts his filler preformatted rants about installing Knoppix or whatever that unfortunately get him karma every single time and allow him to continue posting his trademark toxic crap (read on) day in and day out. You may consider this a troll - I consider it community service. And I ain't kidding.
If you're a /. subscriber, I invite you to look through some of his posting history. I guarantee that you'll be hard pressed to find someone that is more "out there" than twitter. You'll also probably notice he's got quite an AC following. Don't just read his posts, make sure you go through the replies.
To get an idea of what I'm talking about, check this post out. I mean, this is an article about email disclaimers, right? The parent of the post is complaining about the ads in the linked page and so on, and twitter actually goes off on a rant to blame it on Microsoft and recommend Lynx. WTF?
Here's another. In this post twitter not only calls the OP a troll but attempts to "tell it like it is" while making some vague argument about "GNU". Yes, if you're confused, you're not alone. The reply (modded +4) proceeds to simply destroy his bogus argument. You will notice he did not reply. This is what some people call "drive-by advocacy". A sort of I'll just leave you with my thoughts here and move on to the next flamebait kind of deal. In fact, he almost never replies because he knows that his fanatical arguments simply do not hold up to any sort of discussion. It's not that he's chosen the wrong cause - he's just going at it in a completely wrong way.
More? Just read though this post and the subsequent replies. I guess this stands on its own. Or these two. Or this one.
Still not convinced? This is what twitter considers "humour" while going about his daily "M$" routine.
More? Bad spelling in astounding conspiracy theories, more offtopic FUD and uninformed "I'm right, look at me" rants, promptly proven wrong. Worse even, twitter wants to be RMS, apparently (that first one is a winner). I mean,