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Firefox Extension for Applied Social Networking
wanderingstan writes "Outfoxed is my masters thesis project about trust. (Nutshell overview) The extension uses a social network for personalized searching, phishing/spyware protection, file/process validation and more. It's related to del.icio.us, StumbleUpon, and those Kevin Bacon things, but goes a lot further. Mathematically, it's based on the network behavior of small world networks (pdf). Built with Javascript, Python, SQL, and XSLT. 366 testers so far, but we need the network to grow!"
he wanted the network to *grow* or get slashdotted to death?
bo
bad_outlook
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Is this vague enough for you?
It's a cool idea, but I'm not sure how many people would bother to set this up, how often this will change the search results, whether the changes will focus your attention on the most relevant result for your search, and whether you can scale a system that accesses data on everyone in your social network on every web search.
No Links?
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Outfoxed is my masters thesis project about trust.
I'll show you what I know about trust by not installing your spyware extension!
Kidding aside, sounds like an interesting project. Even though I won't be taking part, I wish you the best of luck with it...
I'll turn into a supernova and burn up everything. Well I'll turn into a black little hole and you'll turn into string.
... filtering stupid posts.
on Slashdot? What would be left to read? Change you modifier to +2 and see how much is left.
bo
bad_outlook
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Is this vague enough for you?
Well, the thing is that I can trust many people I know with my life, but not with my computer.
see a Text Widget
I've previously published two papers on a very similar idea - using distributed social trust networks to make trust judgements, which is essentially what Outfoxed is. You can find the papers at:
i fford.pdf
The Solar Trust Model
Michael Clifford, Charles Lavine, Matt Bishop
http://www.acsac.org/1998/abstracts/fri-a-1030-cl
Networking in The Solar Trust Model: Determining Optimal Trust Paths in a Decentralized Trust Network
http://www.acsac.org/2002/papers/9.pdf
<em>It is clear that people living 1000 miles away from each other will have at least 100 degrees of separation</em>
is this not contrary to the whole degrees of seperation theory?
What would be uber is if a new menu can be added so it caches your own del.icio.us tags.
I tried googling "kevin bacon things" and "extensions" the results I got were really disturbing. Please, we don't need any more of these on the net!
I think he needed more random links.
... but in practice, you open the door to increased risk... navigating bookmarks of someone you don't know could run you right into spyware/malware... there aren't enough filters in the world to keep up with what is put out there.
h tml ...
:/
Sadly, too, the concept of Monkey Sphere comes in, too...
http://www.pointlesswasteoftime.com/monkeysphere.
Though it will start small, it will eventually become just too big, if it survives... it will become just another random maze of links for people to click through at 3am when they should be coding for a project due at midnight the next day.
===
Sorry to be a drag, just being realistic
MoM++ - A Classic Expanded - [Master of Magic 1.5]
http://mompp.sourceforge.net/
For recommendations in favour, this sounds great, so long as the trust metric is attack resistant as described in Raph Levien's thesis. Google PageRank is an example of an attack resistant trust metric.
For recommendations against, it's very hard to make this work, because it's hard to make the shit stick; every time the global reputation of a particular identity takes a dive, it's easy to shift to another one which has no recommendations either way.
Creating hard-to-evade IDs is a very hard problem.
Xenu loves you!
What I wonder is this: Yes it does seem like an interesting idea, but how many of your friends run the same software you do? I still have friends that I'm trying to convert from IE, but it's too easy for them use what's already there. I know plenty of cliques that hang together because they all like running BSD/Linux and deal with programming and such, but none of them use the same distro or the same preferences.
My bottom line is this: Look at your best friends computer. Do they have the same extensions that you do? Do they even run Firefox? The network can only be as expansive as the people that decide to jump on board.
Perfecting Discordia
www.stevenvansickle.com
By posting it here, will you attract the slashdot moderation messages?
"MOD THAT SITE UP!"
Guy asked me for a quarter for a cup of coffee. So I bit him.
If you - like me - is running something which isn't Windows, you don't even have to try to try it out. It is Windows only at the moment.
/.
It do say that the extention have been compiled for linux, but isn't finnished. If I was him, I'd have my linux version Done when i submitted to
Yep, but there's not. I wish there was a firefox extention to explain to folks that they have, "FAILED IT!
regards
bo
bad_outlook
--
Is this vague enough for you?
Every file and process should have a chain of trust leading back to the user. Any file or process without such a chain is being taken on faith, and the user should be warned accordingly.
For example, every process run by a computer should have a chain that looks something like this:
wuauclt.exe [executed by] Windows Update [installed by] Windows OS [installed by] User [trusted by] Root User
matlabserver.exe [executed by] MatLab Application [installed by] User [trusted by] Root User
And similarly, every file should also have a chain:
desktopicon.ico [created by] FireFox Application [installed by] User [trusted by] Root User
mydocument.doc [created by] MS Word Application [installed by] Root User
Ideally, management of trust should be done at the lowest levels of computation: in the operating system or even in the microprocessor itself. This limits the ability of malicious software from disrupting the chain of trust back to the user. Outfoxed, because it is just an extension, has many vulnerabilities. Primary is the vulnerability of the locally stored trust database.
The next step would be to have trust storage implemented as a continuously running process that could be queried by other applications. [Note 22/03: The new version does this, using HTTP for queries.] So the browser, email client, and word processor could all draw trust information from the same source.
The best solution would be to have this process integrated into the operating system itself, so that the OS could also take advantage of the trust information by only running trusted applications. Trust managed at this level, combined with a good security methodology, would give us the ultimate trustworthy environment.
Your sig(k) has been stolen. There is a puff of smoke!
366 testers so far, but we need the network to grow!
Don't wish for more than you can chew!
Warning: mysql_connect(): User wanderin_drpl2 has already more than 'max_user_connections' active connections in
Cheers,
RoadkillBunny
"Green Tennis Shoes are the best! Come see my kewl site about Green Tennis Shoes!"
And you're taken to some guy's blog. Is there a rating system, and if so, how well does it work?sigs, as if you care.
Its Slashdotted
... "
...
It doesn't seem to work in OSX
I got "outfoxed_mddb_server is not compiled for your OS please start it now
when firefox restarted after installing the plugin.
Its been trying to create the database for 10 min now
"366 testers so far, but we need the network to grow!"
/home/wanderin/public_html/getoutfoxed/includes/da tabase.mysql.inc on line 31
User wanderin_drpl2 has already more than 'max_user_connections' active connections
No, apparently you don't:
Warning: mysql_connect(): User wanderin_drpl2 has already more than 'max_user_connections' active connections in
Not to mention who do you trust?
;)
If you friends have poor taste and strangers don't, how do you find the strangers who won't try to screw you over?
===
Perhaps I am being less realistic and more pessimistic, maybe I'll just wait and see how this sort of thing plays out
MoM++ - A Classic Expanded - [Master of Magic 1.5]
http://mompp.sourceforge.net/
If people used the brains that are supposedly inside their skulls, there would be no need for these not very useful methods of 'protection.' How many people out there would have given a thumbs up to Kazaa? My friends are great to hang out with but tend to spread the computer equivalent of STDs.
all of slashdot invited by "stan" i get the feeling that "stan" will become the equivalent of tom
So you want me to take my time to try out something that has been done many times (just look at the comments) so you can further your career? Perhaps you should offer micropayments to those who you would like to utilize in your quest for more money.
Transcend Humanity. Please.
The example in the "nutshell example" seems like a good enough idea, but I'm curious, what's to ensure that the results stay good as the connections increase? In this example, it very quickly gets to a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend status. It seems that for each hop you take away from the most trusted people in your social network, good advice gets exponentially harder to find.
For example, if you asked your brother--who just had his bathroom redone--for a recommendation on a good plumber, you might expect some good advice. But how much credence are you going to give the advice of your brother's co-worker's nephew's best friend?
Who says reading /. is passive!
No, I never said that
I'll do the stupid thing first and then you shy people follow...
I just voted Slashdot "Bad". Go ahead, mod me down, but with /.'s lack of any sort of editorial oversight and gross neglect on the part of the staff, this site doesn't deserve anything else. :p
I don't *have* any friends, you insensitive clod!
He answers objections about spamming and "dumb friends" by saying that the network will basically allow someone to be discredited fairly easily. Any sources that gives bad advice will quickly be given a few bad reviews.
The problem with this is that "goodness" is somewhat subjective. If you ever use amazon, you know that pretty much everything has at least few marks against it. If you want a network to be big enoguh to come up on searches, chances are that you're going to have a wide variety of opinions
Dark Helmet: I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate.
Lone Star: What does that make us?
Dark Helmet: Absolutely nothing, which is where this link takes you.
Perfecting Discordia
www.stevenvansickle.com
This category is otherwise known as "Ask Slashdot... to do your work."
still a lot, karma bonuses are a whore.
After looking around, the only one of these I'd go for would be Orkut (only I don't know anyone in there and it's invite only). I tried Friendster a short while ago and ended up getting a disturbing amount of mail from them, plus their interface was severely annoying.
The only one I use is denmark-centric (let's see if the site dies ^_^), mostly because it's the only one that's available and makes just a little coherrent sense for danes. Not that there's anything wrong with their gay design, it's just... Idwr.
It *must* go hand in hand with privacy. I used to work at a company that made a website personalization product and the engineering code-name for the product was "orwell". It took us a few days before release to remove all references just in case customers would have a negative association with such a term.
But I did not enjoy working on such a product. It convinced me back then that I don't like the nature of the web, which is fairly centralized relative to the internet itself. For example, I much preferred the old USENET model, and I wish something like "USENET v2" would come out as a blend of the web (for presentation only...dhtml rules but http sucks) and file distribution/management something like a cross between bittorrent and akamai.
SWM seeks SWF for phishing/spyware protection experience, candle-light dinners, walks on the beach and serious file/process validation.
"I can see that you're a cartoon-watching, programming, bleeding-heart liberal who wears glasses and is a Google fanboy."
"Elementary, my dear Watsonbot."
picpix image polls. create - share - vote. fun!
Why is it that all my friends' links are all about getting a free IPOD or getting 10,000 free icons for my AIM?
That's been one of the little mysteries in my life. You know you have Friend A and Friend B, and you like them both a lot? Then one day you introduce A to B and realize they don't like each other...at all. Yet you still like A and you still like B.
Some part of your personality is responding to something each of those people has, yet clearly they are each appealing to a different part of your personality, and sometimes those parts don't get along! :)
Download Extension here
Mirror
I think a hybrid approach between a social network and Amazon recommendations would be ideal. Based on bookmarks and preferences that you post to the server, an algorithm could reccomend other uses with similar tastes. I could then agree or disagree (on a 10 point scale) with the recommendation. That user would then enter my network, and I could browse other users in their network. You would be able to see their rating by other users. Additional ratings would refine the algorithm's ability to find new "friends" You would be notified when someone made you their "friend" so you could check them out and decide whether or not to reciprocate.
Free MacMini
Based on all the negative comments about his project, I can tell you guys just don't get it. This is academic. And anybody that has ever had to read academic thesis will know that it's their job to put useless thoughts on paper. Furthermore, it looks like he's doing a great job!
Finance tutorials and more! Understandfinance
Looks like my ISP was overconfident in saying they could handle a slashdotting. I'm moving to a dedicated server, and they say it'll be ready within a half hour. We'll see...
You want something else. There are different dynamics where you trust people. For example, no one should trust me with regard to South American history and politics. The reason, I know nothing about those areas. There needs to be a connection between Trust and areas of knowledge.
For example, I trust my parents, but I would never trust them to make decisions about computers. But if it came to building a building, I'd trust my father a bit more as he is an architect and his field is related to the construction of buildings. But I would never trust my mom regarding that. Now if the issue was the development and educational patterns of children in a bi-lingual situation, I would trust my mom, but I would never trust my father. He isn't a highly trained educator, he is an architect.
This type of trust network is good, but really is just an extension of the database that AOL has had for their buddy lists on AIM for years.
What is really needed is a way to rate peoples expertise in areas. If this can be done, a whole new dynamic internet could be formed.
Just one example of this would be to filter Wiki articles based on the level of expertise that author has in the subject.
Another example would be to filter all the recommendations you see on amazon. Wow, an English professor at Oxford recommends I read this book about the development of the symbolic languages, perhaps I should pay attention. -OR- Wow, this Policy Wonk who works for this special interest wants me to trust his opinions about the enviroment. Nope!
So to restate it, we need an Expert Network, on top of our Trust Network. And the trust networks are already in place. Just use any IM network, and apply a trust value to that connection. Now getting the Expert Network established, that's another problem. Perhaps tying a connection between each user and a DMOZ catagory. Or something along those lines.
Ted Tschopp
Fantasy remains a human right; we make in our measure and in our derivative mode... -- JRR Tolkien
i'm gettin an error whenever i try to download an informers 'statement'. hopefully, its because the server is overload and that'll fix itself soon. its quite interuptive as the error message grabs focus.
it says some metadata database wasn't compiled for ppc.
Seriously, I'd go +3, about one third of the comments. You can always drill down if you need to see more.
-Schiller
Nice article on BBC (via) about how most users don't even know the words for threats on the internet.
This is why I something like Outfoxed is needed: Even if you had magic browsers which could tell users "This is a phishing website," most users wouldn't even know that this was a bad thing!
The bottom line is that telling people to "get smart" will not help a computer novice who doesn't know the difference between Gator and Macromedia.
lol no one has a f'in sense of humor in this place.
I managed to get it installed. Do you think I should mark slashdot as "dangerous" now?
But surely thats only one half of the solution? For example, my mate Jack has excellent taste in punk music, but I wouldnt trust my mate Al to recommend any music because it will invariably be shit.
You don't listen to ALL your friends suggestions on everything: and you certainly don't hold identical opinions with all of your friends all the time.
How about having the ability to filter recommendations from friends? Say your mate Marcus sends you a funny link, well you know Marcus is a funny guy, so his recommendation goes to the top of the list, where as Gary, who doesn't "get" Shawn of the Dead should probably have any funny links he posts ranking lower in the list.
Did anyone else read the title as Firefox Extension for Applied Social engineering ?
The possibilities started flowing through my brain at a rapid pace. I envisioned a 'pretend to be a technician' wizard ('Do you know the name of the contractor which the target company uses for technical support?' 'Do technicians wear overalls to service calls?'), perhaps a research assistant, a disguise toolbar (a la Sims 2), maybe a letterhead forging wizard...
This story is probably one of the biggest letdowns in the entire term of my Slashdot patronage.
why has stumbleupon not received a story on slashdot? its a much more fully featured firefox extension than outfoxed and has a much more vibrant community. for some reason the blogging world hasn't taken to the stumbleupon community like it has to del.icio.us but in my eyes its one of the most useful web services tools around next to google, flickr, sxc.hu, and audioscrobbler/last.fm.
outfoxed really only works if you and all your friends decide to try it out, it doesnt reccomend you associates other than the maker of the plugin. stumbleupon is always trying to show you new friends by showing you random websites you might like. in my opinion, outfoxed is a copy of stumbleupon in many ways, just with some extensions for commenting things other than websites, such as system dll's and plugins.
I "designed" a similar system, but for e-mail. Not a single f-cker has commented on it yet, but hey, I'm not dead yet.
I called it Prioritaire.
http://killingmusic.com/blog/index.php?p=4
If the first example he gives is anything to go by, this effort is not well thought out. ...
Just because HE trusts "X" and you trust HIM, does NOT mean you should trust X.
Example: I trust you, you trust the president, therefore I trust ?
(see what I mean?)
If his model doesn't even recognize that, what good is it?
As I see it there is unlimited(almost) potentiel for sneaky js stealing and reporting password/usernames and such from the users.
I completely agree with you, as it is what society is based around: people with expertise in certain fields. However, it is often hard to determine a criteria for such a thing. On the internet, I cannot help but wonder whether an expertise system would end up as a popularity rating or not.
So if I trust my buddy, J, to rate business sites as a good deal or not, Outfoxed will also infer that I trust his judgement on whether or not a free software download is free of malware/spyware. Or vice versa. Not that I want a piece of software to do all my reasoning for me, but it severely limits the usefulness of the information. Something like Wikalong is better, where people can actually leave comments rather than just a thumbs up or thumbs down. Of course, Wikalong is thoroughly insecure...
Nothing to see here. Move along.
From the site:
"It's true, there are a lot of sell-outs and idiots out there. But remember, their bad trust decision affects not only you, but everyone else connected to them. (Possibly thousands of others.) All that is needed is for one of these other people to have a little sense and give a bad report to (distrust) the idiot, and then the problem is cleared. (See Keeping your network clean.)"
Haven't I heard that Gain sued someone for 'alleging' that their software is spyware?
I have the same thought, I have an awful lot of friends that I would NOT trust to know if they even had spyware or not. I get no benefit at all from joining such a network, and similarily the people who the network could benefit most will be the most leery of joining and carry the least weight in determining what is safe instead of what is popular.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
They're trying to become more commercial lately, so it's possible the service might become less useful for non-paying members, but no sign of that yet beyond certain new limitations on free "groups" features.
Most importantly, no spam!
I do not deploy Linux. Ever.
Don't download Outfoxed. It is very difficult to uninstall. Doesn't show up in Firefox 1.04's list of extensions, and the homepage has no instructions on how to uninstall. Options page for Outfoxed freezes sometimes, your Firefox address line starts behaving strangely, and Firefox slows to a crawl. Boo, hiss.
like minded people with the same core interest. Like, say, paedophiles and ham radio enthusiasts.
what if you have no friends?
the good ground has been paved over by suicidal maniacs
Perhaps you've never heard of GreaseMonkey.
http://greasemonkey.mozdev.org/
Matt
After much testing and thought, here is my results:
-It helps get a list of malware fast. It actually pops up before you click on a dialer warning you it's bad! This is in my opinion a *greeeeat* feature.
-It can actually put down google search result of bad/dangerous pages by a number of positions you choose!!!
-Lacking a category system within each expert, it's much more useful to avoid bad stuff than to find good stuff. If your super-expert in avoiding spyware trusts some guy that likes golf (which you couldn't care about), it poisons the searching for good pages except for the google rank increases.
Very complementary with stumbleupon. Just wondering what he'll do when it starts to cost him too much money!!
Microsoft is pure dog-ma. FreeBSD is pure cat-ma.
I trusted outfoxed extension to not kill my machine. My trust was not well placed. Now I will trust them to respond to my plea for help. Let's see how much we can trust those who promise to find out who to trust. Ipso custodies and all that...
could there have been any more links in that post?
Understandable, but still amusing.