Slashback: Summer, Sail, Sex Offenders

Slashback this evening brings you updates on recent and ongoing stories about the lost (or just possibly not lost) solar sail launched earlier this week, Website tagging (this time client-side), Google's Summer of Code, and more -- read on for the details.

A new definition for optimism. Rei writes "According to a weblog entry from the Planetary Society, it appears that Cosmos 1 - the world's first controlled solar-sail spacecraft - has been found. The data is still tentative, but they have detected evidence of the spacecraft's signal in multiple tracking stations. There is a chance that it is in the wrong orbit, but it appears to be up there. This is after it was reported that the Volna rocket that launched it lost an engine after 83 seconds, and many had assumed that the craft was lost."

The power of the tag can only grow with time. An Anonymous reader writes "Saw your coverage of YubNub - I've been playing with a similar tool for a while that might interest your readers. It's called Ambedo and works in a way that you can tag search engines or bookmarks with a bookmarklet (you can also enter them manually if you want to). These are then added to you own tag directory. You then access these tags by typing them in a search box -- but all the matching is done client-side in javascript. It also has nice features like matching IP addresses, domain names, FedEx packages, calculator in the search box and so on."

If you like it so much, why don'tcha marry it? Mad Merlin writes "Groklaw has an interview with Chris DiBona of Google with regards to their Summer of Code program (as previously covered here). When asked why Google is doing the SoC program, Chris responds, 'It is simple: We love open source. A great number of Googlers have and are donating their 20% time to the open source efforts that we're doing.'"

Just kidding! scotty777 writes "Japan plans to give up its bid to have the world's first nuclear fusion reactor built in Aomori Prefecture. Japan Today reports the government decision, which means that the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) site decision can be made. Japan Times reports that the government announced the decision by saying 'it plans to back down [from the Aomori site proposal] if the European Union stands firm on bringing the project to Cadarache, in southern France.'"

Surely this won't cause any controversy. davenaffis writes "Here's a little site I developed that uses Google Maps to map sex offenders. Only Washington, D.C. data is available right now, but I'll be adding more states soon."

Comments

Re:Sex offenders have no rights?

[WhatAmIDoingHere]

Their set of rights is smaller than yours or mine.

There exist lists of convicted sex offenders. They have to register when they move. They have to register every year even if they don't move. If the community they move into doesn't want them around, they can get a petition thrown together and the sex offender cannot live there. Oh, and they'll know when he moves in. Usually some group will make a big stink about the whole deal.

Once you commit a sex crime (or are convicted of ANY felony) you lose the majority of your rights.

ITER intro

[interiot]

For those who need an intro to ITER:

ITER is a proposed international tokamak (magnetic confinement fusion) experiment designed to show the scientific and technological feasibility of a full-scale fusion power reactor.

ITER will use a hydrogen plasma torus operating at over 100 million Celsius. It will produce approximately 500 megawatts of fusion power sustained for up to 500 seconds (compared to JET's peak of 16 MW for less than a second). ITER will not generate electrical power.

ITER is the experimental step between today's studies of plasma physics and tomorrow's electricity-producing fusion power plants.

It sounds like the plans for it were pretty much ready to go, they just couldn't decide where to build the thing. So, all systems are go now?

Re:A map too far?

[MrResistor]

Most states already have a website that does exactly the same thing already. Perhaps you've heard of Megan's Law? Google for it if you're unfamiliar.

Use a little google why don't you?

[3.5 stripes]

http://www.freep.com/news/metro/dicker20_20031020. htm

This mentions people on the michigan sex offender list, without names.. but states a woman is there for public urination, and some guys are there for consensual sex with underage girlfriends.

Both are examples given by the grandparent.

Have a look here to:

http://www.geocities.com/eadvocate/issues/harm-reg ister.html

PUBLIC EXHIBIITONISM == LISTABLE SEX OFFENCE.

[goombah99]

Things that can get you on a registered sexual offender list:

public urination, exhibitionism, nudism, streaking, flashing, mooning, outdoor consensual sex, lewd behaviour.

Dont believe me?

utah law book says:

(d) "Sex offender" means any person convicted by this state or who enters a plea in abeyance for violating Section 76-7-102, 76-9-702.5, 76-5a-3, 76-10-1306, or 76-5-301.1

and all of those are for lewd behaviour that specifically includes public urination, streaking, and mooning.

LAW LINK

"The study found that people charged with crimes such as public urination, flashing, consensual sex between teenagers, possession of child pornography and adult prostitution are all classified as sex offenders in some states."

Link to source

"Plaistow Deputy Chief Kathleen Jones also said that not every person on the sex offender list has necessarily committed an egregious crime such as rape or molestation because a conviction of indecent exposure, even in cases such as public urination, can land someone on the list."
Link

"According to Michigan State Police Sgt. Troy Fellows, urinating in public is classified as indecent exposure, and requires sex offender registration after three convictions...[And] Judges [can] to order registration after any number of convictions..."

Link