Slashdot Mirror


User: slugmass

slugmass's activity in the archive.

Stories
0
Comments
12
First seen
Last seen
Profile
(view on slashdot.org)

Comments · 12

  1. Steve Jackson Games case: version 2.0 on What Happens To Your Files When a Cloud Service Shuts Down? · · Score: 0

    This entire situation reminds me of the Steve Jackson Games versus US Secret Service case of 22 years ago. The key aspects of the case include; a company providing collaborative services for a community like email and a place to centrally store files, a type of content that government did not understand because technology was moving outside of what was culturally known and accepted, and of course a flagrant abuse of power by the federal government. Today we see the US government usurping sovereignty to suppress a technology that they view as having gotten out of hand. In this new case they seek to clarify their vision of international law (ACTA) and will make sur they are victorious. The eventual victory of Steve Jackson Games over the US Secret Service should be viewed as Pyrrhic in that it took many years of litigation to win, but the authorities held all of their equipment in an unknown location, tampered with by zealous but unskilled forensic 'experts,' and returned. The original case did teach the US government many lessons; always have an inside informer, create instances of violation (entrapment through juicy uploads), and get political backing.

    ref: http://www.sjgames.com/SS/

  2. This is certainly tech news if there is war on North Korea Says War With South Would Go Nuclear · · Score: 0

    Have you, or anyone you know, ever bought a device with components made by Samsung? I assume you will answer yes. there, you just answered the question of why it would be important if all of Samsung were to become radioactive slag.

  3. This obsession is too late ... on Hollywood's Growing Obsession With Philip K. Dick · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    to stop the horror that is "Twilight." A literary adaptation in the sense that teenage Facebook postings are learned discourse.

  4. Google.cn will become a redirect to baidu.com on China Emphasizes Laws As Google Defies Censorship · · Score: 1

    A simple prediction is that the Chinese government will make google.cn redirect to baidu.com. If the rabid slashdot speculation about l33t Chinese hackers, let us call them Chackers, stealing Google's code is correct, they can create a Google.cn golem datacenter and carry on google.cn.

  5. UNH-IOL on Testing Network Changes When No Test Labs Exist? · · Score: 1

    The UNH-IOL is a neutral, third-party laboratory dedicated to testing data networking technologies through industry collaboration.

    http://www.iol.unh.edu/

  6. Already exists and it is called ... on Reliable Male Contraceptive In the Works · · Score: 1

    any career involving science or computers.

  7. Red stapler? on Pentagon Lost Billions, Pennies At a Time · · Score: 1

    It appears that the plot of "Office Space" was actually a thinly veiled expose on government contractor larceny.

  8. No problem since 1966 in FORTRAN on The Exact Cause of the Zune Meltdown · · Score: 2, Informative

    integer function f_isleap(year)
                IMPLICIT NONE
    c
    c Purpose :: Return 0 if a year is NOT leap year and a 1 otherwise.
    c
    c Description: Every fourth year is a leap year. c But NOT when divisible
    c by 100, except if the year is divisible by 400.
    c
                integer Year
                if((MOD(Year,400).eq.0) .or.
              % ((MOD(Year,4).eq.0) .and.
                        (MOD(Year,100).ne.0))) then
                      f_isleap=1
                else
                      f_isleap=0
                endif
                return
                end

    But of course FORTRAN is not fancy enough for super cool C# coders.

  9. Old vs New fund raising on Universities Patenting More Student Ideas · · Score: 1

    In the olden days a university would hopefully provide a good education for a reasonable price. The newly minted alumnus would go on to fame and fortune. The university would then suck up to you and ask for donations. A generous alum would then spring for a new building, new lab, scholarships, because they had fond memories of partying and meeting their mate. The new university grabs all of your money and your future earning potential up front because they know your fond memories will be of parking tickets, car towing, crackdowns on partying, and forced re-education seminars in your dorm.

  10. Assinine idea on ACM Urges Obama To Include CS In K-12 Core · · Score: 1

    As someone who has to hire undergrad CS majors, I would prefer that K-12 concentrate on getting kids to read at grade level, and outperform at math and science. Before any idiot says "But computer science is a science" I point to chemistry, biology, and physics and ask what Nobel Prize was awarded for "Best do-loop discovery." CS is a tool, nothing more. Computers will certainly be used in the classroom, but time should not be set aside specifically to teach M$ product usage (as my nephews had in high school).

    A point to ponder; the most elite high schools in the US barely use computers. The emphasis is on learning to learn, not mechanical rote work.

  11. Esther Who? on Esther Dyson Grudgingly Defends Internet Anonymity · · Score: 1

    I grepped for Esther Dyson in the Linux source and could not find her name, I guess she was too shy about her contributions and desired to remain anonymous.

  12. Buy American, if you can on FBI Concerned About Implications of Counterfeit Cisco Gear · · Score: 1

    The United States was once a major manufacturer of all things high-tech. I can remember being within an hour drive of Digital Equipment, Data General, Apollo Computer, IMC Magnetics (computer fan maker), Clarostat (precision resistors), and many others. But the most relevent to this story is Cabletron (See wikipedia for a short description). This Rochester New Hampshire based compnay made ALL of it's products in Rochester New Hampshire. Soldered and assembled by Americans, designed by Americans, and built to last. Some of this gear still survives in the field. There is a legendary story out of Chicago of a bank that was flooded at the lower levels. All of teh Cabletron networking gear was assumed to be dead. After a few days of drying out, it was perfectly functional and resumed service. So teh lesson is, pay more to an American company with American designed and produced product and your security concerns will drop.