I think you're missing the point. Regardless of whether it is free or not it's still an open forum, and comments on the stories posted are fine. Rob Malda has said in the past "Don't criticize slashdot, criticize me." I think that's a perfectly appropriate request, and the original poster of this comment did just that, chose not to criticize slashdot but rather to mention, rationally and with supporting arguments, that he felt it was an inappropriate and smug comment on a submission. It should also be noted that, while this is a nonprofit, that doesn't mean it is without money. Slashdot was acquired by Andover.Net for $4 million, a hefty sum. Roblimo works for Andover, in their TechSightings section, and so is being paid to do this job, indirectly.
Given that he is being paid, that he is making money by submitting these stories, don't you think it is fair to offer some criticism?
I should also note that "quadong"'s post was much calmer, and much more rational than yours, which has the word shit once, fuck twice, and bitch twice. IIRC, quadong even criticized someone else for posting a comment attacking Roblimo in this manner, and I see no reason that you should be afforded any different treatment.
I suppose this is great for advanced users of linux/unix/etc, but who is it geared to? Most people who can use this already have linux, so is it just a distro testing site, or what?
Thanks much, of course, for the Kudos. I got marked redundant, which wasn't true when I was writing the post, only after it showed up. But oh well.
I think the "Intent to do harm" phrase is not regarding the virus code itself, but rather the mindset of the creator. This is, of course, much harder to prove than the former case, but it makes a whole lot more sense. My guess is that there was never a plan to punish people for having malicious code on their machines *unless* it was freely available for download or they intended to use it in a naughty, naughty way. This negates the worry that an AV researcher's code will cause them to be convicted, since I think lots of people here are slightly misreading the article. Malicious code is fine to have on your computer, as long as you don't distribute it and don't intend to use it to do harm to a machine that is not yours!
Intent is always a hard thing to prove, which is why so many murders get reduced to manslaughter on the bargaining table: the DA can never be sure he's going to convince a jury. The same trouble will show up here, I believe, and we'll probably see a few cases where the perpetrator gets a plea bargain, simply because the evidence of intent is not present, but it is frighteningly clear that that was the intent (from a handle like "My_ViRuZ_WiLL_oWN_yOO" or something along those lines.)
Anyway, some people may think that this is a rights violation against the Finnish people, but I can't agree. Of course I'm one of those "gun control nuts" as well.
Regards, and I'm sorry if this strikes you as a rant,
It's not really a long article, folks. Check out this excerpt, and note specifically the last line:
The law stretches a net to catch those writing, making available, or spreading computer viruses. This effectively means for example that anyone who keeps a virus program on their website that is available for downloading by visitors would become liable under the law. Liability for punishment is not limited to cases in which actual harm or hindrance is caused to data systems, or where the data or files of the infected system are corrupted or destroyed in the process. The intention to harm becomes the primary criteria for bringing charges,
The AV community WILL NOT BE HARMED by this. They may be put out of business, but even that seems unlikely. "The intention to bring harm is the primary criteria[sic] for bringing charges". Please folks, what Finland is doing isn't really bad for anyone except those Finns who want to do bad bad things with virii!
This needent go under YRO, since it is just another way to help slow "cyber crime" in Finland. Note also that downloadable code is just as bad, so don't put links to files. As long as you're an innocent, you're fine. Pleeeaaase read the article...it clears everything up.
I've been waiting for the local grocery store to start delivery through its website. Sheesh. I don't want to walk a mile carrying a 24 pack of Mountain Dew.
But seriously, is this a good thing? Rob seems to think it's almost 1984-esque. I can't say I think this is fair. This doesn't say anything about full screen messages from the Finnish leadership, computers equipped with cameras and voice recorders, or a new dictionary. All it is is a whole bunch of conveniences, bundled up to make Helsinki a damn nice place to live. As long as you don't have to speak the language.
I've personally always liked this type of thing. I can check to see if I have mail, order food, videoconference, and run all sorts of errands without running at all. Is this going to eliminate human contact? Of course not! People aren't going to telecommute, and there really is nothing like holding a nice blonde Finn in your arms at night...
Anyway.
I would kill to have a Virtual Saint Paul, MN.. but only if Governor Jesse "The Mind" Ventura has little to say about it.:)
Question 1: Couldn't a similar thing be done with any connected organizer? Just paint "Don't Panic" on the cover and give it an encyclopedia that gets updated through a modem from time to time. I could probably do it with a Palm IIIx, but it would be even easier with one of the new Visors. If this takes off, will we see copycats?
Question 2: It struck me that www.h2g2.com is basically everything.blockstackers.com... Rob, why don't you go to work and make one of these! Everything is more complete and generally funnier than h2g2. If only you could use the name and logo, right?
I actually just wrote a mini essay on the state of global political relations in the latter half of the twentieth century, and a large portion of my thesis for the future was on whether Informatics warfare was the battlefield of the future. I'm not the only one to think so, and here's something from the military:
The development and employment of "information warfare," especially when targeted against an adversary leadership's command and control systems or its ability to appear legitimate in the eyes of its population, also looms as a potent new warfare technique. In 1991, information technology already had changed warfighting. The global positioning system (GPS) allowed US and allied ground units participating in the "left hook" flanking attack against the Iraqi army to maintain their positions accurately on the Kuwaiti desert even during blinding sandstorms. Self-navigating data drones can be employed to search autonomously across numerous information networks. Propaganda via the Internet has already been used by belligerents. Vulnerability to computer virus warfare and other nonlethal disabling technologies now has the attention of national security planners.
(Excerpted from the Air Force's "Air Chronicles")
And from a different "Air Chronicles" article:
One development with implications for the military is the appearance of "hackers" and "phreakers"--persons who gain unauthorized access to computer and telephone systems, respectively. Since their emergence in the 1970s, hackers have repeatedly demonstrated their talent at overcoming computer security systems to access information. In some cases, intruders have gone beyond merely accessing a system; malicious damage has been done to computer databases, causing millions of dollars in loss to corporations and agencies. In most cases, hackers are amateur sleuths who simply treat secure computer systems as the world's greatest puzzle. But what if hacking were done for a more subtle, deliberate purpose? What if an organization of hackers cooperated in a coordinated attempt to gain access to a computer system? What if careful planning and preparation allowed this access to be gained with no trace left behind in the violated C2 system?
Implications of hacking and phreaking for intelligence collection are simple to grasp. A computer network or telephone system is designed to transmit information. Much of that information will form an excellent intelligence picture of an adversary. Simply monitoring the quantity of information flowing through a network can serve as an indicator of pending activity. Readers who served in the military may remember how the Department of Defense's TEMPEST program taught us all that the emissions from electronic equipment can be picked up from remote distances. The TEMPEST program taught us to take precautions against unauthorized monitoring. Computer networks can be monitored through telephone modems, peripheral equipment, power lines, human agents and other means. The information contained in these systems can be monitored without the user's knowledge.
So where is it all going to end up? Will we need soldiers in the future? Of course! Will our government begin Computer warfare as well? Chances are very high that it will. As it all becomes more prevalent the DoD will respond, and you can bet some of the script kiddies in Federal lockup right now will get some special offers.
Has anyone here been following Freedom, a program from zero knowledge, inc.? It supposedly gives you complete anonymity while online, by using an extensive encryption and hiding of IP addresses, etc. You can find more info at Zeroknowledge's website.
From the "How does freedom work" section:
Freedom(TM) wraps your computer's outgoing Internet traffic in several layers of powerful encryption and sends it through a series of detours (called the Freedom Network), so that the message, its sender and its destination remain completely private - even to computers in the Freedom Network. It's as if you were putting a scrambled letter into three or more envelopes, each with a different forwarding and return address.
It seems to be growing more and more popular by the minute, and once it is out of beta I might just consider it. Or will I? How terrible of a thing is it that companies know lots about us? The information has always been there about our grocery buying habits, our eating habits, our salaries, our personal histories...all that is required is a simple check by an unscrupulous soul. The internet is supposed to be the last frontier I suppose. Is anyone really surprised, though, that it's getting so commercial?
I'm trying to to get involved in the name calling and blame throwing, since the man is indeed innocent until proven guilty. AFAIKT his major crimes are possession of child pornography and attempting to meet this supposed teenager.
Freeh, the head of the FBI spoke to congress in 1997 about child pornography, and so here are some excerpts:
Sexual exploitation of children involves sexual activity in which the perpetrator receives sexual gratification and may benefit financially, such as through the manufacture and distribution of child pornography. Exploitation may include contacts for sexual purposes, prostitution, pornography, or other sexually exploitative activities. Increasingly, pedophiles and sexual predators are using the Internet and on-line services to target and recruit victims and to facilitate the distribution of child pornography.
Pedophiles often seek out young children by either participating in or monitoring activities in chat rooms that are provided by commercial on-line services for teenagers and pre-teens to converse with each other. These chat rooms also provide pedophiles an anonymous means of establishing relationships with children. Using a chat room, a child can converse for hours with unknown individuals, often without the knowledge or approval of their parents. There is no easy way for the child to know if the person he or she is talking with is, in fact, another 14-year old, or is a 40-year old sexual predator masquerading as a peer. In other instances, a pedophile may use e-mail capabilities to send child pornography to persons who enter a chat room, even though the recipient does not request or want such mail.
Any similarities seen here? Let's continue.
In July 1996, 16 members of a group that often frequented a chat room known as the "Orchid Club" were indicted in federal court on a variety of charges involving the production and distribution of child pornography, as well as conspiracy. A joint investigation by the FBI, the United States Customs Service, and the United States Postal Inspection Service determined that individuals used the chat room to arrange for and transmit child pornography. While in the chat room, they also discussed their involvement and desires in molesting children. What was especially significant in this case was that many of those conspirators later admitted active participation in child molestations within each of their own geographic locations.
One subject of the "Orchid Club" case admitted to having sexual attractions to girls age four to ten years old. He also admitted to writing diaries of his sexual desires for children and to secretly videotaping children at playgrounds. During a search of this subject's residence, investigators found approximately 700 floppy diskettes, 100 videotapes, diaries, writings, books, magazines, clippings, and related materials that indicated the subject's sexual interest in children.
This isn't quite the same, but it is an interesting notion.. (assuming he's guilty) would he have eventually progressed to this?
In 1994, the FBI initiated an innovative and proactive investigation, designated as "Innocent Images," to focus on the sexual exploitation of children through the Internet and on-line services. This investigation grew out of our experience in the May 1993 disappearance of George Stanley Burdynski, Jr., a 13-year old, in Prince George's County, Maryland. [snip] As of March 5, 1997, the "Innocent Images" investigation has generated 200 search warrants, 40 consent searches, 81 indictments, 33 informations, 91 arrests, and 83 felony convictions.
The "Innocent Images" Task Force is staffed by agents of the FBI's Baltimore, Maryland, field office, other federal agencies, and investigators from surrounding state and local jurisdictions in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. However, it is estimated that 95 percent of the subjects identified by the "Innocent Images" investigation reside in other states.
My assumption here is that "Innocent Images" was either behind the sting on Naughton or a major contributor of information and tactics.
And finally, from Freeh again to a congressional subcommittee, Encryption. When I testified last week before the Subcommittee on the FBI's 1999 budget request, I outlined for the Subcommittee a number of challenges facing the FBI as it moves toward the 21st century. One of these challenges is the growing use of encryption by criminals to conceal their illegal activities. The "Innocent Images" initiative has uncovered sexual predators who use encryption in their communication with each other and in the storage of their child pornography computer files. This encryption is extremely difficult, and often impossible, to defeat.
It is essential that law enforcement agencies at all levels of government maintain the ability, through court order, to access encrypted communications and data relating to illegal activity.
I figured I'd just throw in a little encryption debate for you all to chew on.
It strikes me that Naughton has little hope. If he is convicted he'll be very lucky to not get jail time, and his life will be saved if he doesn't. Others have mentioned this already, but it is an enormous problem (or lack thereof, in some peoples' opinions).
Please, though, let's not judge him until the courts do.
Palm entry is fairly easy, I'll be honest. You can (as has already been said) use "Graffiti" (the palm's own text entry system), the onscreen keyboard, or the gotype! or a twiddler. Of these, the easiest are graffiti and the gotype.
Some people think graffiti is "like shorthand", but really, it's very much like regular print handwriting. The odd ones are A, F, K, Q, T, and V. An A is the same as a capital A minus the cross stroke, so it looks like an upside down v. F is an F minus the middle line, K is like the two diagonal lines of the k connected by a loop, Q is like an O with a little line at the top, and V is a U with a line extending to the right (or a backwards U)
Once you learn these graffiti is very fast, often faster than regular handwriting. The gotype is also very nice, since it almost feels like a regular keyboard, but is very thin, has low power consumption, and is nice and handy with quick, customizable access buttons to the major palm apps.
I can write at about 25wpm using graffiti, which is pretty good for handwriting (it's a bit faster than my normal handwriting) and it's MUCH neater since it outputs typed text. On the gotype I can type about 60wpm, compared to 90 on a regular keyboard, but I think 60 is about the limit for the gotype, and I doubt it'll slow down anyone at 60wpm or under.
All in all, text entry is quite easy on the palm devices.. I love my Palm V8! -efisher ---
Ok, you're probably right about Sony have problems with mp3, but not for the reasons you mention. Minidisc isn't a failure, it just has been rather slow in sales. What you need to remember is that Sony owns Columbia, Epic, (BMG?) and a whole lot of other tiny music publishing houses. That's the reason I can think they wouldn't be happy with mp3. But who knows, maybe they'll make so much money off this thing that it'll let them forget about the horrors of mp3 for a moment.
I've been looking for a cd player capable of playing mp3 cds and audio cds for a long time. I know some are planned, but does anyone know of one that is already available? It's so much more convenient, and headphones generally don't give the best quality in the first place, so who knows if I'll notice the difference..
Now that slashdot may be a subsidiary of a publicly held company, will there be any possible changes, or will the contract still be valid when ownership changes hands? -efisher ---
MetaModeration, so far, seems like a great idea. To moderate the moderation seems to be both fair and wise, and it should help potential moderators realize when it's prudent to moderate.
I found that, as I was reading the posts moderated up to +4 and +5, most of them didn't really deserve to be there. For quite a few of the +5s (almost all, in fact) I had to say the rating was unfair, since it is my belief that Rob intended +4 and +5 to basically include information that the post left out, so when comments were sorted by score the reader could see any last-minute additions. For that reason, pretty much every +5 "Insightful" post or +5 "Funny" post seemed like an unfair raise to me, like the moderators were too lazy to look for the other gems deep in the comment page and so merely moderated already-high posts up. I also noticed that, of the ones I said were unfair, a large percentage were in the first 20 posts of that thread. In one of the rare instances where this didn't seem to be as true (the story about black figures in technology, for instance) quite a few very good posts had very high id numbers. Still, many of these were rated to +4 or +5, but I only found one that was so truly "Insightful" and which so beautifully incorporated the basic arguments inherent in the story that it deserved a +4 or +5, and I gave it a very hearty "Fair" moderation rating.
My general feeling, as well, is that +3 is fine for "Funny", but it sometimes seems that I'd like to filter them out. Some stories get funny posts moderated up, but the content of the story doesn't really lend itself easily to humor. A way for users to select which moderation reasons to view would be very good.. sometimes I'd like to just not see the "flamebait" or "troll" posts.. or just a few others. But enough personal choices.
Anyway, I think it'd be more than interesting to see a graph of the results of at least the past two days of MetaModeration, because I would be truly interested in seeing whether M^2ers agree with me that most +4 and +5 posts deserve to be also deemed "Overrated"..
Ok, now this argument is unbelievably fallacious. Teachers do indeed work approx 200 days a year. The starting salary in chicago, too, is about $21,000. They get paid medical and everything, but you miss the few problems. You say they only do half a year's work, but there's an error there. Do most people in the United States work 7 days a week? or even 6? You're claiming 180 school days when you should really be claiming 38 work weeks (9 a semester, for two semesters, plus two weeks for finals, or 6 a trimester plus 2 weeks for finals). 38/52 is quite a bit more than one half, so in fact teachers only get 14 weeks a year off of school.
Now to the second point. You argue that teachers shouldn't be paid as much as they do because they only do a half year's work. We've already determined that they do more than a half-year's work. However, you seem to assume that if teachers' salaries are cut they'll manage to live a life somehow. Two things here obstruct that. Teachers get paid year round for working 9 months of the year (and yes, it's 9 months.. 38/52 is 73% of the year.) so during the summer vacation they continue to get paychecks. This makes the paychecks when they are teaching and commuting much smaller (creating hassles, you must understand) and if their pay were to be cut it would be even harder for the teachers to survive on that amount of pay, since it is distributed over the whole year for what you call "a half year's work". But also, what do you propose the teachers do for the three months that they have free? Teachers are trained to be teachers. They can't easily get jobs in the summer that are related to teaching, since no one will hire an educator for a time when nearly no schools are in session, and knowing that the educator will have to leave once the real school year starts. This leaves very few options. 1) Minimum wage, fast food job.. this is not even a possibility. Pay is about 20% of regular teacher salary and conditions are worse. 2) Whatever else you can think of. The point is, pay for a part time job is nearly always worse pay. Eek! Teachers are too valuable of a resource to do this to, and I'm shocked that someone who considers himself a student would even say such a thing.
There is no "Back Door" in Windows Originally Posted: September 03, 1999
Summary A report alleges that Microsoft "may have installed a 'back door' for the National Security Agency... making it orders of magnitude easier for the US government to access their computers". This allegation is false.
What's the allegation? The report alleges that a cryptographic key that ships as part of the CryptoAPI architecture is labeled "NSA key" and constitutes a "back door" that could be used by government agencies to start or stop system security services on user's computers.
Is the allegation true? No. Microsoft does not leave "back doors" in our products. This is in keeping with our historical stance on this issue. For instance, we have opposed the various key escrow proposals that have been suggested by the government, because we because we don't believe they are in the best interests of consumers or the industry.
Are there two keys? Yes. However, both are Microsoft keys. We do not share them with any third party, including the National Security Agency or any other government agency.
What's CryptoAPI? CryptoAPI is a Microsoft technology for providing cryptographic services. Vendors can develop stand-alone cryptographic modules called Cryptographic Service Providers (CSPs), which can then be called by any program via the CryptoAPI interface. For more information on CryptoAPI, see http://www.microsoft.com/security/tech/cryptoapi/d efault.asp.
What are the keys in question? The keys are used to verify the digital signatures on CSPs.
Why do CSPs have to be signed? And why by Microsoft? CryptoAPI is subject US export laws regarding cryptography. One element of this requires Microsoft to ensure that CryptoAPI will only load CSPs that meet US cryptographic export laws. This is done by digitally signing all CSPs. Before it loads a CSP, CryptoAPI verifies that the CSP has been digitally signed. Part of Microsoft's responsibility as the vendor for CryptoAPI is to sign the CSPs.
When a vendor has a new CSP that they want to release, they submit it for signing and show that all export licensing has been received. Microsoft then digitally signs the CSP, and it can thereafter be used by CryptoAPI.
Why are there two keys? There is a primary and a backup key.
Why is a backup key needed? The backup key is needed for disaster recovery. To see why, suppose we had only one signing key. If a natural disaster destroyed the building in which it were kept, all of the previously-signed CSPs would continue to function normally, because the key used for verification exists in every copy of Windows. However, Microsoft would need to sign future CSPs using a new key. In order for these CSPs to be verified, matching key material would need to be provided to all of the millions of customers using Windows 95, 98 and Windows NT. Clearly, this would be a massive undertaking.
This is why there are two keys. If something befell the primary key, Microsoft could thereafter sign CSPs using the backup key. Because the backup is already in every copy of Windows, there would be no disruption to customers.
Why the backup key labeled "NSA key"? This is simply an unfortunate name. The NSA performs the technical review for all US cryptographic export requests. The keys in question are the ones that allow us to ensure compliance with the NSA's technical review. Therefore, they came to known within Microsoft as "the NSA keys", and this name was included in the symbol information for one of the keys. However, Microsoft holds these keys and does not share them with anyone, including the NSA.
I heard that there is a third key in Windows 2000. Is this true? There is a third key present in the beta versions of Windows 2000, but it does not provide a "back door". It is simply a test key that allows the developers to sign test CSPs while Windows 2000 is under development. It will not be present in the production version of Windows 2000.
Does this have any effect on CryptoAPI's compliance with US export law? No. The CryptoAPI architecture is fully compliant with US export law.
THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.
Well, a way to work this situation (even though I've lost all respect for your comments because of spelling errors, grammatical errors, and your assumption that the recipients of this letter are "script kiddies") would be to buy 100 shares at IPO price, wait until it rises (and it *will*!) to about 80 or 100$ a share, and then sell short with a stop price of 40 or 50 (don't wanna get greedy). Once it starts dropping you're still making money. Sound good? That might be the way to go this week on tech stocks, which seem to be struggling (although most of them have already fallen enough...they're due for a rise as soon as Greenspan smiles on camera).
I'm actually not positive if NASDAQ will let you sell short, but I believe this method would work, and it's likely to earn you a chunk of cash if you expect the price to fall soon after the IPO.
I suppose these are all good critiques... I agree with many of them, there have been stories I've submitted to slashdot, only to see them appear a few days later. They're old news to me, but news still to/.
I think maybe the problem is that not enough people are submitting news stories. I used to submit stories, but got discouraged after seeing some passed up and then alternate versions posted a bit later. I understand that some posters have different viewpoints on what exactly IS news for nerds, but it's becoming rather absurd.
This isn't really a criticism of slashdot, it's a criticism of the posters and of the userbase. The posters for deleting possible stories because they don't fit their own definition. To me, these should be left in a queue for the other posters to think about. An internal system allowing the posters to leave their thoughts on the story, and a limit in the queue of 24 hours (so a news story doesn't get stale, and to keep it tiny) Of course, worthless submissions can still be immediately deleted (e.g. flames, empty posts, comments to rob et al), but give other posters a chance to see what you thought was crap!
Now to the users- we need to browse online news sites more! When we find a decent article we need to submit, submit, submit! To increase the quality of the submissions, once you find a good story, browse other news sites for similar stories! If you can, include two or more links in your submission including, if you can, a link to a relevant page on a company mentioned in the articles! (Sorry for all the !'s, but this really would help the quality and timing of stories.)
I hope I don't get rob angry for criticizing slashdot, I know that's a no-no. But it isn't really an attack on slashdot, more a statement of the growing userbase but declining submission rate (I think.. I could be wrong here).
Anyway,
I hope Taco reads this and ponders it... it would be terrible to try to implement, I'm sure... but this is also a plea for all the users out there to 1) increase the quantity of submissions but 2) to make sure the quality of said submissions rises with quantity!
Actually, they don't plan on making money on it just yet. Wired did an article on this, mentioning that a VC had beamed $3 million to the creators with his palm. You can find it here.
"Computers killed nobody, but if I brained somebody with a hammer, would you want hammers to be banned? They are certainly capable of killing people, but not without human intervention."
Well, that's an oft-stated argument. Guns don't kill people, people kill people, says the NRA. I'm amazed that you can hit a nail from 50 feet with a handgun, but, to be honest, it doesn't change my determination that the sole intended purpose was to destroy life...
Sure, target practice is fine (I suppose...although I feel there are ways to improve self-discipline without firing a handgun...code perl, for instance:). But the mass majority of handguns being fired are being fired at people, not at bullseye's.
To go a step further, the social ramifications of the handgun are intense. It is easily concealed (most people don't scan every passerby for a bulge in their pantsleg) and (nowadays) very easily loaded and reloaded and used. (My problem is much more with semiautomatic pistols than with revolvers... revolvers, while generally much more powerful, are not as easy to use quickly.. am I correct?) Most importantly, however, a recent study (within the last five years) showed that the ratio of burglars killed by handguns kept in the home to family members kept in the home was 1:43. No kidding. If you keep a handgun in the home, you're almost 50 times more likely to end up killing a family member than killing a burglar. Perhaps that is the most distressing aspect.
My personal feeling is that, if guns must remain in american society, all automatic weapons, and all semiautomatic handguns must necessarily be banned. That's just me, though.
Well true, if you go to the section on the limo site where it talks about who Robin Miller is, it talks about how he likes to spend his spare time editing techsightings.com, where this roblimo links to and the previous post's link went to. Looks like ya were right.. woo google!
Isn't Compaq the company that, on april fools day, announced on their australian web site that they had a mouse that recharged your battery by moving it? Seems we've now found the basis for that joke:)
Well, that sounds like a statistic made up on the spot, so I'll counter it. 84% of publishers and editors are republicans. Now lessee, who has the final say on content? Journalists? noooooo.
Just because a lot of journalists are liberal doesn't mean the media is liberal. If the media were liberal, there would be no coverage of private sexual affairs in government--that's not a liberal thing to do, it's a right-wing conservative thing to do.
Slashdot Mirror
I think you're missing the point. Regardless of whether it is free or not it's still an open forum, and comments on the stories posted are fine. Rob Malda has said in the past "Don't criticize slashdot, criticize me." I think that's a perfectly appropriate request, and the original poster of this comment did just that, chose not to criticize slashdot but rather to mention, rationally and with supporting arguments, that he felt it was an inappropriate and smug comment on a submission. It should also be noted that, while this is a nonprofit, that doesn't mean it is without money. Slashdot was acquired by Andover.Net for $4 million, a hefty sum. Roblimo works for Andover, in their TechSightings section, and so is being paid to do this job, indirectly.
Given that he is being paid, that he is making money by submitting these stories, don't you think it is fair to offer some criticism?
I should also note that "quadong"'s post was much calmer, and much more rational than yours, which has the word shit once, fuck twice, and bitch twice. IIRC, quadong even criticized someone else for posting a comment attacking Roblimo in this manner, and I see no reason that you should be afforded any different treatment.
Calm down.
Regards,
-efisher
---
I suppose this is great for advanced users of linux/unix/etc, but who is it geared to? Most people who can use this already have linux, so is it just a distro testing site, or what?
Regards,
-efisher
---
Thanks much, of course, for the Kudos. I got marked redundant, which wasn't true when I was writing the post, only after it showed up. But oh well.
I think the "Intent to do harm" phrase is not regarding the virus code itself, but rather the mindset of the creator. This is, of course, much harder to prove than the former case, but it makes a whole lot more sense. My guess is that there was never a plan to punish people for having malicious code on their machines *unless* it was freely available for download or they intended to use it in a naughty, naughty way. This negates the worry that an AV researcher's code will cause them to be convicted, since I think lots of people here are slightly misreading the article. Malicious code is fine to have on your computer, as long as you don't distribute it and don't intend to use it to do harm to a machine that is not yours!
Intent is always a hard thing to prove, which is why so many murders get reduced to manslaughter on the bargaining table: the DA can never be sure he's going to convince a jury. The same trouble will show up here, I believe, and we'll probably see a few cases where the perpetrator gets a plea bargain, simply because the evidence of intent is not present, but it is frighteningly clear that that was the intent (from a handle like "My_ViRuZ_WiLL_oWN_yOO" or something along those lines.)
Anyway, some people may think that this is a rights violation against the Finnish people, but I can't agree. Of course I'm one of those "gun control nuts" as well.
Regards, and I'm sorry if this strikes you as a rant,
-efisher
---
The AV community WILL NOT BE HARMED by this. They may be put out of business, but even that seems unlikely. "The intention to bring harm is the primary criteria[sic] for bringing charges". Please folks, what Finland is doing isn't really bad for anyone except those Finns who want to do bad bad things with virii!
This needent go under YRO, since it is just another way to help slow "cyber crime" in Finland. Note also that downloadable code is just as bad, so don't put links to files. As long as you're an innocent, you're fine. Pleeeaaase read the article...it clears everything up.
Regards,
-efisher
---
I've been waiting for the local grocery store to start delivery through its website. Sheesh. I don't want to walk a mile carrying a 24 pack of Mountain Dew.
:)
But seriously, is this a good thing? Rob seems to think it's almost 1984-esque. I can't say I think this is fair. This doesn't say anything about full screen messages from the Finnish leadership, computers equipped with cameras and voice recorders, or a new dictionary. All it is is a whole bunch of conveniences, bundled up to make Helsinki a damn nice place to live. As long as you don't have to speak the language.
I've personally always liked this type of thing. I can check to see if I have mail, order food, videoconference, and run all sorts of errands without running at all. Is this going to eliminate human contact? Of course not! People aren't going to telecommute, and there really is nothing like holding a nice blonde Finn in your arms at night...
Anyway.
I would kill to have a Virtual Saint Paul, MN.. but only if Governor Jesse "The Mind" Ventura has little to say about it.
Regards,
-efisher
---
Or 42.blockstackers.com
Or, the ultimate:
A hack this box challenge for "TheQuestion.blockstackers.com"
Woudln't that just make the world a better place?
Humbly yours,
-efisher
---
Question 1: Couldn't a similar thing be done with any connected organizer? Just paint "Don't Panic" on the cover and give it an encyclopedia that gets updated through a modem from time to time. I could probably do it with a Palm IIIx, but it would be even easier with one of the new Visors. If this takes off, will we see copycats?
:)
Question 2: It struck me that www.h2g2.com is basically everything.blockstackers.com... Rob, why don't you go to work and make one of these! Everything is more complete and generally funnier than h2g2. If only you could use the name and logo, right?
Just a thought or two
-efisher
---
(Excerpted from the Air Force's "Air Chronicles")
And from a different "Air Chronicles" article:
So where is it all going to end up? Will we need soldiers in the future? Of course! Will our government begin Computer warfare as well? Chances are very high that it will. As it all becomes more prevalent the DoD will respond, and you can bet some of the script kiddies in Federal lockup right now will get some special offers.
Somewhat frightenedly yours,
-efisher
---
From the "How does freedom work" section:
It seems to be growing more and more popular by the minute, and once it is out of beta I might just consider it. Or will I? How terrible of a thing is it that companies know lots about us? The information has always been there about our grocery buying habits, our eating habits, our salaries, our personal histories...all that is required is a simple check by an unscrupulous soul. The internet is supposed to be the last frontier I suppose. Is anyone really surprised, though, that it's getting so commercial?
Regards,
-efisher
---
Okay, here goes.
I'm trying to to get involved in the name calling and blame throwing, since the man is indeed innocent until proven guilty. AFAIKT his major crimes are possession of child pornography and attempting to meet this supposed teenager.
Freeh, the head of the FBI spoke to congress in 1997 about child pornography, and so here are some excerpts:
Sexual exploitation of children involves sexual activity in which the perpetrator receives sexual gratification and may benefit financially, such as through the manufacture and distribution of child pornography. Exploitation may include contacts for sexual purposes, prostitution, pornography, or other sexually exploitative activities. Increasingly, pedophiles and sexual predators are using the Internet and on-line services to target and recruit victims and to facilitate the distribution of child pornography.
Pedophiles often seek out young children by either participating in or monitoring activities in chat rooms that are provided by commercial on-line services for teenagers and pre-teens to converse with each other. These chat rooms also provide pedophiles an anonymous means of establishing relationships with children. Using a chat room, a child can converse for hours with unknown individuals, often without the knowledge or approval of their parents. There is no easy way for the child to know if the person he or she is talking with is, in fact, another 14-year old, or is a 40-year old sexual predator masquerading as a peer. In other instances, a pedophile may use e-mail capabilities to send child pornography to persons who enter a chat room, even though the recipient does not request or want such mail.
Any similarities seen here? Let's continue.
In July 1996, 16 members of a group that often frequented a chat room known as the "Orchid Club" were indicted in federal court on a variety of charges involving the production and distribution of child pornography, as well as conspiracy. A joint investigation by the FBI, the United States Customs Service, and the United States Postal Inspection Service determined that individuals used the chat room to arrange for and transmit child pornography. While in the chat room, they also discussed their involvement and desires in molesting children. What was especially significant in this case was that many of those conspirators later admitted active participation in child molestations within each of their own geographic locations.
One subject of the "Orchid Club" case admitted to having sexual attractions to girls age four to ten years old. He also admitted to writing diaries of his sexual desires for children and to secretly videotaping children at playgrounds. During a search of this subject's residence, investigators found approximately 700 floppy diskettes, 100 videotapes, diaries, writings, books, magazines, clippings, and related materials that indicated the subject's sexual interest in children.
This isn't quite the same, but it is an interesting notion.. (assuming he's guilty) would he have eventually progressed to this?
In 1994, the FBI initiated an innovative and proactive investigation, designated as "Innocent Images," to focus on the sexual exploitation of children through the Internet and on-line services. This investigation grew out of our experience in the May 1993 disappearance of George Stanley Burdynski, Jr., a 13-year old, in Prince George's County, Maryland. [snip] As of March 5, 1997, the "Innocent Images" investigation has generated 200 search warrants, 40 consent searches, 81 indictments, 33 informations, 91 arrests, and 83 felony convictions.
The "Innocent Images" Task Force is staffed by agents of the FBI's Baltimore, Maryland, field office, other federal agencies, and investigators from surrounding state and local jurisdictions in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. However, it is estimated that 95 percent of the subjects identified by the "Innocent Images" investigation reside in other states.
My assumption here is that "Innocent Images" was either behind the sting on Naughton or a major contributor of information and tactics.
And finally, from Freeh again to a congressional subcommittee,
Encryption. When I testified last week before the Subcommittee on the FBI's 1999 budget request, I outlined for the Subcommittee a number of challenges facing the FBI as it moves toward the 21st century. One of these challenges is the growing use of encryption by criminals to conceal their illegal activities. The "Innocent Images" initiative has uncovered sexual predators who use encryption in their communication with each other and in the storage of their child pornography computer files. This encryption is extremely difficult, and often impossible, to defeat.
It is essential that law enforcement agencies at all levels of government maintain the ability, through court order, to access encrypted communications and data relating to illegal activity.
I figured I'd just throw in a little encryption debate for you all to chew on.
It strikes me that Naughton has little hope. If he is convicted he'll be very lucky to not get jail time, and his life will be saved if he doesn't. Others have mentioned this already, but it is an enormous problem (or lack thereof, in some peoples' opinions).
Please, though, let's not judge him until the courts do.
Regards,
-efisher
---
Palm entry is fairly easy, I'll be honest. You can (as has already been said) use "Graffiti" (the palm's own text entry system), the onscreen keyboard, or the gotype! or a twiddler. Of these, the easiest are graffiti and the gotype.
Some people think graffiti is "like shorthand", but really, it's very much like regular print handwriting. The odd ones are A, F, K, Q, T, and V. An A is the same as a capital A minus the cross stroke, so it looks like an upside down v. F is an F minus the middle line, K is like the two diagonal lines of the k connected by a loop, Q is like an O with a little line at the top, and V is a U with a line extending to the right (or a backwards U)
Once you learn these graffiti is very fast, often faster than regular handwriting. The gotype is also very nice, since it almost feels like a regular keyboard, but is very thin, has low power consumption, and is nice and handy with quick, customizable access buttons to the major palm apps.
I can write at about 25wpm using graffiti, which is pretty good for handwriting (it's a bit faster than my normal handwriting) and it's MUCH neater since it outputs typed text. On the gotype I can type about 60wpm, compared to 90 on a regular keyboard, but I think 60 is about the limit for the gotype, and I doubt it'll slow down anyone at 60wpm or under.
All in all, text entry is quite easy on the palm devices.. I love my Palm V8!
-efisher
---
Ok, you're probably right about Sony have problems with mp3, but not for the reasons you mention. Minidisc isn't a failure, it just has been rather slow in sales. What you need to remember is that Sony owns Columbia, Epic, (BMG?) and a whole lot of other tiny music publishing houses. That's the reason I can think they wouldn't be happy with mp3. But who knows, maybe they'll make so much money off this thing that it'll let them forget about the horrors of mp3 for a moment.
Just a thought.
-efisher
---
I've been looking for a cd player capable of playing mp3 cds and audio cds for a long time. I know some are planned, but does anyone know of one that is already available? It's so much more convenient, and headphones generally don't give the best quality in the first place, so who knows if I'll notice the difference..
-efisher
---
Now that slashdot may be a subsidiary of a publicly held company, will there be any possible changes, or will the contract still be valid when ownership changes hands?
-efisher
---
MetaModeration, so far, seems like a great idea. To moderate the moderation seems to be both fair and wise, and it should help potential moderators realize when it's prudent to moderate.
I found that, as I was reading the posts moderated up to +4 and +5, most of them didn't really deserve to be there. For quite a few of the +5s (almost all, in fact) I had to say the rating was unfair, since it is my belief that Rob intended +4 and +5 to basically include information that the post left out, so when comments were sorted by score the reader could see any last-minute additions. For that reason, pretty much every +5 "Insightful" post or +5 "Funny" post seemed like an unfair raise to me, like the moderators were too lazy to look for the other gems deep in the comment page and so merely moderated already-high posts up. I also noticed that, of the ones I said were unfair, a large percentage were in the first 20 posts of that thread. In one of the rare instances where this didn't seem to be as true (the story about black figures in technology, for instance) quite a few very good posts had very high id numbers. Still, many of these were rated to +4 or +5, but I only found one that was so truly "Insightful" and which so beautifully incorporated the basic arguments inherent in the story that it deserved a +4 or +5, and I gave it a very hearty "Fair" moderation rating.
My general feeling, as well, is that +3 is fine for "Funny", but it sometimes seems that I'd like to filter them out. Some stories get funny posts moderated up, but the content of the story doesn't really lend itself easily to humor. A way for users to select which moderation reasons to view would be very good.. sometimes I'd like to just not see the "flamebait" or "troll" posts.. or just a few others. But enough personal choices.
Anyway, I think it'd be more than interesting to see a graph of the results of at least the past two days of MetaModeration, because I would be truly interested in seeing whether M^2ers agree with me that most +4 and +5 posts deserve to be also deemed "Overrated"..
Regards,
-efisher
---
Ok, now this argument is unbelievably fallacious. Teachers do indeed work approx 200 days a year. The starting salary in chicago, too, is about $21,000. They get paid medical and everything, but you miss the few problems. You say they only do half a year's work, but there's an error there. Do most people in the United States work 7 days a week? or even 6? You're claiming 180 school days when you should really be claiming 38 work weeks (9 a semester, for two semesters, plus two weeks for finals, or 6 a trimester plus 2 weeks for finals). 38/52 is quite a bit more than one half, so in fact teachers only get 14 weeks a year off of school.
Now to the second point. You argue that teachers shouldn't be paid as much as they do because they only do a half year's work. We've already determined that they do more than a half-year's work. However, you seem to assume that if teachers' salaries are cut they'll manage to live a life somehow. Two things here obstruct that. Teachers get paid year round for working 9 months of the year (and yes, it's 9 months.. 38/52 is 73% of the year.) so during the summer vacation they continue to get paychecks. This makes the paychecks when they are teaching and commuting much smaller (creating hassles, you must understand) and if their pay were to be cut it would be even harder for the teachers to survive on that amount of pay, since it is distributed over the whole year for what you call "a half year's work". But also, what do you propose the teachers do for the three months that they have free? Teachers are trained to be teachers. They can't easily get jobs in the summer that are related to teaching, since no one will hire an educator for a time when nearly no schools are in session, and knowing that the educator will have to leave once the real school year starts. This leaves very few options. 1) Minimum wage, fast food job.. this is not even a possibility. Pay is about 20% of regular teacher salary and conditions are worse. 2) Whatever else you can think of. The point is, pay for a part time job is nearly always worse pay. Eek! Teachers are too valuable of a resource to do this to, and I'm shocked that someone who considers himself a student would even say such a thing.
Yours,
Microsoft Security Bulletin
d efault.asp.
- --------------------------------
There is no "Back Door" in Windows
Originally Posted: September 03, 1999
Summary
A report alleges that Microsoft "may have installed a 'back door' for the National Security Agency... making it orders of magnitude easier for the US government to access their computers". This allegation is false.
What's the allegation?
The report alleges that a cryptographic key that ships as part of the CryptoAPI architecture is labeled "NSA key" and constitutes a "back door" that could be used by government agencies to start or stop system security services on user's computers.
Is the allegation true?
No. Microsoft does not leave "back doors" in our products. This is in keeping with our historical stance on this issue. For instance, we have opposed the various key escrow proposals that have been suggested by the government, because we because we don't believe they are in the best interests of consumers or the industry.
Are there two keys?
Yes. However, both are Microsoft keys. We do not share them with any third party, including the National Security Agency or any other government agency.
What's CryptoAPI?
CryptoAPI is a Microsoft technology for providing cryptographic services. Vendors can develop stand-alone cryptographic modules called Cryptographic Service Providers (CSPs), which can then be called by any program via the CryptoAPI interface. For more information on CryptoAPI, see http://www.microsoft.com/security/tech/cryptoapi/
What are the keys in question?
The keys are used to verify the digital signatures on CSPs.
Why do CSPs have to be signed? And why by Microsoft?
CryptoAPI is subject US export laws regarding cryptography. One element of this requires Microsoft to ensure that CryptoAPI will only load CSPs that meet US cryptographic export laws. This is done by digitally signing all CSPs. Before it loads a CSP, CryptoAPI verifies that the CSP has been digitally signed. Part of Microsoft's responsibility as the vendor for CryptoAPI is to sign the CSPs.
When a vendor has a new CSP that they want to release, they submit it for signing and show that all export licensing has been received. Microsoft then digitally signs the CSP, and it can thereafter be used by CryptoAPI.
Why are there two keys?
There is a primary and a backup key.
Why is a backup key needed?
The backup key is needed for disaster recovery. To see why, suppose we had only one signing key. If a natural disaster destroyed the building in which it were kept, all of the previously-signed CSPs would continue to function normally, because the key used for verification exists in every copy of Windows. However, Microsoft would need to sign future CSPs using a new key. In order for these CSPs to be verified, matching key material would need to be provided to all of the millions of customers using Windows 95, 98 and Windows NT. Clearly, this would be a massive undertaking.
This is why there are two keys. If something befell the primary key, Microsoft could thereafter sign CSPs using the backup key. Because the backup is already in every copy of Windows, there would be no disruption to customers.
Why the backup key labeled "NSA key"?
This is simply an unfortunate name. The NSA performs the technical review for all US cryptographic export requests. The keys in question are the ones that allow us to ensure compliance with the NSA's technical review. Therefore, they came to known within Microsoft as "the NSA keys", and this name was included in the symbol information for one of the keys. However, Microsoft holds these keys and does not share them with anyone, including the NSA.
I heard that there is a third key in Windows 2000. Is this true?
There is a third key present in the beta versions of Windows 2000, but it does not provide a "back door". It is simply a test key that allows the developers to sign test CSPs while Windows 2000 is under development. It will not be present in the production version of Windows 2000.
Does this have any effect on CryptoAPI's compliance with US export law?
No. The CryptoAPI architecture is fully compliant with US export law.
Revisions September 03, 1999: Bulletin Created.
-----------------------------------------------
THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.
© 1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Well, a way to work this situation (even though I've lost all respect for your comments because of spelling errors, grammatical errors, and your assumption that the recipients of this letter are "script kiddies") would be to buy 100 shares at IPO price, wait until it rises (and it *will*!) to about 80 or 100$ a share, and then sell short with a stop price of 40 or 50 (don't wanna get greedy). Once it starts dropping you're still making money. Sound good? That might be the way to go this week on tech stocks, which seem to be struggling (although most of them have already fallen enough...they're due for a rise as soon as Greenspan smiles on camera).
I'm actually not positive if NASDAQ will let you sell short, but I believe this method would work, and it's likely to earn you a chunk of cash if you expect the price to fall soon after the IPO.
I suppose these are all good critiques... I agree with many of them, there have been stories I've submitted to slashdot, only to see them appear a few days later. They're old news to me, but news still to /.
I think maybe the problem is that not enough people are submitting news stories. I used to submit stories, but got discouraged after seeing some passed up and then alternate versions posted a bit later. I understand that some posters have different viewpoints on what exactly IS news for nerds, but it's becoming rather absurd.
This isn't really a criticism of slashdot, it's a criticism of the posters and of the userbase. The posters for deleting possible stories because they don't fit their own definition. To me, these should be left in a queue for the other posters to think about. An internal system allowing the posters to leave their thoughts on the story, and a limit in the queue of 24 hours (so a news story doesn't get stale, and to keep it tiny) Of course, worthless submissions can still be immediately deleted (e.g. flames, empty posts, comments to rob et al), but give other posters a chance to see what you thought was crap!
Now to the users- we need to browse online news sites more! When we find a decent article we need to submit, submit, submit! To increase the quality of the submissions, once you find a good story, browse other news sites for similar stories! If you can, include two or more links in your submission including, if you can, a link to a relevant page on a company mentioned in the articles! (Sorry for all the !'s, but this really would help the quality and timing of stories.)
I hope I don't get rob angry for criticizing slashdot, I know that's a no-no. But it isn't really an attack on slashdot, more a statement of the growing userbase but declining submission rate (I think.. I could be wrong here).
Anyway,
I hope Taco reads this and ponders it... it would be terrible to try to implement, I'm sure... but this is also a plea for all the users out there to 1) increase the quantity of submissions but 2) to make sure the quality of said submissions rises with quantity!
Thanks,
Actually, they don't plan on making money on it just yet. Wired did an article on this, mentioning that a VC had beamed $3 million to the creators with his palm. You can find it here.
"Computers killed nobody, but if I brained somebody with a hammer, would you want hammers to be banned? They are certainly capable of killing people, but not without human intervention."
:). But the mass majority of handguns being fired are being fired at people, not at bullseye's.
Well, that's an oft-stated argument. Guns don't kill people, people kill people, says the NRA. I'm amazed that you can hit a nail from 50 feet with a handgun, but, to be honest, it doesn't change my determination that the sole intended purpose was to destroy life...
Sure, target practice is fine (I suppose...although I feel there are ways to improve self-discipline without firing a handgun...code perl, for instance
To go a step further, the social ramifications of the handgun are intense. It is easily concealed (most people don't scan every passerby for a bulge in their pantsleg) and (nowadays) very easily loaded and reloaded and used. (My problem is much more with semiautomatic pistols than with revolvers... revolvers, while generally much more powerful, are not as easy to use quickly.. am I correct?) Most importantly, however, a recent study (within the last five years) showed that the ratio of burglars killed by handguns kept in the home to family members kept in the home was 1:43. No kidding. If you keep a handgun in the home, you're almost 50 times more likely to end up killing a family member than killing a burglar. Perhaps that is the most distressing aspect.
My personal feeling is that, if guns must remain in american society, all automatic weapons, and all semiautomatic handguns must necessarily be banned. That's just me, though.
Well true, if you go to the section on the limo site where it talks about who Robin Miller is, it talks about how he likes to spend his spare time editing techsightings.com, where this roblimo links to and the previous post's link went to. Looks like ya were right.. woo google!
That's actually not quite news, so go flame your newspaper. Alzheimer's was named after an Amish, and the practice has been going on for years...
Isn't Compaq the company that, on april fools day, announced on their australian web site that they had a mouse that recharged your battery by moving it? Seems we've now found the basis for that joke :)
Slashdot reference here
Well, that sounds like a statistic made up on the spot, so I'll counter it. 84% of publishers and editors are republicans. Now lessee, who has the final say on content? Journalists? noooooo.
Just because a lot of journalists are liberal doesn't mean the media is liberal. If the media were liberal, there would be no coverage of private sexual affairs in government--that's not a liberal thing to do, it's a right-wing conservative thing to do.