I'm sure you could send the ham sandwich, but it would be very expensive to do so (I think $20/kg or something like that), and I'm sure it would have to pass some rigorous pre-flight engineering tests (to make sure it doesn't ooze mayonnaise over the other loads, etc.)
Someone should start a Political Action Committee around these issues. While there are many good civil liberties groups (e.g. EFF, etc.), the Slashdot community has its own unique interests.
Does anyone have a sense of the incoming President's view on these matters? Will he be more supportive of civil liberties or compliant with law enforcement? I'm afraid I have not been following the cabinet appointments closely -- has he appointed a head of the DoJ yet? If so, what is this eperson's background and biases?
And what of congress, esp. with a 50/50 split in the Senate?
I am assuming of course this is dealt with next session not this one.
What exactly were the mechanics of executing runcom? Were they batch files edited on-line or punched card decks, in which case the innovation was a parse-able command language? Or did they actually use on-line terminals or some sort (old teletype ASR33s?), in which case the innovation is more radical, as it would allow for a command-based human/computer interaction?
Also, was the MIT CTSS system where the original BASIC programming language was developed?
If only we could eliminate the nasty business of having and raising children! Perhaps someone could develop a method of artificial reproduction, where new humans are produced on an assembly line and raised in institutional care centers (see Brave New World).
The we could all aspire to these hights of greatness
I only regret someone wasted their time raising Mr. Greenspun, rather than working long hours for their own Greatness.
To get a dog to behave:
- Establish your authority as lead dog. Show confidence and leadership.
- Only ask the dog to do something they understand. "Sit" works very well. "Find the prime factors of 54,239" won't.
- Give the dog a reason to perform. Positive reinforcement works better than negative. The dog will be more willing to perform to a snack
Substititue "stock options" for "doggie treat" and this will work with humans as well
Do we know how various comgresspeople stand on this one? What committee leaders are critical to it getting passed? Are there swing votes who might be influenced by a concerted writing campaign?
No, his manager is doing the right thing. Mr. Security Administrator needs the right information to tell Mr. Important Executive exactly what's at risk and what the cost is, and whether immediately running around patching all possible servers is the only way to prudently reduce the risk (versus, say, doing something else, like watching very carefully).
Without full disclosure, Mr. Security Administrator can't possibly do this. He's reduced to saying "fix everything immediately because CERT says so". This is not a real convincing argument in a world where you have to justify costs and benefits.
Knowing the detail of a vulnerability enables real risk assessment. How much of your systems are at risk? What's the value of what's at risk. It's impossible to figure this out without some notion of what the vulnerability is.
Security Admin: "We need to immediately upgrade all our servers to fix a serious security bug?"
Executive With Money: "What's our exposure if we don't?"
Security Admin: "I don't know. CERT just says to fix the bug."
Executive With Money: "And we are supposed to pull people off our Vitally Important Marketing Strategy Project to immediately fix a security problem, when we don't know what the problem is and what it costs us?"
So there really isn't any issue with being required to list, under oath, every organization you've been a member of since the age 16? With being required to list, under oath again, every incident of illegal drug use -- regardless of how long past or its relevance to one's present life? With being required to list all instances of foreign travel ever made? These do not have a chilling effect on one's freedom? Why of course not - since the government never bothers to look at this information, and of course only undesirables (like "wife beaters") are denied clearances anayway. This is exactly my point - that people undergoing this process forget they have given up their liberties in the process (and sometimes take pride in having done so -- I know one person who brags about the polygraph he has to undergo for his TS clearance). I don't want people who find nothing wrong with all this making decisions on the appropriateness of government surveillance for the rest of us.
To get a clearance at the Top Secret level means the government basically owns you. A clearance is not just a matter of a criminal background check -- it involves serious on-the-ground investigation of your views, associates, and movements. Foreign travel and organizational affiliations are all fair game. You willingly submit to polygraph test (forbidden of civilian employers) to verify all this.
I would not trust someone who undergoes this to protect my rights to privacy, free speech, free travel, and freedom of association one bit.
Minor point - Pitbulls are fairly useless guard dogs. They are bred to fight other dogs, but are usually very friendly with adult humans. I mean, my pitbull won't even bark at the mailman.
If you want a guard dog, get a Mastiff.
If anyone is interested in doing this in Los Angeles area, do send me an e-mail at TarPitt@netscape.net. I've had a ham license for a few years, and have worked with packet. I'm very interested in a part 15 spread spectrum network, though due to regulatory restrictions on amateur communications.
A well thought out draft union would be a good thing for technical folks. I know lots of people in the "Hollywood crafts", video editors, etc. Unions are very good for these folks. It provides them with pensions and other benefits to compensate for the nomadic character of the work. Coillective bargaining does provide a floor underwhich wages (and living standards) are supported. Good craft unions also provide training and certification for their members. I'm told that even with the cost difference, this really makes it worthwhile to hire craft union members. They cost twice as much, but they get it done in one fourth of the time, and they get it right.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm sure you could send the ham sandwich, but it would be very expensive to do so (I think $20/kg or something like that), and I'm sure it would have to pass some rigorous pre-flight engineering tests (to make sure it doesn't ooze mayonnaise over the other loads, etc.)
Someone should start a Political Action Committee around these issues. While there are many good civil liberties groups (e.g. EFF, etc.), the Slashdot community has its own unique interests.
And what of congress, esp. with a 50/50 split in the Senate?
I am assuming of course this is dealt with next session not this one.
DTSS? CTSS? At least I was 3/4 correct!
What exactly were the mechanics of executing runcom? Were they batch files edited on-line or punched card decks, in which case the innovation was a parse-able command language? Or did they actually use on-line terminals or some sort (old teletype ASR33s?), in which case the innovation is more radical, as it would allow for a command-based human/computer interaction? Also, was the MIT CTSS system where the original BASIC programming language was developed?
And the second most frequently used addressed is in the 10.x.x.x private IP address range? I'd like to see THAT person tracked down!
At least they were not trading pirated MP3 files!
If only we could eliminate the nasty business of having and raising children! Perhaps someone could develop a method of artificial reproduction, where new humans are produced on an assembly line and raised in institutional care centers (see Brave New World).
The we could all aspire to these hights of greatness
I only regret someone wasted their time raising Mr. Greenspun, rather than working long hours for their own Greatness.
To get a dog to behave:
- Establish your authority as lead dog. Show confidence and leadership.
- Only ask the dog to do something they understand. "Sit" works very well. "Find the prime factors of 54,239" won't.
- Give the dog a reason to perform. Positive reinforcement works better than negative. The dog will be more willing to perform to a snack
Substititue "stock options" for "doggie treat" and this will work with humans as well
Do we know how various comgresspeople stand on this one? What committee leaders are critical to it getting passed? Are there swing votes who might be influenced by a concerted writing campaign?
No, his manager is doing the right thing. Mr. Security Administrator needs the right information to tell Mr. Important Executive exactly what's at risk and what the cost is, and whether immediately running around patching all possible servers is the only way to prudently reduce the risk (versus, say, doing something else, like watching very carefully).
Without full disclosure, Mr. Security Administrator can't possibly do this. He's reduced to saying "fix everything immediately because CERT says so". This is not a real convincing argument in a world where you have to justify costs and benefits.
Knowing the detail of a vulnerability enables real risk assessment. How much of your systems are at risk? What's the value of what's at risk. It's impossible to figure this out without some notion of what the vulnerability is.
Security Admin: "We need to immediately upgrade all our servers to fix a serious security bug?"
Executive With Money: "What's our exposure if we don't?"
Security Admin: "I don't know. CERT just says to fix the bug."
Executive With Money: "And we are supposed to pull people off our Vitally Important Marketing Strategy Project to immediately fix a security problem, when we don't know what the problem is and what it costs us?"
Could measuring network latency reveal the presence of Carnivore? I know some work is being done to find firewalls this way.
Wasn't Colossus declassified some time ago?
So there really isn't any issue with being required to list, under oath, every organization you've been a member of since the age 16? With being required to list, under oath again, every incident of illegal drug use -- regardless of how long past or its relevance to one's present life? With being required to list all instances of foreign travel ever made? These do not have a chilling effect on one's freedom? Why of course not - since the government never bothers to look at this information, and of course only undesirables (like "wife beaters") are denied clearances anayway. This is exactly my point - that people undergoing this process forget they have given up their liberties in the process (and sometimes take pride in having done so -- I know one person who brags about the polygraph he has to undergo for his TS clearance). I don't want people who find nothing wrong with all this making decisions on the appropriateness of government surveillance for the rest of us.
To get a clearance at the Top Secret level means the government basically owns you. A clearance is not just a matter of a criminal background check -- it involves serious on-the-ground investigation of your views, associates, and movements. Foreign travel and organizational affiliations are all fair game. You willingly submit to polygraph test (forbidden of civilian employers) to verify all this. I would not trust someone who undergoes this to protect my rights to privacy, free speech, free travel, and freedom of association one bit.
Minor point - Pitbulls are fairly useless guard dogs. They are bred to fight other dogs, but are usually very friendly with adult humans. I mean, my pitbull won't even bark at the mailman. If you want a guard dog, get a Mastiff.
If anyone is interested in doing this in Los Angeles area, do send me an e-mail at TarPitt@netscape.net. I've had a ham license for a few years, and have worked with packet. I'm very interested in a part 15 spread spectrum network, though due to regulatory restrictions on amateur communications.
A well thought out draft union would be a good thing for technical folks. I know lots of people in the "Hollywood crafts", video editors, etc. Unions are very good for these folks. It provides them with pensions and other benefits to compensate for the nomadic character of the work. Coillective bargaining does provide a floor underwhich wages (and living standards) are supported. Good craft unions also provide training and certification for their members. I'm told that even with the cost difference, this really makes it worthwhile to hire craft union members. They cost twice as much, but they get it done in one fourth of the time, and they get it right.
Didn't KPMG (Peat Marwick) market Promis once upon a time?