While it may be that dinosaurs had a horizontal configuration, I don't think that you (or in fairness, the article's author) can really say it has been "proven".
The unfortunate fact is that with all respect to the science goes into paleontology (and archeology for that matter) there is always so much that is not known that what is missing is often filled in with conjecture and story telling. Given the limited information, you can build a scientific model to "prove" almost any theory you wish to start with.
To further blur the issues, those models are not always accurate. Once upon a time it was "proven" than a man could never run a four minute mile. They looked at blood flow and O2 capacities, and determined that it was flat out impossible. Now it's a somewhat common occurence...
As much as I love my internet access, the thought that it will bring the classes together, without the boundries of race, sex, religion, or class, is a bit naieve.
What the web is doing is creating a new class of global citizen. Admiteddly it is one that that crosses many of the traditional boundaries, but it is still not an inclusive one. As the article states: "[Cyberspace] is open to anyone who can afford a personal computer and a monthly Internet access fee". Perhaps that puts the middle class on equal footing with the upper, but it still leaves out a global majority, and a large minority even within the US.
Furthur, while those who have access to the net have a voice, it doesn't mean anyone is listening. Discusion forums such as this one are still dominated by the educated and by those with a gift for public expression.
Before we tout ourselves as a new Utopia of political and social equality, or allow others to hold us up as such, let's all remember that we are not representative of the masses.
If this is your first indication that someone might be reading your email or watching what you download, then you really need to think about how the 'net is structured.
As a systems administrator, I have total access to all the email that goes in and out of my system. I have access to every machine in the department, both over the network and physically. And I'm just one guy on one end of the chain. On the other end is someone else like me who has access to your systems.
Perhaps your logged into an ISP and those folks don't have direct access to your machine... they still have access to everything that goes in and out of the machine. And so does everyone between my site and yours. MCI/Sprint/whoever, has access to the packets that flow between. Institutional paranoia aside, think of all the individuals who work at those sites... care to trust each and every one of them?
Anyone want to guess what percentage of network traffic is clear text? Even if its encrypted, it's just a matter of CPU and time before anyone who wants to know what your sending can know it (believe strength of encryption being another topic).
So the feds can read your email. So what? So can I or someone like me.
Do not worry about questions like: are my methods of communiation private? They are not.
Instead work to ensure that those who can have access to your "private" conversations (email or otherwise), don't have the right to do anything with it.
The first step: VOTE next month. Pick your candidates at every level of office and then tell them what you want. It's that simple. And it's really all you can do about it.
Oh... and remember, sysadmins are usually bribable with a good import. Beer that is. Cars show up on the IRS radar.
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While it may be that dinosaurs had a horizontal configuration, I don't think that you (or in fairness, the article's author) can really say it has been "proven".
The unfortunate fact is that with all respect to the science goes into paleontology (and archeology for that matter) there is always so much that is not known that what is missing is often filled in with conjecture and story telling. Given the limited information, you can build a scientific model to "prove" almost any theory you wish to start with.
To further blur the issues, those models are not always accurate. Once upon a time it was "proven" than a man could never run a four minute mile. They looked at blood flow and O2 capacities, and determined that it was flat out impossible. Now it's a somewhat common occurence...
As much as I love my internet access, the thought that it will bring the classes together, without the boundries of race, sex, religion, or class, is a bit naieve.
What the web is doing is creating a new class of global citizen. Admiteddly it is one that that crosses many of the traditional boundaries, but it is still not an inclusive one. As the article states: "[Cyberspace] is open to anyone who can afford a personal computer and a monthly Internet access fee". Perhaps that puts the middle class on equal footing with the upper, but it still leaves out a global majority, and a large minority even within the US.
Furthur, while those who have access to the net have a voice, it doesn't mean anyone is listening. Discusion forums such as this one are still dominated by the educated and by those with a gift for public expression.
Before we tout ourselves as a new Utopia of political and social equality, or allow others to hold us up as such, let's all remember that we are not representative of the masses.
If this is your first indication that someone might be reading your email or watching what you download, then you really need to think about how the 'net is structured.
As a systems administrator, I have total access to all the email that goes in and out of my system. I have access to every machine in the department, both over the network and physically. And I'm just one guy on one end of the chain. On the other end is someone else like me who has access to your systems.
Perhaps your logged into an ISP and those folks don't have direct access to your machine... they still have access to everything that goes in and out of the machine. And so does everyone between my site and yours. MCI/Sprint/whoever, has access to the packets that flow between. Institutional paranoia aside, think of all the individuals who work at those sites... care to trust each and every one of them?
Anyone want to guess what percentage of network traffic is clear text? Even if its encrypted, it's just a matter of CPU and time before anyone who wants to know what your sending can know it (believe strength of encryption being another topic).
So the feds can read your email. So what? So can I or someone like me.
Do not worry about questions like: are my methods of communiation private? They are not.
Instead work to ensure that those who can have access to your "private" conversations (email or otherwise), don't have the right to do anything with it.
The first step: VOTE next month. Pick your candidates at every level of office and then tell them what you want. It's that simple. And it's really all you can do about it.
Oh... and remember, sysadmins are usually bribable with a good import. Beer that is. Cars show up on the IRS radar.