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User: 99bottles

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  1. The law says... on Michigan Man Charged for Using Free WiFi · · Score: 1
    752.794 Prohibited access to computer program, computer, computer system, or computer network.

    Sec. 4.

    A person shall not intentionally access or cause access to be made to a computer program, computer, computer system, or computer network to devise or execute a scheme or artifice with the intent to defraud or to obtain money, property, or a service by a false or fraudulent pretense, representation, or promise.

    As someone sitting a couple blocks from this prosecutor's office, and also someone that provides advertised free wireless, I don't see how this could have gone forward. But I am considering adding a note to the welcome page that gets displayed when someone connects, asking the DA to please not prosecute my patrons.

    At what point does the customer relationship end? If this man had ever purchased a cup of coffee, then wasn't he in fact a customer? If he turned on his laptop before going to the counter, was he breaking the law until a financial transaction was complete? From the law above, I simply don't see any of the required intent.

  2. Pricing model on EMI — Ditching DRM is Going To Cost You · · Score: 3, Funny

    Sounds like EMI went to the SCO school of pricing.

  3. Re:Journalism? on BBC Wants Evidence of Climate Science Bias · · Score: 1

    This was put forth by an author who was trying to sell books... making money off popular opinion just like O'reilly or Jon Stewart.

    Or Al Gore?

    I've gotta say, having Al Gore trying to sell an idea is a little like receiving an email warning of a virus reported by Microsoft & IBM.

  4. Re:India and free don't go well together on Steve Ballmer's Thoughts On Free Software · · Score: 1

    I'd say it seems odd, but I don't want Ballmer to f'in kill me!

  5. Re:You voted for Bush and can't admit you fucked u on Republican Robocall Pretexting Campaign · · Score: 1

    > You are the enabler during Hitler's regime who did not speak up...

    Um, "history and its consequences" tell many tales.
    Some may argue that the UN is equivalent to the League of Nations, who sat by and watched Hitler violate the Treaty of Versailles and come to power in the 30s. Similar to the UN resolutions that Saddam Hussein ignored.

    Tell the Kurds who didn't speak up.

  6. Re:"smear message"? on Republican Robocall Pretexting Campaign · · Score: 1

    I've never understood how anyone could be swayed by a debate at this level. These career politicians have years worth of voting records, proposed bills, backed initiatives, protests, arrests, etc., etc...

    How would listening to them talk for an hour suddenly make you say, "Hey, that guy gets my vote, ...even if he has done the opposite for his entire political career!"

  7. Press reports on leaks to the press on US Slips Again In Freedom of the Press Ranking · · Score: 1

    Does anyone else see the irony (or idiocy) when the press starts reporting on an investigation of who leaked something to the press? How can they make story after story out of something that they probably know the answer to.

    Or, what's to keep them from just making up a story and then never having to reveal their "confidential source". Not that I'm for always making them reveal sources, but it often seems that the press is making the news, not reporting it.

  8. Re:Verbose Article That Misses the Point on Much Ado About Gas Prices · · Score: 1

    > Gas prices at one point had nearly quadrupled in my area in a four year period

    Wars, hurricanes, market speculation. The market at work.

    > The long-term oil supply is diminishing

    And we're all dying, technically. However, I would certainly hope that sometime over the next 50 years we would be utilizing different energy, and this diminished supply would be irrelevant. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_reserves

    > Developing countries are using more oil

    Well someone has to build goods to be imported by the US!

    > Americans have been buying larger vehicles that consume more fuel

    More fuel than...? Todays cars are far more efficient than those from the 70s or 80s. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil#Peak_predict ion

  9. Re:Prices coming down! on Much Ado About Gas Prices · · Score: 1

    Could anyone note a piece of legislation that caused this price drop...?

    If you knew much about how gas prices are actually set, you'd understand that a traded commodity fluctuates for many reasons. While a pending election may have some influence, I would suspect the end of the summer driving season to be a more likely cause.

  10. Re:The Truth Will Come Out on Ruling to Make Reporters Act Like Drug Dealers? · · Score: 1

    The first ammendment assures that laws won't be made that would make it illegal to say that "Mr. Senator is a pain in the ass no good mother fsck'r", not to give someone identifying themselves as a "member of the press" immunity from any prosecution.
    This case deals with illegally leaked information which hindered an investigation by tipping off suspects. I don't see any 1st ammendment implications.

  11. Then what's next? on Open Season On Open Source? · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I thought the last step was always "Profit!" ... what do we do next if we don't profit?

  12. A sign? on Students Banned from Blogging · · Score: 1

    What does it mean when I come across this story about a Catholic school, and it has 666 comments...?

  13. Re:Fair and Balanced... on Microsoft Spinning Against OpenDocument Via Fox News · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Is it just me...

    Yes, it's just you.

  14. Where do exploits come from? on Firefox Exploit Adds Fuel to Browser Security Feud · · Score: 2, Insightful

    How many developers do you think Microsoft has working furiously to release exploits into the wild to harm their competitors? Sure, it will never be admitted to, but ya gotta wonder...

    Kudos to Firefox for releasing a patch the day before the exploit was announced though.

  15. In other news... on World's Biggest Hacker Held · · Score: 1

    CIA changes critical systems password from: password to: p@ssw0rd

    Estimated cost to US taxpayers, $1 billion

  16. What's it worth? on Al Gore to Receive Internet Achievement Award · · Score: 2, Informative

    This isn't exactly a Nobel prize. The Webby's are presented by this group:
    "The Academy is an intellectually diverse organization that includes members such as musicians Beck and David Bowie, Internet inventor Vint Cerf, political columnist Arianna Huffington, Real Networks CEO Rob Glaser, "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening..."

    Some intellectual heavy weights there!

  17. Did they wait for forced SP2? on Microsoft Releases Eight Security Updates · · Score: 0

    Someone has probably already mentioned this, but doesn't it seem very suspicious that this occurred just as the block on SP2 was removed? Did they just hold on to these until they could force SP2 out with some patches that would be in demand?

  18. Re:What's so profound? on 3D Election Results Map by County · · Score: 0

    If you just looked at it, you'd think 'heck, Kerry got his arse beat'.

    On the contrary, I conclude, Damn, I'm glad we have the electoral college! As one living in fly-over country, I don't want a few major metropolitan areas having too much influence.

    I think this article from a couple years back sums up the situation pretty well. The described South Park Republicans don't get much coverage, but have a lot to do with today's political direction.

  19. Re:Hotmail Cracks Down on Spam? on Hotmail Cracks Down on Spam · · Score: 1

    Sounds a little bit like Microsoft saying they're getting serious about security.

    Some press now, but in the end, what difference will it really make?

  20. Too late to decide on Presidential Debates Set · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Am I the only one that finds it frightening that someone could wait until a month before an election, and hope to make up their minds based on a debate? When you have a four year presidential record and a 19 year senate record to consider, how can a couple hours of talk convince you of anything?
    In my mind, the "undecided" voter is just about the most foolish creature on earth. A political campain will tell you what you want to hear. A record speaks volumes about what you can expect.
    The old cliche holds, talk is cheap.

  21. My policy @ the library on Busted For Using Library Wi-Fi Outside The Library · · Score: 2, Informative

    As the I.T. director for a public library, let me give my $.02

    We use a timed based ACL to restrict connections while we're closed, but I couldn't care less what you do while we're open. We force a page on the first HTTP request, which gives you the ACU and notes that you're agreeing to it by proceeding. Included in that ACU is adhearing to the law (fed. , state, and local). That ACU doesn't mention where you can use the signal, but if it's a nice day...

    People surf for porn all the time inside the building. Heck, I'd prefer if they'd take it outside. Granted, we've never had to deal with illegal child porn, but if we did, we'd at least have a MAC address and hostname to watch for if they returned.

  22. Deja vu on Identifying Compromised Websites · · Score: 1

    This does seem a little like SCO saying, "it's there, trust us..."
    Or like the dept. of Homeland Security saying, "there's a threat, but we don't know what kind..."

    Since I don't use IE or IIS, I just got a good chuckle out of the situation, but the tin foil hat types are sure to point out that the whole plan was just to get people to dump IE, and initial numbers make it look like the press releases were great for Mozilla.

  23. Re:Kerry using flaw to gain "donations" on Dept. of Homeland Security Says to Stop Using IE · · Score: 1

    Or this even!

    A real link to the article (registration, blah blah)

  24. Kerry using flaw to gain "donations" on Dept. of Homeland Security Says to Stop Using IE · · Score: 2, Insightful


    This must by how John Kerry raised over $3 million on Wed. They're obviously using stolen credit card numbers harvested with the help of I.E.
    <\tinfoilhat>
    http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/02/politics/campaig n/02donate.html?ei=5006&en=5c451b599da13f1d&ex=108 9432000&partner=ALTAVISTA1&pagewanted=print&positi on=

  25. This is a good application on Delta Air Invests $25 Million in RFID for Luggage · · Score: 3, Informative

    They've been using barcoded tags for years to sort luggage. This would save the trouble of having to use a reader on a specific target. It's already been pointed out, tear off the tags when you retrieve your bags and you're anonymous again.

    I work in a library, and RFID has been trying to make its way in for years. The tags for this type of use have a range of only a few feet. The applications range from inventory by just passing a reader down the rows of items while they're still on the shelf, to security gates that tell you what item(s) someone just walked off with, instead of just sending off an alarm and starting the guessing games, or checking in a half dozen items at a time by placing a stack on a reader.

    RFID is not always the beast...