If I had a space ship, I don't think I'll just crash it into Jupiter. There's got to be a better way.
I agree. Maybe it's possible to take a close enough pass through the atmosphere to: 1. Find out something interesting by getting that near? 2. Raise the whole spacecraft temperature to above boiling, sterilizing it?
Disclaimers: I'm not a space scientist. Maybe it's not possible (or silly if it IS possible?) or maybe in the process if pasteurizing the hypothetical beasties on the spacecraft they'd cook the spacecraft into uselessness, too? Probably someone thought of this before, if it's a good idea after all? I don't know. Just an idea. JMR
is the right question, at least WRT the US lately.:(
I think that patent policy is a very important issue, and I've been concerned since the 1980s that the rising US patent office fees are now being thought of as a direct revenue source. Individuals getting patents (if there are any left!) are poor, and patents are seed-corn for future prosperity. Corporations -- especially non-US corporations -- apply for an increasing percentage of US patents, and a lot of this is because of the higher fees IMO. The stereotype idea of the cash-strapped individual with Einstein-hair (and perhaps Einstein-ideas?) is no longer typical, and it's sad. This effect, combined with a much more promiscuous policy of issuing patents for any-damn-thing, will have profound negative effects on the long-term future of the US. IMO. JMR
Nice Libertarian, *ahem*, analysis there, Jim. Wow, would I have loved to be hearing things like that years ago, when I first set out to oppose censorware....
You were, Seth, and one needn't be a libertarian (or a Libertarian) to follow the money (thanks for the links). Years ago, silly me, I had hoped that in the diversity of censorware offerings there'd be one -- just one -- "filtering software company" that: 1. Tried to be at least somewhat-honest about the impossibility of doing their task perfectly, and 2. Marketed to misguided parents, instead of to misguided governments.
Obviously, my hopes were not fulfilled, I was not 100% supportive of your ideas (funny how calling other people "stupid" makes 'em tend to behave that way) and you were right (how many times must it be said?) that ALL censorware companies are 100% venal. As for anyone from my part of the idea-spectrum advocating TAX money to put this crap in libraries (or anywhere else) I don't recall it ever happening. Indeed, I recall (over and over) quite the opposite. Just because idiocy & evil can't be stopped doesn't change my position regarding unwilling subsidies for them out of either of our pockets.
Anyway, at this point the government's appointed regulators of speech are too busy chasing ad puffery ("Better Ingredients, Better Pizza" is now dangerous speech!) to bother with the outright LIES exposed by the Censorware Project. I quit politics, so I won't even try to dole out blame for this unsavory turn of events -- people can (follow that money) figure it out for themselves. Let's not make this another flamewar, I think (for once) that we vehemently agree. JMR
(Jamie won't be surprised to see me saying this, but) folks, follow the MONEY!!
These people can't sell their crappy software to "families," because it DOESN'T work. (They even have to lie when they say that URLs are checked by a human, among their other lies, I'd link to the report, but it appears censorware.org is slashdotted.) The FRC's point, their battle to win since they've lost out in the "real" marketplace is to sell this crap to politicians! You know, the creatures "stupid" enough to buy $400+ hammers and toilet seats because it's YOUR money but THEIR buddies skimming the loot!
This is all about spending your tax dollars to LIMIT content and information in libraries, and the dishonesty of Burt & company is astounding. There is a big danger with secret blacklists that the content censored will be political content, thus feeding back into the infinite corruption-loop. These are tax-&-spend CENSORS who want to electronically "burn" books with OUR money! It's entirely unacceptable from either an economic or first amendment POV, and must be stopped. JMR
PS, Jamie, it would not have been a low blow to describe Burt's "retirement" here, also.
Agreed, and here's another one to consider for attention. If I want dirt on a candidate, ANY candidate:^) it's where I go first.
Yes, they have a Gore section, but they don't spare anybody over at the Skeleton Closet. (I have nothing to do with them, I speak only for myself.) JMR
Whenever this happens to me, I pledge to myself to meta-moderate daily for a few days, but whenever I meta I almost never find unfair ones like what happened to you (or me, a while back). The moderation system certainly isn't perfect, is it? (Yes, I agree it's better than nothing, but sometimes it gets silly.) JMR
...reduce the frequency to maybe 3 times a month, tops, and add another writer or two to do the same thing.
Agreed wholeheartedly. A diversity of points of view would be healthy, and Slashdot certainly doesn't suffer from a lack of good rant...er...writers. Perhaps one of those spots should be a "guest writer" spot offered from time to time (monthly?) to another essay writer the editors or readers find interesting? JMR
There's not a single question moderated in this article.
It looks like a few just below yours were moderated down, but I see a few moderated up, too. Now, good sense for moderators is another story. That's been weak for a while!;)
Disclaimers: 1. I'm not a very political person anymore, and even back when I was I wouldn't have been much interested in Al Gore (or any Republicans). 2. I don't speak for my company, this is just me being curious. 3. This might be a better question to ask of the FEC than of you, keeping in mind that what backs certain alternative currencies might fluctuate in dollar value over time and that political contribution limits are denominated in dollars. 4. Right now, no alternative web currency, including ours, stores enough value to be of much interest to a political campaign, anyway. 5. I probably seem self-interested in posting this, so moderate me down -- see if I care.:)
How do you feel about the idea of accepting instantly settled payments of an alternative currency, say one denominated in grams of Au, Ag, Pt, or Pd? Note: we have account holders all over the world, and this brings up questions of identity-verification (just spend back to suspicious accounts, I guess) but those questions come up with the current system when a campaign encounters, for example, suspiciously-wealthy Buddhist monks. Do you think this is a possibility for the future.
I'll include my standard/. offer to show anyone who creates an account and sends me the number a small e-metal spend to show how the system works, just email me your account number and PLEASE remember your passphrase.
Anyway, I look forward to your answer. Thanks. JMR
maybe even raising the bar for the media elsewhere.
I think you may be damning Slashdot with faint praise. The bar's under about 6 inches of mud at the moment, IMO. I get annoyed every time I see anything about this.
I saw something quite insightful from Michael on a mailing list today. I haven't even had time to look for it here, but I hope it gets moderated way the hell up, because the media need to see it. JMR
Well, Liberty, while not as slick as Reason (or as well-funded!) is also on a few stands. If you want 151-proof libertarianism with an excellent letters section and some-great/some-not articles, go for Liberty. If you want what Time would look like if it weren't run by Democrats, go for Reason. Reason has, in the past, been somewhat soft on certain Republicans. And, as AC says, neither one is the LP. (In fact, both tend to cover Libertarians with a more-jaundiced eye than -- for example -- Time covering the Democrats, IMO.)
I found the Reason article very good, and I'm glad Slashdot featured it. Reason editors reading this might want to consider covering the free software movement in more detail (or else I've just missed what they've done on the subject, I have about a 6 month reading backlog on dead trees). Anyway, if Reason decided to do a story, they should definitely come here and ask questions first, and then submit an early draft here if they can, if they're smart. JMR
I wonder what this corrupt bastard will do with his newfound wealth?
I've known judges, and while corruption can never be ruled out, I would not assume it here. Cluelessness is far more likely as an explanation, IMO. Most judges today still live lives in which they rarely touch a computer (ok, maybe AOL, but only at home) and most of them would be more likely to believe Jack Valenti than either one of us on this issue. Sad but true. JMR
Mr. Pierce said it wasn't easy, I think that his point is that it's possible. If there's demand, the market will make privacy easier. I think that there's demand and investors seem to agree. A good thing, IMO, because I strongly doubt that regulators would also agree.
While it hasn't gotten nearly the net.hype Professor Lessig's work did (Post is not from Hahvahd, after all, I think he's from Temple) but I think it's well-done. (I'd be interested in any Lessig rebuttals to that Post rebuttal, though.) JMR
* I assume that my mention of the dreaded "L. word" will cause downward moderation, and I also don't care.:)
Fascinating. I was moderated down -- "troll" for trying to:
1. Help EFF. 2. GIVE AWAY currency -- which could then be spent, for example, to EFF's account. "I swear I am not making any of this up."
Anyway, one person took me up on the offer, so I feel *somewhat* vindicated. Sheesh. I think I'll leave the +1 bonus off this one, too, as it's not that important/insightful to say that some moderators aren't the brightest bulbs on the Christmas tree... JMR
(Unable to resist a blatant, albeit tasteless, self promotion opportunity, Jim Ray steps up to the plate, fully clothed head-to-toe in Nomex.)
Create an e-gold account (you won't quite be a Doe, but we'll never sell or give away information on customers like credit card companies do). Do an InExchange to buy some of the e-metal of your choice. Do a spend to account number 102948. Wish they had an e-gold option on their page. (Wait, no, that's my department, sorry.) Tell EFF you spent to their account, and that they can either use their e-gold or go do an OutExchange and get a check.
Feel good about yourself. Find other ways to have fun with our currency.:) There are lots of other good causes with e-gold accounts who actually have implemented our shopping cart on their pages, for one thing, and I keep offering to click a spot of FREE e-gold to members of the/. community who simply ask me for some. So far, no takers...Oh well. JMR
We need a modem bank where we can donate old modems, too slow for American lines, but just right for old infrastructure.
This is an incredibly good idea. The only problem I'd foresee is the shipping, and assuming sponsorship by an international shipper (say, DHL) that could be solved, too. Might be very good PR for DHL in India to be the source of free US surplus modems. JMR
Re:sad commentary on science
on
On to Mars
·
· Score: 2
...maybe it makes funding more palatable...
Not just maybe. If it's political funding you're after (leaving aside unmanned commercial probes) one of the pols, in a moment of uncharacteristic honesty, said, "No bucks withhout Buck Rogers." I liked the "war" comment earlier (where are moderator points when I need them?) and think it takes a lot to get support for the idea politically. If commercial firms can find a way to profit in space (I still think honeymoon suites are the first human use we'll see in orbit) then it will happen, safely and efficiently. IMO. JMR
(not really a reply to you, but I liked the subject line for this rant I sent to an anti censorship mailing list this AM.)
(If my take is correct, and please correct me if I'm wrong here.) The DVD "crack" could be argued to be inevitable due to the incompetence of one corporation, a subsidiary of Realnetworks (you know, the privacy people?) yet AFAIK the law has gone after the 16 year old Norwegian without deep pockets, and while I don't keep track of it too much (metal prices are bad enough) Realnetworks' stock price -- like other internet stock prices -- has remained between irrational and outrageous, and AFAIK (again, please set me straight if you know different) nobody is suing them for anything.
The whole situation seems a bit irrational to me. I've read articles, and Realnetworks' role in the initial how-not-to-do-crypto idiocy isn't getting any ink. What gives? Do these people have the best PR-department on the planet, or am I missing something? JMR
Yes, they can take your stuff, and then never let you have a trial. It happened to my friend, money artist (and NOT a counterfeiter!!!!) J.S.G. Boggs. The SS took his stuff and didn't charge him, in order to make him sue. They knew from long experience that when he gets in front of a jury, they let him off, so they forced the issue by never charging him after stealing his stuff. Stupidly, the US Supreme court just denied cert. after he finally had to sue to get his life's work returned. Not good from a free speech or property-rights perspective.:(
His studio page, with links to the appeals court transcript and an article about him. Here's a Swiss gallery with some of his stuff (they may have counterfeits, too, according to Boggs). another article. And another. Finally, if you want to see one of the REAL reasons my friend Boggs gets in trouble, click on: this and note the inscription over the dome: "Red Gold We Trust," in a year of campaign finance scandals. That, and making folks actually THINK about the value of art & paper money is not counterfeiting, but it IS very subversive. IMO. I don't own that bill anymore, and the current owner, if he will sell, wants a lot of gold for it. Don't ask.:) JMR
... What changed? I guess the better question would be: "What legal provisions does Norway offer to protect reverse engineering, and why is he now in trouble?"
I don't know if we'll ever see it, and I'm not sure what's the best question to ask, but IMO the best answer is likely to be "follow the money." This stinks SO much of political favors being called-in that I DESPERATELY wish/. had access to the Echelon traffic between these corporations and the Norwegian government (that was a hint for NSA guys, if any are somehow listening to this) over the last few weeks.
The really amazing thing is that AFAIK (and correct me if I'm wrong) Real Networks, whose subsidiary did the incompetent encryption that allowed one crack to become all, is not in any legal trouble for this, and not in much trouble for their Orwellian privacy violations earlier regarding CDs. It's as if the silliness of the stock market trumps fundamentals, but we all know that's not true these days. (Yeah, right.) Ok, getting sarcastic, I need coffee. JMR
...Why is he being portrayed as some kind of Digital Martyr?
I can take a stab at this, by answering "why not" first.
Not because he was doing something right -- he wasn't. He acted exactly as you describe. The thing to keep in mind about his case is NOT Kevin Mitnik's behavior, but the behavior of the legal system and law enforcement authorities, and that gets under some folks' skin (like mine).
If I had raped or murdered someone and been busted the day Kevin got caught, I'd have (on average) long been out by now, walking the streets you walk. I'd have gotten a trial WAAAY before he did. It's likely my arrest warrant would have been (gasp) actually signed by a man in a black dress...I could go on, but I think you see my point. We can rightly say that what he did was wrong, and hope that he & people like him will leave the computer systems that many of us rely upon to keep food on the table alone, but that doesn't change the fact that we live in a country that has a constitution and a bill of rights. Ignoring them once, for an unpopular person, means possibly also ignoring rights again. Someday, either of us might need them, and the time to think about that is BEFORE you're in a jail cell staring through metal bars.
The above is ONLY my personal opinion, it has nothing whatsoever to do with my employer. JMR
and it is sad but I think the only place we'll ever even come close to realizing that dream is right here in good ol cyberspace....
Thanks for your interesting words. Maybe sad, maybe a little ironic, too. Hopefully, slowly, someday, maybe even wrong, though I doubt that will be the case in either of our lifetimes. The good news is that at least now there's SOMEwhere that it's possible to be judged on the basis of thought alone -- I could have sure used an internet back when I was in high school, so I think kids today are lucky, but I'm sure they could tell me lots of reasons why I'm wrong.
Interesting that I found a person who knew Lizard, and I'm not quite sure what to make of her reply, since part of Lizard's charm is his pseudonymity. (Lizard would, of course, deny being charming, but I think that underneath the misanthrope skin he's a lot of fun.) I suppose I could look around on remailer-operators or somewhere and find myself a more-anonymous pseudonymous-entity as an example, but Lizard is so prolific & writes so well (whether or not you agree with him, but I suppose it helped that I mostly do) that he seemed to fit the bill at the time.
Ideally, we wouldn't even know that Lizard's a "he," much less his race, but I think that not-knowing wouldn't change my opinion of his words, and that's my point. I wonder if Jon Katz will even read this? I kinda doubt it.:) Oh well. Back to work. JMR
Slashdot Mirror
I've ALWAYS thought this idea would sell well, ...
"PNN -- with more hot girl-on-girl action than any other major news network...."
It DOES sell, even when you normally can't see the sexy girl because it's radio. Ask Howard Stern.
JMR
There's also a copy here.
JMR
If I had a space ship, I don't think I'll just crash it into Jupiter. There's got to be a better way.
I agree. Maybe it's possible to take a close enough pass through the atmosphere to:
1. Find out something interesting by getting that near?
2. Raise the whole spacecraft temperature to above boiling, sterilizing it?
Disclaimers: I'm not a space scientist. Maybe it's not possible (or silly if it IS possible?) or maybe in the process if pasteurizing the hypothetical beasties on the spacecraft they'd cook the spacecraft into uselessness, too? Probably someone thought of this before, if it's a good idea after all? I don't know. Just an idea.
JMR
is the right question, at least WRT the US lately. :(
I think that patent policy is a very important issue, and I've been concerned since the 1980s that the rising US patent office fees are now being thought of as a direct revenue source. Individuals getting patents (if there are any left!) are poor, and patents are seed-corn for future prosperity. Corporations -- especially non-US corporations -- apply for an increasing percentage of US patents, and a lot of this is because of the higher fees IMO. The stereotype idea of the cash-strapped individual with Einstein-hair (and perhaps Einstein-ideas?) is no longer typical, and it's sad. This effect, combined with a much more promiscuous policy of issuing patents for any-damn-thing, will have profound negative effects on the long-term future of the US. IMO.
JMR
Nice Libertarian, *ahem*, analysis there, Jim. Wow, would I have loved to be hearing things like that years ago, when I first set out to oppose censorware. ...
You were, Seth, and one needn't be a libertarian (or a Libertarian) to follow the money (thanks for the links). Years ago, silly me, I had hoped that in the diversity of censorware offerings there'd be one -- just one -- "filtering software company" that:
1. Tried to be at least somewhat-honest about the impossibility of doing their task perfectly, and
2. Marketed to misguided parents, instead of to misguided governments.
Obviously, my hopes were not fulfilled, I was not 100% supportive of your ideas (funny how calling other people "stupid" makes 'em tend to behave that way) and you were right (how many times must it be said?) that ALL censorware companies are 100% venal. As for anyone from my part of the idea-spectrum advocating TAX money to put this crap in libraries (or anywhere else) I don't recall it ever happening. Indeed, I recall (over and over) quite the opposite. Just because idiocy & evil can't be stopped doesn't change my position regarding unwilling subsidies for them out of either of our pockets.
Anyway, at this point the government's appointed regulators of speech are too busy chasing ad puffery ("Better Ingredients, Better Pizza" is now dangerous speech!) to bother with the outright LIES exposed by the Censorware Project. I quit politics, so I won't even try to dole out blame for this unsavory turn of events -- people can (follow that money) figure it out for themselves. Let's not make this another flamewar, I think (for once) that we vehemently agree.
JMR
(Jamie won't be surprised to see me saying this, but) folks, follow the MONEY!!
These people can't sell their crappy software to "families," because it DOESN'T work. (They even have to lie when they say that URLs are checked by a human, among their other lies, I'd link to the report, but it appears censorware.org is slashdotted.) The FRC's point, their battle to win since they've lost out in the "real" marketplace is to sell this crap to politicians! You know, the creatures "stupid" enough to buy $400+ hammers and toilet seats because it's YOUR money but THEIR buddies skimming the loot!
This is all about spending your tax dollars to LIMIT content and information in libraries, and the dishonesty of Burt & company is astounding. There is a big danger with secret blacklists that the content censored will be political content, thus feeding back into the infinite corruption-loop. These are tax-&-spend CENSORS who want to electronically "burn" books with OUR money! It's entirely unacceptable from either an economic or first amendment POV, and must be stopped.
JMR
PS, Jamie, it would not have been a low blow to describe Burt's "retirement" here, also.
Agreed, and here's another one to consider for attention. If I want dirt on a candidate, ANY candidate :^) it's where I go first.
Yes, they have a Gore section, but they don't spare anybody over at the Skeleton Closet. (I have nothing to do with them, I speak only for myself.)
JMR
Whenever this happens to me, I pledge to myself to meta-moderate daily for a few days, but whenever I meta I almost never find unfair ones like what happened to you (or me, a while back). The moderation system certainly isn't perfect, is it? (Yes, I agree it's better than nothing, but sometimes it gets silly.)
JMR
...reduce the frequency to maybe 3 times a month, tops, and add another writer or two to do the same thing.
Agreed wholeheartedly. A diversity of points of view would be healthy, and Slashdot certainly doesn't suffer from a lack of good rant...er...writers. Perhaps one of those spots should be a "guest writer" spot offered from time to time (monthly?) to another essay writer the editors or readers find interesting?
JMR
There's not a single question moderated in this article.
;)
It looks like a few just below yours were moderated down, but I see a few moderated up, too. Now, good sense for moderators is another story. That's been weak for a while!
(Moderates self down now.)
JMR
Disclaimers: :)
/. offer to show anyone who creates an account and sends me the number a small e-metal spend to show how the system works, just email me your account number and PLEASE remember your passphrase.
1. I'm not a very political person anymore, and even back when I was I wouldn't have been much interested in Al Gore (or any Republicans).
2. I don't speak for my company, this is just me being curious.
3. This might be a better question to ask of the FEC than of you, keeping in mind that what backs certain alternative currencies might fluctuate in dollar value over time and that political contribution limits are denominated in dollars.
4. Right now, no alternative web currency, including ours, stores enough value to be of much interest to a political campaign, anyway.
5. I probably seem self-interested in posting this, so moderate me down -- see if I care.
How do you feel about the idea of accepting instantly settled payments of an alternative currency, say one denominated in grams of Au, Ag, Pt, or Pd? Note: we have account holders all over the world, and this brings up questions of identity-verification (just spend back to suspicious accounts, I guess) but those questions come up with the current system when a campaign encounters, for example, suspiciously-wealthy Buddhist monks. Do you think this is a possibility for the future.
I'll include my standard
Anyway, I look forward to your answer. Thanks.
JMR
maybe even raising the bar for the media elsewhere.
I think you may be damning Slashdot with faint praise. The bar's under about 6 inches of mud at the moment, IMO. I get annoyed every time I see anything about this.
I saw something quite insightful from Michael on a mailing list today. I haven't even had time to look for it here, but I hope it gets moderated way the hell up, because the media need to see it.
JMR
Well, Liberty, while not as slick as Reason (or as well-funded!) is also on a few stands. If you want 151-proof libertarianism with an excellent letters section and some-great/some-not articles, go for Liberty. If you want what Time would look like if it weren't run by Democrats, go for Reason. Reason has, in the past, been somewhat soft on certain Republicans. And, as AC says, neither one is the LP. (In fact, both tend to cover Libertarians with a more-jaundiced eye than -- for example -- Time covering the Democrats, IMO.)
I found the Reason article very good, and I'm glad Slashdot featured it. Reason editors reading this might want to consider covering the free software movement in more detail (or else I've just missed what they've done on the subject, I have about a 6 month reading backlog on dead trees). Anyway, if Reason decided to do a story, they should definitely come here and ask questions first, and then submit an early draft here if they can, if they're smart.
JMR
I wonder what this corrupt bastard will do with his newfound wealth?
I've known judges, and while corruption can never be ruled out, I would not assume it here. Cluelessness is far more likely as an explanation, IMO. Most judges today still live lives in which they rarely touch a computer (ok, maybe AOL, but only at home) and most of them would be more likely to believe Jack Valenti than either one of us on this issue. Sad but true.
JMR
Mr. Pierce said it wasn't easy, I think that his point is that it's possible. If there's demand, the market will make privacy easier. I think that there's demand and investors seem to agree. A good thing, IMO, because I strongly doubt that regulators would also agree.
:)
Professor David Post wrote "What Larry Doesn't Get: A Libertarian Response to Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace" just recently. It's quite a good read*.
While it hasn't gotten nearly the net.hype Professor Lessig's work did (Post is not from Hahvahd, after all, I think he's from Temple) but I think it's well-done. (I'd be interested in any Lessig rebuttals to that Post rebuttal, though.)
JMR
* I assume that my mention of the dreaded "L. word" will cause downward moderation, and I also don't care.
(I hate replies to my own stuff, but...)
Fascinating. I was moderated down -- "troll" for trying to:
1. Help EFF.
2. GIVE AWAY currency -- which could then be spent, for example, to EFF's account. "I swear I am not making any of this up."
Anyway, one person took me up on the offer, so I feel *somewhat* vindicated. Sheesh. I think I'll leave the +1 bonus off this one, too, as it's not that important/insightful to say that some moderators aren't the brightest bulbs on the Christmas tree...
JMR
(Unable to resist a blatant, albeit tasteless, self promotion opportunity, Jim Ray steps up to the plate, fully clothed head-to-toe in Nomex.)
:) There are lots of other good causes with e-gold accounts who actually have implemented our shopping cart on their pages, for one thing, and I keep offering to click a spot of FREE e-gold to members of the /. community who simply ask me for some. So far, no takers...Oh well.
Create an e-gold account (you won't quite be a Doe, but we'll never sell or give away information on customers like credit card companies do). Do an InExchange to buy some of the e-metal of your choice. Do a spend to account number 102948. Wish they had an e-gold option on their page. (Wait, no, that's my department, sorry.) Tell EFF you spent to their account, and that they can either use their e-gold or go do an OutExchange and get a check.
Feel good about yourself. Find other ways to have fun with our currency.
JMR
We need a modem bank where we can donate old modems, too slow for American lines, but just right for old infrastructure.
This is an incredibly good idea. The only problem I'd foresee is the shipping, and assuming
sponsorship by an international shipper (say, DHL) that could be solved, too. Might be very
good PR for DHL in India to be the source of free US surplus modems.
JMR
...maybe it makes funding more palatable...
Not just maybe. If it's political funding you're after (leaving aside unmanned commercial
probes) one of the pols, in a moment of uncharacteristic honesty, said, "No bucks withhout
Buck Rogers." I liked the "war" comment earlier (where are moderator points when I need
them?) and think it takes a lot to get support for the idea politically. If commercial firms can
find a way to profit in space (I still think honeymoon suites are the first human use we'll see
in orbit) then it will happen, safely and efficiently. IMO.
JMR
(not really a reply to you, but I liked the subject line for this rant
I sent to an anti censorship mailing list this AM.)
(If my take is correct, and please correct me if I'm wrong here.) The DVD
"crack" could be argued to be inevitable due to the incompetence of one
corporation, a subsidiary of Realnetworks (you know, the privacy people?)
yet AFAIK the law has gone after the 16 year old Norwegian without deep
pockets, and while I don't keep track of it too much (metal prices are bad
enough) Realnetworks' stock price -- like other internet stock prices -- has
remained between irrational and outrageous, and AFAIK (again, please
set me straight if you know different) nobody is suing them for anything.
The whole situation seems a bit irrational to me. I've read articles, and
Realnetworks' role in the initial how-not-to-do-crypto idiocy isn't getting
any ink. What gives? Do these people have the best PR-department on
the planet, or am I missing something?
JMR
Yes, they can take your stuff, and then never let you have a trial. It happened :(
:)
to my friend, money artist (and NOT a counterfeiter!!!!) J.S.G. Boggs. The SS
took his stuff and didn't charge him, in order to make him sue. They knew from
long experience that when he gets in front of a jury, they let him off, so they
forced the issue by never charging him after stealing his stuff. Stupidly, the US
Supreme court just denied cert. after he finally had to sue to get his life's work
returned. Not good from a free speech or property-rights perspective.
His studio page, with links to the
appeals court transcript and an
article about him. Here's a
Swiss gallery with some of his stuff (they may have counterfeits, too, according to Boggs).
another article. And
another. Finally, if you want to see one of the REAL reasons my friend Boggs gets in trouble, click on:
this and note the inscription over the dome: "Red Gold We Trust," in a year of campaign finance
scandals. That, and making folks actually THINK about the value of art & paper
money is not counterfeiting, but it IS very subversive. IMO. I don't own that bill
anymore, and the current owner, if he will sell, wants a lot of gold for it. Don't ask.
JMR
(Speaking only for myself, again.)
...
/. had access to the Echelon traffic between these corporations and the Norwegian government (that was a hint for NSA guys, if any are somehow listening to this) over the last few weeks.
What changed? I guess the better question would be: "What legal provisions does Norway offer to protect reverse engineering, and why is he now in trouble?"
I don't know if we'll ever see it, and I'm not sure what's the best question to ask, but IMO the best answer is likely to be "follow the money." This stinks SO much of political favors being called-in that I DESPERATELY wish
The really amazing thing is that AFAIK (and correct me if I'm wrong) Real Networks, whose subsidiary did the incompetent encryption that allowed one crack to become all, is not in any legal trouble for this, and not in much trouble for their Orwellian privacy violations earlier regarding CDs. It's as if the silliness of the stock market trumps fundamentals, but we all know that's not true these days. (Yeah, right.) Ok, getting sarcastic, I need coffee.
JMR
...almost aas funny as the guyy named Brian who was a cashier at Burger King and had his nametag spelling his name as Brain.
He's not trying to be funny, he plans to take over the WORLD!
JMR
(sorry, I can't help myself sometimes)
...Why is he being portrayed as some kind of Digital Martyr?
I can take a stab at this, by answering "why not" first.
Not because he was doing something right -- he wasn't. He acted exactly as you describe. The thing to keep in mind about his case is NOT Kevin Mitnik's behavior, but the behavior of the legal system and law enforcement authorities, and that gets under some folks' skin (like mine).
If I had raped or murdered someone and been busted the day Kevin got caught, I'd have (on average) long been out by now, walking the streets you walk. I'd have gotten a trial WAAAY before he did. It's likely my arrest warrant would have been (gasp) actually signed by a man in a black dress...I could go on, but I think you see my point. We can rightly say that what he did was wrong, and hope that he & people like him will leave the computer systems that many of us rely upon to keep food on the table alone, but that doesn't change the fact that we live in a country that has a constitution and a bill of rights. Ignoring them once, for an unpopular person, means possibly also ignoring rights again. Someday, either of us might need them, and the time to think about that is BEFORE you're in a jail cell staring through metal bars.
The above is ONLY my personal opinion, it has nothing whatsoever to do with my employer.
JMR
and it is sad but I think the only place we'll ever even come close to realizing that dream is right here in good ol cyberspace....
:) Oh well. Back to work.
Thanks for your interesting words. Maybe sad, maybe a little ironic, too. Hopefully, slowly, someday, maybe even wrong, though I doubt that will be the case in either of our lifetimes. The good news is that at least now there's SOMEwhere that it's possible to be judged on the basis of thought alone -- I could have sure used an internet back when I was in high school, so I think kids today are lucky, but I'm sure they could tell me lots of reasons why I'm wrong.
Interesting that I found a person who knew Lizard, and I'm not quite sure what to make of her reply, since part of Lizard's charm is his pseudonymity. (Lizard would, of course, deny being charming, but I think that underneath the misanthrope skin he's a lot of fun.) I suppose I could look around on remailer-operators or somewhere and find myself a more-anonymous pseudonymous-entity as an example, but Lizard is so prolific & writes so well (whether or not you agree with him, but I suppose it helped that I mostly do) that he seemed to fit the bill at the time.
Ideally, we wouldn't even know that Lizard's a "he," much less his race, but I think that not-knowing wouldn't change my opinion of his words, and that's my point. I wonder if Jon Katz will even read this? I kinda doubt it.
JMR