I'm not exactly sure what your point is other than his friend Mark (me) has a number in Austin, which is not exactly fishy considering a) I live in Austin b) Kevin lives in Austin.
Letter Sent to Attorney General
Rather funny, really. Tells me more than I ever would have otherwise have found out about the tunnel system. Especially the emergency escape route for the President of the University through the tunnel system.
Except you can get into the tunnels themselve and map them out yourself.
"It's an abnormal request - a student doesn't have an obvious need for information about the tunnels at his school. If you went and bought 10x the amount of ammonia-based fertilizer that anyone would need, they'd investigate that too. Not because owning a lot of fertilizer is illegal, but because purchasing that amount of fertilizer is a decent sign that you may be about to do something illegal."
"The bush twins are attending school, the whole place is crawling with secret service, and this dumbass asks for maps of the tunnels beneath the school."
Meh.
http://directory.utexas.edu:1760//uid%3d19441264 21 %20%2b%20cn%3dJennifer%20Layne%20Bush%2cou%3dColle ge%20of%20Natural%20Sciences%2cou%3dStudents%2co%3 dThe%20University%20of%20Texas%20at%20Austin%2cc%3 dUS
She's listed in the UT Directory with her phone number dude.
[2004/05/06] [21:17] Mirell mspencer! [2004/05/06] [21:17] Mirell I know the guy (Mark A Miller) being described in this article. I use IRC mostly as a contact list, and have a channel for users of my unremarkable non-profit server. Mark has been a regular in my small (under 20 people) channel for months. I know this is the same guy as the Mark Miller in this article because the user in my channel talked incessantly about these freedom of information act requests, months ago. [2004/05/06] [21:17] Mirell BAD BOY! [2004/05/06] [21:17] * Mirell sets mode: -o bl0d [2004/05/06] [21:17] * mspencer was kicked by Mirell (mspencer) [2004/05/06] [21:17] * Joins: mspencer (spam@michael.mspencer.net) [2004/05/06] [21:17] * ChanServ sets mode: +o mspencer [2004/05/06] [21:17] * Mirell sets mode: +o bl0d [2004/05/06] [21:17] _{\Zealot Mirell: Hence all the freaks around here;p
In the chat log, he gives a reason for an investigation thus: "To satiate my curiousity." This is the wrong thing to say. If you are up to anything that is remotely dubious, never give the exact *real* reason you are doing anything. Instead, make up another reason that is plausible and legitimate and always give that reason instead. Never divulge the real reason to anyone you don't trust. If you cannot think up a plausible reason then you may need to rethink your actions.
---
Umm...dude, I don't care enough to fight it. It was IRC, I did not think I would get Slashdotted.
In the example given, he should have said that he was gathering information in the public interest. (This reason is even true and therefore irrefutable: he's a member of the public and he's interested, therefore it must be in the public interest.) Another thing one could say is anything using corporate doublespeak. The eyes of thine listener shall glazeth over: and thou shalt be as slippery as an eel in thy escape from unwelcome scrutiny.
---
No...I just wanted to know how flippin' big the tunnels were. That's all.
Acxiom employs an 11 Digit Universal Identification number for main ID in the Oracle database they employ. For the work of Database Administrators, which Acxiom understandably employs a great deal of, they have to have access to the entire database at large in order to process scripts to weed out duplicates, of which there is a great amount of. For instance, John Smith and John B. Smith, while the same person, may be recorded as two different people, so two mailings get sent out to this same address, costing a company that purchased this mailing list that could have been saved. And in terms of accounting procedures, the SQL access is logged to an extent, but with millions upon millions of transactions going on every minute, a pull of a hundred thousand records is insignificant.
No, they might not spend it alone, but they still only socialize with other gamers in a LAN gaming shop or whatnot. Not saying that all people in a LAN game are anti-social nerds, far from it. But still, just because they get out and socialize with other gamers is not saying much in it of itself.
The people who thought up such a plan as this must have not thought one bit about it.
For instance:
1) Putting a satellite on a publically accessible network for one. This way, John Doe and his 7 year old script kiddy on AOL can call up access to the satellite. This allows any number of cracking attempts.
2) Using FTP as a protocol. FTP password transmissions are transmitted over plain text. If someone really cared enough, they might be able to attempt to capture packets of the password.
3) Possibility of a DDoS. If someone truly wanted to, they could just flood the machine to the point of causing the system to crash, and then you're left with a 15 million dollar piece of junk...
Space exploration was better when left in the hands of the US AirForce.
What I don't see is why the MPAA focused on just the first program that was made available, deCSS, when now it is basically completely worthless with any new DVDs released today. It was a first generation decoder. That key has already been shelfed, and now you have such things as DVD Ripper, et cetera, which decode, rip the DVD, make a new IFO, all in one step. It's not like the RIAA vs. Peer 2 Peer shairing, where it can take down major nodes, and shatter the network. You may still own a copy of Napster, but it's completely worthless (Unless you try to use it to connect to OpenNap networks, but why not use WinMX then), while people with copies of DVD Ripper, if they rid the Internet of that program, will be just as useful as they were before.
I just noted in the article headline, in focus on the "despicable conduct" of a Disney lawyer. Why is this any different that most other lawyers? Admittedly, the lawyers working for the EFF and ACLU are attempting to further human and consumer rights, but the lawyers of the companies are merely working to increase the power of the companies. It's the same either way. So ethics aside, don't necessarily chastise the guy for enforcing what he believes to be right.
Now what would be nice if the designer of these works of art actually sat down with a CAD software for Legos, such as MCLAD, and nicely worked out all the specific designs, and determined the best view-points, then rendered them with POV-Ray...
Maybe it's best most engineers aren't really artists per se...
Seeing as the sheer stupidity of the basics of this proposal, I wanted to bring up a point that no one may have thought about before...
The article states that some Television manufacturers might include anti-"theft" copy prevention systems, to deter users from recording shows on the TV. What makes me wonder about this, is what about such things as "Cable in the Classroom", a public service for the education of elementary students. I have seen it used quite often in public schools. (Whether or not the usefulness of this program is worthwhile, that is left out of this discussion)
You also have other stations such as PBS, and at times school districts and colleges may have their own channels. As a few college radio stations do around where I live in Arkansas, everything they broadcast is part of the NPR (National Public Radio) program, or locally done programming, which is all in the public domain.
An arguement can be said from people that such things as books and movies which have entered the public domain (Silent films, ne?), you still have to pay for the cost of publication, even if it is only $.75 for the Dover book version of Plato's works.
But the point is that such things as PBS, et cetera, are broadcasting free of charge, as a public service, and intend for you to be able to record these shows, for either your own children, school, et cetera. Therefore, would the television industry require them to use some encoded stream on the SAP to allow the television to record these shows? Or would it just ignore this altogether and basically say Screw you, PBS.
Just thought it would be an interesting viewpoint on this issue...
Since they term the system: Weapons of Mass Destruction Decision Analysis Center, then obviously it deals from simple plagues to tactical nukes, no? The article mentions about a possible nuclear holocaust. They plan to distribute this to various public agencies. The only problem that I have with this is the fact 1) This has already been done by the military, playing "war games" of such where you have a group of military/civilian high-ranking officials, being presented with a situation, having a narrator provide more details and sparse messages that manage to get through.
The problem with allowing non-military public officials to use this software to possibly prepare for various "Attacks" of sort, is the issue of possible other means that could arrive from the military, since they are kept classified. Intelligence gathering and analyzing most probably does not play an issue in this situation. This is for the "anthrax attacks". And if it was a bioweapon to cause that many people to die, you would also have to deal with such things as A-4 Skyhawks with 80 rounds of Zeni missiles patroling the area, the National Guard mobilized, ports closed, airports closed, phone lines shifted for emergency use only, et cetera. I fail to see how this program could easily deal with the large amount of variables for a seemingly "attack upon the nation", without all the information for each and every military post, equipment, flight patterns, tours of duties, et cetera.
Slashdot Mirror
This is another one of my favorite comments! Win, sir!
Also, congratulations, I explained the NPA-NXX number porting capabilities on my blog for you! Have fun.
I'm not exactly sure what your point is other than his friend Mark (me) has a number in Austin, which is not exactly fishy considering a) I live in Austin b) Kevin lives in Austin.
So, what?
Google Groups in Latin
"Mandata referre quae missa sint a" still works.
Except...
1) I never notified the Daily Texan reporter, he found it from someone reading my blog.
2) I didn't submit the article to Slashdot.
Geez.
Letter Sent to Attorney General Rather funny, really. Tells me more than I ever would have otherwise have found out about the tunnel system. Especially the emergency escape route for the President of the University through the tunnel system.
"If he's got a perfectly legit reason to want to know, then he should tell us."
I wanna know how big the tunnels are!
Geez.
That made the entire ordeal worth it.
Mark "Planning a Plot" Miller
Except you can get into the tunnels themselve and map them out yourself.
"It's an abnormal request - a student doesn't have an obvious need for information about the tunnels at his school. If you went and bought 10x the amount of ammonia-based fertilizer that anyone would need, they'd investigate that too. Not because owning a lot of fertilizer is illegal, but because purchasing that amount of fertilizer is a decent sign that you may be about to do something illegal."
Except for farmers.
"The bush twins are attending school, the whole place is crawling with secret service, and this dumbass asks for maps of the tunnels beneath the school."
4 21 %20%2b%20cn%3dJennifer%20Layne%20Bush%2cou%3dColle ge%20of%20Natural%20Sciences%2cou%3dStudents%2co%3 dThe%20University%20of%20Texas%20at%20Austin%2cc%3 dUS
Meh.
http://directory.utexas.edu:1760//uid%3d1944126
She's listed in the UT Directory with her phone number dude.
Yah.
What Secret Service.
Hi.
I'm not a dumbass.
Especially since I'm going to Europe this summer.
[2004/05/06] [21:17] Mirell mspencer! ;p
[2004/05/06] [21:17] Mirell I know the guy (Mark A Miller) being described in this article. I use IRC mostly as a contact list, and have a channel for users of my unremarkable non-profit server. Mark has been a regular in my small (under 20 people) channel for months. I know this is the same guy as the Mark Miller in this article because the user in my channel talked incessantly about these freedom of information act requests, months ago.
[2004/05/06] [21:17] Mirell BAD BOY!
[2004/05/06] [21:17] * Mirell sets mode: -o bl0d
[2004/05/06] [21:17] * mspencer was kicked by Mirell (mspencer)
[2004/05/06] [21:17] * Joins: mspencer (spam@michael.mspencer.net)
[2004/05/06] [21:17] * ChanServ sets mode: +o mspencer
[2004/05/06] [21:17] * Mirell sets mode: +o bl0d
[2004/05/06] [21:17] _{\Zealot Mirell: Hence all the freaks around here
In the chat log, he gives a reason for an investigation thus: "To satiate my curiousity." This is the wrong thing to say. If you are up to anything that is remotely dubious, never give the exact *real* reason you are doing anything. Instead, make up another reason that is plausible and legitimate and always give that reason instead. Never divulge the real reason to anyone you don't trust. If you cannot think up a plausible reason then you may need to rethink your actions.
---
Umm...dude, I don't care enough to fight it. It was IRC, I did not think I would get Slashdotted.
In the example given, he should have said that he was gathering information in the public interest. (This reason is even true and therefore irrefutable: he's a member of the public and he's interested, therefore it must be in the public interest.) Another thing one could say is anything using corporate doublespeak. The eyes of thine listener shall glazeth over: and thou shalt be as slippery as an eel in thy escape from unwelcome scrutiny.
---
No...I just wanted to know how flippin' big the tunnels were. That's all.
So have they got WIPO to approve their claims?
Acxiom employs an 11 Digit Universal Identification number for main ID in the Oracle database they employ. For the work of Database Administrators, which Acxiom understandably employs a great deal of, they have to have access to the entire database at large in order to process scripts to weed out duplicates, of which there is a great amount of. For instance, John Smith and John B. Smith, while the same person, may be recorded as two different people, so two mailings get sent out to this same address, costing a company that purchased this mailing list that could have been saved. And in terms of accounting procedures, the SQL access is logged to an extent, but with millions upon millions of transactions going on every minute, a pull of a hundred thousand records is insignificant.
The great wonders of a company based in Arkansas.
No, they might not spend it alone, but they still only socialize with other gamers in a LAN gaming shop or whatnot. Not saying that all people in a LAN game are anti-social nerds, far from it. But still, just because they get out and socialize with other gamers is not saying much in it of itself.
What sort of portable system are you going to play it on that over 200 Kbps would even make a difference?
The people who thought up such a plan as this must have not thought one bit about it.
For instance:
1) Putting a satellite on a publically accessible network for one. This way, John Doe and his 7 year old script kiddy on AOL can call up access to the satellite. This allows any number of cracking attempts.
2) Using FTP as a protocol. FTP password transmissions are transmitted over plain text. If someone really cared enough, they might be able to attempt to capture packets of the password.
3) Possibility of a DDoS. If someone truly wanted to, they could just flood the machine to the point of causing the system to crash, and then you're left with a 15 million dollar piece of junk...
Space exploration was better when left in the hands of the US AirForce.
Just my two bits...and a byte...haha...
Anyways, just felt like saying that...
Now what would be nice if the designer of these works of art actually sat down with a CAD software for Legos, such as MCLAD, and nicely worked out all the specific designs, and determined the best view-points, then rendered them with POV-Ray...
Maybe it's best most engineers aren't really artists per se...
Noting the info on the page: 4-5 hours typical battery life on a full charge.
Frame rate: 1, maybe two per minute.
Color: Black. White is optional.
Sound: Screeching Square Waves
Seeing as the sheer stupidity of the basics of this proposal, I wanted to bring up a point that no one may have thought about before...
The article states that some Television manufacturers might include anti-"theft" copy prevention systems, to deter users from recording shows on the TV. What makes me wonder about this, is what about such things as "Cable in the Classroom", a public service for the education of elementary students. I have seen it used quite often in public schools. (Whether or not the usefulness of this program is worthwhile, that is left out of this discussion)
You also have other stations such as PBS, and at times school districts and colleges may have their own channels. As a few college radio stations do around where I live in Arkansas, everything they broadcast is part of the NPR (National Public Radio) program, or locally done programming, which is all in the public domain.
An arguement can be said from people that such things as books and movies which have entered the public domain (Silent films, ne?), you still have to pay for the cost of publication, even if it is only $.75 for the Dover book version of Plato's works.
But the point is that such things as PBS, et cetera, are broadcasting free of charge, as a public service, and intend for you to be able to record these shows, for either your own children, school, et cetera. Therefore, would the television industry require them to use some encoded stream on the SAP to allow the television to record these shows? Or would it just ignore this altogether and basically say Screw you, PBS.
Just thought it would be an interesting viewpoint on this issue...
Since they term the system: Weapons of Mass Destruction Decision Analysis Center, then obviously it deals from simple plagues to tactical nukes, no? The article mentions about a possible nuclear holocaust. They plan to distribute this to various public agencies. The only problem that I have with this is the fact 1) This has already been done by the military, playing "war games" of such where you have a group of military/civilian high-ranking officials, being presented with a situation, having a narrator provide more details and sparse messages that manage to get through.
The problem with allowing non-military public officials to use this software to possibly prepare for various "Attacks" of sort, is the issue of possible other means that could arrive from the military, since they are kept classified. Intelligence gathering and analyzing most probably does not play an issue in this situation. This is for the "anthrax attacks". And if it was a bioweapon to cause that many people to die, you would also have to deal with such things as A-4 Skyhawks with 80 rounds of Zeni missiles patroling the area, the National Guard mobilized, ports closed, airports closed, phone lines shifted for emergency use only, et cetera. I fail to see how this program could easily deal with the large amount of variables for a seemingly "attack upon the nation", without all the information for each and every military post, equipment, flight patterns, tours of duties, et cetera.