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User: sethstorm

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  1. There are more discreet ways than tape. on Google Tells Glass Users Not To Be 'Creepy Or Rude' · · Score: 1

    Given the size, tape would not be necessary; they would just break the connection of the LED.

  2. The difference between innovation & imitation on China's Jade Rabbit Lunar Rover Officially Declared Lost · · Score: 1

    With the US, they would have considered more possibilities of how to handle disasters.

    With China, it's mostly about the events that generate PR (and thus face-saving) value. The lunar rover's construction is considered an afterthought except for getting it to the desired event.

  3. Not In Custody == Didn't Happen on Snowden Docs Show UK's Digital Spies Using Viruses, Honey Traps · · Score: 0

    Until he and/or his accomplices(including Greenwald, who may face additional charges if he attempts to sneak in under a false identity) are facing charges in a US court, none of can be taken as truth.

    Taking the NSA's word is more reliable, especially when they've been more open than Snowden has been about the entire matter. The only mistake that has been made is the lack of aggressive pursuit to clean up loose ends.

    Modding this down the memory hole makes it no less true.

  4. Your "Constitutional Blind Spots" harm people. on Ask Slashdot: What Does Edward Snowden Deserve? · · Score: 1

    Suggesting that we should have a Constitutional blind spot for surveillance only leaves room for people to go undetected.

    It's not been a problem for the entire history of the NSA to do what they do until one of their folks becomes disgruntled enough to sell their country out.

  5. Justice with victory over Snowden still can work. on Ask Slashdot: What Does Edward Snowden Deserve? · · Score: 1

    Even if he's handed over the materials, it would still be no less satisfying to go after Snowden. In addtion, one could also go after the people that received the information and aided in the commision of said crimes.

    Save the pardons for anyone that Snowden targets so that nothing can happen to them. Save the awards for the people that capture Snowden.

  6. Re:Assassination on Ask Slashdot: What Does Edward Snowden Deserve? · · Score: 1

    Except the part where money can buy government action that much easier in Russia due to high levels of corruption - the kind that warrant gated communities to absurd amounts. Enough money, and Snowden's as good as dead.

    Even if Snowden does get the proper treatment of being sent to a black site (or worse), he's in our hands and controlled more easily.

  7. Re:It might be an unpopular opinion... on Ask Slashdot: What Does Edward Snowden Deserve? · · Score: 1

    Nope. Look at what happened in the 1970's - for the efforts taken to try to end the NSA only resulted in it being more powerful than imagined. Ultimately, the NSA will recover in ways that Snowden will not be able to stop.

    Face it, he will face justice and would gladly help make that happen as a responsible citizen should. If he is so sure of his case, then he will have no problems doing so himself. Unfortunately, he knows of his guilt and knows of how much evidence is there against him.

    Putting the US(and other partnering First World nations) in unnecessary danger just for a political manuever will only make the US that more resolved to be stronger when a more military-friendly president gets elected. Russia, China, and their allies should be put in check before anything is ever asked of the US.

  8. Then grind the editors. on Now On Video: GCHQ Destroying Laptop Full of Snowden Disclosures · · Score: 1

    If they can't be assured that destroying the machines will do it, then take it one step further. If they don't quit it, they'll learn how deep and quick of an exfoliation can come from an angle grinder.

    If it makes The Guardian actually complain, then you know you're doing the right thing.

  9. Re:Full Pardon. on Ask Slashdot: What Does Edward Snowden Deserve? · · Score: 1

    Then settle for a posthumous pardon with no medal or anything.

  10. You misspelled traitor. on Ask Slashdot: What Does Edward Snowden Deserve? · · Score: 1

    While the Rest Of Us point out that Snowden broke the law in ways that cannot be mitigated by the allegations made through unauthorized disclosures.

    To what degree is still up in the air, but at the very least he is no whistleblower - no matter what red meat he dangles in the air to make you think otherwise.

  11. Justice & a perpwalk. on Ask Slashdot: What Does Edward Snowden Deserve? · · Score: 1

    It won't stop until people see him face justice with at least the same fate as Manning. Given what damage he has done to the US and its ability to defend itself wrt intelligence, he would be getting quite the deal.

    Otherwise he will just become open season. Same goes with any accomplices

  12. Re:He's not coming back to the US anytime soon on Ask Slashdot: What Does Edward Snowden Deserve? · · Score: 1

    At least not during this administration. Probably not during the next either, way too many entrenched political interests want to see him dead.

    Then all it takes is an administration that gives no fucks about what part of the world he and his supporters are in.

    Or one that will look the other way if unfavorable things start happening to people with that information.

  13. Not so fast. on Canadian Spy Agency Snooped Travelers With Airport Wi-Fi · · Score: 1

    No, that is not why it happened but framing it that way is seductively authoritarian and one of the main reasons for the creation of the modern surveillance state. Having spent billions to stop more attacks, what do we have to show for it? The Boston bombers plus a whole host of "white" attacks like mass shootings and the NSA's "official" record of having stopped precisely zero attacks on USA soil.

    That's ~50 attacks short of the total, not counting ones they can't disclose due to classification rules.

    ...businesses and people spending time and money to shield themselves from the surveillance...

    While those threats are mitigated by responsible citizens that render those efforts useless, as well as architectural efforts that make it too costly to implement the rest. Integrate deeply enough and betrayal won't matter.

    The only way to win is not to play the game.

    Then you leave room for terrorism to happen in the Constitutionally-mandated blind spot. The military and intelligence departments do ugly-but-necessary things that are not meant for the public to know until it is no longer a threat. Not playing the game puts the US at a disadvantage versus other nations that do so.

    The way to win is to be ahead of the others in surveillance and to do it more cleanly. Then take care of the loose ends like Snowden and his associates in ways that prevent repeat occurrences.

    We need to get away with from the authoritarian framing of the problem of our society being constantly vulnerable and change from a surveillance state

    Not going to happen, and the risk calculations in the rest of your paragraph are compatible with the current surveillance posture. The NSA has outlasted its detractors, including this generation.

  14. Complete bull without the person in question. on Canadian Spy Agency Snooped Travelers With Airport Wi-Fi · · Score: 1

    Until he's in the custody of the government and facing trial for his crimes, however certain his guilt may be, these documents mean nothing more than another charge against him. One could reasonably come up with something out of thin air, attribute it to him, blame a government agency, and people would believe it faster than they would believe the truth.

    Some people side with Snowden and the foreign countries that aid and abet him. I side with the US, and the institutions, including the necessary NSA, and the efforts to bring the wayward ex-contractor to justice.

    That said:
    Hindering the NSA does no good when it comes to finding terrorists since it provides a convenient blindspot for them to stand in. Remove the blind spot and you give no place to hide.

    (Of course, this goes against standard /. groupthink, and will be sent down the memory hole by virtue of modbombing anything that opposes the One True Snowden Opinion)

  15. Already done. on Startup Out of MIT Promises Digital Afterlife — Just Hand Over Your Data · · Score: 1

    I believe a certain person whose last name starts with B and ends with t already monopolized that. They just haven't figured out how to stop.

  16. Entitlement mentality, business edition. on Google Co-Opts Whale-Watching Boat To Ferry Employees · · Score: 1

    By your logic, Google can do no wrong and that the protesters can do no right? You're part of the problem by suggesting that a company should be entitled to wage economic warfare if they're not served hand & foot.

  17. That flamebait mod must be reflexive by now on Apple Denies Helping NSA Subvert iPhone · · Score: 1

    Given that it's happened at least 10-20 times straight, someone really, really, really can't take dissent. It'll only show that you're much like the people you think the NSA is.

    Snowden's actions being of questionable ethics won't be changed by modding me down into Bad.

  18. Then go with Lenovo's Thinkpads(or Dell Precision) on A Flood of Fawning Reviews For Apple's Latest · · Score: 1

    Not only will you get something of comparable (if not better) quality, they're actually designed to be maintained. For the Thinkpads, you finally get to have IPS again after seeing it depart for about 6 years(last model being the 4:3 T60p). For Dell, you're likely to luck out on larger displays and swappable video cards. In both cases, the machines are designed with a higher degree of maintenance friendliness (favoring the Thinkpads though) and greater part availability.

    That, and you usually can make them run OS X if you really wanted to.

  19. Apple: Posterboy for Maintenance Hostility. on Apple's New Mac Pro Gets High Repairability Score · · Score: 1

    Thunderbolt:
    It wouldn't be an issue if not for the fact that it's been largely an Apple-only one in implementation. See Firewire and USB for a

    Form factor:
    As for departing from anything resembling ATX, that underscores their disdain for any maintenance. That, and the thermal issues only make it that much more of an issue to fix versus something that was designed to be maintained.

    To those reflexively using the Not Target Market Excuse:
    Trying to brush these issues off by using the Apple standard Not Target Market excuse doesn't refute any argument. Yes, I've actually done the forbidden thing of Apple and actually repaired things and encountered it in various models. They view maintenance friendliness as a defect to fix with maintenance hostile design.

  20. Re:Sorry Apple. on Apple Denies Helping NSA Subvert iPhone · · Score: 1

    They're just Thinking Differently about security.

  21. Only if China and Russia are exposed similarly. on Apple Denies Helping NSA Subvert iPhone · · Score: 1

    When we start hearing of damning leaks of Chinese and Russian military/intelligence being exposed, then you might have a point.

    It would most certainly vindicate those who saw China walking out with Nortel IP and putting it into a government-run Huawei.

  22. Snowden allegations == questionable. on Apple Denies Helping NSA Subvert iPhone · · Score: 0

    The only valid response to Snowden allegations are to dismiss them and consider them disinformation as long as he is not in US custody. Once he is in a court based on US law (the only one that matters as opposed to the court of public opinion) then all of that can be used as evidence against him.

    (Of course, /. would rather silence any dissent with -Infinity, Disagree from the idolatry of Snowden even if truth.)

  23. Refreshing to see some honesty. on A Year With Google Glass · · Score: 1

    "People get angry at Glass. They get angry at you for wearing Glass. They talk about you openly. It inspires the most aggressive of passive aggression. ... Wearing Glass separates you. It sets you apart from everyone else. It says you not only had $1,500 to plunk down to be part of the “explorer” program, but that Google deemed you special enough to warrant inclusion (not everyone who wanted Glass got it; you had to be selected). Glass is a class divide on your face."

    It wont stop until the Rest of Us have a chance at it - and that it is just as open as the Nomenklatura Edition is.

    Once Google stops using these kind of shenanigans with their products, the better off they will be.

  24. ...for interesting definitions of "flexible" on What Would It Cost To Build a Windows Version of the Pricey New Mac Pro? · · Score: 1

    The new Mac Pro is the most powerful and flexible computer Apple has ever created

    Apparently the author hasn't had to service a Mac recently. It might be flexible in some directions, but maintenance friendliness is not one of them.

    Now if it was saner like the older Powermacs, then things might be different.

  25. Welcome back to Compuserve 2.0 on US Internet Service In 2014: Net Neutrality Challenges and High-Speed Build-Outs · · Score: 1

    Given the return of the walled-garden versions of the Internet, we might as well call it that.