I think that NSI is both sloppy and in cahoots with people, arranging special favors as they see fit. I contacted the legitimate owner of the mls.net domain and asked if I could use it, as he was not. "Sure!" was his reply, and he and I worked together to transfer the domain from him to me. NSI said we could not "transfer" the domain, and suggested sending both a delete and add for that domain in the same message, which would result in a transfer. So we did that. Somehow, in the middle, a crank named William Hicken (rhymes with the barnyard animal) acquired the domain instead. I called NSI, quite mad, and asked how their procedure, with DELETE and ADD in the same message, resulted in both the original owner of the domain and I losing it to a third party. They said "Well, it sucks to be you. Try calling Mr. Hicken," refusing to accept any responsibility for the fuckup, even after I produced the "paper trail" of email between me, the original owner, and NSI planning the transfer. Their reply was that they're officially infallible, like the pope.
So I called Mr. Hicken, who said he aquired the domain name legitimately, using standard NSI procedures, and almost immediately treatened to sue me if I tried to get the domain name back. As the company I worked for at the time had neither the time or money to waste pursiung Hicken in court, we let it drop.
All I can figure is that he has, or had, friends at NSI. I don't know any other way he noticed the few-minutes (seconds?) gap between the delete and add for that domain. It certainly would not have shown up in WHOIS (updated every 24 hours!), so he shouldn't have even known that the domain was on the move. It was an inside job!
NSI is just a poorly run company which found a way to latch onto the public teat. They would have been chewed up and spit out by the market without special government protection and status; what talent do they have? All they do is mismanage a system invented and set up by the NSF and Jon Postel, et al, way back when. And, unfortunately, ICANN is a joke and hasn't humbled NSI or improved the situation in the least.
Yeah, but I wouldn't really call drug users an organized group. It's not like they're staging "national grow some dope" days or anything.
And, yes, it is difficult to get people to take action when they're basically happy, and not willing to give up anything short-term to gain something long term. But, they're basically happy, after all...
But another problem is, they're uninformed. Even juries are usually uninformed. Typically, courts try to keep juries from knowing that they are the law, practically speaking. Juries can legally strike down laws rather than either convict or free the defendant. Most times, the judge does not include that in the instructions to the jury. Samuel Chase, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and supreme Court Justice, (1796-1804?) said: "The jury has the right to determine both the law and the facts." Look here for more info on that.
The problem is a citizenry uninterested in protecting its own freedoms reminds me of what Heinlein said about the draft: "countries which require a draft to defend themselves deserve to perish" -- or some such. I can't find the actual quote at the moment. Here's a zinger from Sam Adams, though:
"If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home and leave us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen."
If you're intersted in areading a lot of pro-liberty maxims and aphorisms, look here.
The point is, it's not okay for burglars to break into your company and steal or alter your private data, but it's somehow okay for the government to do it (now). I'd say it should also be legal, then, for non-government people and companies to break into government computers and steal or alter the data. What's good for the goose...
It is illegal to wear hot pink pants after midday
on
Dumb Laws
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· Score: 2
"It is illegal to wear hot pink pants after midday Sunday." -- now there's some good legislation!
It's because, here. we don't take government as a given. We know that we created the government to serve us. In other countries, the government was usually inherited. Way back when, we purposefully set up our government to work for us, and limited its powers to specific areas. They knew that governments were, inherently, untrustworthy. Power corrupts, etc. Our government was a reaction against traditional governments, where rights are grantedto citizens at the government's discretion. Those governments set themselves abobe the people. Ours is of the people, but stays that way only due to vigilance on the part of the governed. We've been remiss recently -- especially since World War I.
That it's grown outside its bounds is laregely our fault for letting our employee -- the government -- develop a bad attitude. It doesn't have to stay that way.
Maybe someday there will be another Declaration of Independance. Perhaps even a Revloutionary war where people who still want live free from oppression and fear might fight for their beliefs.
You know what? We don't need another Declaration or revolution. We just need to start defending our rights as citizens. The government only gets away with what we let it get away with. "No" is the most powerful word in the English language. And we, as U.S. Citizens, are entitled to tell our government(s) "no" any old time we want. If enough americans decided to not pay federal income taxes one year, it would all be over for the IRS. They can hassle a small number of dissidents, but not a large number. Especially not a large number exercising their 2nd amemdment rights.
Our rights are taken away only when we allow them to be. Learn how to say "No!" again! U.S. citizens are oppressed only to the extent that they allow themselves to be! Keep in mind that the government works for us, at our discretion. If you ran a business, and your security guards were caught rifling through your private files, you'd fire them, and probably prosecute them, right? Why is it different for the government?
I think you're confusing the difference between private citizens and a spy agency of the federal government. The government derives its power from the consent of the governed in this country, unlike others. We, as the bosses, the ultimate authority have every right to compel the NSA to pony up. Whenever the government isn't held accountable, it's the citizens who have shirked their duty. We also have every right to hide what we're doing from them. In most other countries, the government grants rights to its citizens. In this one, the citizens delegate some power to the government. It's important to remember that, and make sure it stays that way.
In short, I hope the NSA does end up being forced to deliver. If they can spy on us, why can't we "spy" on them? Who are they?
Itanium -- what the hell is that? Can I make a boat hull out of it?
Inprise -- sounds like a combo on "internet" and "surprise", which I suppose is pretty meaningful
TurboLinux -- come on. Like they'd name it "supercharger linux" or "carburator linux" or "really slow linux" or "nitrous oxide linux"
Netlojix -- corporations have ruined my scrabble game. Now all the words I know either aren't real or or spelled wrong
Equinix -- maybe some kind of equal-opportunity gelding service for horses?
SmartForce -- you know, like "military intelligence"
Metacreations -- what the hell does that mean? I suppose paint and canvas are both metacreations, in the way this company uses that "word," but they are called "paint" and "canvas," not "metaart"
For companies that don't want to track, or bother with, Linux sales, Loki seems to be invaluable. They can still sell the product to the Linux market, while not distracting themselves from their "core market." And get accurate numbers for the Linux sales. The other methods Carmack suggested using -- letting Linux users download the game binaries and the use a Windows CD, or including Linux binaries in the Windows box -- obscures the true value of the Linux market.
"Great product, but it's too easy to use. Add some needless encryption or something."
Currently, I can play CDROMs on my computer. With the data encrypted, the playback unit will have to have the key and decoder. For stereo equipment, it'll work like DVD video does, I assume. But will computer audio now be windows-only? Until it's cracked again?
Will the "completely new encoding system" raise the hackles of ITAR?
CSS2 must not have been much more secure than CSS, much egg for the faces of Intel, IBM and Toshiba.
A family of four lost their Aibo last night when, tragically, a loose robot snake ate it. Robot snakes typically need to eat only one Aibo a month to survive, and, once satiated, return to their nests.
Damn! I've been throwing those away for years
on
A 140GB CD-ROM?
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· Score: 2
I get one of those disks with every 50-CD spindle! And here I've been thinking that it wasn't actually a CD at all, but some kind of protective covering. Silly me!
Under the leadership of an executive-level council Acxiom administers a set of Fair Information Practices which include:
Recognizing that consumers have the right to control the dissemination of information about themselves and providing an opt-out choice.
Providing individual information products only to qualified businesses and professionals for legitimate business purposes.
Actively supporting self-regulation and legislation through trade associations focused on consumer privacy including the Online Privacy Alliance, the Direct Marketing Association, the Internet Alliance, and the Individual Reference Services Group.
They started as "Demographics" in 1969 and worked for the direct-mail industry. Then they became "Conway Communications Exchange." Then "CCX Network." They bought "Southwark Computer Services" of the UK. In 1988, they became "Acxiom Corporation." In 1998, Wired magazine selected Acxiom as one of the 40 companies for the Wired Index of companies "for a networked world." [2] They bought the "National List Protection System:"
One of the U.S. market leaders in the mailing list surveillance industry, NLPS provides list surveillance and monitoring services to business-to-business and consumer list owners and mailers. The combination of Acxiom's data and sales and marketing capabilities with NLPS' monitoring services will provide significant new advantages for Acxiom's customers. For over 25 years mailers have relied on NLPS for quality and accurate monitoring.
And they own Direct Media, Inc. They're a real octopus.
Q: Can consumers choose to be removed from your databases?
A: Acxiom will be happy to remove an individual consumer's name from our marketing products if the individual does not wish to receive unsolicited marketing through the mail, from telemarketing or via e-mail. Consumers may request an Opt-Out Form by either leaving a message on our Privacy Hotline at 501-342-2722 or sending an e-mail to us at optout@acxiom.com.
Acxiom does not offer consumers the choice of removing their name from our reference databases, but does offer access to the non-public data in these files. These databases are only available to qualified businesses for lawful and ethical purposes. Acxiom will be happy to provide an individual with a copy of the non-public information we maintain in these databases for a fee of $5.00. Consumers may make a request for this information by either leaving a message on our Consumer Advocate Hotline at 501-342-2722 or sending an e-mail to us at consumerreport@acxiom.com.
Q: Does Acxiom honor suppression or Opt-Out lists from other sources? A: Acxiom uses the Direct Marketing Association's (DMA) Mail Preference and Telephone Preference suppression files in the development of these databases. Acxiom also uses the State Attorneys General's Telemarketing Suppression Files and our internally built and maintained Opt-Out base.
Re:Future without any privacy a good thing
on
Profiling A Nation
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· Score: 4
In David Brin's book "Earth," there was a very interesting idea: no privacy (also known as the transparent society). When faced with the steady erosion of their privacy, the citizens started becoming snoops themselves. An enabling technology called "Tru-Vu" was invented -- essentially, very small, portable wireless cameras with remote recording. Everyone wore them. Nothing was a secret anymore. And the coporations and governments of the world were *scared* -- they *had* to come clean and stay clean!
Photobit, a Pasadena, California company that designs and fabricates a wide variety of CMOS sensors, has developed a working prototype of one. Glued directly onto a 1- by 2-inch CMOS-wafer--small enough to fit into a wallet billfold--is a tiny BB-size fixed focus lens. On the same chip is a frame buffer, an analog-to-digital converter, and a variety of standard digital camera features and controls such as auto-focus, auto-exposure control, shutter, and white balance. The chip also has an interface on its edge for connecting to a parallel cable and port. The most significant detail of this camera-on-a-chip is its ample space for additional functions. Look for manufacturers to add lots of extras, such as image memory, image stabilization, motion tracking for surveillance, videoconferencing, a battery, and even a wireless modem for remote control and access. The camera can be miniaturized, and its cost reduced to a few dollars. When this happens, get ready for an explosion of image monitors and capture devices.
One role promoted for MEMS in a 1995 report by the Pentagon's Advanced Research Projects Agency is as "surveillance dust": several thousand microminiaturized camera/infrared-detector/microphone packages dropped via individual parachutes over a battlefield. This "dust" would float like dandelion fuzz for several hours and track a potential enemy's every move. The civilian applications of this technology need scarcely be mentioned
"The only thing accomplished by privacy laws is to make the bugs smaller." --Heinlein, in Stranger in a Strange Land
Future without any privacy a good thing
on
Profiling A Nation
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· Score: 5
Now that governments and companies -- notably ones in Australia -- have the technology and the will to snoop on everyone and compile huge databases of detail on private citizens, stop to think who is left out of this snoop-fest. Companies and governments. Why are they special? Why are they not routinely snooped on by private citizens, and each other, with all details reported to the public at large, out our use? They collect info on us for their use. Turn it around!
We cannot put the genie back in the bottle; we cannot reverse technological and social trends and restore privacy to all citizens everywhere. But we can deny privacy to the snoops! Who will watch the watchers? We can. We will, to quote AT&T. The only rational response to steady erosion of privacy is no privacy at all, and be gung-ho about it! Lobby for laws requiring full disclosure of all government and business documents! Outlaw NDAs! Get the credit reports for corporations, public and "private." Subject corporations to the death penalty (i.e., revoke their corporate status if they commit felonies).
(Ironically, the Samba team claims Samba on Windows NT is even faster than the native Server Message Block (SMB) services in Windows NT.)
... has anyone seen Samba running on NT? If so, where can I find some info on it? I checked the Samba pages. Being able to multi-host an NT server would be VERY useful. For instance, to serve file space to multiple NT webservers (including FrontRage extensions, which require WORKING ACLs) without buying a gazillion-user license for NT.
Description
DeCSS is a freeware multimedia utility developed by MoRE (Masters of Reverse Engineering) that can copy DVD video files and save them to your PC as VOB files. Once the files are saved, you can then open and play these video files directly from your hard disk.
Note: DVD video files are extremely large and will likely require between 5 and 10 gigabytes of hard disk space.
I haven't unzipped the file yet to see if it actually contains decss, or a subpoena, but cool! They list 3,187 downloads as of now.
... that makes up for Checkpoint's incorrect and incomplete, and sometimes non-existant, documentation: Checkpoint Quick Reference, provided by some guy named "joe".
This is a question I, personally, would love to have answered. We use Checkpoint FW/1 on Solaris where I work. It's a bit of a pain to get into the office network from outside (say, via my dialup account from Mindspring) when using Linux. The SecuRemote clients exist only for Windows. If Free S/WAN will let me use my home dialup router/firewall (Linux) machine as a VPN client, yay.
I hunted through the mail-list archive and found the following:
Some answers to the above questions. Like, FreeSwan no longer supports plain DES; you have to use 3DES. And, "Manual-key setup has to be done on *both* ends"
Looking other places (Google, Yahoo, etc), I found this:
Here is a list of Checkpoint partners and things that work with a Checkpoint firewall. Not comprehensive.
OPSEC ("Open Platform for Security")site. Stuff that works with Firewall-1 and other OPSEC-compliant firewalls. I don't know if there are any besides FW-1.
Leafing through the links provided on the starchild site, I came across this:
"It was from that planet [Nibiru], the Sumerian texts repeatedly and persistently stated, that the Anunnaki came to Earth. The term literally means 'Those Who from Heaven to Earth Came.' They are spoken of in the Bible as the
Anakim, and in Chapter 6 of Genesis are also call Nefilim, which in Hebrew means the same thing: Those Who Have Come Down, from the Heavens to Earth." - Zecharia Sitchin, Genesis Revisited
Anakim. Anakin. Hmmmm. I wonder if Lucas got the name for Mr. Skywalker from this stuff. That whole death-star thing. "The Force."
Heh.
No public funding for the arts
on
Focus Group Art
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· Score: 1
...when they can be done at REASONABLE cost. Below certain point, you must concede, that the minority should give way to the majority. Particularly when we have 10k minute minorites all fighting for funding...
Why, exactly, is it okay for the government (or the majority) to hold a gun to my head and make me pay for the arts? Why should I pay for stuff I don't want and don't like? Some 'civic duty?' It's not a 'civic duty' or a 'public good' to for people to pay for SUVs, is it? Or pizza. Or heroin. Is it? Then why some particular artists and writers?
p.s. this stuff was FUNNY! "Funny" -- you know, makes you laugh. Like "50% of all people are stupider than the average person" and "half of all households have a sub-median income".
Re:The so called "Tyranny of the majority"
on
Focus Group Art
·
· Score: 1
A democracy is a dictatorship with everyone's boot on your neck, instead of just one.
Slashdot Mirror
I think that NSI is both sloppy and in cahoots with people, arranging special favors as they see fit. I contacted the legitimate owner of the mls.net domain and asked if I could use it, as he was not. "Sure!" was his reply, and he and I worked together to transfer the domain from him to me. NSI said we could not "transfer" the domain, and suggested sending both a delete and add for that domain in the same message, which would result in a transfer. So we did that. Somehow, in the middle, a crank named William Hicken (rhymes with the barnyard animal) acquired the domain instead. I called NSI, quite mad, and asked how their procedure, with DELETE and ADD in the same message, resulted in both the original owner of the domain and I losing it to a third party. They said "Well, it sucks to be you. Try calling Mr. Hicken," refusing to accept any responsibility for the fuckup, even after I produced the "paper trail" of email between me, the original owner, and NSI planning the transfer. Their reply was that they're officially infallible, like the pope.
So I called Mr. Hicken, who said he aquired the domain name legitimately, using standard NSI procedures, and almost immediately treatened to sue me if I tried to get the domain name back. As the company I worked for at the time had neither the time or money to waste pursiung Hicken in court, we let it drop.
All I can figure is that he has, or had, friends at NSI. I don't know any other way he noticed the few-minutes (seconds?) gap between the delete and add for that domain. It certainly would not have shown up in WHOIS (updated every 24 hours!), so he shouldn't have even known that the domain was on the move. It was an inside job!
NSI is just a poorly run company which found a way to latch onto the public teat. They would have been chewed up and spit out by the market without special government protection and status; what talent do they have? All they do is mismanage a system invented and set up by the NSF and Jon Postel, et al, way back when. And, unfortunately, ICANN is a joke and hasn't humbled NSI or improved the situation in the least.
Heh. What's a "freem" anyway? Netware, software, hardware, wetware, vaporware, trialware, shareware, freeware, and now this mysterious "freemware."
Tell me -- it is made with real freems?
Yeah, but I wouldn't really call drug users an organized group. It's not like they're staging "national grow some dope" days or anything.
And, yes, it is difficult to get people to take action when they're basically happy, and not willing to give up anything short-term to gain something long term. But, they're basically happy, after all...
But another problem is, they're uninformed. Even juries are usually uninformed. Typically, courts try to keep juries from knowing that they are the law, practically speaking. Juries can legally strike down laws rather than either convict or free the defendant. Most times, the judge does not include that in the instructions to the jury. Samuel Chase, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and supreme Court Justice, (1796-1804?) said: "The jury has the right to determine both the law and the facts." Look here for more info on that.
The problem is a citizenry uninterested in protecting its own freedoms reminds me of what Heinlein said about the draft: "countries which require a draft to defend themselves deserve to perish" -- or some such. I can't find the actual quote at the moment. Here's a zinger from Sam Adams, though:
"If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home and leave us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen."
If you're intersted in areading a lot of pro-liberty maxims and aphorisms, look here.
The point is, it's not okay for burglars to break into your company and steal or alter your private data, but it's somehow okay for the government to do it (now). I'd say it should also be legal, then, for non-government people and companies to break into government computers and steal or alter the data. What's good for the goose...
"It is illegal to wear hot pink pants after midday Sunday." -- now there's some good legislation!
http://www.dumblaws.com/aust.shtml
It's because, here. we don't take government as a given. We know that we created the government to serve us. In other countries, the government was usually inherited. Way back when, we purposefully set up our government to work for us, and limited its powers to specific areas. They knew that governments were, inherently, untrustworthy. Power corrupts, etc. Our government was a reaction against traditional governments, where rights are grantedto citizens at the government's discretion. Those governments set themselves abobe the people. Ours is of the people, but stays that way only due to vigilance on the part of the governed. We've been remiss recently -- especially since World War I.
That it's grown outside its bounds is laregely our fault for letting our employee -- the government -- develop a bad attitude. It doesn't have to stay that way.
Maybe someday there will be another Declaration of Independance. Perhaps even a Revloutionary war where people who still want live free from oppression and fear might fight for their beliefs.
You know what? We don't need another Declaration or revolution. We just need to start defending our rights as citizens. The government only gets away with what we let it get away with. "No" is the most powerful word in the English language. And we, as U.S. Citizens, are entitled to tell our government(s) "no" any old time we want. If enough americans decided to not pay federal income taxes one year, it would all be over for the IRS. They can hassle a small number of dissidents, but not a large number. Especially not a large number exercising their 2nd amemdment rights.
Our rights are taken away only when we allow them to be. Learn how to say "No!" again! U.S. citizens are oppressed only to the extent that they allow themselves to be! Keep in mind that the government works for us, at our discretion. If you ran a business, and your security guards were caught rifling through your private files, you'd fire them, and probably prosecute them, right? Why is it different for the government?
I think you're confusing the difference between private citizens and a spy agency of the federal government. The government derives its power from the consent of the governed in this country, unlike others. We, as the bosses, the ultimate authority have every right to compel the NSA to pony up. Whenever the government isn't held accountable, it's the citizens who have shirked their duty. We also have every right to hide what we're doing from them. In most other countries, the government grants rights to its citizens. In this one, the citizens delegate some power to the government. It's important to remember that, and make sure it stays that way.
In short, I hope the NSA does end up being forced to deliver. If they can spy on us, why can't we "spy" on them? Who are they?
Here I was thinking "Andover, Michigan" ... but I like your explanation better!
"Made money and over fist, they did, in that IPO!"
"Itanium"
"Inprise"
"TurboLinux"
"Netlojix"
"Equinix"
"SmartForce"
"Metacreations"
"Metalink"
Itanium -- what the hell is that? Can I make a boat hull out of it?
Inprise -- sounds like a combo on "internet" and "surprise", which I suppose is pretty meaningful
TurboLinux -- come on. Like they'd name it "supercharger linux" or "carburator linux" or "really slow linux" or "nitrous oxide linux"
Netlojix -- corporations have ruined my scrabble game. Now all the words I know either aren't real or or spelled wrong
Equinix -- maybe some kind of equal-opportunity gelding service for horses?
SmartForce -- you know, like "military intelligence"
Metacreations -- what the hell does that mean? I suppose paint and canvas are both metacreations, in the way this company uses that "word," but they are called "paint" and "canvas," not "metaart"
Metalink -- sheesh.
For companies that don't want to track, or bother with, Linux sales, Loki seems to be invaluable. They can still sell the product to the Linux market, while not distracting themselves from their "core market." And get accurate numbers for the Linux sales. The other methods Carmack suggested using -- letting Linux users download the game binaries and the use a Windows CD, or including Linux binaries in the Windows box -- obscures the true value of the Linux market.
Yay, ID! Yay, Loki!
"Great product, but it's too easy to use. Add some needless encryption or something."
Currently, I can play CDROMs on my computer. With the data encrypted, the playback unit will have to have the key and decoder. For stereo equipment, it'll work like DVD video does, I assume. But will computer audio now be windows-only? Until it's cracked again?
Will the "completely new encoding system" raise the hackles of ITAR?
CSS2 must not have been much more secure than CSS, much egg for the faces of Intel, IBM and Toshiba.
Next from Sony: a robot mongoose
"When robot snakes attack," tonight on FOX!
A family of four lost their Aibo last night when, tragically, a loose robot snake ate it. Robot snakes typically need to eat only one Aibo a month to survive, and, once satiated, return to their nests.
I get one of those disks with every 50-CD spindle! And here I've been thinking that it wasn't actually a CD at all, but some kind of protective covering. Silly me!
Find out Where Acxiom gets its Data, and how to opt out (or try, anyway -- good luck):
Say hello to Tru-Vu: The Transparent Society Article mentioned Microelectromechanical Systems:
"The only thing accomplished by privacy laws is to make the bugs smaller." --Heinlein, in Stranger in a Strange Land
Now that governments and companies -- notably ones in Australia -- have the technology and the will to snoop on everyone and compile huge databases of detail on private citizens, stop to think who is left out of this snoop-fest. Companies and governments. Why are they special? Why are they not routinely snooped on by private citizens, and each other, with all details reported to the public at large, out our use? They collect info on us for their use. Turn it around!
We cannot put the genie back in the bottle; we cannot reverse technological and social trends and restore privacy to all citizens everywhere. But we can deny privacy to the snoops! Who will watch the watchers? We can. We will, to quote AT&T. The only rational response to steady erosion of privacy is no privacy at all, and be gung-ho about it! Lobby for laws requiring full disclosure of all government and business documents! Outlaw NDAs! Get the credit reports for corporations, public and "private." Subject corporations to the death penalty (i.e., revoke their corporate status if they commit felonies).
A single standard!
... that makes up for Checkpoint's incorrect and incomplete, and sometimes non-existant, documentation: Checkpoint Quick Reference, provided by some guy named "joe".
I hunted through the mail-list archive and found the following:
- The Question. More or less content-free.
- Some info, some questions.
- Some answers to the above questions. Like, FreeSwan no longer supports plain DES; you have to use 3DES. And, "Manual-key setup has to be done on *both* ends"
- This guy is willing to pay for help.
- Assload of debugging data, from Interop setup.
Looking other places (Google, Yahoo, etc), I found this:Heh.
p.s. this stuff was FUNNY! "Funny" -- you know, makes you laugh. Like "50% of all people are stupider than the average person" and "half of all households have a sub-median income".
A democracy is a dictatorship with everyone's boot on your neck, instead of just one.