There are few realistic scenarios where firearms would be a deterrant against abuse, especially since we've had a history of relative peace.
You need to look at other countries to see where armed resistance from citizens could have been relevant. During WWII, common firearms made their way into various armed resistance groups, such as the French Resistance and the few cases of resistance in Germany by Jews.
You could think of the prevelance of death squads in Latin America that would show up to "disappear" people. An armed citizenry would certainly make that difficult, especially if a military was poorly trained or stretched thin due to war.
No, it's not appropriate to kill police or government officials due to dissatisfaction. But there are various scenarios within this world where an armed citizenry made a difference. Those scenarios could happen here, especially considering the current state of affairs: rounding up Arabs under false pretenses and deporting them, harassing those who speak out against possible war, the alarming infringement of civil liberties by a purchased congress, a president intent on monitoring his citizens, race relations that have increasingly been strained due to documented police corruption and government racism.
Quoting Waco or Ruby Ridge is certainly relevant, since I believe the government fears this scenario of armed resistance. It's true that these people and any armed groups that may someday form would be classified as terrorism and hunted down mercilessly.
It's inconceivable how this could end up in armed struggle by citizens. We have to look at other extreme examples to get even the slightest clue: Nazi Germany, various communist revolutions, death squads, Eastern Europe concentration camps, African genocide, etc.
If the trillions of dollars worth of military personnel, nukes, missiles, air craft, naval armadas, subs, and satellites aren't enough to keep out "the enemy", what makes you think some guy with an assault rifle is going to make a damned bit of difference?
The article in question reads: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
I've always considered "the enemy" that threatens the "security of a free state" to be internal, as opposed to crime. As to what compromises militia, the courts have ruled:
The significance of the militia, the Court continued, was that it was composed of ''civilians primarily, soldiers on occasion.'' It was upon this force that the States could rely for defense and securing of the laws, on a force that ''comprised all males physically capable of acting in concert for the common defense,'' who, ''when called for service . . . were expected to appear bearing arms supplied by themselves and of the kind in common use at the time.''6 Therefore, ''[i]n the absence of any evidence tending to show that possession or use of a 'shotgun having a barrel of less than 18 inches in length' at this time has some reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a well- regulated militia, we cannot say that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear such an instrument. Certainly it is not within judicial notice that this weapon is any part of the ordinary military equipment or that its use could contribute to the common defense.''
So call me nutty, but the constitution protects my right to own a weapon, for militaristic use, to defend the country against enemies, domestic or foreign, that threaten the freedom of the country. It's a democratic failsafe against government.
Not all WAP's are created equal. For example, my home unit (D-LINK) won't allow me to implement wireless best practices, such as:
* Allowing me to specify MAC addresses. This would be ideal, since I only use two wireless clients on my network and it never changes. No clients with non-specific MAC addresses would gain access.
* Allowing me to successfully turn off "beaconing." Beaconing broadcasts the network info, which isn't necessary if the clients already know what it is. However, turning it off means I regularly lose connection, even when the PC is 30 feet away.
* Strong WEP encryption. Encryption is difficult to implement. For example, if I want a 128-bit ASCII or HEX key, I need to MANUALLY type this key into each workstation. It makes tweaking the units difficult. The "passphrase" option exists on the client software but not the WAP software. High levels of encryption are slow and result in connection loss. 64 bit works very well, 128 bit so-so.
*Allow me to run Linux. The Linux driver for the wireless card won't be available until next year.
The cheezy implementation of the standard and the highly variable implementation of various options makes these things unsecure.
I've been in IT for about 10 years since getting my MA in Buddhist Studies. I went into it because it paid well and was interesting. It supported my more meaningful projects and was fun, at least when it involved helping people as opposed to the design and management stuff I do now. Since starting, I've had 8 jobs, been laid off twice, have acquired several industry certifications, and have ALWAYS understood that my value to a company is based on my skills alone.
Those who have not learned this truth lament that their field of endeavor isn't static and that salaries aren't continuing at the previous pace. They despair after a layoff. It's all about making yourself useful and those who don't continue along this path will end up economic roadkill. It's the cruelty of the skills based system and not everyone has the temperament for it.
Those of us in sub-par IT positions now wait for the disenchanted to find their "true calling" so that we can move on with our careers without the overpopulation in the IT job market. I hope that future massage therapist, nurses, CHP officers and roofers (all examples I personally know of) find a more satisfying career. And I wonder if I'll someday join them.
Cisco Aironet Wireless 802.11b: $140
Windows XP Professional OEM Upgrade: $60. As a laptop user, I don't have the option to buy a cdmputer without a OEM OS.
Windows XP Professional Upgrade (from any Windows OS): $149.
"Adduser" doesn't configure SAMBA, Add Linux-based printers to the workstation, etc.
Are suggestions on how to "opt-out" of the information amalgamation. You would of course, be suspect, but how do I:
* Send secure email without having to convince everyone else to install PGP or a similar client? A killer OSS mail client/PIM with built in encryption is in order (Mitch Kapor?). Maybe the solution involves an offshore ISP? Data haven?
* Sign up for an offshore credit card account that doesn't assume you're a criminal or tax evader by charging you hefty fees. There's gotta be a data haven offering cheap accounts. It's not illegal.
Anonymize my phone charges. Sounds like a useful startup. Program your phone to dial a centralized number before forwarding to your party. Maybe it involves disposable cell phones?
Use digital cash for purchases. How do I create a PayPal like account that issues a valid credit card number?
This could actually be a fun hobby. Plus, the more people that do it, the less you're opting out makes you look guilty.
As an IT professional, I'm learning Linux to increase my breadth of knowledge and my job possibilities.
However, I can't recommed Linux as a solution to a small to medium sized company or to individuals, except in very limited circumstances.
DESKTOP: For desktop use, it lacks support for hardware and software and I certainly am not going to support my less technical friends and clients over the phone when they need to update their kernel or install true type fonts. Also, when it comes to software, if an application exists, it probably exists for Windows. You can't say that about Linux, which requires emulators and the like. Fine for me, but not for my mother. As for hardware, I personally would like to upgrade my laptop, but there's no driver for my wireless network card. A commercial operating system is cheaper than a new card....
SERVERS: For server use, I can't recommend it for small companies, since there would be no local expert able to add a user or other simple task without my intervention. Your average joe can pick up a Windows book and do regular maintenance or add printers, etc. That can't be said for Linux.
Things that have nothing to do with it:
1. COST. Only in large companies does the TCO issues begin to play, and then, it's still not clear. As for the desktop, most computers come OEM with Windows (the cost being hidden) and users either already own Windows applications or expect to buy them with the new computer.
2. RELIGION/POLITICS. Most people don't hate Microsoft -- they're ambivalent. It's like the number of people who boycotted Exxon after the Valdez disaster in Alaska. Most aren't going to put up much fight, especially when it involves an inconvenience. Driving across town to a gas station is MUCH easier than learning the command line or a new GUI. They're unlikely to do either.
3. RELIABILITY. Windows XP on the desktop is reliable. Period. If yours is crashing regularly, you've done something wrong or installed some 3rd party application incorrectly. I get the impression from reading here and my Linux certification materials that most Linux users are mostly familiar with the godawful Windows 9.x operating systems. Things have changed in the last few years (Windows 2000 and XP).
4. SECURITY. Windows XP/2000 is known to have security issues. I recommend installing a personal firewall and not using IE (I like Opera). This solves most security problems. Most people don't really care about these issues and will spend the $30 to add software to fix the problems. The Linux way seems to be security through obscurity. If there were a dominant Linux mail client, like Ximian, then there would be viruses written to attack it. Outlook is a big target.
1. Pushing legislation that lets them HACK your computer because of alleged copyright violation.
2. Grossly inflating their statistics and numbers to boost their reputation. Got a 5x CD burner? It's 5 CD burners according to the RIAA. The mainstream press (i.e., CNN) doesn't know the difference and reports the bogus numbers. They also inflate their losses, neglecting to tell us they cut their production during the same period.
3. Supporting digitally "protected" CD's that aren't guaranteed to work on your CD player with no recourse if you were stuck with unusable disks.
4. Driving scientists and researchers out of the US, due to their threatening to sue researchers who wish to expose security vulnerabilities in copy protection (Felten vs. RIAA).
5. Harassing manufacturers that make digital recordings more portable, like in the Diamond Rio(RIAA v. Diamond).
6. Harassing ISP's like AT&T and Optimum Online (successfully) for allowing P2P networks to exist.
These types of safeguards are not new and were initially designed for peace officers. One proposed device required that the officer wear a special ring that magnetically enabled the firearm. These devices had all the nightmare scenarios of pistols unable to fire, which is why they went nowhere. This was in the eighties.
Officers losing control of their pistol is a very big concern, as it happens often, usually resulting in the death of the officer. There's an entire school of pistol training designed around retention and quick firing from the moment the pistol clears the holster.
As a side note, you can download the Lotus Notes 6 client for a 90 day evaluation (http://www.ibm.com/notes will redirect you). It's less than $100 if you wish to buy it and it's not Microsoft. It's full featured, with calendar and contact management. It works with POP3 and IMAP.
I personally don't care for it, but it's not Microsoft, if that's what you're after. I've found it fully functional, but without some of the features I expect: available SPAM filtering, available virus scanning integration, and I'm not sure if there's a PalmPilot conduit available.
Let's not forget the obvious problems with Linux on the desktop, the reason my Thinkpad isn't reformatted with Linux and remains with XP:
1. HARDWARE SUPPORT. It's thought the first quarter of 03 there will be support for my D-LINK wireless network card (vaporware, prehaps?).
2. APPLICATION SUPPORT. It's a Windows world, and all the emulators on the planet, Outlook clones, and copycat OSS projects aren't going to get me the full functionality in software that I get with Windows.
Honestly though, when that NIC driver comes out, Red Hat will rule my desktop.
I understand their need to make money, but they should tweak their business model to make membership more valuable. Here's the letter they sent me today, which entices me to buy a membership in the Mandrake Club.
Flash: MandrakeSoft's Future
Many of you have followed the evolution of MandrakeSoft throughout the past few years. Everyone who is concerned with the company's future is encouraged to read and distribute the following message.
Despite the many financial challenges of maintaining a fully open source business model, MandrakeSoft has always followed the Free Software approach, but in this normally joyful holiday season we are experiencing a serious short-term cash crisis.
In order to reach the next release, MandrakeSoft currently needs to raise cash and quickly complete an Increase of Capital. Please take a moment to read this important message at the Mandrake Linux website:
http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en/future.php3
We know you may have read our previous appeals, but if you are truly concerned about MandrakeSoft's future, now is the time to mobilize and help spread the word.
With the holidays upon us, a great way to spread some "Linux cheer" is by offering the gift of a MandrakeClub membership. The Club is a great way to support MandrakeSoft, and to help others too.
Was replaced a few minutes ago by a more friendly red pyramid logo: http://www.darpa.mil/iao/images/TIALogo_black_tran sparentSm.gif
After hearing Prof. David Cole from Georgetown Law talk about the TIA program yesterday on NPR (available at npr.org, search for TIA), I'm beginning to wonder if the whole thing is a lightning rod, or litmus test for the publics tolerance of civil liberty erosion.
Think about it: Let's put a guy convicted of lying to congress and overstepping his authority in charge of a military program to gather information about every US citizen. We'll announce it publicly and we'll set up a web site with a creepy (best description for it) logo with the "all seeing eye" that will immediately attract the attention of conspiracy theorists. While the public screams about the mind bogglingly sinister program, the REAL stuff will be going on, which is way more subtle than a $250 million boondoggle sci-fi technology program. The whole scam might be a project from that new government office of misinformation (that still appears to exist, despite the public outcry).
Man, I'm spending too much time on this stuff. Back to the EFF web site.
I'm working on a two-factor authentication project right now (passwords and smart cards).
It's great to discuss the various merits of authentication methods, but remember that it comes down to business objectives and due dilligence.
The average company is expected to have passwords, with a decent length and complexity requirement and possibly password expiration. If they don't have this basic level of security, they'll fail their financial audits and won't have a leg to stand on if they need to defend themselves in court or explain themselves to their board of directors.
At the next state, you want to increase security with that something you have -- smart cards, tokens, SecurID, digital certificates, whatever, but it's based on business requirements. For example, HIPAA requirements for insurance companies and hospitals requires (or will require) a higher level of security. Two factor authentication is essential to avoid the most obvious ways of cracking systems.
Biometrics, which involves three factors of authentication, is overkill in just about all but the most secure applications. James Bond type stuff, defense related, law enforcement, etc., require this most secure and most technologically problematic application. Nobody else will touch it because it's not a business need and it's pricey and difficult to implement.
I just wanted to put this in context for anyone considering securing their system, since this obvious fact escapes so many.
I hope it's better than the encryption chip built into my new Thinkpad -- which only works in Windows 9.x, which is not only a joke when it comes to security but isn't even available from IBM (Windows XP Home and Pro only). Follow through seems to be lacking in general when it comes to encryption and security.
Not cruel at all. When I was an IT manager last year, I had one of my IT staff die while I was on vacation. I called in from Europe to make sure everyone was alright and once I established they were ok, I instructed the admin to immediately disable the dead guys account and archive his files. It's just good security, especially when the entire company learns of the tragic death of a guy with admin priveleges (unlike the slow rumors that follow someone quitting).
Tolkien as racist: Talk about a tale of multi-racial harmony. We've got two humans, a dwarf, an elf, and three hobbits. The story focuses on the non-humans primarily and the failings of the humans when they're even considered. Two of three story threads in The Two Towers deals with the hobbits. Or maybe he sees them as little white people?
100% Good/Evil: This is clearly not the case. Boromir, for example, exhibits a good character who falls to evil because of weakness. He is not condemned for his weakness and his memory as someone who believed in good is upheld. Aragorn is haunted by his legacy of failure. Gollum constantly battles between his corrupted nature and his desire for redemption. There are plenty of "neutral" types in the LOTR that are either enlisted for their best interest (Ents) or who simply help with what they can and send the party on their way (Tom Bombadil - not in the movie). Good and evil have a place in the fantasy and real world.
Aristocracy vs. the common man: The hero of this tale is not a king or prince, he is an inconsequential little man, with human failings, who rises to the occasion. Luke Skywalker is a pre-destined son of aristocracy. Frodo Baggins is a curious hobbit from the outskirts of the realm - a nobody.
Enlightenment vs. Romanticism: Is Tolkien anti-technology and development, harking back to times when people respected their betters? Hardly. Every kingdom and leader in LOTR is compromised and fallen in some way. The dwarven kingdom, shown in Moria, is gone and corrupted. The elves are on the decline and are leaving Middle-Earth. The humans have joined the wrong side, are unduly influenced by evil, or are simply uninterested in solving the worlds problems. This is not a story that romanticizes royalty and the upper class and puts down technology, it's simply a story of how someone regular folks can perservere and overcome great evil.
The problem with cash and other less visible transactions is that your profile would stick out and you would be suspect.
Terrorists understand this and would likely tend to electronically blend in. Buy your standard groceries with your supermarket card, pay for gas at regular intervals, etc., all in an attempt to create a normative profile. Save cash and other less visible transactions for the sketchy stuff (large amounts of chemicals, ammunition and firearms, etc.).
This of course leads to the outlawing of cash and thus makes the cash-only people even more suspect. When cash is outlawed, only outlaws will use cash.
After searching online for about an hour after reading your post, I discovered a couple things:
1. Legitimate offshore credit card accounts are all secured. You put your money down, usually 1.5 times your credit limit, pay a processing fee of hundreds of dollars, suffer a brutal interest rate and fee structure and generally wait many months for your secured deposit to return to you upon closing the account.
2. There are many unsecured (no deposit necessary) credit card offers, but they're illegitmate, fraudulant, multi-level marketing scams, etc. International banks will not issue an unsecured card to non-citizens of their country.
3. Internet only credit card accounts are an option. They've got fees, high rates, etc., but offer anonymity. kind of a more accepted PayPal.
For the sake of privacy, it seems quite difficult to obtain an offshore credit card without spending a lot of money, making such options attractive only to the paranoid, rich or criminals. Thus, like gun control, where most crimes are committed with stolen guns, most terrorists would likely pay the fees and go with offshore accounts if there was government tracking.
My understanding is that BSD is fairly popular in some Japanese companies right now. A college friend of mine was the guy who translated the FreeBSD docs into Japanese. Linux might be a bit too political, but BSD OS's seem to take the conservative, stable approach.
--gary
That something special, The Force, is what places Star Wars in the fantasy genre, roughly defined has having an unexplainable, tappable power in the universe. Magic, The Force, etc.
Fantasy usually has a "chosen" element to it, since not all people can actualize that special power. This doesn't necessarily make it religious, although those who believe fantasy has religious content (fundamentalist Christians for example), tend to take fantasy as religion or a threat to their beliefs. This is why they like to burn Harry Potter books and rail against Dungeons and Dragons. It's probably also why New Zealanders pissed so many people off when they put down "Jedi" as their religion.
Star Trek absolutely denies that fantasy element, telling us that there are no miracles or magic, only undiscovered laws of science. It would be a bleak universe if they hadn't solved every social problem and social ill through their messiah, science. Lots of Star Trek plots present us fantasy as a challenge to be solved with science. The devil is really an alien with transporter powers, etc.
So I invent something. You create a product that says it will work with my new invention. Your product doesn't. So it's my fault? Total nonsense.
About as nonsensical as the score you got for your post by the MS hating, elitist moderators.
--gary
Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical devotion to Linux.... Our *four*...no... *Amongst* our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, surprise....
I use Zone Alarm in addition to a "real" firewall, since ZA provides application protection, such as attempts of rogue apps on my PC to contact the outside world. A real firewall would just allow MS or whatever to get out.
Zone Alarm is the only program that does application protection properly.
--gary
Slashdot Mirror
You need to look at other countries to see where armed resistance from citizens could have been relevant. During WWII, common firearms made their way into various armed resistance groups, such as the French Resistance and the few cases of resistance in Germany by Jews.
You could think of the prevelance of death squads in Latin America that would show up to "disappear" people. An armed citizenry would certainly make that difficult, especially if a military was poorly trained or stretched thin due to war.
No, it's not appropriate to kill police or government officials due to dissatisfaction. But there are various scenarios within this world where an armed citizenry made a difference. Those scenarios could happen here, especially considering the current state of affairs: rounding up Arabs under false pretenses and deporting them, harassing those who speak out against possible war, the alarming infringement of civil liberties by a purchased congress, a president intent on monitoring his citizens, race relations that have increasingly been strained due to documented police corruption and government racism.
Quoting Waco or Ruby Ridge is certainly relevant, since I believe the government fears this scenario of armed resistance. It's true that these people and any armed groups that may someday form would be classified as terrorism and hunted down mercilessly.
It's inconceivable how this could end up in armed struggle by citizens. We have to look at other extreme examples to get even the slightest clue: Nazi Germany, various communist revolutions, death squads, Eastern Europe concentration camps, African genocide, etc.
The article in question reads: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
I've always considered "the enemy" that threatens the "security of a free state" to be internal, as opposed to crime. As to what compromises militia, the courts have ruled:
The significance of the militia, the Court continued, was that it was composed of ''civilians primarily, soldiers on occasion.'' It was upon this force that the States could rely for defense and securing of the laws, on a force that ''comprised all males physically capable of acting in concert for the common defense,'' who, ''when called for service . . . were expected to appear bearing arms supplied by themselves and of the kind in common use at the time.''6 Therefore, ''[i]n the absence of any evidence tending to show that possession or use of a 'shotgun having a barrel of less than 18 inches in length' at this time has some reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a well- regulated militia, we cannot say that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear such an instrument. Certainly it is not within judicial notice that this weapon is any part of the ordinary military equipment or that its use could contribute to the common defense.''
So call me nutty, but the constitution protects my right to own a weapon, for militaristic use, to defend the country against enemies, domestic or foreign, that threaten the freedom of the country. It's a democratic failsafe against government.
* Allowing me to specify MAC addresses. This would be ideal, since I only use two wireless clients on my network and it never changes. No clients with non-specific MAC addresses would gain access.
* Allowing me to successfully turn off "beaconing." Beaconing broadcasts the network info, which isn't necessary if the clients already know what it is. However, turning it off means I regularly lose connection, even when the PC is 30 feet away.
* Strong WEP encryption. Encryption is difficult to implement. For example, if I want a 128-bit ASCII or HEX key, I need to MANUALLY type this key into each workstation. It makes tweaking the units difficult. The "passphrase" option exists on the client software but not the WAP software. High levels of encryption are slow and result in connection loss. 64 bit works very well, 128 bit so-so.
*Allow me to run Linux. The Linux driver for the wireless card won't be available until next year.
The cheezy implementation of the standard and the highly variable implementation of various options makes these things unsecure.
Those who have not learned this truth lament that their field of endeavor isn't static and that salaries aren't continuing at the previous pace. They despair after a layoff. It's all about making yourself useful and those who don't continue along this path will end up economic roadkill. It's the cruelty of the skills based system and not everyone has the temperament for it.
Those of us in sub-par IT positions now wait for the disenchanted to find their "true calling" so that we can move on with our careers without the overpopulation in the IT job market. I hope that future massage therapist, nurses, CHP officers and roofers (all examples I personally know of) find a more satisfying career. And I wonder if I'll someday join them.
"Adduser" doesn't configure SAMBA, Add Linux-based printers to the workstation, etc.
* Send secure email without having to convince everyone else to install PGP or a similar client? A killer OSS mail client/PIM with built in encryption is in order (Mitch Kapor?). Maybe the solution involves an offshore ISP? Data haven?
* Sign up for an offshore credit card account that doesn't assume you're a criminal or tax evader by charging you hefty fees. There's gotta be a data haven offering cheap accounts. It's not illegal.
Anonymize my phone charges. Sounds like a useful startup. Program your phone to dial a centralized number before forwarding to your party. Maybe it involves disposable cell phones?
Use digital cash for purchases. How do I create a PayPal like account that issues a valid credit card number?
This could actually be a fun hobby. Plus, the more people that do it, the less you're opting out makes you look guilty.
However, I can't recommed Linux as a solution to a small to medium sized company or to individuals, except in very limited circumstances.
DESKTOP: For desktop use, it lacks support for hardware and software and I certainly am not going to support my less technical friends and clients over the phone when they need to update their kernel or install true type fonts. Also, when it comes to software, if an application exists, it probably exists for Windows. You can't say that about Linux, which requires emulators and the like. Fine for me, but not for my mother. As for hardware, I personally would like to upgrade my laptop, but there's no driver for my wireless network card. A commercial operating system is cheaper than a new card....
SERVERS: For server use, I can't recommend it for small companies, since there would be no local expert able to add a user or other simple task without my intervention. Your average joe can pick up a Windows book and do regular maintenance or add printers, etc. That can't be said for Linux.
Things that have nothing to do with it:
1. COST. Only in large companies does the TCO issues begin to play, and then, it's still not clear. As for the desktop, most computers come OEM with Windows (the cost being hidden) and users either already own Windows applications or expect to buy them with the new computer.
2. RELIGION/POLITICS. Most people don't hate Microsoft -- they're ambivalent. It's like the number of people who boycotted Exxon after the Valdez disaster in Alaska. Most aren't going to put up much fight, especially when it involves an inconvenience. Driving across town to a gas station is MUCH easier than learning the command line or a new GUI. They're unlikely to do either.
3. RELIABILITY. Windows XP on the desktop is reliable. Period. If yours is crashing regularly, you've done something wrong or installed some 3rd party application incorrectly. I get the impression from reading here and my Linux certification materials that most Linux users are mostly familiar with the godawful Windows 9.x operating systems. Things have changed in the last few years (Windows 2000 and XP).
4. SECURITY. Windows XP/2000 is known to have security issues. I recommend installing a personal firewall and not using IE (I like Opera). This solves most security problems. Most people don't really care about these issues and will spend the $30 to add software to fix the problems. The Linux way seems to be security through obscurity. If there were a dominant Linux mail client, like Ximian, then there would be viruses written to attack it. Outlook is a big target.
2. Grossly inflating their statistics and numbers to boost their reputation. Got a 5x CD burner? It's 5 CD burners according to the RIAA. The mainstream press (i.e., CNN) doesn't know the difference and reports the bogus numbers. They also inflate their losses, neglecting to tell us they cut their production during the same period.
3. Supporting digitally "protected" CD's that aren't guaranteed to work on your CD player with no recourse if you were stuck with unusable disks.
4. Driving scientists and researchers out of the US, due to their threatening to sue researchers who wish to expose security vulnerabilities in copy protection (Felten vs. RIAA).
5. Harassing manufacturers that make digital recordings more portable, like in the Diamond Rio(RIAA v. Diamond).
6. Harassing ISP's like AT&T and Optimum Online (successfully) for allowing P2P networks to exist.
etc. 7.
Officers losing control of their pistol is a very big concern, as it happens often, usually resulting in the death of the officer. There's an entire school of pistol training designed around retention and quick firing from the moment the pistol clears the holster.
I personally don't care for it, but it's not Microsoft, if that's what you're after. I've found it fully functional, but without some of the features I expect: available SPAM filtering, available virus scanning integration, and I'm not sure if there's a PalmPilot conduit available.
--g
Let's not forget the obvious problems with Linux on the desktop, the reason my Thinkpad isn't reformatted with Linux and remains with XP: 1. HARDWARE SUPPORT. It's thought the first quarter of 03 there will be support for my D-LINK wireless network card (vaporware, prehaps?). 2. APPLICATION SUPPORT. It's a Windows world, and all the emulators on the planet, Outlook clones, and copycat OSS projects aren't going to get me the full functionality in software that I get with Windows. Honestly though, when that NIC driver comes out, Red Hat will rule my desktop.
Flash: MandrakeSoft's Future
Many of you have followed the evolution of MandrakeSoft throughout the past few years. Everyone who is concerned with the company's future is encouraged to read and distribute the following message.
Despite the many financial challenges of maintaining a fully open source business model, MandrakeSoft has always followed the Free Software approach, but in this normally joyful holiday season we are experiencing a serious short-term cash crisis.
In order to reach the next release, MandrakeSoft currently needs to raise cash and quickly complete an Increase of Capital. Please take a moment to read this important message at the Mandrake Linux website: http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en/future.php3
We know you may have read our previous appeals, but if you are truly concerned about MandrakeSoft's future, now is the time to mobilize and help spread the word.
With the holidays upon us, a great way to spread some "Linux cheer" is by offering the gift of a MandrakeClub membership. The Club is a great way to support MandrakeSoft, and to help others too.
Sincerely,
The MandrakeSoft team.
After hearing Prof. David Cole from Georgetown Law talk about the TIA program yesterday on NPR (available at npr.org, search for TIA), I'm beginning to wonder if the whole thing is a lightning rod, or litmus test for the publics tolerance of civil liberty erosion.
Think about it: Let's put a guy convicted of lying to congress and overstepping his authority in charge of a military program to gather information about every US citizen. We'll announce it publicly and we'll set up a web site with a creepy (best description for it) logo with the "all seeing eye" that will immediately attract the attention of conspiracy theorists. While the public screams about the mind bogglingly sinister program, the REAL stuff will be going on, which is way more subtle than a $250 million boondoggle sci-fi technology program. The whole scam might be a project from that new government office of misinformation (that still appears to exist, despite the public outcry).
Man, I'm spending too much time on this stuff. Back to the EFF web site.
--g
It's great to discuss the various merits of authentication methods, but remember that it comes down to business objectives and due dilligence.
The average company is expected to have passwords, with a decent length and complexity requirement and possibly password expiration. If they don't have this basic level of security, they'll fail their financial audits and won't have a leg to stand on if they need to defend themselves in court or explain themselves to their board of directors.
At the next state, you want to increase security with that something you have -- smart cards, tokens, SecurID, digital certificates, whatever, but it's based on business requirements. For example, HIPAA requirements for insurance companies and hospitals requires (or will require) a higher level of security. Two factor authentication is essential to avoid the most obvious ways of cracking systems.
Biometrics, which involves three factors of authentication, is overkill in just about all but the most secure applications. James Bond type stuff, defense related, law enforcement, etc., require this most secure and most technologically problematic application. Nobody else will touch it because it's not a business need and it's pricey and difficult to implement.
I just wanted to put this in context for anyone considering securing their system, since this obvious fact escapes so many.
I hope it's better than the encryption chip built into my new Thinkpad -- which only works in Windows 9.x, which is not only a joke when it comes to security but isn't even available from IBM (Windows XP Home and Pro only). Follow through seems to be lacking in general when it comes to encryption and security.
I have to admit it felt heartless at the time.
--g
Tolkien as racist: Talk about a tale of multi-racial harmony. We've got two humans, a dwarf, an elf, and three hobbits. The story focuses on the non-humans primarily and the failings of the humans when they're even considered. Two of three story threads in The Two Towers deals with the hobbits. Or maybe he sees them as little white people?
100% Good/Evil: This is clearly not the case. Boromir, for example, exhibits a good character who falls to evil because of weakness. He is not condemned for his weakness and his memory as someone who believed in good is upheld. Aragorn is haunted by his legacy of failure. Gollum constantly battles between his corrupted nature and his desire for redemption. There are plenty of "neutral" types in the LOTR that are either enlisted for their best interest (Ents) or who simply help with what they can and send the party on their way (Tom Bombadil - not in the movie). Good and evil have a place in the fantasy and real world.
Aristocracy vs. the common man: The hero of this tale is not a king or prince, he is an inconsequential little man, with human failings, who rises to the occasion. Luke Skywalker is a pre-destined son of aristocracy. Frodo Baggins is a curious hobbit from the outskirts of the realm - a nobody.
Enlightenment vs. Romanticism: Is Tolkien anti-technology and development, harking back to times when people respected their betters? Hardly. Every kingdom and leader in LOTR is compromised and fallen in some way. The dwarven kingdom, shown in Moria, is gone and corrupted. The elves are on the decline and are leaving Middle-Earth. The humans have joined the wrong side, are unduly influenced by evil, or are simply uninterested in solving the worlds problems. This is not a story that romanticizes royalty and the upper class and puts down technology, it's simply a story of how someone regular folks can perservere and overcome great evil.
--g
Terrorists understand this and would likely tend to electronically blend in. Buy your standard groceries with your supermarket card, pay for gas at regular intervals, etc., all in an attempt to create a normative profile. Save cash and other less visible transactions for the sketchy stuff (large amounts of chemicals, ammunition and firearms, etc.).
This of course leads to the outlawing of cash and thus makes the cash-only people even more suspect. When cash is outlawed, only outlaws will use cash.
--gary
1. Legitimate offshore credit card accounts are all secured. You put your money down, usually 1.5 times your credit limit, pay a processing fee of hundreds of dollars, suffer a brutal interest rate and fee structure and generally wait many months for your secured deposit to return to you upon closing the account.
2. There are many unsecured (no deposit necessary) credit card offers, but they're illegitmate, fraudulant, multi-level marketing scams, etc. International banks will not issue an unsecured card to non-citizens of their country.
3. Internet only credit card accounts are an option. They've got fees, high rates, etc., but offer anonymity. kind of a more accepted PayPal.
For the sake of privacy, it seems quite difficult to obtain an offshore credit card without spending a lot of money, making such options attractive only to the paranoid, rich or criminals. Thus, like gun control, where most crimes are committed with stolen guns, most terrorists would likely pay the fees and go with offshore accounts if there was government tracking.
--gary
My understanding is that BSD is fairly popular in some Japanese companies right now. A college friend of mine was the guy who translated the FreeBSD docs into Japanese. Linux might be a bit too political, but BSD OS's seem to take the conservative, stable approach. --gary
Fantasy usually has a "chosen" element to it, since not all people can actualize that special power. This doesn't necessarily make it religious, although those who believe fantasy has religious content (fundamentalist Christians for example), tend to take fantasy as religion or a threat to their beliefs. This is why they like to burn Harry Potter books and rail against Dungeons and Dragons. It's probably also why New Zealanders pissed so many people off when they put down "Jedi" as their religion.
Star Trek absolutely denies that fantasy element, telling us that there are no miracles or magic, only undiscovered laws of science. It would be a bleak universe if they hadn't solved every social problem and social ill through their messiah, science. Lots of Star Trek plots present us fantasy as a challenge to be solved with science. The devil is really an alien with transporter powers, etc.
--gary
So I invent something. You create a product that says it will work with my new invention. Your product doesn't. So it's my fault? Total nonsense. About as nonsensical as the score you got for your post by the MS hating, elitist moderators. --gary
Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical devotion to Linux.... Our *four*...no... *Amongst* our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, surprise....
I use Zone Alarm in addition to a "real" firewall, since ZA provides application protection, such as attempts of rogue apps on my PC to contact the outside world. A real firewall would just allow MS or whatever to get out. Zone Alarm is the only program that does application protection properly. --gary
ZoneAlarm Personal Firewall. Free download. --gary