You must be a programmer. I can understand your point-of-view. Really I can. "Information must be free, the best programs are open-source, etc." And you're right. But I was speaking from the point-of-view of a developer of a secure worldwide identity/financial system.
Guess what? I wouldn't *want* a secure identity system on the Internet. Anonymity = good. Financial? Just take the same approach as credit cards and make good any "shrinkage" that occurs. It's not that information wants to be free - it's that giving our control of all of our computers the government is a horrible idea, especially in places (like China?) where the government might well deserve to be overthrown.
Maybe a better idea would be to sell secure, inexpensive, firmware-based terminals similar to the old Minitels in France and have them be *only* used for the completion of online transactions...
But licensing all programmers, developers, and consultants? No thanks: I'd probably starve.
If the people can be made to believe that the drug war is good, they can be made to believe subdermal implants are good too. Manufactured consent by emotional manipulation.
I hope that it won't work. As I said, though I'm not one, Christian zealots do have their uses. And politicians who pass harebrained and unconstitutional schemes to track and further erode people's rights deserve no less deportation to some place where their ideals are agreeable. North Korea or Libya would be a good start. Maybe they could even help alleviate famine in N. Korea:D
If their dentist prescribes a rinse - sure they can. And with a decent nationalized healthcare system, any child should be able to see a doctor or dentist for a nominal or no fee. Besides, the advantages of fluoride have been proven to be mostly topical, so fluoridated toothpaste should work just as well as adulterated water. I wonder why no other industrialized country fluoridates as extensively as the US.
PCs have been going down the wrong road ever since the first one came out. The only really 100% reliably secure payment scheme would require absolutely closed PCs, ones that didn't allow third-party software to run, as well as a rigidly-policed network.
And you thing this is a *good* thing? Maybe in Trollville, but not in a free and democratic society. Besides, it would probably strangle innovation completely - some of the best ideas in computing, including the PC itself have come from hobbyists.
We already require too many professions to be licensed. Let's not raise barriers to entry to another one.
First it starts as a convenience somewhere, catches on with all the dumb lazy citizens, then becomes ubiquitous, then it becomes mandatory!
Credit cards already provide a viable tracking mechanism, and they haven't become mandatory in lieu of cash. I think the first politico to force through a law to make this mandatory would end up strung up from the nearest lamppost courtesy of the more extreme xtians that we have in the US. And rightly so - I'd even help tie the noose.
What this equates to is you having to be physically present at the time of authentication, as it will be impossible for someone to spoof your finger, even if they were successful at lifting a latent print from off of something you touched.
Only good if the scanner is being watched all the time. With a scanner on a computer and on-line purchases, you could just spoof the datastream coming from the sensor and feed it into a hacked driver. Mark my words: the protocols *will* be cracked. And this will be good in the end, since it'll allow those who want anonymity to be anonymous.
Basically, you scan the fingerprint by any means you have (it depends on how and where you could lift it). Print it on transparent OH film, then use it to etch a negative print on circuit board
Why bother? Just steal the hash data that is generated by the scanner and use a hacked driver to inject it into a browser or whatever. Passwords can be changed. Fingerprints can't be (painlessly). Let's hope that this system is using both fingerprints and passwords/keys. And let's hope it won't become ubiquitous - I like my anonymity, TYVM.
3. If you use any 802.11 product, use WPA, or upgrade to it, and keep checking for firmware upgrades every few months, then do it.
Or tunnel all of your traffic via VPN and set the networked computers to only accept connections from VPNed computers on the local subnet. That way, passers-by will still be able to jump on your WiFi whenever they need a 'net connection without the risk of compromising your network!
802.11a is generally much less crowded than 802.11 b/g and as fast as 802.11g.
Also, you don't get cross-interference from 2.4GHz-band phones and microwave ovens. Did I mention that 2.4GHz microwaves are probably the worst for health, since the resonant frequency of water molecules is about 2.4...?
You can't do as nifty antenna tricks with 802.11n as you can with b and g. The 802.11a rules in the US currently prohibit antenna tricks.
Just because it's nominally illegal doesn't mean it's impossible. And if you're not in a populated area and don't aim a 5kw cantenna at low-flying aircraft, you'll likely be fine. If a bear shits in the woods...
2) This is not true. Aside from high-end units that are out of most consumer's price range, there is an Asus WAP that can broadcast multiple SSIDs and have separate security settings for each. In theory, this would mean you could have WPA-Radius encryption on one SSID and have a WEP encryption SSID for your Nintendo DS. I think the model is WL-500g Deluxe--it's hard to come by right now.
What about a hacked Linksys WRT54G/GL? Running open Linux, I suspect that the firmware can be made to go darn near anything within reason. SSIDs and crypto aren't built into hardware - they're software-controlled.
Leave it up to supplements and dentists and those who need it most don't get it.
Right. So you harm (and fluoridation is not as benign as you state) the many to save the ignorant few? Great.
BTW, this wouldn't be a problem if we had a nationalized health care system like most other developed countries - those who want to see a doctor or dentist would be able to for a nominal (or no) fee. Finance it with a graduated income tax and let the wealthy finance the poor.
I think consumers are less likely to understand bacteria-killing viruses than fluoridated water.
The viruses are probably safe. Agreed.
Fluoridated water isn't, because in higher dosages, fluorides actually have a weakening effect on bone/tooth strength. And dosage of water taken in isn't very well-controlled - some people might drink half a glass, others may drink eight or ten. Far better to supplement with fluoride supplements of some type or use topical dental fluoride if your MD or dentists seems it necessary.
Personally, I think and act at the same time. I find it important to think about what I'm doing.
I was referring more about the other kind of thought, the kind that allows people to invent, write, whatever... That tends to require undisturbed-ness.
Eventually we will all have communications technology that enables us to communicate with anyone else who permits us to contact them, any time, all the time. This will allow us to participate with one another on a global basis in a way that is only dimly foreshadowed by our current conception of "instant" communications.
If use of they tech. is truly voluntary, then fine... If people, like our bosses and clients, *expect* us to be on call 24/7, not so fine! And, if the technology becomes ubiquitous, we will be expected to use it. Furthermore, if we're on call 24/7, our home lives start to be seen as an extension of work. No, you can't go hiking and leave your cell at home this weekend - I might have to call you in to fix some hardware (in a sane world, it could wait until Monday). No, you can't smoke outside of work...
The other thing is that our lifespans are somewhat finite and person-to-person interactions are much more rewarding than electronic ones. So, if electronic interaction becomes more common, we'll experience less of the real kind. But, then again, Slashdotters can't really be expected to know;D
Minors cannot get credit cards. For the most part, you need a credit card to buy a non-prepaid cell phone plan. Therefore, minors shouldn't operate a device that's easily abused and requires a line of credit.
I'm kind of against getting kids cell phones in the first place, but if you must, what about a prepaid phone that uses rechargable SIM cards? Give them a 250-min card or whatever for a couple of months, with the understanding that if they run it out, they'll have to buy their own.
In a culture that is innundated with media reports of school shootings, amber alerts and the faces of missing children plastered on milk cartons...
The funny thing is that the incidence of kidnappings has actually gone down since the 1920s and 1930s. It's just that the media broadcasts every case of a kid so much as getting looked at wrong by a stranger to the nation, so the *perception* of an increase of crime is there...
In modern society, I think that social networking and technology are bringing people "virtually" closer together despite the fact that many of us now live orders of magnitude further away from our friends and even relatives than our ancestors did. So in a sense, the idea that a kid is "too young" for a cell phone really cuts to controlling that child's interactions with his or her peers.
So the kid sits talking on their cell phone or IMing instead of running and playing with his friends. Oh joy - how fun. And people wonder about children getting more and more obese!? The solution isn't to give kids cell phones. It's to rethink where you might want to raise your kids. Maybe you don't need that house in a suburban development where the only exit is onto a 4-laner. You might consider moving to a small or medium-sized town instead where everything is close by and kids can actually walk or bike to see their friends rather than being tied to electronics.
It's time we rethink the way we live, if kids really have problems interacting socially without cellphones...
Truly "vintage" cars are usually simple enough that the crap that goes wrong can be jerry rigged with some tubing, wire, etc; some creativity; and the right set of tools. You'd be better off carrying a good toolkit, some oil, water, and a good pair of sneakers if your car's that unreliable. Even in "populated" states, there are stretches of sometimes several miles with no cell reception.
And, yes, I do have personal experience. The first two vehicles that I owned were a 1980 Fiat Spider and a 1982 Yamaha XS650 motorcycle (both in the late 90s!).
The simple fact is that you can't stop technology and always-on, global communications is a dream of everyone who wants to be connected. Anyone who doesn't want to be connected should consider the possibility that their life in civilized society is both wasted and causing them emotional problems; they should sell all their posessions and move to bora-bora, live in a grass hut, and shut the fuck up.
Every human, at least the ones that I've known, needs some privacy and time alone once in a while. On weekends, I turn off my cell phone and check my voice mail if and when I damn well feel like it. If you want to reach me - too damn bad - it can wait until Monday.
Ubiquitous Internet access? Nice sometimes, but no thanks. Too much information coming in all the time actually diminishes our ability to think, since it can be overwhelming, and if you're *doing* something all the time, you're not thinking...
We either develop enough technology rapidly enough to sustain our technological growth, or we have mass dieoffs and possibly the species goes extinct. There is no middle ground.
"IT" is not the only area in which technology can advance, y'know. There's aerospace, energy production, transportation, biomedical, etc; all of which are probably more important to our species' survival than everyone being able to access Google at 2:47am in the middle of the Kalahari. (That might save some individuals' lives, but it won't impact species survival as a whole.)
This is the construction industry, boy, not some namby-pamby cubicled office. How else will we hear each other above the noise of jackhammers and power saws?
The only question is: will firing a block of something at a (maybe poor quality) blade cause the blade to shatter and fragments to slice someone's face or worse. If the system triggers on metal or wet wood and the blade frags, I'd see the potential for a (justifiable, IMHO) lawsuit. I haven't RTFA since it seems to be slashdotted, so someone correct me if this problem has been addressed.
Maybe the real purpose of mandating this is homeland security? If they put it on chainsaws, it should put all of those nasty chainsaw killer^W terrorists right out of business.
and its awfuly hard to make a detonator without some metal, either timer or remote/radio based.
Not really. Two chemicals in a plastic case with a soluable partition between them. When the partition goes, it blows. Just making the point that total security is impractical:)
Slashdot Mirror
Guess what? I wouldn't *want* a secure identity system on the Internet. Anonymity = good. Financial? Just take the same approach as credit cards and make good any "shrinkage" that occurs. It's not that information wants to be free - it's that giving our control of all of our computers the government is a horrible idea, especially in places (like China?) where the government might well deserve to be overthrown.
Maybe a better idea would be to sell secure, inexpensive, firmware-based terminals similar to the old Minitels in France and have them be *only* used for the completion of online transactions...
But licensing all programmers, developers, and consultants? No thanks: I'd probably starve.
-b.
I hope that it won't work. As I said, though I'm not one, Christian zealots do have their uses. And politicians who pass harebrained and unconstitutional schemes to track and further erode people's rights deserve no less deportation to some place where their ideals are agreeable. North Korea or Libya would be a good start. Maybe they could even help alleviate famine in N. Korea :D
-b.
If their dentist prescribes a rinse - sure they can. And with a decent nationalized healthcare system, any child should be able to see a doctor or dentist for a nominal or no fee. Besides, the advantages of fluoride have been proven to be mostly topical, so fluoridated toothpaste should work just as well as adulterated water. I wonder why no other industrialized country fluoridates as extensively as the US.
-b.
And you thing this is a *good* thing? Maybe in Trollville, but not in a free and democratic society. Besides, it would probably strangle innovation completely - some of the best ideas in computing, including the PC itself have come from hobbyists.
We already require too many professions to be licensed. Let's not raise barriers to entry to another one.
-b.
Credit cards already provide a viable tracking mechanism, and they haven't become mandatory in lieu of cash. I think the first politico to force through a law to make this mandatory would end up strung up from the nearest lamppost courtesy of the more extreme xtians that we have in the US. And rightly so - I'd even help tie the noose.
-b.
Passwords and crypto keys aren't 100% unique either, most likely, especially with the weak passwords many people tend to use.
-b.
Only good if the scanner is being watched all the time. With a scanner on a computer and on-line purchases, you could just spoof the datastream coming from the sensor and feed it into a hacked driver. Mark my words: the protocols *will* be cracked. And this will be good in the end, since it'll allow those who want anonymity to be anonymous.
-b.
Why bother? Just steal the hash data that is generated by the scanner and use a hacked driver to inject it into a browser or whatever. Passwords can be changed. Fingerprints can't be (painlessly). Let's hope that this system is using both fingerprints and passwords/keys. And let's hope it won't become ubiquitous - I like my anonymity, TYVM.
-b.
Or tunnel all of your traffic via VPN and set the networked computers to only accept connections from VPNed computers on the local subnet. That way, passers-by will still be able to jump on your WiFi whenever they need a 'net connection without the risk of compromising your network!
-b.
Also, you don't get cross-interference from 2.4GHz-band phones and microwave ovens. Did I mention that 2.4GHz microwaves are probably the worst for health, since the resonant frequency of water molecules is about 2.4...?
-b.
Just because it's nominally illegal doesn't mean it's impossible. And if you're not in a populated area and don't aim a 5kw cantenna at low-flying aircraft, you'll likely be fine. If a bear shits in the woods...
-b.
What about a hacked Linksys WRT54G/GL? Running open Linux, I suspect that the firmware can be made to go darn near anything within reason. SSIDs and crypto aren't built into hardware - they're software-controlled.
-b.
Right. So you harm (and fluoridation is not as benign as you state) the many to save the ignorant few? Great.
BTW, this wouldn't be a problem if we had a nationalized health care system like most other developed countries - those who want to see a doctor or dentist would be able to for a nominal (or no) fee. Finance it with a graduated income tax and let the wealthy finance the poor.
-b.
The viruses are probably safe. Agreed.
Fluoridated water isn't, because in higher dosages, fluorides actually have a weakening effect on bone/tooth strength. And dosage of water taken in isn't very well-controlled - some people might drink half a glass, others may drink eight or ten. Far better to supplement with fluoride supplements of some type or use topical dental fluoride if your MD or dentists seems it necessary.
-b.
I meant for drinking while doing repairs in the boonies :)
I was referring more about the other kind of thought, the kind that allows people to invent, write, whatever... That tends to require undisturbed-ness.
Eventually we will all have communications technology that enables us to communicate with anyone else who permits us to contact them, any time, all the time. This will allow us to participate with one another on a global basis in a way that is only dimly foreshadowed by our current conception of "instant" communications.
If use of they tech. is truly voluntary, then fine... If people, like our bosses and clients, *expect* us to be on call 24/7, not so fine! And, if the technology becomes ubiquitous, we will be expected to use it. Furthermore, if we're on call 24/7, our home lives start to be seen as an extension of work. No, you can't go hiking and leave your cell at home this weekend - I might have to call you in to fix some hardware (in a sane world, it could wait until Monday). No, you can't smoke outside of work...
The other thing is that our lifespans are somewhat finite and person-to-person interactions are much more rewarding than electronic ones. So, if electronic interaction becomes more common, we'll experience less of the real kind. But, then again, Slashdotters can't really be expected to know ;D
-b.
I'm kind of against getting kids cell phones in the first place, but if you must, what about a prepaid phone that uses rechargable SIM cards? Give them a 250-min card or whatever for a couple of months, with the understanding that if they run it out, they'll have to buy their own.
-b.
The funny thing is that the incidence of kidnappings has actually gone down since the 1920s and 1930s. It's just that the media broadcasts every case of a kid so much as getting looked at wrong by a stranger to the nation, so the *perception* of an increase of crime is there...
-b.
So the kid sits talking on their cell phone or IMing instead of running and playing with his friends. Oh joy - how fun. And people wonder about children getting more and more obese!? The solution isn't to give kids cell phones. It's to rethink where you might want to raise your kids. Maybe you don't need that house in a suburban development where the only exit is onto a 4-laner. You might consider moving to a small or medium-sized town instead where everything is close by and kids can actually walk or bike to see their friends rather than being tied to electronics.
It's time we rethink the way we live, if kids really have problems interacting socially without cellphones...
-b.
Truly "vintage" cars are usually simple enough that the crap that goes wrong can be jerry rigged with some tubing, wire, etc; some creativity; and the right set of tools. You'd be better off carrying a good toolkit, some oil, water, and a good pair of sneakers if your car's that unreliable. Even in "populated" states, there are stretches of sometimes several miles with no cell reception.
And, yes, I do have personal experience. The first two vehicles that I owned were a 1980 Fiat Spider and a 1982 Yamaha XS650 motorcycle (both in the late 90s!).
-b.
Every human, at least the ones that I've known, needs some privacy and time alone once in a while. On weekends, I turn off my cell phone and check my voice mail if and when I damn well feel like it. If you want to reach me - too damn bad - it can wait until Monday.
Ubiquitous Internet access? Nice sometimes, but no thanks. Too much information coming in all the time actually diminishes our ability to think, since it can be overwhelming, and if you're *doing* something all the time, you're not thinking...
We either develop enough technology rapidly enough to sustain our technological growth, or we have mass dieoffs and possibly the species goes extinct. There is no middle ground.
"IT" is not the only area in which technology can advance, y'know. There's aerospace, energy production, transportation, biomedical, etc; all of which are probably more important to our species' survival than everyone being able to access Google at 2:47am in the middle of the Kalahari. (That might save some individuals' lives, but it won't impact species survival as a whole.)
-b.
This is the construction industry, boy, not some namby-pamby cubicled office. How else will we hear each other above the noise of jackhammers and power saws?
-b.
-b.
Not really. Two chemicals in a plastic case with a soluable partition between them. When the partition goes, it blows. Just making the point that total security is impractical :)
-b.