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User: houghi

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  1. Re:Terminate contract instead? on When the NSA Shows Up At Your Internet Company · · Score: 1

    The founders [snip]

    Although it is a good basis to start on, what the founders did is largely irrelevant. What matters are two things
    1) What do the current people want?
    2) What are they doing to get it?

    The answer to the first question is not "freedom of speech" apparently. It looks as if people are more interested in not letting the other guy win the election. Divide and rule still works.

  2. Re:Probably because Facebook doesn't deploy guns? on DNI Office Asks Why People Trust Facebook More Than the Government · · Score: 1

    The information belongs to your phone providers/Facebook/etc,

    It should not belong to them. It should belong to me.
    And because of that it is not a companies choice to hand it over, it is mine (or the laws if there is a warrant involved).

    In Europe (at least in Belgium) a company can not sell the data, unless it very much specifies this very clearly. And even then there are serious restrictions.

    Oh and if you are living in Belgium. Register on http://www.robinsonlist.be/ I have not had a cold call or direct marketing snail-mail in years, except of those that are exempt. And these are companies that I have a business relation with and if I so choose, I can ask them to stop sending me stuff.

  3. Re:Ask me what ads on Twitter Co-Founder Biz Stone To Facebook: Start a Premium Subscription Service · · Score: 2

    Why don't you ask me what kind of ads/informertials I want to see?

    The answer is already known: None!
    When I want information about a product or products, I will be looking for it and do comparison.

  4. Re:Big difference between Pandora and Facebook. on Twitter Co-Founder Biz Stone To Facebook: Start a Premium Subscription Service · · Score: 1

    The thing is that people won't complain. Look at cable. Look at movies.
    If people would really complain they would not do it, because they would not make any money.

    As long as the companies make enough money, they will keep doing that. The point is to get as much money as possible, not to serve as many people as possible.

  5. Re:Wow this is the best handwaving I've seen in a on Spatial Ability a Predictor of Creativity In Science · · Score: 2

    >>What can you do with two sticks and a string?
    >The only answer is Nunchucks.
    Bow and arrow. (Nobody said they all needed to be attached)
    Whip (Nobody said you needed to use both sticks.)
    A rocket launcher (If you are in the A-Team or MacGyver)

    If you think nunchucks are the only way to kill somebody, you lack creativity. There is an article right here about it.

  6. Re:Common sense is not bigotry on Schneier Has Something Good To Say About Airport Security · · Score: 1

    Is there an issue that a sweaty guy with a bulging coat gets through? Is there an issue that the 4 year old gets searched? If it is absolutely truly random, I would have no issue with it.

    here is what I would do if that is a problem.
    1) Get in several sweaty guys with odd building coats to create some false positives. Keeps the people busy
    2) Put whatever I want in the 4 years old Justin Bieber Backpack

    And a true randomizer also pulls aside some sweaty guy with the shakes and an oddly bulging coat and lets through a four year old. The idea behind a randomizer is not to actually catch terrorists, but make it not worth for them to try.

    The reason this is dangerous, is because it works. And because it works, it is very hard to discourage its usage in other places. It will turn into random searches.

  7. That was not a DDOS attack on Network Solutions Hit With DDoS · · Score: 2

    They were trying to repair it.

  8. Re:not surprising on Current Doctor Who Warns Against Facebook · · Score: 1

    Or geeks are in their parents basement for a reason: they are not the most social people.

  9. Re:So... SECURE THE TECH! on NSA Spying Hurts California's Business · · Score: 1

    I have no idea how TCP/IP works. Nor do I know what POP3, IMAP or SMTP mean. Yet I am perfectly able to send and receive email. Without any in-depth knowledge of the technologies involved millions of people are able to use computer and other systems.

    So what we need is some people who know how all this technical stuff works and implement it so that it is easy to use and on by default.

    Just adding a pgp signature by default should be a great start.

    The reason this is not yet done is not because it is impossible or hard. It is because nobody actually cares enough. And because they do not care enough, nobody gets to order to make it usable.

    Make me a business case where I will make a profit from implementing it and I will start doing it. And with that I mean how much I will gain and/or loose from it. Also compare it to a memo that says "Don't send out sensitive information.".

    The moment you come out positive, companies will start implementing it and the rest will follow.

  10. Re:What Microsoft will do about previous customers on Microsoft Slashes Prices On Surface · · Score: 1

    Funny? I would say "Obviously." If I do a purchase, I pay the price at that moment, not the price of yesterday. Not the price of tomorrow.
    If you want to pay less for your hardware, all you have to do is wait.

    For those who say that there are no stupid questions, here is the exception on that rule.

  11. Re:VPN on DuckDuckGo: Illusion of Privacy · · Score: 2

    It's not perfect, but it is another complication and barrier to direct monitoring.

    If it isn't perfect, it means it isn't useful.

    Moving to better privacy laws or to another country means nothing. Other countries have just not yet been caught doing this. What this should mean is better encryption.

    Unfortunately what we see is that nobody really cares. How many emails have you received that were digitally signed and send by a non-geek? Ask anybody if they would trust sending their private information on a postcard. Ask the CxO of the company if they would send company information via a postcard.
    Would they accept any information that was not signed?
    Hopefully people will say no, yet that is what people do with email.

    Email is basically a postcard. Implementing digital signatures is what the IT should concentrate on. They are able to add the legal bullshit that is useless (From MY point of view, somebody send or gave me the email, so it was intended for me. Perhaps YOU did not intend it for me, but that is YOUR problem.) and instead use some CPU cycles and add digital signatures.

    That would be a great first step. It does not break the readability of the message. In the beginning you will need to explain what this means and how people could verify this. There is nothing that would stop e.g. banks and credit card companies and others in using this.

    Very soon people will suddenly notice that you can also encrypt it and send messages encrypted. When enough people use it, it will become a standard and gmail and outlook (both program and website) will start using the signatures.

    However I hear nothing about this, so I assume that nobody is seriously interested in privacy. Apathy is the great danger here. Not the NSA (or your local version). We (the people) allow them to get away with it. We are the problem and only we can be the solution.

  12. Re:Longer Life Cycle on PC Sales See 'Longest Decline' In History · · Score: 1

    Where is my 4X 1080P 24" touchscreen monitor, with keyboard with LED keys with these futuristic storage sizes with android compatibility...at a price I can afford.

    Right under my desk.
    I have 2 1920x1200 monitors and 2x1920x1080. 3x24" and 1x46"
    I have 8TB storage (plus some more working SSD)
    Not sure what you mean by "android compatibility" but it runs Linux and I connect my Android phone to it to control it if I so desire.

    Except for the 46" screen which I bought 4 weeks ago, I have this since 5 or 6 years already. So the reason you do not have it is not because it does not exist. It does.

    OK, I do not have a 46" touchscreen, because I do not want to walk to the screen when I am 'sitting' on my couch. However that hardware also is available if you want it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADWEeVOjnRk

  13. Re:definitions matter on PC Sales See 'Longest Decline' In History · · Score: 1

    PC used to be Personal Computer indeed. Perhaps it is better to look at PC as Personal ComputING. That way you include all computing devices. Be it a computer, tablet, laptop, AndroidTV or Raperberry Pi.
    Or whatever for that matter.
    The hardware is so overlapping that it is very hard to put it in a box.

    I have a 46" TV. I have no cable. I use it to watch movies over my network to which it is connected.
    I have a 24" monitor. I have a MK80X connected to it to watch movies over my network connected to it.
    So basically the same function, yet one would be called a TV, the other a computer. And the overlap does not stop there. My NAS can compile software and I run Linux on it, yet it is a NAS and not a PC.

    So with all this PC (or PCD) for Personal Computing Device would cover all those things. I owned watches that were a PCD.

  14. Re:(The Real) Murphy's Law strikes again! on Upside-Down Sensors Caused Proton-M Rocket Crash · · Score: 1

    For example, you don't make a two-pin plug symmetrical and then label it `THIS WAY UP'; if it matters which way it is plugged in, then you make the design asymmetrical."

    Yet somehow people still forget this.
    In the past there was the keyboard and mouse that had the same connectors. They even had to color code it, which is proof that there is an issue.

    Also if it needs to be in one way, make it obvious as well. USB, is especially bad designed, I think, in that you need to try it three times before it fits.

    Many TV remotes are terrible in that I need to look if I am pointing in the right direction and I can not just feel what it up or what is down. In the past I have already not bought a tv because the remote was so crappy in their ergonomics. If they can't be bothered to put a little effort into that, why should I trust the rest of their design on a technical level?

    The best example that is often seen is if a door needs to tell if it is push or pull, the design is bad.

  15. Goes for many other jobs as well on Silicon Valley In 2013 Resembles Logan's Run In 2274 · · Score: 2

    When we hire, we do not look at age. However what we notice is that if people are too young, they are not take it serious enough. They moan that they want to have time off on moments that it is not possible. They want to go out with their friends.

    When they are too old, it is very time consuming (and often impossible) to learn them new things. And yes, we DO look for the exception. We will not rule out anybody on age. They often just do not fit the profile.

    This not just for IT people, but for all staff.

  16. Re:No Cartwheeling on Boeing 777 Crashes At San Francisco Airport · · Score: 1

    CNN rushed a story out without getting its facts straight

    News needs to be fast, not accurate. That is why electronic voting exists.

  17. Re:Holy Crap, What A Bunch Of Pessimists on Ask Slashdot: Will the NSA Controversy Drive People To Use Privacy Software? · · Score: 1

    I think it is obvious that people are becoming more concerned about privacy,

    If by "concerned" you mean people saying "Like this if you hate the NSA." on their Facebook account, then yes, people are becoming more concerned.

    So what other actions have all these concerned citizens taken? Is there some sort of investigation going on? Is there a public outcry? Are people taking the streets? Or are they still sitting in their couch and are more annoyed that their pizza is 5 minutes late then the fact that the NSA is just another insult of everything they believe in?

  18. Re:How Will He Get There on Snowden Offered Asylum By Venezuelan President · · Score: 2

    Does that mean they will allow it if they do it a second time? Or would they say "Hey, we are sorry, but you keep flying over our country and we can not allow that."
    I bet they are sorry. Sorry they got caught, Sorry that it is now known that they spy on their own as well.

    I hope this does not end in 'Well, we all spy on each other. None is better then the other, so lets step it up a notch."

  19. Re:look at the Guardian photo on NSA Recruitment Drive Goes Horribly Wrong · · Score: 1

    It is this what keeps making things worse, not better.
    "Oh, the current president makes things worse. Let us elect one form the other party."
    This has been going since at least 1970. If option 1 does not work. Try option 2. If option 2 does not work, do not go back to option 1. You go for option 3.

    And yes he lied during his campaign. He is a politician. They lie as long as they can get away with it. Has been happening since several thousands of years.

  20. Re:Oh whatever on MasterCard and Visa Start Banning VPN Providers · · Score: 1

    This is /. so I will assume some technical knowledge.

    Why use a third party? Set up your own vpn server. Connect to it as you please.
    Sites like TPB blocked? I run my own DNS server, so again no problem there.

    Why would I need a third party VPN if I am capable of doing it myself.

  21. Re:I'm glad this is coming out on USPS Logs All Snail Mail For Law Enforcement · · Score: 1

    If I were one of the people with real power, I would be pissing my pants right now. From laughing that is.
    People did not care about McCarthyism. People did not care about Echelon. People did not care about Wall Street. People did not care about all the files that went to Wikileaks. People did not care about the false prenteces to start a war that is still ongoing. People do not care about Gitmo. People do not care about the TSA. People do not care about this either. It will blow over. Nobody will be moving anywhere. The next step will be taken to take away your choice.

    The last time people cared was (perhaps) Vietnam and that did not change anything. The USA lost and that is why they pulled out. Not because people at home where sick of it.

    Things are not nearly bad enough to let the people care in such a way that they go to the streets. Because seriously, who will replace those in power and I am not just talking about politicians. The least I am talking about are the politicians. They have just been enabled by the people.

    People did not care about any of the important steps that took away their freedom in the past. Why would they care now? The feeling of shouting USA! USA! USA! together is better in the short term. Why would I care about the long term? That is my future selfâ(TM)s problem. Not mine.

  22. Re:RAM 1500 'Infotainment' system on Why Automakers Should Stop the Infotainment Arms Race · · Score: 1

    When I bought my car I did not go with the available radio. I went with something else, because I did not want a standard CD player, but one that had the ability to play mp3s.
    A few years later I upgraded because I wanted bluetooth.
    I again upgraded because I wanted SD instead of CD.

    By upgrading what I wanted when I wanted it, I was able to buy cheap. The latest I bought was 50 EUR. If in 5 years I have different needs, I just upgrade it again.

    That is also what I do with my PC. I buy what I need. Not what is available. If I need more memory, I add it. If I need a faster processor, I add it.

  23. Start with certified emails. on Calif. Attorney General: We Need To Crack Down On Companies That Don't Encrypt · · Score: 1

    How many mails have you received that were official and digitally signed (not a signature)?
    I work in a company where people are pretty security savy, but email somehow is an exception.. When I ask how they know the mail came from John Doe, they tell it is sure because the email address is John.Doe@example.com.
    When I ask them how person X knows that it came from our company, the answer is "Because the email address is info@example.com.". So while IT enjoys themselves to add useless disclaimers (I AM the intended person to receive it. Otherwise I would not have gotten it. It might that you did not intend it on your end, but that is YOUR problem.) instead of adding digital signatures, I must change my password every 37 minutes, so I must write it down and the whole thing becomes LESS secure.

    As long as IT people treat security as a technical and not a social issue, this will never be solved.

  24. Re:This is stupid on NSA Backdoors In Open Source and Open Standards: What Are the Odds? · · Score: 1

    What I hate is if they decide that I want to see the site in Dutch or in French, while the site is also available in English.
    My browser shouts English to the world, so why do they ignore that?

    Why limit the language to a country? Look at the language of the browser and use that. If that is not available, use other methods. I do not care what the majority speaks. I do not even care what I speak. I care what I WANT to speak.
    HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE even gives you the order in which I prefer to see my sites. So if a site is not available in English, it should show it in respectively Dutch, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Default.

    No need to look at IP addresses and do lookups of where that IP address is and make errors if people use a proxy in another country.

  25. Re:40 years on Google Maps Updated With Skyfall Island Japan Terrain · · Score: 1

    It took the Mayan ruins 2000 to 4000 years to look like the Skyfall Island.
    So take that century or 2 with a serious grain of salt. And if humanity leaves now, there are so many places that will be in places that will be less harsh and much bigger.

    Sure, we will be erased from history, but that will be a lot longer then 200 years. Do you seriously think that cities like New York, Tokyo or Mexico City will not leave anything after 200 years? There are plenty of buildings that are older then 200 years. Yes, they are ruins when not kept in order, but they still are there.

    There are old cities that we have that are deserted and older then 2000 years.

    The interesting question would be how long it actually would take. 10.000 years? 100.000 years? Do fossils count?