The author makes some valid points to the degree of contradicting himself. I would hope that most of the people on slashdot can spot posturing and sensationalizing when they see it.
"I call this kind of thing a publicity attack. It's a blatant attempt by nCipher to get some free publicity for the hardware encryption accelerators, and to scare e-commerce vendors into purchasing them. And people fall for this, again and again."
Yes nCipher didn't really point out anything new, yes it's a blatent attempt to get free publicity and yes it does stink of the whole virus scare thing we went through 10 years ago. However the issue here is where do you draw the line between a publicity stunt and genuine alerting the world to a problem. I feel that just telling those with a responsibility to fix a problem is not the solution, as the writer correctluy points out:
"Of course, the downside is that these bugs get less attention from Microsoft and Netscape, even though they are as serious as many others that have received more press attention and thus get fixed quickly by the browser makers."
However this causes a problem, if the only way of attacking a true problem is to make it public with all the fuss involvoed how can you expect the public to tell the difference between this and someone grabing for publicity, we maybe able to tell the difference but joe public is usualy a little out of their depth when dealing with cryptography.
What I would like to know is if you (the person reading this post) found a gaping security whole in something large like Explorer or Navigator what would you do:
This has nothing to do with what the applications will accept. This is a unix issue, ftp and telnet under linux are most commonly used in their command line form, the starting or trailing dash have special meanings on the unix command line that would force the string to be interprited differently, this is not a simple matter of the software not handling it correctly.
16 hours a day? On a light day maybe, pizza and twinkies? Well burgers and caffine is more like it. But more or less this is pretty much correct. These days I'm a little more sane, the all nighters are only when necisary and I've even be seen outside during the day (shock!).
The issue I have is why is this seen as so bad! Football fans doing nothing but drink beer and talk about football, many music fan's are the same, the list goes on. This language is a hangover from the dark years of geekdom. What needs to be understood about us is that we live for the challenge, it's a way of life.
All these posts about sterotypeing are mundane, there is nothing wrong with being like this, and there is nothing wrong with not being like this it's a choice, it's what you enjoy and want.
I had a really carefull read of this, then I read it again. Here are my thoughts. The primary point in interest in this whole thing is: (If you don't want to read all of this stuff just read the last paragraph, it's funny and explains it all).
"A central part of Mills's theory explains the basis of the traditional, and paradoxical, "duality" concept of the electron as both a particle and a wave with a model where electrons are charges that travel as two-dimensional disks and wrap around nuclei like fluctuating soap bubbles. He calls them 'orbitspheres.'"
I can take this and accept it as a maybe, there is nothing there I can imediatly find problem with without reading much more about his work, although the current electron model fits most cases it is known to be slightly wrong. It starts to get silly after that:
I quote the notes "produced clean and limitless energy" ok, this is obviously the line bringing out the 'cold fusion' comparisons, this line gives this away as marketing hype. Thermodynamics already tells us that energy can neither be created or destroyed, just changed from one form or another. If the guy had claimed to have found an efficent method of tapping the energy stored in matter it would have almost been believable, anything that requires scraping theries that have been around as long as thermodynamics needs to be backed with some serious grade proof, and I see none.
Another interesting line "Mills also claims breakthroughs in artificial intelligence" This one is curios, I remember reading the "Emporors New Mind" By Roger Penrose where he makes a pretty convincing argument that the brain uses processes of physics not understood and so could not be simulated with current techniques. If indeed Dr Mills has discoverd something fundamentaly new in physics (although I am doubting this) this particular claim may not be unreasnable. This sentance goes on to mention "cosmology, medicine, and perhaps even a form of gravitational jujitsu." which quite frankly has me checking the date to see if it was publiched April 1st.
We then move on to the clincher that explains it all. "Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Co. is considering a public offering of BlackLight Power stock in 2000". Everything the guy said is true, if he can convince the media then his IPO will be possesed of "limitless energy", he will gain curious new "Material" possesions, be able to afford the best "Medicine" and maybe finance his own space station to develop "gravitational jujitsu".
"I am just wondering where they keep getting these huge figures on the costs of replacing one html document with another."
Well., that simple really. There are 3 main areas of cost to the hacked company that need to be taken into account:
Paying a student $5 to upload a new html file
Lost earnings/buisness on the website (sometimes long term)
Lost productivity on the 12 managers/directors running around sreaming 'hacked! we have been hacked! dont panic!
The 3rd point is of course the most important one, these managers can get seriously disterbed and ofton spend days away from their more productive work of playing windows solitaire.
On a more serious note, these figures tend to also include figures such as hireing security people to come in and 'beef up security', run risc assesments ecetera. The other key factor is that figures are always overstated, particaly to help with the end of year figures and also to help push law enforcement to do something about it (How good a response do you think the FBI give when you complain you lost $5?). The final issue is of course lost credability.
There are additional things to be taken into account. Companies have been known to fake hack attempts at their own websites for the exposure it gains them. I wonder if any of these hacked websites would ever be willing to declare a negative cost to the whole thing?
On the first day of christmas my true love nabed from me, half my banner impresions.
On the Second day of christmas my true love gave to me 2 Email services, and then nabbed half my banner impresions.
On the third day of christmas my true love gave to me 3 message boards, 2 Email services, and then nabbed half my banner impresions.
On the fourth day of christmas my true love gave to me 4 web searches, 3 message boards, 2 Email services, and then nabbed half my banner impresions.
On the fith day of christmas my true love gave to me FIVE quick links, 4 web searches, 3 message boards, 2 Email services, and then nabbed half my banner impresions.
On the sixth day of christmas my true love gave to me six partners saying, FIVE quick links, 4 web searches, 3 message boards, 2 Email services, and then nabbed half my banner impresions.
On the seventh day of christmas my brain gave out on me, damn I need to get some sleep.
New poll at exaflop.org BTW, this one asks "Which of the following people should be first against the wall when the revolution comes?" and does not offer you the chance to win an AIBO.
Absoultely! Intel and AMD moveing heaven and earth to beat each other into the ground in the performance war can do little but increase the fps in quake and the RC5 turnover. I've the battle for supremancy last long enough we may even see a processor that can run win9X at a decent rate.
For a start I was a little un-impressed with the article. The news item had me expecting some specific information but the article had few specifics.
Several of the posts here I've read seem to imply that AMD is soon to get the upper hand and that Intel is playing catch up. This is unlikely to be true for the foreseable future, the lead Intel has will stay with us for a while yet regardless of the competition.Here are some of the biggest issues surrounding the market.
Intel Brandname: Many of you will remember that not that many years ago only the total techies like us actualy new who made the processor inside your computer, the brand was the manufacturer, how many of you today know who made the chips in your mobilefone? your pda? your wristwatch? your microwave oven? Intel changed all this with an extensive and heavy duty branding efort (The Intel Inside stickers, the TV adverts and all that). AMD has not got a brand name anything like as big as intel, the general public 'Knows' that Intel is the best even when it isn't.
AMD Will slash Athlon Prices: This is one of the biggest misconceptions about, for a long time AMD has been known for being the cheap option, not because they could design or makes the chips vastly cheaper than Intel but becuase they had to cut costs to compete. This all changed with the Athlon that for the first time put them ahead in the performance stakes, the Athlon price is now in the same bracket as the Intel chips and it can't cut the prices by mutch, the development costs have really cut into their revenue to the point that they have no choice but to compete on a level price playing field. That leaves AMD fighting only on the performance and branding front's and they only have edge in one of those areas.
AMD Has The Performance Advantage: True, but for how long. Many people have said that AMD has now proved they can make better processors and will continue to have the edge. This is not necisarily true, Intel is very large with vast resources. Basicly AMD have cought Intel napping, for far to long Intel has has a clear lead in the field and they have got more than a little complacement. The Intel Brandname will only cary them for so long, Intel knows they will have to fight to regain the performance edge, and Intel knows how to fight. I am reminded of the over quoted Admiral Yamamoto after pearl harbor "We have awakened a sleeping giant and have instilled in him a terrible resolve". And I'm sure you americans will be quick to point out that not eveyone caught napping is the inferior side.
Natalie Portman: Has nothing to do with this issue.
I think you are very quick to suggest this is not a worthwhile patent. Gigabyte speeds over cableing that was not designed for the purpose is an acheivement at any time. Getting a clear data single at high bit rate over a cable that caries mains electricity is nothing short of a mirical. Mains electricity is about as dirty as it gets with regard to noise, apart from the 50/60hz of the mains you have to contend with noise from just about evey appliance on the circuit.
I've read a few reports about this kind of technology before and I'd be interested to know if this has been tested in the field. Getting this kind of system to work well in a lab with high quility cable is one thing, getting it to work in the real world with cable wired in by evey man and his dog of questionable age and quality is another matter. After all, if you have to rewire an area to make it work it kind of defeats the purpose, you may as well lay coax at the same time and be done with it.
Here in the UK their are health and saftey rules preventing power and data cables being put in the same coduit. I wonder if this would pose a problem for this kind of technology.
I agree. I think the whole situation that has arisen stems more from the current political climate than any specific link between games and violence. The current social/political thinking is that whenever soething goes wrong, someone or something must be to blame.
To a very limited degree it is proberbly true (pause for shouting to die down). We all remember the adrenaline rush we got when first playing Doom. However to point to one thing and say this is the cause is foolish.
I would liken this to the historical debate as to the cause of world war 2. You can point to a number of events and say "that was the cause" but it's simple not true, all that can be identified is a few sparks, it doesn't change the fact that europe was a powder keg to begin with. In the same way, something about our society is bringing out people with violent tendancies, maybe a peice of music, a film or a videogame was the spark but if you had removed the game or whatever it would have been something else. People would like to be able to find a cause they can burn at the steak because it makes them feel more secure.
I already have a patent on neuron fireing makeing yours a derived work. I'll happily let you protect your patent in exchange for $0.001 royalty on each neuron fire used by your 'thinking' process.
I'm actualy (what the average slashdot users would proberbly call) a blinded by my own beleifs christian myself. In all honesty I found this post offensive myself but the original post was just so asking for it.
Mental note to self: when writeing a post you intend to be posted as Anonymous, rember to check the box.
God is CmdrTaco and he speeks to us with his holy profits Hemos and Roblimo. His instructions as to what we should and should not believe are comunicated by means of those news items that are or are not posts. Remember, it is easier to run an NT5 binary on debian linux than it for an un-worth news item to pass through the gates of slashdot.
Join with me in our prayer
Our father who art on Slashdot CmdrTaco be thy name Give us this day our daily news Forgive us our flames and bad Karma As we forgive those who flame against us Your website come Thy posting be done In the real world as it is online
"Clue Flash! Any sufficiently mature man and woman can create life. The big difference here is that team of scientists might actually have a better understanding of the ramifications of their actions that say your average inner city teenage mother."
That has got to be the smartest thing I have heard on the subject in a long time.
I find it rather amusing that this "Mycoplasma genitalium" they are using that is the simplest known form of life on earth is to be found in the "human genital tract".
I was actualy a little un-impressed when I read the article, they have found this poor little critter with just 480 genes, some of which they have judged as redundant. Reading between the lines i'll try to give an explenation on what they plan to do.
Having extracted the relevent peices of dna they will drop them in a test tube. Into the test tube will then go some of those weird protean machines you find in cells that takes dna and translates it into strands of protean. These starands of protean will then fold into lumps of protean (the very process that new IBM machine wants to simulate)that will procede to bounce around. The newly formed lumps of protean will stick together when random chance causes matching faces to meet and hey presto you a the functioning components of a cell.
Its actualy a little more complex than this but still decidedly un-impressive, basicly this could have been done already but they needed to find something simple enough to manage.
So will this lead to a new era of genetic enginearing? Potentialy yes, when we write software the easiest thing to do is take an existing program, strip out all the junk you don't want (or don't understand) until you have something basic to build on, the same applys to genetics.
Basicly all this 'consult the church' type stuff is almost certainly hype to get the press and public attention they want. The end result? well they get noticed and get the reasearch grant extension they need to actualy do this stuff (It's basicly all talk at the moment).
I can't see how this would ever make it to active duty. Sure we took away the right to remain silent but are we going to take away the right to commit the crime before you are accused of it?
More seriously this might not be all that bad, sure if you get harased by the police for hanging around in a way the computer thinks is suspcious it would be a bad thing. If however these computers can recognize a bunch of guys in ski-masks drawing up outside the bank and clal th police then we are in a wholey diffrent ball game.
The tone of the article actualy describes something a bit less sinister, more along the lines of using the technology to alert a secrity guard which monitor it might be an idea to look at. I wonder how long it will take the crooks to work out the system though, imagine being able to fake it so the system suggests the guard pay attention to one monitor while you do something nasty on another.
The article refers to an IETF effort to pruce an instant messageing standard, if anyone is interested here is the url to it's chater page.
For anyone who hasn't been following this issue you have several different messageing programs all backed by one company or another which do not 'talk' to each other. An equivelenet would be if it was imposible to phone somone from your phone because there phone came from a different telco. The situation is completely stupid, all logic dictates that communications systems designed for the same purpose should be able to talk to each other.
AT&T are doing the right thing in the wrong way, inter operability should be a priority but not by some strange kludge that only works one way. Does anyone else agree that if this carries on for much longer it may be a job for legislation to bring the IM providers into line
One thing that really impressed me was the success of icq, I never really use it myself but a totaly centralized propriatry system being that big a success is not exactly the norm on the on interent.
Slashdot Mirror
The author makes some valid points to the degree of contradicting himself. I would hope that most of the people on slashdot can spot posturing and sensationalizing when they see it.
"I call this kind of thing a publicity attack. It's a blatant attempt by nCipher to get some free publicity for the hardware encryption accelerators, and to scare e-commerce vendors into purchasing them. And people fall for this, again and again."
Yes nCipher didn't really point out anything new, yes it's a blatent attempt to get free publicity and yes it does stink of the whole virus scare thing we went through 10 years ago. However the issue here is where do you draw the line between a publicity stunt and genuine alerting the world to a problem. I feel that just telling those with a responsibility to fix a problem is not the solution, as the writer correctluy points out:
"Of course, the downside is that these bugs get less attention from Microsoft and Netscape, even though they are as serious as many others that have received more press attention and thus get fixed quickly by the browser makers."
However this causes a problem, if the only way of attacking a true problem is to make it public with all the fuss involvoed how can you expect the public to tell the difference between this and someone grabing for publicity, we maybe able to tell the difference but joe public is usualy a little out of their depth when dealing with cryptography.
What I would like to know is if you (the person reading this post) found a gaping security whole in something large like Explorer or Navigator what would you do:
This has nothing to do with what the applications will accept. This is a unix issue, ftp and telnet under linux are most commonly used in their command line form, the starting or trailing dash have special meanings on the unix command line that would force the string to be interprited differently, this is not a simple matter of the software not handling it correctly.
Aww, they are so cute. Looks like a good cause, just dont come running to me for help when some un-cute (bsd?) demons get burnt in the fire!
16 hours a day? On a light day maybe, pizza and twinkies? Well burgers and caffine is more like it. But more or less this is pretty much correct. These days I'm a little more sane, the all nighters are only when necisary and I've even be seen outside during the day (shock!).
The issue I have is why is this seen as so bad! Football fans doing nothing but drink beer and talk about football, many music fan's are the same, the list goes on. This language is a hangover from the dark years of geekdom. What needs to be understood about us is that we live for the challenge, it's a way of life.
All these posts about sterotypeing are mundane, there is nothing wrong with being like this, and there is nothing wrong with not being like this it's a choice, it's what you enjoy and want.
I had a really carefull read of this, then I read it again. Here are my thoughts. The primary point in interest in this whole thing is: (If you don't want to read all of this stuff just read the last paragraph, it's funny and explains it all).
I can take this and accept it as a maybe, there is nothing there I can imediatly find problem with without reading much more about his work, although the current electron model fits most cases it is known to be slightly wrong. It starts to get silly after that:
I quote the notes "produced clean and limitless energy" ok, this is obviously the line bringing out the 'cold fusion' comparisons, this line gives this away as marketing hype. Thermodynamics already tells us that energy can neither be created or destroyed, just changed from one form or another. If the guy had claimed to have found an efficent method of tapping the energy stored in matter it would have almost been believable, anything that requires scraping theries that have been around as long as thermodynamics needs to be backed with some serious grade proof, and I see none.
Another interesting line "Mills also claims breakthroughs in artificial intelligence" This one is curios, I remember reading the "Emporors New Mind" By Roger Penrose where he makes a pretty convincing argument that the brain uses processes of physics not understood and so could not be simulated with current techniques. If indeed Dr Mills has discoverd something fundamentaly new in physics (although I am doubting this) this particular claim may not be unreasnable. This sentance goes on to mention "cosmology, medicine, and perhaps even a form of gravitational jujitsu." which quite frankly has me checking the date to see if it was publiched April 1st.
We then move on to the clincher that explains it all. "Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Co. is considering a public offering of BlackLight Power stock in 2000". Everything the guy said is true, if he can convince the media then his IPO will be possesed of "limitless energy", he will gain curious new "Material" possesions, be able to afford the best "Medicine" and maybe finance his own space station to develop "gravitational jujitsu".
"I am just wondering where they keep getting these huge figures on the costs of replacing one html document with another."
Well., that simple really. There are 3 main areas of cost to the hacked company that need to be taken into account:
The 3rd point is of course the most important one, these managers can get seriously disterbed and ofton spend days away from their more productive work of playing windows solitaire.
On a more serious note, these figures tend to also include figures such as hireing security people to come in and 'beef up security', run risc assesments ecetera. The other key factor is that figures are always overstated, particaly to help with the end of year figures and also to help push law enforcement to do something about it (How good a response do you think the FBI give when you complain you lost $5?). The final issue is of course lost credability.
There are additional things to be taken into account. Companies have been known to fake hack attempts at their own websites for the exposure it gains them. I wonder if any of these hacked websites would ever be willing to declare a negative cost to the whole thing?
On the first day of christmas my true love nabed from me, half my banner impresions.
On the Second day of christmas my true love gave to me 2 Email services, and then nabbed half my banner impresions.
On the third day of christmas my true love gave to me 3 message boards, 2 Email services, and then nabbed half my banner impresions.
On the fourth day of christmas my true love gave to me 4 web searches, 3 message boards, 2 Email services, and then nabbed half my banner impresions.
On the fith day of christmas my true love gave to me FIVE quick links, 4 web searches, 3 message boards, 2 Email services, and then nabbed half my banner impresions.
On the sixth day of christmas my true love gave to me six partners saying, FIVE quick links, 4 web searches, 3 message boards, 2 Email services, and then nabbed half my banner impresions.
On the seventh day of christmas my brain gave out on me, damn I need to get some sleep.
New poll at exaflop.org BTW, this one asks "Which of the following people should be first against the wall when the revolution comes?" and does not offer you the chance to win an AIBO.
Absoultely! Intel and AMD moveing heaven and earth to beat each other into the ground in the performance war can do little but increase the fps in quake and the RC5 turnover. I've the battle for supremancy last long enough we may even see a processor that can run win9X at a decent rate.
Simple solution, we only bread female mammoths.
From the not-seen-jurasic-park department.
And to think the cross breading between Evil Kenevil and Microsoft went unnoticed.
For a start I was a little un-impressed with the article. The news item had me expecting some specific information but the article had few specifics.
Several of the posts here I've read seem to imply that AMD is soon to get the upper hand and that Intel is playing catch up. This is unlikely to be true for the foreseable future, the lead Intel has will stay with us for a while yet regardless of the competition.Here are some of the biggest issues surrounding the market.
Intel Brandname: Many of you will remember that not that many years ago only the total techies like us actualy new who made the processor inside your computer, the brand was the manufacturer, how many of you today know who made the chips in your mobilefone? your pda? your wristwatch? your microwave oven? Intel changed all this with an extensive and heavy duty branding efort (The Intel Inside stickers, the TV adverts and all that). AMD has not got a brand name anything like as big as intel, the general public 'Knows' that Intel is the best even when it isn't.
AMD Will slash Athlon Prices: This is one of the biggest misconceptions about, for a long time AMD has been known for being the cheap option, not because they could design or makes the chips vastly cheaper than Intel but becuase they had to cut costs to compete. This all changed with the Athlon that for the first time put them ahead in the performance stakes, the Athlon price is now in the same bracket as the Intel chips and it can't cut the prices by mutch, the development costs have really cut into their revenue to the point that they have no choice but to compete on a level price playing field. That leaves AMD fighting only on the performance and branding front's and they only have edge in one of those areas.
AMD Has The Performance Advantage: True, but for how long. Many people have said that AMD has now proved they can make better processors and will continue to have the edge. This is not necisarily true, Intel is very large with vast resources. Basicly AMD have cought Intel napping, for far to long Intel has has a clear lead in the field and they have got more than a little complacement. The Intel Brandname will only cary them for so long, Intel knows they will have to fight to regain the performance edge, and Intel knows how to fight. I am reminded of the over quoted Admiral Yamamoto after pearl harbor "We have awakened a sleeping giant and have instilled in him a terrible resolve". And I'm sure you americans will be quick to point out that not eveyone caught napping is the inferior side.
Natalie Portman: Has nothing to do with this issue.
I think you are very quick to suggest this is not a worthwhile patent. Gigabyte speeds over cableing that was not designed for the purpose is an acheivement at any time. Getting a clear data single at high bit rate over a cable that caries mains electricity is nothing short of a mirical. Mains electricity is about as dirty as it gets with regard to noise, apart from the 50/60hz of the mains you have to contend with noise from just about evey appliance on the circuit.
I've read a few reports about this kind of technology before and I'd be interested to know if this has been tested in the field. Getting this kind of system to work well in a lab with high quility cable is one thing, getting it to work in the real world with cable wired in by evey man and his dog of questionable age and quality is another matter. After all, if you have to rewire an area to make it work it kind of defeats the purpose, you may as well lay coax at the same time and be done with it.
Here in the UK their are health and saftey rules preventing power and data cables being put in the same coduit. I wonder if this would pose a problem for this kind of technology.
Everyone seems to be going on about the media targets like doom/quake/carmageddon etc.. But what about Pokemon?
If you stop and think about it this game/cartoon teaches kids to capture innocent animals and then make the fight with others.
I agree. I think the whole situation that has arisen stems more from the current political climate than any specific link between games and violence. The current social/political thinking is that whenever soething goes wrong, someone or something must be to blame.
To a very limited degree it is proberbly true (pause for shouting to die down). We all remember the adrenaline rush we got when first playing Doom. However to point to one thing and say this is the cause is foolish.
I would liken this to the historical debate as to the cause of world war 2. You can point to a number of events and say "that was the cause" but it's simple not true, all that can be identified is a few sparks, it doesn't change the fact that europe was a powder keg to begin with. In the same way, something about our society is bringing out people with violent tendancies, maybe a peice of music, a film or a videogame was the spark but if you had removed the game or whatever it would have been something else. People would like to be able to find a cause they can burn at the steak because it makes them feel more secure.
I already have a patent on neuron fireing makeing yours a derived work. I'll happily let you protect your patent in exchange for $0.001 royalty on each neuron fire used by your 'thinking' process.
As requested, here is the revised edition with scenic backdrop.
I'll get on the case, although should that not be mountins of discarded pc's, a lake of mercury and fractal trees?
I'm actualy (what the average slashdot users would proberbly call) a blinded by my own beleifs christian myself. In all honesty I found this post offensive myself but the original post was just so asking for it.
Mental note to self: when writeing a post you intend to be posted as Anonymous, rember to check the box.
Join with me in our prayer
Our father who art on Slashdot
CmdrTaco be thy name
Give us this day our daily news
Forgive us our flames and bad Karma
As we forgive those who flame against us
Your website come
Thy posting be done
In the real world as it is online
That has got to be the smartest thing I have heard on the subject in a long time.
I find it rather amusing that this "Mycoplasma genitalium" they are using that is the simplest known form of life on earth is to be found in the "human genital tract".
I was actualy a little un-impressed when I read the article, they have found this poor little critter with just 480 genes, some of which they have judged as redundant. Reading between the lines i'll try to give an explenation on what they plan to do.
Having extracted the relevent peices of dna they will drop them in a test tube. Into the test tube will then go some of those weird protean machines you find in cells that takes dna and translates it into strands of protean. These starands of protean will then fold into lumps of protean (the very process that new IBM machine wants to simulate)that will procede to bounce around. The newly formed lumps of protean will stick together when random chance causes matching faces to meet and hey presto you a the functioning components of a cell.
Its actualy a little more complex than this but still decidedly un-impressive, basicly this could have been done already but they needed to find something simple enough to manage.
So will this lead to a new era of genetic enginearing? Potentialy yes, when we write software the easiest thing to do is take an existing program, strip out all the junk you don't want (or don't understand) until you have something basic to build on, the same applys to genetics.
Basicly all this 'consult the church' type stuff is almost certainly hype to get the press and public attention they want. The end result? well they get noticed and get the reasearch grant extension they need to actualy do this stuff (It's basicly all talk at the moment).
I can't see how this would ever make it to active duty. Sure we took away the right to remain silent but are we going to take away the right to commit the crime before you are accused of it?
More seriously this might not be all that bad, sure if you get harased by the police for hanging around in a way the computer thinks is suspcious it would be a bad thing. If however these computers can recognize a bunch of guys in ski-masks drawing up outside the bank and clal th police then we are in a wholey diffrent ball game.
The tone of the article actualy describes something a bit less sinister, more along the lines of using the technology to alert a secrity guard which monitor it might be an idea to look at. I wonder how long it will take the crooks to work out the system though, imagine being able to fake it so the system suggests the guard pay attention to one monitor while you do something nasty on another.
I doubt those figures. With any free system you can never trust the user counts. I have at least 3 ICQ numbers and I don't use any of them anymore
The article refers to an IETF effort to pruce an instant messageing standard, if anyone is interested here is the url to it's chater page.
For anyone who hasn't been following this issue you have several different messageing programs all backed by one company or another which do not 'talk' to each other. An equivelenet would be if it was imposible to phone somone from your phone because there phone came from a different telco. The situation is completely stupid, all logic dictates that communications systems designed for the same purpose should be able to talk to each other.
AT&T are doing the right thing in the wrong way, inter operability should be a priority but not by some strange kludge that only works one way. Does anyone else agree that if this carries on for much longer it may be a job for legislation to bring the IM providers into line
One thing that really impressed me was the success of icq, I never really use it myself but a totaly centralized propriatry system being that big a success is not exactly the norm on the on interent.