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User: onproton

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  1. and yet real secuirty research is all but outlawed on US Navy Solicits Zero Days · · Score: 1
    I am finding it harder and harder to accept that the people in charge of these types of programs aren't aware of just how glaringly hypocritical they are. I can't help but be reminded of the quote:

    We grow up in a controlled society, where we are told that when one person kills another person, that is murder, but when the government kills a hundred thousand, that is patriotism.
    - Howard Zinn

    Find a zero day and report it to someone who might fix it, that is criminal. Find a zero day and report it to the navy, you've done a service for your country. There is a unfortunate disconnect when the things the government does in the name of keeping us safe, end up making us all decidedly less safe in the end.

  2. Re:file transfer on Ask Slashdot: Old PC File Transfer Problem · · Score: 5, Informative

    Regarding this idea: a couple of years back I bought this universal hard drive adaptor, since then it has gotten me out of quite a number of jams. After removing the drive, you can attach it to one of the adapter's IDE/PATA/SATA ports and directly access the files via a USB connection from the adapter - I'd say this is probably the least frustrating way to handle this situation.

  3. Re:The Constitution is Clear - Tenth Amendment on When It Comes To Spy Gear, Many Police Ignore Public Records Laws · · Score: 5, Interesting

    "The test for whether one is living in a police state is that those who are charged with enforcing the law are allowed to break the laws with impunity." -- J. Roland

  4. Knowledge Networks on Interviews: Ask Stephen Wolfram a Question · · Score: 1

    How close are we to being able to have the kind of system you discuss in your TED talk on computing a theory of all knowledge, and how do you think we could use this kind of approach in practice to improve the reliability of information that people are reading on the web? How would you suggest it might be integrated within the current framework to provide possible utility outside of the Wolfram Alpha site itself, if at all?

  5. Re: Symptom, not cause on EFF Takes On Online Harassment · · Score: 1

    "Your "solution" to your own hypothetical stalker situation amounts to forcing that woman to allow herself to be chased and hunted like a prey animal."

    This.

  6. Re: Why register amazonsucks.buy if its exclusive? on Amazon Purchases .buy TLD For $4.6 Million · · Score: 1

    Says reserved not registered, just poking a bit of fun at Amazon, couldn't help myself :)

  7. Re:Uhm... can I block this? on Amazon Purchases .buy TLD For $4.6 Million · · Score: 1

    +1

  8. Re:No, they don't cause weight gain on Study Finds Link Between Artificial Sweeteners and Glucose Intolerance · · Score: 1

    Here is one, and here is another, although there are many conflicting studies on this issue - definitely needs more review.

  9. Re:No, they don't cause weight gain on Study Finds Link Between Artificial Sweeteners and Glucose Intolerance · · Score: 1

    There have been numerous studies linking artificial sweeteners to both obesity and altered metabolic states, however some of the studies in question may be self-fulfilling prophesies. For example, of course individuals that consume "diet," or no-calorie products are more likely to be overweight, that is likely why they consume them. That being said, there is still significant evidence that these products can indeed cause weight gain, though there is not enough to conclude much more than, "it's worth looking into."

  10. Re:Study evaluated sacharin vs glucose on Study Finds Link Between Artificial Sweeteners and Glucose Intolerance · · Score: 1
  11. Re:What about Pro-Biotics, though? on Study Finds Link Between Artificial Sweeteners and Glucose Intolerance · · Score: 2
  12. Re:forget just informing them on Verizon Pays $7.4 Million To Settle FCC Privacy Investigation · · Score: 1

    If only there were such a thing in this industry.

  13. forget just informing them on Verizon Pays $7.4 Million To Settle FCC Privacy Investigation · · Score: 4, Insightful

    These "automatic opt-ins" should be completely outlawed in every case. I can't come to terms with the notion that someone's inaction can mean that they agree - it should have to be a positive affirmation.

  14. Re:That'll teach them on Verizon Pays $7.4 Million To Settle FCC Privacy Investigation · · Score: 1

    Also, how much compensation did the affected customers receive? Even if the punishment were painful, why does FCC get all of it?

    I was going to say, that doesn't really make sense. It is the customers that were harmed, they should get some sort of compensation for the breech of their privacy, shouldn't they?

  15. Re:Change your password and enable 2 factor auth.. on Hackers Behind Biggest-Ever Password Theft Begin Attacks · · Score: 2

    My suggestion to Namecheap (and other domain registrars or hosting companies) would be to lock them all down if possible, force all users to change the passwords from e-mail or other contact method before they can login again. We don't know what they have and we don't know what their plans are. This is a gaping security hole in the internet.

  16. Larger Implications? on Hackers Behind Biggest-Ever Password Theft Begin Attacks · · Score: 1

    Reports at the time were that they stole billions of passwords, so why only target the domain registrar? This could be a sign of worse things to come, how many accounts have they accessed without alerting an IDS, and what are they doing once they gain entry. By starting with the domain registrars, they could gain much more information than even their previous massive trove of user data. This is highly troubling.

  17. Sarcasm Detector on IBM Opens Up Its Watson Supercomputer To Researchers · · Score: 1

    The intersection of linguistics and technology is fascinating and all, but 90% of the "natural language" data on the internet is sarcasm and/or trolls. Perhaps when the Secret Service finishes up their "sarcasm detector" they can partner up with IBM and be super villains together.

  18. Re:What are you downloading? on Ask Slashdot: What To Do About Repeated Internet Overbilling? · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Does it matter? In my opinion, the fact that they can't provide evidence of usage that could be independently verified is absurd.

  19. Re:admission of guilt? on 850 Billion NSA Surveillance Records Searchable By Domestic Law Enforcement · · Score: 1

    My opinion? In short - because we as a society have completely lost touch with reality. Many either 1. don't care, 2. don't know, or 3. are complicit. The conversation is going on, but not everyone wants to get up off the couch to come to the table. It's a complex issue that requires more than 140 characters; it requires thought about consequences and compromise - I've found that not many people are really interested in thinking deeply about these things.

  20. Re: I do not know how you can laugh ... on 850 Billion NSA Surveillance Records Searchable By Domestic Law Enforcement · · Score: 1

    So there are some that haven't been identified as US persons and floating around the database? Also how does searching for a minimized record work - ex. would it still come up in a search if you typed the name/number even if it is masked?

  21. Re: I do not know how you can laugh ... on 850 Billion NSA Surveillance Records Searchable By Domestic Law Enforcement · · Score: 1

    Icreach user here. The records are not dossiers, but call metadata, as in this number called this other number. Or did you think there were 850 billion people on earth? Also, congress mandated NSA shared data after 9/11, and icreach was the answer.

    Not sure if this is satire or not, but if you have actually used ICReach I am curious about how easy it is to get information on U.S. citizens through the databases with "minimization" etc

  22. Re:Parallel BS on 850 Billion NSA Surveillance Records Searchable By Domestic Law Enforcement · · Score: 1

    I think the most frightening thing about parallel construction is how few shits the officers appear to give about it (from the article). "But two senior DEA officials defended the program, and said trying to "recreate" an investigative trail is not only legal but a technique that is used almost daily." or "Parallel construction is a law enforcement technique we use every day," one official said. "It's decades old, a bedrock concept." - since when is my question.

  23. Re:admission of guilt? on 850 Billion NSA Surveillance Records Searchable By Domestic Law Enforcement · · Score: 2

    There hasn't been much of an "admission" of anything from these agencies, let alone guilt or wrongdoing. The surveillance practices currently employed, as shown by documents leaked by Edward Snowden and others, take a "collect it all" kind of approach in which they assert that they must have the proverbial haystack before they can find the needle. In fact, data on innocents is far more abundant than even the data stored on targeted individuals, and this includes many, many American citizens.

  24. Re:Dropbox sucks on Dropbox Caught Between Warring Giants Amazon and Google · · Score: 1

    Came here to comment about dropbox + condoleezza rice being the worst possible combination imaginable, and looks like your comment wraps that up pretty nicely.

  25. I hope not on If Java Wasn't Cool 10 Years Ago, What About Now? · · Score: 1

    Java is the (only) required programming course for the IT major at my University. /sigh