TypeKey Authentication Services will be part of MovableType 3.0. I am a little pissed off, since i was hoping they’d move to a system of local registration. but since they didn’t, we’ll probably go with this, since the other alternative they offer is me moderating each bloody post. That would lead to backup and hurt feelings. When they ship MovableType 3.0, we”ll move to TypeKey authentication. This will make it much easier for me to block out the spam in archives and ban the various AOL’ers who misbehave without having to ban all of the aol users in vermont or pilsen (well, to be honest I’m still toying with the notion of banning all comments from AOL–you people are supposed to be grownups, now quit hiding behind the kiddy ISP and act like it).
Archive for March, 2004
File sharers not guilty of copyright infringement rules Canadian judge. “I cannot see a real difference between a library that places a photocopy machine in a room full of copyrighted material and a computer user that places a personal copy on a shared directory linked to a P2P service,” he said.
(and today they begin hearings on the proposed PIRATE legislation, that would make the filesharing a federal civil case.)
How E-Voting Threatens Democracy, a Wired article that should scare you shitless. “The California file was time-stamped 3:31 p.m. on Election Day, indicating that Diebold might have obtained the data during voting. But polling precincts aren’t supposed to release votes until after polls close at 8 p.m. So Harris began to wonder if it were possible for the company to extract votes during an election and change them without anyone knowing.
A look at the Diebold tabulation program provided a possible answer.
Harris discovered that she could enter the vote database using Microsoft Access — a standard program often bundled with Microsoft Office — and change votes without leaving a trace. Diebold hadn’t password-protected the file or secured the audit log, so anyone with access to the tabulation program during an election — Diebold employees, election staff or even hackers if the county server were connected to a phone line — could change votes and alter the log to erase the evidence.”
Ed Foster’s Gripelog, SCO’s SCOsource license for Linux users offers you now protections from being sued by them: “In fact, you’re restricted to using “Object code (that) … is processed by a software compiler and is directly executable by a computer.” In other words, you can keep using Linux, but only so long as you don’t compile, recompile, or touch the source code at all.”
“Q: If SCO doesn’t offer a license that would permit the distribution of an in house customized Linux OS to internal data centers, what is the value of correcting the infringement on the part of my end users when my company as a whole is still infringing SCO’s intellectual property? What should I do?”
“A: Consider migrating from an in house customized version of Linux to a shrink wrap, off the shelf version of Linux and purchase the SCO IP license or switch to an alternative operating system. If you are unable to migrate, consider outsourcing the development of the customized Linux distribution. SCO understands that these options are very constraining and is investigating alternatives that both protect its intellectual property and are less burdensome for end users.”
Don’t even think of going there…
All of a sudden they interupted Jeopardy with a Special Report: Shrub had authorized Rice to speak with the commitee. At least that’s what i think the Shrub was saying, i was waiting for a buss and watching the close captioning through a store window. My knee jerk reaction is either they’re throying her to the dogs, or it’s time for the big lie. My second reaction was amusement at how the media was already reporting that she wasn’t going to serve in Shrub’s next cabinet, It’s amazing how Shrub has trivialized or used the african amerikans in his administration. Rice and the Powells have been turned into laughing stocks, marginalized or turned into scapegoats.
Mercury news/AP link: “WASHINGTON – Bowing to pressure, the White House will allow National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice to testify in public under oath before the commission investigating the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney also agreed to speak with the full panel privately.
To reach the compromise, the administration said Tuesdsay it had won agreement from the commission that it would seek no further public testimony from White House officials and that Rice’s appearance would not be viewed as a precedent.”
(so they are throwing her to the lions, to keep Rummy and Wolfy out of the public eye, and to prep the big lie)
Dr. Rice get’s hoist on her own petard. Great analysis of her canards and misstatements. (from Oakey)
The Wrong Stuff, in which Steven Weinberg argues that manned space exploration is worthless, dangerous, and a hindrance to real science. neatly avoids population pressure and resource issues, as well as job displacement aspects of his program of choice.
5th Circuit gives police new power in searches. “NEW ORLEANS — A federal appeals court has opened the door for police in Texas and two other states to search residences and buildings for evidence without a warrant — a ruling strongly criticized by two dissenting justices.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled police do not need an arrest or search warrant to conduct a swift sweep of private property to ensure their safety.”
5th Circuit gives police new power in searches. “NEW ORLEANS — A federal appeals court has opened the door for police in Texas and two other states to search residences and buildings for evidence without a warrant — a ruling strongly criticized by two dissenting justices.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled police do not need an arrest or search warrant to conduct a swift sweep of private property to ensure their safety.”
Koleman Strumpf, conservative Cato Institute affiliate just co authored a paper on file sharing. The upshot: “Even in the most pessimistic specification, five thousand downloads are needed to displace a single album sale…high selling albums actually benefit from file sharing.”
Meanwhile congress moves to criminalize P2P. Wired story.
“…on Thursday, Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) introduced a bill that would allow the Justice Department to pursue civil cases against file sharers, again making it easier for law enforcement to punish people trading copyright music over peer-to-peer networks. They dubbed the bill “Protecting Intellectual Rights Against Theft and Expropriation Act of 2004,” or the Pirate Act.”
Hatch’s senate site, “Public health and safety are also directly threatened by business models that tempt children toward piracy and pornography and then use them as “human shields” against law enforcement. ”
“As a result, our creative industries’ only remaining option to deter piracy is to bring enough civil enforcement actions against users of filesharing software. Tens of thousands of continuing civil enforcement actions might be needed to generate the necessary deterrence. I doubt that any nongovernmental organization has the resources or moral authority to pursue such a campaign.”
Corante Hatch strange ally of pornographers, shows RIAA cost of lawsuits and negative feeling would be passed to the Feds.
“Titan Media, a producer of gay pornography, is well-known for its aggressive copyright infringement actions (Titan Media Pumped-Up over digital distribution). I’m sure that they would be more than happy to cooperate and coordinate with DOJ lawyers to stop piracy of their products. How proud Hatch will be when the first DOJ-acquired restitution checks are turned over to purveyors of smut.”
