|
|
|
March 10th, 2012
07:42 am - Mass Effect 3
If you're not a Mass Effect fan, no need to read further. You'll probably be bored. Oh, and warning... here there be Spoilers.
( Read more... )
|
February 26th, 2012
03:32 pm - Test
This is a test post from my phone.
Current Location: 29.81794, -82.57623
|
February 23rd, 2012
February 20th, 2012
04:53 pm
After a long Hiatus, I am returning to LJ.
Other social media just doesn't give the discussion depth and detail that I like.
Admittedly, I spend more time in communities than here. Just a bit curious... anyone still read this?
-= Nat
Current Mood:  sleepy
|
November 17th, 2010
12:28 pm - COICA
Be aware of COICA! aka The "Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act"
The details of the legislation, including exact text, can be found here:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-3804
This legislation goes to the Judiciary committee tomorrow. If you haven't heard of it, that should concern you, in that you ought to have heard of legislation that could have sweeping effects on the internet.
The heart of the bill is to define certain sites as "dedicated to infringing activities" (infringing on copyright, that is) and to give the courts the power to prevent all U.S. internet service providers and other agencies that do domain name routing, from routing to the blacklisted domain names.
This is an effort to attack piracy by specifically going after those web sites which somehow facilitate acts of piracy, without actually performing those act themselves. This is most likely aimed at things like torrent sites, but it might also include services like YouTube. The definition of "dedicated to infringing activities" is interesting, specifically...
" A) primarily designed, has no demonstrable, commercially significant purpose or use other than, or is marketed by its operator, or by a person acting in concert with the operator, to offer [X]"
"(B) engaged in the activities described in subparagraph (A), and when taken together, such activities are central to the activity of the Internet site or sites accessed through a specific domain name."
Where [X] is a complicated legalese way of saying "things that infringe copyright"
I think the definition is interesting for 2 reasons. Firstly, it immediately exempts any site that has a COMMERCIALLY SIGNIFICANT purpose, other than copyright infringement. There are no similar exemptions for political or education purposes, so, we can see the primary interests behind the authors of the bill. Secondly, the language in subparagraph B appears to my legally untutored eye as intentionaly vauge in a way that invites abuse.
If a court finds that a domain name fulfills the definition of a site "dedicated to infringing activities" it goes on a blacklist such that all ISPs and other DNs providing agents in the U.S. cannot route to it. Interestingly, there is a second list, which the Attorney General's Office can add domain names to without any court order. The AGO simply needs to allege that some domain name is dedicated to infringing activities, and while DNS providers would not be REQUIRED to blacklist those domains, they would be granted immunity for doing so... wink-wink, nod-nod.
So, yeah, I have some objections. But the big one is that this bill can't really get at hardcore piracy, because the people involved in that are networked with each other in ways that can easily circumvent a simple blacklist of Domain Names. Remember, all this legislation does is compel domestic registration services and DNS providing agents to comply with a black list of domain names. Anyone with a passing knowledge of networking knows that if the DNS server is down, you can get where you want to go by Direct IP. There's no reason that a torrent site dedicated to piracy can't spread their direct IP via word of mouth.. and here "Mouth" means any public forum, blog, journal, or chat room on the internet. Furthermore, you can change your DNS, such that you get routing from a non-domestic DNS server... one that doesn't have to comply with COICA.
Some people are comparing this legislation to China's great firewall, but with all its holes at best its a "Great Colander". Seeing as how it is so deeply flawed, why bother?
Is it a genuine but flawed and poorly thought out way to combat piracy?
Or, is it only meant to counter 'casual' piracy?
Or, is it a way to grant business interests a larger club to hold over internet content providers? Would YouTube have gone to court against Viacom to protect the fair use of content on Youtube if it had known that a simple allegation by the AGO, independent of any court decision, would be enough to prevent users all over America from getting to its site?
|
October 1st, 2010
10:28 pm - Good read
I just finished George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia. I heartily recommend it to anyone interested in:
a) The history leading up to WW II;
b) a worm's eye view of revolution;
c) the internecine conflict between the various factions of The Left / Communism / Socialism / Anarchism in the 30's.
You can see the origin of Orwell's implacable hatred for the dishonesty of Stalinist communism that would fuel Nineteen Eighty-Four a decade later.
|
July 27th, 2010
July 14th, 2010
10:51 am - Coolness....
I had to analyze my rant on Solar panels to get this one... most of my larger entries, I supposedly write like some dude named Dan Brown... though I did have one that came up as like Poe.
|
June 30th, 2010
June 22nd, 2010
12:23 pm - Some Fun...
How about Some Google Maps based Meemeage?
This works with Chrome and with Firefox. The method described at step 1,E requiers a Java based browsier,
but there should be a way to do it in IE as well. In any case...
Show us where you had your first kiss!!!
Step one: Get the Lattitude and Longitude.
A) Go to: http://maps.google.com/
B) Select the "Earth" button on the upper right. It might need to download a plug in.
C) Use the Google Earth Tool to zero in on the place.
D) Use the Zoom Slider or the Plus button to Zoom in close to your place.
E) Once centered, paste the following into the URL box of your browser:
javascript:void(prompt('',gApplication.getMap().getCenter()));
This will make a pop up window with lattitude and longitude points in this kind of format:
(29.640798711895794, -82.34496640990616)
(The above happens to be my work building)
F) Post your Lat/Longs!
Step 2: To look at other people's places.
A) Go to http://maps.google.com/
B) Paste the posted Lat/long in the above format into the "search maps" box.
It will zoom and and you'll see a green arrow pointing to the place!
Mine: (28.404717577808636, -80.591687732899)
|
|
|
disappointed