Latest Techdirt Comments http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... tiny flaws in the plan http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/03160923172/chinese-hacks-google-database-surveillance-targets-highlight-how-dumb-technology-backdoors-are.shtml#c87 Wed, 22 May 2013 16:06:07 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/03160923172/chinese-hacks-google-database-surveillance-targets-highlight-how-dumb-technology-backdoors-are.shtml#c87 "Our brilliant American programmers, they assert, will find ways to enable wiretapping without creating new vulnerabilities."

1: China has some brilliant programmers too.

2: where excellent security is possible and has not yet been implemented, half of the time it's because no one wants to pay for it.

3: ...and the other half of the time, it's because it's slightly inconvenient to use.

4: this is supposed to be a free society, so when you try to install secret police, you're going to run into some problems. That's as it should be.]]> The public is not the government http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130506/10364522962/eric-schmidt-still-fan-figuring-out-way-to-erase-past.shtml#c98 Wed, 22 May 2013 16:04:30 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130506/10364522962/eric-schmidt-still-fan-figuring-out-way-to-erase-past.shtml#c98 Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/03160923172/chinese-hacks-google-database-surveillance-targets-highlight-how-dumb-technology-backdoors-are.shtml#c79 Wed, 22 May 2013 16:01:55 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/03160923172/chinese-hacks-google-database-surveillance-targets-highlight-how-dumb-technology-backdoors-are.shtml#c79 I thought we weren't at cyber war with China, Masnick? And that there was no such thing as cyber terrorism?


A bit of hacking isn't cyberwar or cyber terrorism. It's just hacking and some espionage. No one died because of this. No one ever said that there wasn't hacking going on backed by nation states, but that's not "cyber war." But, if we're talking about keeping people's private data safe, opening up backdoors is a bad way to do it.]]> Re: Re: As I've said, police aren't even thugs now, just attack dogs. http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c291 Wed, 22 May 2013 16:00:59 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c291
Oh, and take this egregious tenuously related dig: I bet EVERY ONE of those savages played violent video games until they could do it in real life. How could violent games possibly lead to any other behavior than savagery?
Once again Blue ignores any evidence contrary to his predetermined beliefs.
Even knowing OOB's history, I took that part of his comment as sarcasm, as in taking a dig at the people (including many cops) who claim that violent video games make people do violent crimes. Basically saying that since the police apparently beat this guy to death they must have been playing violent video games to cause them to do such a horrible thing.

Sadly I wouldn't be surprised to see them try that as an excuse if this ever goes to trial.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130506/10364522962/eric-schmidt-still-fan-figuring-out-way-to-erase-past.shtml#c82 Wed, 22 May 2013 15:59:41 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130506/10364522962/eric-schmidt-still-fan-figuring-out-way-to-erase-past.shtml#c82
I admire your optimism that people will do the right thing. We all live in a small town now where everyone knows what you did and what you're doing.]]> 3 cheers for dead pigs http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c267 Wed, 22 May 2013 15:58:16 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c267 Actually changing your name is not a bad way to do it http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130506/10364522962/eric-schmidt-still-fan-figuring-out-way-to-erase-past.shtml#c66 Wed, 22 May 2013 15:56:47 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130506/10364522962/eric-schmidt-still-fan-figuring-out-way-to-erase-past.shtml#c66
Unfortunately you can't do it selectively, and there will likely be agencies that will sell the service of connecting the old name to the new.

But I know when I changed my name at marriage my publication record essentially vanished.]]> Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/03160923172/chinese-hacks-google-database-surveillance-targets-highlight-how-dumb-technology-backdoors-are.shtml#c76 Wed, 22 May 2013 15:55:03 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/03160923172/chinese-hacks-google-database-surveillance-targets-highlight-how-dumb-technology-backdoors-are.shtml#c76
Makes one wonder about what standard one should use as far as setting up your network/website. There appears to be a lot of variety out there, and in the case of firewalls, default options are not necessarily best practice.]]> Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/00554723091/more-details-emerge-key-legal-fight-over-dmca-abuse.shtml#c449 Wed, 22 May 2013 15:51:12 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/00554723091/more-details-emerge-key-legal-fight-over-dmca-abuse.shtml#c449 Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c257 Wed, 22 May 2013 15:50:55 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c257 Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c253 Wed, 22 May 2013 15:49:59 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c253 Don't count on it. http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130506/10364522962/eric-schmidt-still-fan-figuring-out-way-to-erase-past.shtml#c41 Wed, 22 May 2013 15:42:15 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130506/10364522962/eric-schmidt-still-fan-figuring-out-way-to-erase-past.shtml#c41 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130506/10364522962/eric-schmidt-still-fan-figuring-out-way-to-erase-past.shtml#c26 Wed, 22 May 2013 15:42:08 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130506/10364522962/eric-schmidt-still-fan-figuring-out-way-to-erase-past.shtml#c26
I would hope that intelligent people would be aware of this and take it into consideration. We have all done things that we are not proud of but those things make up who we are today. Every human being makes mistakes (that is just human nature), but it takes a truly remarkable human being to learn and grow from those mistakes.]]> Bilderberg http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130506/10364522962/eric-schmidt-still-fan-figuring-out-way-to-erase-past.shtml#c15 Wed, 22 May 2013 15:40:53 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130506/10364522962/eric-schmidt-still-fan-figuring-out-way-to-erase-past.shtml#c15 Re: Re: As I've said, police aren't even thugs now, just attack dogs. http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c246 Wed, 22 May 2013 15:40:23 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c246
No, I think what he's saying is that the eye witness accounts against the police officers here should be taken more seriously. Instead, everyone is only upset about the videos being (allegedly) destroyed.

In which case I think blue is missing the point. No one is dismissing the eye witness testimonies against the cops. We are simply outraged that the cops (were even allowed) to take evidence potentially incriminating them and destroy it. The alleged evidence should have never been allowed to enter into the hands of the cops, the very suspects here.]]> I'm glad they actually arrested these guys http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/18102623141/so-its-come-to-this-seven-high-school-students-arrested-throwing-water-balloons.shtml#c1615 Wed, 22 May 2013 15:36:25 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/18102623141/so-its-come-to-this-seven-high-school-students-arrested-throwing-water-balloons.shtml#c1615 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c232 Wed, 22 May 2013 15:33:01 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c232
This alone is enough to convict them of murder. I WANT MURDER CONVICTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]]> thanks for the write up http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/16402423161/first-hand-account-judicial-smackdown-prenda-minnesota.shtml#c1251 Wed, 22 May 2013 15:31:31 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/16402423161/first-hand-account-judicial-smackdown-prenda-minnesota.shtml#c1251 Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/19190923142/if-youre-going-to-illegally-seize-citizens-cell-phones-least-make-sure-youre-grabbing-right-ones.shtml#c1211 Wed, 22 May 2013 15:28:10 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/19190923142/if-youre-going-to-illegally-seize-citizens-cell-phones-least-make-sure-youre-grabbing-right-ones.shtml#c1211 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/03160923172/chinese-hacks-google-database-surveillance-targets-highlight-how-dumb-technology-backdoors-are.shtml#c73 Wed, 22 May 2013 15:24:07 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/03160923172/chinese-hacks-google-database-surveillance-targets-highlight-how-dumb-technology-backdoors-are.shtml#c73