Comments by G Thompson

Comments by G Thompson http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130603/02240523294/dan-brown-video-games-lead-to-violence.shtml#c888 Thu, 6 Jun 2013 10:36:22 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130603/02240523294/dan-brown-video-games-lead-to-violence.shtml#c888
I think Dan Brown novels are very dangerous.

The quantity of hours that people spend reading this quasi historical drivel that is straight out of conspiracy playbooks. It becomes a reality of some sort, they start to believe the crap, and that's just a part of it. It really comes down to educating schools and parents. To say 'you know what, you shouldn't read that drivel without understanding the real historical facts, sorry, and until you understand the reality from the fictional weirdness that is in Dan browns head I'm just not going to let you do it'.

There... better now]]> Re: Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130605/07372323324/once-again-courts-struggle-with-whether-not-forcing-you-to-decrypt-your-computer-is-unconstitutional.shtml#c572 Thu, 6 Jun 2013 03:18:36 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130605/07372323324/once-again-courts-struggle-with-whether-not-forcing-you-to-decrypt-your-computer-is-unconstitutional.shtml#c572 http://phys.org/news/2013-05-los-alamos-reveals-quantum-network.html ] ) though at half the time it's still about a million years to brute force all combinations... ;)]]> Re: Incriminate Yourself http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130605/07372323324/once-again-courts-struggle-with-whether-not-forcing-you-to-decrypt-your-computer-is-unconstitutional.shtml#c571 Thu, 6 Jun 2013 03:10:32 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130605/07372323324/once-again-courts-struggle-with-whether-not-forcing-you-to-decrypt-your-computer-is-unconstitutional.shtml#c571 In fact, I assume a decrypted drive sitting open permits capture of the passowrd.

It normally does allow a better chance to capture a password but even more so it allows you to capture the un-encrypted data available in that session and within memory.

This is why ALL LEO's who have been briefed properly about digital evidence are told DO NOT ALLOW DEVICES TO BE SWITCHED TO AN ALTERNATE STATE. ie: If On .. DO NOT TURN OFF and vise versa.

Also interestingly there are now double blind encryption systems that accept multiple passwords/keys and only one will actually decrypt REAL data the others either decrypt dummy data whilst destroying the real data. Now that's problematic]]> Re: Re: Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130603/02204423292/new-anti-prenda-court-filing-lays-out-tons-evidence-suggesting-john-steele-uploaded-videos-to-bittorrent-himself.shtml#c1331 Thu, 6 Jun 2013 02:47:59 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130603/02204423292/new-anti-prenda-court-filing-lays-out-tons-evidence-suggesting-john-steele-uploaded-videos-to-bittorrent-himself.shtml#c1331
Though admittedly I deal a lot with Laws (criminal, civil, and administrative) from different jurisdictions with what I do on a day to day basis. Also the differences between UK, Canada, USA, New Zealand and my own Australian laws on basic & historical principals are very similar (we all come under common law systems).]]> Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130603/02204423292/new-anti-prenda-court-filing-lays-out-tons-evidence-suggesting-john-steele-uploaded-videos-to-bittorrent-himself.shtml#c944 Tue, 4 Jun 2013 02:46:25 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130603/02204423292/new-anti-prenda-court-filing-lays-out-tons-evidence-suggesting-john-steele-uploaded-videos-to-bittorrent-himself.shtml#c944 with intent allowed a file to be downloaded with the sole intention of threatening the downloader with harm.

This can all come under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (18 U.S.C.]]> Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130603/02204423292/new-anti-prenda-court-filing-lays-out-tons-evidence-suggesting-john-steele-uploaded-videos-to-bittorrent-himself.shtml#c928 Tue, 4 Jun 2013 02:39:43 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130603/02204423292/new-anti-prenda-court-filing-lays-out-tons-evidence-suggesting-john-steele-uploaded-videos-to-bittorrent-himself.shtml#c928 Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130526/18324423215/ip-commission-thinks-you-should-pay-chinas-infringement.shtml#c274 Thu, 30 May 2013 12:10:21 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130526/18324423215/ip-commission-thinks-you-should-pay-chinas-infringement.shtml#c274 Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130528/09321723228/piano-instructor-claims-copyright-writing-letters-piano-keys.shtml#c508 Wed, 29 May 2013 23:50:14 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130528/09321723228/piano-instructor-claims-copyright-writing-letters-piano-keys.shtml#c508 Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130528/09321723228/piano-instructor-claims-copyright-writing-letters-piano-keys.shtml#c492 Wed, 29 May 2013 23:46:47 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130528/09321723228/piano-instructor-claims-copyright-writing-letters-piano-keys.shtml#c492
The famous reply in Arkell v. Pressdram (1971) [unreported] which is quoted by all solicitors in the UK and other commonwealth countries - in the USA it can even be used as well though Ken White's from Popehat "snort my taint" phrase is sometimes better ;)

Therefore:

[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]

Sir/s,

I refer you to the reply given in Arkell and Pressdram.

Yours [Your Name]

Is the best legal response to anything like this

:)]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/15080223207/gmacguffins-favorite-techdirt-posts-week.shtml#c134 Sun, 26 May 2013 03:05:10 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/15080223207/gmacguffins-favorite-techdirt-posts-week.shtml#c134 Yet, some lawyers can't seem to remember that they are nothing but a particular skill set and their own reputation, i.e., that being ethical actually does pay.

This +10

My job is not to file lawsuits -- it is to resolve problems that the client needs resolved; to be the buffer between my client and the other guy. Lawsuits are what you do when nothing else works.

This +100

As for the two imbecilic commentators (at time of posting) above they themselves don't even pass my laugh test (though they pass the 'stupidity' test) especially when I see you have outed yourself TCJ ;) - Though it is up to the intelligent investigator to actually figure out who McGuff actually is...

Well done McGuff]]> Re: Sodastream Ripoff http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110311/01465413450/dailydirt-diy-soda-pop-whatever-you-call-carbonated-beverages.shtml#c78 Fri, 24 May 2013 23:52:14 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110311/01465413450/dailydirt-diy-soda-pop-whatever-you-call-carbonated-beverages.shtml#c78
The syrup costs RRP of $6.95 and seeing as a 2L bottle of coke from the supermarket costs when not on special of average $4.00 (a 1.25Litre bottle costs approx $2.80) Sodastream is very cost effective here.. The UK is equivalent in costs of coke/pepsi and savings I am told too.

Though I agree with you about the pressure difference's and the 'fizz' it doesn't really give.]]> Re: Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/01382223168/new-york-times-tells-startup-it-cant-even-mention-ny-times.shtml#c383 Wed, 22 May 2013 11:40:44 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/01382223168/new-york-times-tells-startup-it-cant-even-mention-ny-times.shtml#c383
Right.... of course they would be okay with something *similar*..

As to the NYT's themselves they have no legal leg whatsoever to stand on in this matter there have been numerous precedents of demo's of other persons works to explain what the 'new' thing can do better and more efficiently..

Basically the NYT is suffering from Butthurtitis and the NYT lawyers need to get their heads out of theirs]]> Re: These sites are all bad and must be taken down. http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/11552823150/major-hollywood-studios-all-sent-bogus-dmca-takedowns-concerning-pirate-bay-documentary.shtml#c684 Tue, 21 May 2013 01:18:34 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/11552823150/major-hollywood-studios-all-sent-bogus-dmca-takedowns-concerning-pirate-bay-documentary.shtml#c684 Advocating for known criminals and criminality is dicey at best.
Remember to state that the next time you need an attorney for any alleged wrongs you might of committed.. I'm sure it will go down well with your counsel's attitude towards you]]> Re: Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/11552823150/major-hollywood-studios-all-sent-bogus-dmca-takedowns-concerning-pirate-bay-documentary.shtml#c669 Tue, 21 May 2013 01:15:30 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/11552823150/major-hollywood-studios-all-sent-bogus-dmca-takedowns-concerning-pirate-bay-documentary.shtml#c669
If the outliers were the abuses then you might have a point, instead you are stating that abuse of process is okay because the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.. WHO FUCKING DECIDES???!!!!]]> Re: Re: Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130516/12483923107/nz-supreme-court-will-review-kim-dotcoms-extradition-case.shtml#c809 Sat, 18 May 2013 03:37:47 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130516/12483923107/nz-supreme-court-will-review-kim-dotcoms-extradition-case.shtml#c809 as more outs and more appeal levels than almost any court system on the planet

Interestingly the court systems where There are better and more appeal levels and work more with procedural fairness (what the US Systems DOES NOT HAVE) are the New Zealand and Australian ones... Based off the English system... Canada isn't far behind those two either.. the UK sadly has become more US like in its judicial processes.

Kim would NEVER have a fair trial in the US court systems, and the notion of a fair trial nowadays with anything to do with high profile criminal or civil cases in the US is ONLY when it suits the USG's purposes. Your (the US's) societal system is crumbling already, you're just too blinkered and close to understand what you have lost over the last 30yrs]]> Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130516/12483923107/nz-supreme-court-will-review-kim-dotcoms-extradition-case.shtml#c806 Sat, 18 May 2013 03:32:48 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130516/12483923107/nz-supreme-court-will-review-kim-dotcoms-extradition-case.shtml#c806 Remember, extradition doesn't equate to guilt.

Correct, his guilt has already retrospectively been decided beforehand by your Grand Jury (called a Star Chamber everywhere else). The extradition is just to allow the GJ process to get to do what it does best, convict everyone and their ham sandwich based on third party unreliable unauthentic hearsay and rhetoric]]> Re: Re: Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130510/13023123037/lots-people-dont-turn-off-their-devices-when-they-fly.shtml#c1256 Sat, 18 May 2013 03:13:41 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130510/13023123037/lots-people-dont-turn-off-their-devices-when-they-fly.shtml#c1256
All electronics in aircraft are shielded, there have been none, zilch, nada, Zero cases of ANY consumer electronic devices causing ANY problems whatsoever with any aircraft sub systems or external systems like TACAN, etc anywhere on the planet in the history of air travel.

There is already a quasi Faraday cage around every single commercial aircraft anyway.. it's caused by the friction of going through the air at speed above 150mph giving off a static charge. There are even subsystems on the aircraft to compensate for this problematic static charge and faraday effect.

Whether the instruments are in the cockpit (in commercial airliners the cockpit holds the least amount of computers.. in fact most computers etc in 747's etc are normally in a hold above the front wheel truck) is irrelevant to any interference from devices that barely come close to matching background radiation (sunspots cause more problems than anything else ever).]]> Re: Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130510/17292223040/judge-not-impressed-rakofsky-v-internet-dismisses-defamation-claims.shtml#c193 Sat, 11 May 2013 05:55:16 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130510/17292223040/judge-not-impressed-rakofsky-v-internet-dismisses-defamation-claims.shtml#c193 Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130510/17292223040/judge-not-impressed-rakofsky-v-internet-dismisses-defamation-claims.shtml#c81 Fri, 10 May 2013 23:08:07 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130510/17292223040/judge-not-impressed-rakofsky-v-internet-dismisses-defamation-claims.shtml#c81 Re: A tough sell http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130507/21473422998/ea-says-its-going-to-keep-using-manufacturers-guns-its-games-its-just-done-asking-permission.shtml#c506 Fri, 10 May 2013 10:45:01 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130507/21473422998/ea-says-its-going-to-keep-using-manufacturers-guns-its-games-its-just-done-asking-permission.shtml#c506
Basically means Bell Heli's now in BF3 are flying coffins, ie: CRAP!!!!!! though the Attack heli's now aren't much better..

Disclaimer: I love blowing up heli's.. though I normally use RPG/SMAW's to do so. Muwahahahaha]]>