http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120702/03412919549/congress-plays-see-no-evil-pretend-theres-no-evil-let-the-evil-continue-with-nsa-domestic-spying.shtml#c320 Tue, 3 Jul 2012 01:04:15 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120702/03412919549/congress-plays-see-no-evil-pretend-theres-no-evil-let-the-evil-continue-with-nsa-domestic-spying.shtml#c320
Of course anyone who leaks the evidence will be accused of being a terrorist, threatened with assassination, and / or imprisoned.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120407/01514018419/sf-students-suspended-barred-walking-graduation-because-they-joked-about-teachers-blog.shtml#c606 Mon, 9 Apr 2012 13:53:01 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120407/01514018419/sf-students-suspended-barred-walking-graduation-because-they-joked-about-teachers-blog.shtml#c606 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120407/01514018419/sf-students-suspended-barred-walking-graduation-because-they-joked-about-teachers-blog.shtml#c585 Mon, 9 Apr 2012 13:43:03 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120407/01514018419/sf-students-suspended-barred-walking-graduation-because-they-joked-about-teachers-blog.shtml#c585 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120405/17321218398/google-maps-exodus-continues-as-wikipedia-mobile-apps-switch-to-openstreetmap.shtml#c378 Sat, 7 Apr 2012 07:35:45 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120405/17321218398/google-maps-exodus-continues-as-wikipedia-mobile-apps-switch-to-openstreetmap.shtml#c378 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120405/17321218398/google-maps-exodus-continues-as-wikipedia-mobile-apps-switch-to-openstreetmap.shtml#c363 Sat, 7 Apr 2012 07:32:44 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120405/17321218398/google-maps-exodus-continues-as-wikipedia-mobile-apps-switch-to-openstreetmap.shtml#c363 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120404/12263218371/ip-above-all-else-wipo-defies-un-sanctions-to-give-computers-to-north-korea.shtml#c325 Thu, 5 Apr 2012 15:14:12 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120404/12263218371/ip-above-all-else-wipo-defies-un-sanctions-to-give-computers-to-north-korea.shtml#c325
Interesting fact (to put the Nuclear threat in perspective): America has actually lost (and failed to recover) more nuclear weapons (11) than N Korea is rumored to possess (10).]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120404/12263218371/ip-above-all-else-wipo-defies-un-sanctions-to-give-computers-to-north-korea.shtml#c228 Thu, 5 Apr 2012 10:02:33 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120404/12263218371/ip-above-all-else-wipo-defies-un-sanctions-to-give-computers-to-north-korea.shtml#c228
Even the United States Department of State does not consider N Korea to be a sponsor of terrorism.

When the world's biggest bully has one of the world's largest nuclear arsenals, any country that entertains delusions of kicking that bully in the head has no choice but get tooled up.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120131/00454517597/homeland-security-denies-entrance-to-uk-tourist-because-twitter-joke.shtml#c1736 Thu, 2 Feb 2012 02:38:43 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120131/00454517597/homeland-security-denies-entrance-to-uk-tourist-because-twitter-joke.shtml#c1736
Saudi Arabia is quite open (righteous?) about its restrictions, unlike the US which appears to be a democracy but by many accounts seems to behave like a police-state. The other important difference is that Saudi Arabia does not have the influence on the rest of the world that the US does.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120123/04464117512/megaupload-indictment-shows-that-google-does-actively-police-against-its-ads-showing-near-infringement.shtml#c1030 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:24:41 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120123/04464117512/megaupload-indictment-shows-that-google-does-actively-police-against-its-ads-showing-near-infringement.shtml#c1030 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120113/03110217398/apparently-if-your-domain-has-dirt-name-section-230-safe-harbors-dont-apply-uh-oh.shtml#c363 Sat, 28 Jan 2012 07:27:45 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120113/03110217398/apparently-if-your-domain-has-dirt-name-section-230-safe-harbors-dont-apply-uh-oh.shtml#c363
Professionals like lawyers, accountants, doctors, etc often pay a hefty price for bad decisions, negligence, etc. What are the consequences for judges? (Hypothetically of course - I would not dare suggest that an actual judge had made a bad decision - it is probably illegal :) )]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111219/10560017130/klm-to-allow-people-to-pick-seatmates-based-social-media-profiles.shtml#c134 Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:37:34 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111219/10560017130/klm-to-allow-people-to-pick-seatmates-based-social-media-profiles.shtml#c134 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111221/16422817161/scribd-comes-out-against-sopa-making-documents-disappear.shtml#c144 Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:20:17 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111221/16422817161/scribd-comes-out-against-sopa-making-documents-disappear.shtml#c144 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111027/00493916534/iran-outlaws-vpns-any-other-attempt-to-get-around-filters.shtml#c277 Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:58:23 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111027/00493916534/iran-outlaws-vpns-any-other-attempt-to-get-around-filters.shtml#c277 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111027/00493916534/iran-outlaws-vpns-any-other-attempt-to-get-around-filters.shtml#c263 Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:50:04 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111027/00493916534/iran-outlaws-vpns-any-other-attempt-to-get-around-filters.shtml#c263 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111022/23590416468/times-change-dominant-tech-firms-change.shtml#c95 Wed, 26 Oct 2011 01:21:58 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111022/23590416468/times-change-dominant-tech-firms-change.shtml#c95
I suspect that many of the laws we have today exist for this reason.

It is ironic that there are people who believe government is competent to tell business / individuals how to run their affairs when government cannot seem to manage its own.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111014/03070416351/college-studentdeveloper-gives-up-pays-lodsys.shtml#c198 Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:34:05 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111014/03070416351/college-studentdeveloper-gives-up-pays-lodsys.shtml#c198 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111012/09100416324/does-amazon-want-to-monopolize-entire-publishing-chain.shtml#c288 Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:11:09 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111012/09100416324/does-amazon-want-to-monopolize-entire-publishing-chain.shtml#c288 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110928/12470016125/does-nypd-really-think-that-shooting-photosvideos-protests-is-disorderly-conduct.shtml#c347 Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:04:32 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110928/12470016125/does-nypd-really-think-that-shooting-photosvideos-protests-is-disorderly-conduct.shtml#c347 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110902/04163415790/man-facing-75-years-jail-recording-police-illinois-assistant-ag-says-no-right-to-record-police.shtml#c565 Fri, 2 Sep 2011 12:30:04 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110902/04163415790/man-facing-75-years-jail-recording-police-illinois-assistant-ag-says-no-right-to-record-police.shtml#c565
The moment the American people allowed their government to openly hold people without trial and commit torture, America became a police-state.

Expect to see more of the same and worse...

No right to carry a firearm...even if you actually do have the right (Connecticut):
www.theagitator.com/2011/08/27/ignorance-of-the-law-is-no-excuse-unless-youre-in-law-enforcement-2/

No right to resist criminal police action (Indiana):
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_ec169697-a19e-525f-a532-81b3df229697.html]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110902/04163415790/man-facing-75-years-jail-recording-police-illinois-assistant-ag-says-no-right-to-record-police.shtml#c223 Fri, 2 Sep 2011 11:56:57 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110902/04163415790/man-facing-75-years-jail-recording-police-illinois-assistant-ag-says-no-right-to-record-police.shtml#c223