tracker1 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (221) comment rss

  • On the post: Online Security Isn't Over; It's Just Beginning

    tracker1 ( profile ), 06 Sep, 2013 @ 03:21pm

    DNS Sec + Signing

    I think that working around CAs and allow self-signing via DNSSec is probably the first step... the biggest points keeping out broader SSH are shared hosting (multiple IPs, one IP), and the CAs, which if compromised, may as well be public.

  • On the post: Journalist For Time Magazine Announces His Eagerness To Defend US Drone Strike Killing Julian Assange

    tracker1 ( profile ), 19 Aug, 2013 @ 09:25am

    Isn't Time Magazine...

    the same magazine that once named Hitler as "Man of The Year"?

  • On the post: Lawmakers Issued License Plates That Make Them 'Invisible' To Traffic Cams And Parking Tickets

    tracker1 ( profile ), 06 Aug, 2013 @ 04:09pm

    Tow the vehicles...

    One thing I thought was funny, in an episode of Vegas, the Sheriff had the FBI agents' vehicle towed for illegally parking. It would seem to me, that booting, and towing said vehicles would be a natural step.

  • On the post: Surprise: Obama's New US Trade Rep Overturns ITC, Stops Ban On Apple Products

    tracker1 ( profile ), 05 Aug, 2013 @ 10:04am

    Does this mean the U.S. goes on the 301 report?

    I'm just curious if this means that the U.S. will go on the next special 301 report... I mean, the U.S. government is actively acting against it's trade interests. Bad U.S. Government... I think it's important that we (the U.S.) enact trade sanctions against this anti-trade regime immediately.

  • On the post: Rep. Mike Rogers Blocking Other Congressional Reps From Access To Info On NSA Surveillance

    tracker1 ( profile ), 05 Aug, 2013 @ 10:15am

    In other news...

    Today congressman Alan Grayson has disappeared... when the DoJ was asked if they were responsible, they stated that they cannot comment on the existence or non-existence of an investigation surrounding the congressman that may, or may not be related to the PATRIOT Act.

  • On the post: Piracy Doesn't Create A Loss To 'The Economy,' But To A Particular Industry

    tracker1 ( profile ), 02 Aug, 2013 @ 10:24am

    Easy...

    1i (imaginary number, just like the ones the MAFIAA use)

  • On the post: Irony Alert: Obama Opposes Amash Amendment Because It's A 'Blunt Approach' And Not A Product Of 'Open' Process

    tracker1 ( profile ), 24 Jul, 2013 @ 02:33am

    Hmmm...

    Though I agree with many of your sentiments.. not having government employees regulate industries they worked in would be difficult... You don't ever want a doctor as head of the FDA? Though, there is a lot of cronyism, I think what you propose would have a lot of unintended consequences.

    Regarding banking, there are a lot of efforts to restore post great depression banking legislation that worked pretty well for over 40 years, until deregulation started in the late 70's and early 80's.

    I'd like to see huge swaths of the central government cut myself. As to any amendments to the constitution, it would be nearly impossible these days... Far easier to pass dismissive legislation and have the courts uphold it.

  • On the post: Court Says Reporters Can Be Compelled To Give Up Sources In Whistleblowing Cases

    tracker1 ( profile ), 19 Jul, 2013 @ 03:23pm

    What about the 5th Amendment?

    If they can be "compelled" to reveal a source because not doing so is illegal, doesn't that mean they have 5th amendment protections?

  • On the post: How Three Decades Of Conservative Chief Justices Turned The FISA Court Into A Rubber Stamp

    tracker1 ( profile ), 26 Jun, 2013 @ 03:39pm

    Re: We let the Chief Justice nominate these people WHY? How is that legal?

    FISA judges are picked by the Chief Justice, but that pool of judges are already approved Federal Court judges... they are given an "additional" assignment of hearing FISA cases.

    I think the trouble is that the FISA courts should probably have been established similar to other "district" courts but with a more narrow purpose. Unfortunately they don't work like a typical Article 3 court.

  • On the post: Broadcasters To FCC: Now That Our Audience Is Gone, Can We Swear More?

    tracker1 ( profile ), 26 Jun, 2013 @ 10:05am

    I feel both are accurate

    I think part of it is being able to talk in an adult context like real people. Being able to say "fuck" is part of that, but not the whole.

    The cable networks are working for better, original content. The TV networks are far more about the latest low-cost reality TV series with 20+ minutes of commercials per hour of programming, not producing great shows. Game of Thrones, Dexter and Breaking Bad wouldn't take much change at all to be on broadcast TV, certainly not enough to ruin said shows.

    Hell, the same studios make a lot of the cable shows that are great, as make shows for broadcast TV... guess what, broadcast TV doesn't want an awesome show that will cost a couple million an episode for acting, when they can come up with yet another reality or contest show where the bulk of the people on the show are unpaid. "You mean we can pay one celebrity, and everyone else on screen gets zip, then we can pay out the winner six figures and call it good? F***ing awesome!"

  • On the post: NSA: If Your Data Is Encrypted, You Might Be Evil, So We'll Keep It Until We're Sure

    tracker1 ( profile ), 21 Jun, 2013 @ 03:24pm

    The scariest part...

    I think the scariest part of that statement is: "or reasonably believed to contain secret meaning" ...

    S: "What does your pet look like?"
    R: "My cat is orange."

    Could be "reasonably believed to contain secret meaning" given the standards of which the NSA is operating... ergo, any data qualifies.

  • On the post: NSA Defenders Claim PRISM Helped Stop NYC Subway Bombing; Actual Evidence Suggests It Didn't

    tracker1 ( profile ), 10 Jun, 2013 @ 12:30pm

    Government Violating Constitution...

    Considering a topic of discussion is that the FISC (court) actually made a decision that the Gov't violated the 4th Amendment already? Oh, how about targeting journalists? (1st Amendment).

    Even just sticking to the 4th Amendment's use of the term "unreasonable" ... being a societal standard, you would be hard pressed to get half the world (because they aren't just looking at domestic emails) to agree that looking into every email and phone call is anything but "unreasonable" ... I doubt even half the U.S. would find it reasonable.

  • On the post: DOJ Argues Secret Ruling Over Secret Unconstitutional Surveillance Must Remain Secret Because It's Secret

    tracker1 ( profile ), 10 Jun, 2013 @ 12:21pm

    Scary...

    I know this is getting flagged as funny.. but given the number of prisoners at Gitmo for over a decade now without a trial, I'd say it's leaning closer to insightful. Not to mention the actions of our government are clearly heading in this direction.

  • On the post: Why Did Congress Abdicate Its Power To Make Copyright Policy?

    tracker1 ( profile ), 06 Jun, 2013 @ 04:55pm

    Slavery

    So if we signed a treaty basically stating that we would allow the use of slaves on U.S. soil that the Congress could do nothing about it?

  • On the post: Once Again, Courts Struggle With Whether Or Not Forcing You To Decrypt Your Computer Is Unconstitutional

    tracker1 ( profile ), 05 Jun, 2013 @ 01:39pm

    Wall safe/warrant?

    Here's a relevant question... how is this different from forcing someone to open a wall safe? I don't get why it's being treated any differently... Can they require someone to open a wall safe? If yes, same for decryption... If they can't require someone to open it, but can crack it... same rules... sorry it's got a tougher lock, so sad.

  • On the post: Once Again, Convenience Trumps Free, As Few People Pirate Arrested Development

    tracker1 ( profile ), 03 Jun, 2013 @ 12:26pm

    Netflix as Paywall

    Netflix actually is a Paywall... however, what netflix offers isn't a regurgitation of facts that are widely available, distributed and free elsewhere, which is why newspaper paywalls simply don't work.

    In this case, it's a service that offers video material, in an all-you-can-watch fashion, and for a reasonable price. They're funding new/original content, and unlike Hulu and Hulu Prime isn't littered with increasing ads.

    I was actually a big fan of Hulu early on, when there were maybe 1-2 ads per show... now it's almost as bad as watching on broadcast tv... I cut the cord a few years ago, and prefer to watch tv without the ads. The experience is much better.

  • On the post: Mainstream Press Waking Up To DOJ's Massive Overreaction To Minor Computer Hacks

    tracker1 ( profile ), 02 May, 2013 @ 12:44am

    Re: Minor Hacks ????

    Yes.. 1 email address or a thousand is a lot less than say the banking industry has been fined for several times, with nobody serving jail time.

    It's an email address... someone knowing your email is a lot different than say a print publication putting out the physical addresses targeting a segment of the population... Oh yeah.. no fines, no imprisonment there...

    There is a scale to a crime... What is the harm done in people knowing an email address?

  • On the post: Judge Says Giving Up Your Password May Be A 5th Amendment Violation

    tracker1 ( profile ), 26 Apr, 2013 @ 09:21pm

    Search Warrant

    That is what search warrants are for, and I would presume that if a warrant were presented, then you should be compelled to turn over said password(s).

  • On the post: DMCA As Censorship: Chilling Effects On Research

    tracker1 ( profile ), 15 Apr, 2013 @ 04:16pm

    Five years..

    With technology patents, I believe that 5 years is enough of an advantage for technology that is A) non-obvious in terms of the idea, or B) non-obvious in the terms of implementation to those skilled in that craft.

    I would say with regards to Copyright, I'd probably be in support of something very similar to what we have today for the first five years. And something much more relaxed (protection from reproduction of an entire work) for say 25 years after. I'd say that is pretty fair, and much more limited than what we have today.

    But that's just me... I don't have a problem with exclusivity so much as the term of said exclusivity. I'm also opposed to non-living entities (companies) owning IP.

  • On the post: DMCA As Censorship: Chilling Effects On Research

    tracker1 ( profile ), 15 Apr, 2013 @ 04:05pm

    Common Technology Lobby

    As much as I really don't care for the actions of IBM and the BSA... short of starting a new tech lobby organization, or you know actually donating more to the EFF, I don't see this changing.

    My hope is that in the not too distant future the EFF, or a similar group acting as lobbyists for a bit more common sense in IP and technology laws. We have google and apple as two of the largest companies in the world... Apple has been very IP protectionist and litigious, so my hope is Google, and similar companies come to realize that funding change within the system is paramount to their own futures.

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