Ray Trygstad’s Techdirt Profile

On the post: Guy Accused Of Leaking President Bush's Paintings Indicted For Hacking In The US

Ray Trygstad ( profile ), 13 Jun, 2014 @ 11:07am

OH NO...

...my anonymous online persona is a sanitation engineer! But wait...no AOL account . What a relief. Who still has an AOL account, anyway?

On the post: FBI Abruptly Walks Out On Senate Briefing After Being Asked How 'Insider Threat' Program Avoids Whistleblowers

Ray Trygstad ( profile ), 14 Apr, 2014 @ 01:50pm

Contempt of Congress

Pardon me, but isn't getting up and walking out of a Congressional hearing contempt of Congress? Last time I checked, this was a crime. Any bets on no charges ever being filed? If I were the chair do the committee, I sure as hell would be filing charges...

On the post: USTR Warns That EU-Only Cloud To Avoid NSA Surveillance May Violate Trade Agreements

Ray Trygstad ( profile ), 10 Apr, 2014 @ 11:50am

Stupid is as stupid does...

Aw, c'mon: Aggressive and Stupid are the consistent hallmarks of the USTR's approach to life. Why should they be expected to be any different in this instance?

On the post: DailyDirt: Lost At Sea

Ray Trygstad ( profile ), 24 Mar, 2014 @ 06:28pm

I think "I can neither confirm nor deny" might actually predate Glomar

It's my understanding that ever since the U.S. Navy has had the ability to deliver nuclear weapons from ships, or from aircraft on the ships, the only allowable response to inquiries as to whether or not U.S.S. Whatever is carrying nuclear weapons is "I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons aboard U.S.S. Whatever." That certainly was the case during my entire Navy career.

On the post: British Library Says It's Copyright Infringement To Take Photos Inside The Library; Demands Person Delete Tweet

Ray Trygstad ( profile ), 24 Mar, 2014 @ 11:13am

Re: Compare to U.S.

The stance of the NY Public Library is interesting. As I understand the law, having physical possession of an item in the public domain give you no rights or control over reproduction of that item. A photograph of a painting that is in the public domain, if only the painting itself is displayed is in the public domain and no amount of claims of copyright or "physical rights" can change that fact. The only way the NY Public Library can legally prevent reproduction of an item in the public domain is to refuse to make it available for reproduction, which sort of defeats the purpose of a library. I think I'm going to go copy a bunch of images of public domain material from their website and post them on my blog just to make this point.

On the post: Why NSA's Betrayal Of Internet Security Is Akin To A Massive Public Health Disaster

Ray Trygstad ( profile ), 13 Mar, 2014 @ 08:09pm

The more I look at it...

...the more it seems that The Guardian is the only reliable, objective English-language news source.

On the post: Mike Rogers Tries To Make The Case That Glenn Greenwald Should Be Prosecuted For 'Selling Stolen Material'

Ray Trygstad ( profile ), 04 Feb, 2014 @ 01:33pm

It's not property, and hence, cannot be stolen.

While the argument can be made that it is a shaky interpretation of the law, the only property-type rights to digital data--which all of the Snowden documents are--is copyright, and guess what? None of these documents so far are copyrighted, as (at least all I have seen) have been produced by employees of the U.S. Government acting in an official capacity which are, by law, in the public domain. They may be classified, but they're still in the public domain. You can't steal a virtual copy of something in the public domain. Were it a printed copy, Rogers would have an argument, but not for a digital copy. Once again, thanks to the efforts of our 'buddies' at RIAA and MPAA, someone conflates making a copy of a digital object with theft.

On the post: Another Reason The NSA Can't Prevent Terrorist Attacks: Protecting Its Methods Is More Important Than Protecting The Public

Ray Trygstad ( profile ), 19 Sep, 2013 @ 12:38pm

Methods trump information: nothing new here.

When I was deployed as the Air Department Operations Officer aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Indian Ocean in the early 80's, I used the French Navy's daily intelligence summary for my mission planning, because I only had a Secret clearance. The U.S. Navy intelligence summary was Top Secret, not because the information in it was much different from the French report, but because of the methods used to collect the intelligence--mostly advanced electronic intelligence, or ELINT, tools. So it was more important to protect the sources of the material than it was to get the material to the people who needed it to do their jobs. It sometimes seems that nothing ever changes in the DOD.

On the post: TSA Now Searching Valet-Parked Vehicles, Utilizing A Crack Security Team Composed Of… Valets

Ray Trygstad ( profile ), 19 Jul, 2013 @ 05:44pm

So what do they do...

...if you give them your valet key which does not open the trunk!

On the post: Jimmy Wales Thinks Snowden Is 'An Innocent Party' And 'A Hero'; Wants To Know If He Ever Edited Wikipedia

Ray Trygstad ( profile ), 26 Jun, 2013 @ 05:34pm

That's why I...

...always edit under my real name, just as I post here.

On the post: Perhaps The NSA Should Figure Out How To Keep Its Own Stuff Secret Before Building A Giant Database

Ray Trygstad ( profile ), 11 Jun, 2013 @ 12:25pm

What about "Need to Know?"

In all my years as a Classified Material Custodian and as a Security Manager in the Navy it was pounded into me that having a particular clearance level does not give you access to material classified at that level, i.e. having a Top Secret clearance does not give you access to ANY Top Secret material. You must also have a NEED TO KNOW, as defined by whoever is authorized to grant access. Both Snowdon and Bradley Manning clearly had access to huge volumes of material through networked infrastructure that they had NO Need to Know. Why in the world would a PFC in the Army have access to terabytes of classified State Department documents? Both of these instances clearly represent a complete breakdown in the military's ability to enforce THEIR OWN RULES regarding access based on Need to Know. There is a huge oversight issue in the design and construction of information systems that clearly cannot ensure proper segregation of data with access based on proper criteria.

On the post: MPAA Accused Of Tampering With Evidence In Key Copyright Case In Finland

Ray Trygstad ( profile ), 30 Apr, 2013 @ 10:57am

Inadmissible in the U.S.

When the chain of custody of evidence has been broken or comprimised, it becomes inadmissible in American courts. I guess the rules in Finland might be different...

On the post: White House Says Mobile Phone Unlocking Should Be Legal

Ray Trygstad ( profile ), 04 Mar, 2013 @ 12:23pm

Librarian of Congress is part of the LEGISLATIVE Branch

The Librarian of Congress does not work for the President and IS NOT part of the Executive Branch. The President appoints the Librarian of Congress but the Library is a part of the Legislative Branch and always has been; their budget is not a part of the budget proposed to Congress by the President but rather are submitted as Congressional Budget Justifications directly to the Congressional Appropriations Subcommittee for the Legislative Branch. The Librarian is responsible to the Congressional Joint Committee on the Library.

On the post: It's Time For A New, Copyright-Free Happy Birthday Song, So Help Write One

Ray Trygstad ( profile ), 03 Jan, 2013 @ 01:27pm

Just crowdsource a legal fight against Warner Chappell

I think a far better--and in the long run more valuable--alternative would be to fight the world's single most egregious example of copyfraud by having someone step up to blatantly abuse the alleged "copyright" and then crowdsource payment of their defense. I'd certainly donate. I am thoroughly sick of copyfraud.

On the post: Study: Paywalls Work Better If You Beg

Ray Trygstad ( profile ), 06 Nov, 2012 @ 01:28pm

Even more annoying to me than paywalls...

...are digital subscriptions that cost more than the printed paper subscriptions--which include FREE digital subscriptions! Wired magazine costs me $10/year, which includes both the print and the iPad subscription, but if I want iPad only, it costs me a minimum of $1.99 per issue. The Chicago Tribune charges $3.46/week for a digital-only subscription, but only $1.48/week if you get the Sunday print edition plus digital. Someday it will occur to them that digital subscribers may ONLY WANT DIGITAL. Heck, if they threw in digital versions of the two pounds of ads in the Sunday Tribune, I'D READ THEM! [end rant]

On the post: Publisher Angry Robot Bundles Free Ebook With Physical Copies And Triples Sales

Ray Trygstad ( profile ), 20 Aug, 2012 @ 04:54pm

Baen is amazing

I have been a huge fan of Baen Books for many, many years, and I worried that when Jim Baen passed away their commitment to giving away DRM-free digital editions of their books might wane, but their commitment has been unshakable. Because of this, when I go into a bookstore these days, like many other Baen readers I look for the red-and-yellow Baen spaceship. I know they publish books I will like, and I feel a strong need to support their tremendous free book efforts by spending the little money I do on real paper books on Baen books. Keep it up, Toni!

On the post: How Publishers Repeated The Same Mistake As Record Labels: DRM Obsession Gave Amazon Dominant Position

Ray Trygstad ( profile ), 13 Feb, 2012 @ 06:12pm

One publisher clearly gets it...

All their ebooks are provided in multiple formats, all with no DRM...

They have a large online library of free ebooks...

They sell ebooks from 11 other publshers as well, all without DRM...

Every so often their print books have a CD full of ebooks, which clearly states that you can do anything with it except sell it. Consequently as soon as each one comes out, it is posted online by loyal readers...

BAEN BOOKS www.baenebooks.com

On the post: Ownership Mentality: Art Gallery Prohibits Sketching

Ray Trygstad ( profile ), 24 Jan, 2012 @ 11:33am

This was one of the huge disappointments of my son's life

When my youngest son was little, one of his FAVORITE books was Diane Stanley and Dennis Nolan's book The Gentleman and the Kitchen Maid, about a young artist copying paintings in "a great art museum". Every winter we would take a father-son day-long trip to Chicago and when he was about ten he decided he wanted to take all his art stuff and go copy a painting at the Art Institute of Chicago, like the artist character in the book. So we planned the trip around that as the highlight; when we got there and found that they did not allow that he was crushed. For God's sake, even the Louvre allows artists to copy paintings. This killed any chance of my ever becoming a member of the Art Institute, despite living a mere 30 miles away. And it was a serious bump in the road in the young life of a pretty talented yet troubled child.

On the post: When Does Speech Go From Legal To Lethal?

Ray Trygstad ( profile ), 30 Dec, 2011 @ 06:04pm

Thanks Lori!

Really good, well-balanced discussion, and even better, it tells me that I'm not the only person at IIT who reads Techdirt!

On the post: Can You Keep Up With Everyone Suing Over How Avatar 'Stole' Its Story?

Ray Trygstad ( profile ), 28 Dec, 2011 @ 03:30pm

C'mon!

My kids nailed it as we walked out of the theater: "Hey, that was just Ferngully In Space!"

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