anonymousanonymouscoward 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: TSA Announces Plans To Subject Domestic Travelers To Biometric Screening

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 19 Oct, 2018 @ 10:40am

    Re:

    Yes, and their version of 'enhanced' includes delays, intrusions, annoyance, false positives along with expenditures on legal assistance and even longer delays, insulted integrity, and wasteful spending of tax dollars. Each of these are considered features of the program and were part of the use case when they sent it out for design.

  • On the post: Whistleblowing About Swiss Banks' Bad Behavior Just Became Safer

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 19 Oct, 2018 @ 05:28pm

    Whistleblowing v Coverup

    There must be some way to determine when a whistleblower is committing treason (putting actual lives immediately in jeopardy, or soon) and when they are just embarrassing someone for their ill-behavior. The problem in many if not most instances is that it is politicians that make those decisions. Politicians protecting their own asses.

    The issue needs to be resolved universally. Not just the US. Not just the EU. Not just some others, but by everybody. Don't suggest the ineffectual UN, whatever they do has no actual power. The resolution needs to be acclaimed by every government.

    Now we know that some governments will not adhere to any policy that allows whistleblowers any kind of consideration. How might we categorize those governments? Dictatorships? Power hungry sudo democratics? Self proclaimed democratic oligarchy's? Something else?

    Knowing the the character of such governments is not the end. Doing something about the character of such governments is. Now I am not suggesting that multiple violent revolutions take place, but revolution, in other forms, must begin. Or 1984 become more of a reality than it already is. Not jut here, in the US, but around the world. We cannot let that happen.

    They have some power. But there are a lot more of us than there are of them. Yes they have the police and military on their side, for now. And yes, in the transition stages some of those may try to achieve the power under the guise of righteousness. But in the end, there are more of us than them. We need to be careful, yet forceful. We need to energize the populace. Not just here, but everywhere.

  • On the post: Mississippi Law Enforcement Performed $200,000 Worth Of Illegal Forfeitures Because It 'Didn't Realize' Law Had Changed

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 19 Oct, 2018 @ 07:11am

    Re:

    It moved to reality TV. Erm, maybe that's unreality TV. They have several versions for your fantasy derived viewing consumption.

  • On the post: TSA Announces Plans To Subject Domestic Travelers To Biometric Screening

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 19 Oct, 2018 @ 10:17am

    Papers please?

    "It's true that traveling in the US has always been a "papers, please" experience. But prior to the 9/11 attacks, this simply meant presenting a ticket before boarding."

    I see this as wrong in two ways. The first of which is that presenting a ticket for a train or a bus (this discussion is related to internal US travel) is proof of payment, not ID. Second, there are no tickets needed to drive your car, motorcycle, bicycle interstate. If the cops pull you over for a traffic violation, either real or invented, one might get asked for a license, and if walking, again sans any legal violations, requiring ID is not valid (there may be some exceptions to that).

    So while we are far from being required to present 'papers' anytime some officious dirtbag requests it, we are certainly on a path to get there, and that is not a good thing.

    This is not like

  • On the post: Art, AI & Infringement: A Copyright Conundrum

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 17 Oct, 2018 @ 08:14am

    Re:

    This is what I was thinking. If a monkey can't have a copyright, can a computer?

    There is the argument that a photographer sets up the camera aims, composes the shot, and times the shot and may even amend the captured image in post processing. In this case the artist sets up the machine, coordinates the environmental factors that cause different images to be recorded and uses an algorithm to determine if there is a possibility if there would be any public acceptance.

    But is the artist creating art, or is he selectively choosing random images created by his setup? How much of the effort is his, and is he in control? The photographer uses his eyes and points the camera creatively, etc.. In this instance the machines are doing those parts and the artist isn't.

    Or is he?

  • On the post: NYC Prosecutors Accidentally Admit They Use Bail To Deprive Presumably-Innocent People Of Their Freedom

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 15 Oct, 2018 @ 07:15am

    Re: You get what you measure

    Therein lay's some of the problem. Their definition of justice is different than our definition of justice. To them, they are achieving justice by 'protecting' the general populace from these dastardly no gooders.

    Then there is the issue of how is justice measured? Given that some 'convictions' are false (as demonstrated by those who are released after many years of incarceration and courts claiming that actual innocence isn't an argument to be released), what constitutes justice? Can't measure convictions, because they might be false, and they probably won't measure findings of innocence because they are there to put the bad guys in jail. What's lefts?

  • On the post: Wall Street Quietly Warns That 5G Wireless Is Being Aggressively Over-hyped

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 15 Oct, 2018 @ 07:06am

    Hyping the hype for greater hyperage

    The only new competition I foresee is in how the various Telcom providers come up with ways to screw their customers more (margin) without seriously impacting the number of users or their usage habits (traffic). I suspect we will see real innovation in this area.

    Of course there will be a problem with slow adoption, which the industry will 'fix' by deprecating 4G more quickly than the market would like.

  • On the post: Wall Street Quietly Warns That 5G Wireless Is Being Aggressively Over-hyped

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 15 Oct, 2018 @ 07:01am

    We can't hear you now!

    "Wall Street Quietly Warns That 5G Wireless Is Being Aggressively Over-hyped"

    Dear Wall Street,

    Speak louder.

    Everybody except the Telcoms and the FCC

  • On the post: Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 14 Oct, 2018 @ 03:39pm

    Re: Re: Only solution to cable problem...

    "I just wonder what name they will come up with for the cord cutting revenue replacement charge."
    The 'we need another excuse for our bandwidth management issues caused by our intransigent refusal to keep network speeds up to the needs of our very important customers charge'. What acronym they come up with will be special, to the nth degree.

  • On the post: Oh Look, The FCC Is Lying Again In Its Latest Court Filings On Net Neutrality

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 12 Oct, 2018 @ 04:30pm

    Re: 2+2 = ALWAYS MAKES 4

    While hacking and bogus chips may be a thing now, or in the future, and our president is a specious ass, I am not sure he is intelligent enough to set up the schemes you mention. Nor anyone working FOR him, which is not to say that someone in his employ could not be.

    For me, the bigger issue with 5G is that the marketplace will not accept it. We never got the promise of 4G, so why would we believe in the premise/promise of 5G? Of course there are a lot of 'oh look...shiny' consumers out there and they will get some response, but will it be enough for them to shut 4G down?

    On the other hand, it sure appears the government is on a roll toward the concept of total surveillance and putting citizens down in any way they can. Ranting is not enough. What are you doing about it?

  • On the post: The American Idol People Bullied A Local County Fair Out Of Its 'Yolo Idol' Event For Some Reason

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 12 Oct, 2018 @ 03:23pm

    Re: Lawyers

    Not so weird. It is dependent upon who is paying the various parties.

    Those from Hollywood are paid by people who fear, to an unreasonable degree, any encroachment on their IP. Those from small towns are concerned with the rights of their clients, and while little things called fair use or we are not commercial and have been doing this for 14 years without harm to you, is important to them, it is apocryphal to the other.

  • On the post: Washington Post Gives 'Three Pinocchios' To Rep. Ann Wagner For Falsely Claiming FOSTA Stopped 90% Of Sex Trafficking Ads

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 12 Oct, 2018 @ 02:34pm

    Re: Re:

    Wrong lesson. The lesson is start earlier. For that matter, change the system. By change the system I mean get rid of political parties, eliminate money from elections (or other parts of politics) and make lobbying for money a crime. In addition, sunset all laws at all levels, every seven years. It will take some time, but we will wind up with a more comprehensive, and much shorter list of laws.

    Lobby all you want, in person, but hiring some K Street lawyer or delegate some person in your company, jail time. Oh, and any money offered is a bribe, and if accepted both parties go to jail.

  • On the post: Warner Media Opposes Trademark Filed By Actual 'Wicked Witch' Over Its Wizard Of Oz Trademarks

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 12 Oct, 2018 @ 06:47pm

    Timothy tees up humorous consideration of IP idiocy.

    OK, a few questions come to mind. First, is she a licensed wicked witch? If not, then she might be violating some local codes, which has nothing to do with the copyright or trademark claims unless the Turner Entertainment Company is accepting that she is in fact a wicked witch. Then one might want to consider whether that license was for ordinary witchery or with a wicked endorsement?

    Second, I took a look at the linked article but did not see any shoes so the question remains were those shoes slippers or stilettos? If one, then one might suggest that slippers come in various forms and may or may not be the form used in the movie, but another form that was imagined from the book.

    Next, or C depending upon ones method for counting, how the hell is Turner Entertainment Company going to prove that they were infringing on the movie rather than the book?

    And finally, or IV to keep the meme in line, I would suspect that witch that she is, there are numerous spells being concocted as we sleep and I am awaiting with baited breath to see what impact those spells have on Turner Entertainment Company or any of their executives. Then, get the popcorn cooker warmed up, their attempts to claim that such spells not only took place but have some chain of verifiable evidence that links back to said witch.

  • On the post: Report Shows LA Sheriff's Deputies Engaging In Biased Policing, Performing Tons Of Questionable Traffic Stops

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 12 Oct, 2018 @ 05:05pm

    Some police, unfortunately

    Your alive and driving a car, that is suspicious activity. Now you wait right there while we get one of our newly (and poorly) trained attack, oops sorry, drug interdiction dogs who will come down here and sniff your car while responding to their handlers cue's to decide whether that $60 in mixed bills has ever been handled by a machine that has also handled bill that came in contact with drugs and contaminated that machine and all the money that passed through it. Whew.

    By the way, you certainly look guilty...what did you do? Well, you're under arrest for whatever your answer was going to be whether that was actually a crime or not. We are professionals and our training (all non cops are bad and criminal) and experience (everybody tries to deceive us, so they must be criminal in some form or other and my job is to determine what to charge you with) tells us that you have done something chargeable. Is that cocaine or sugar under your seat. Here, let me test that. 10 seconds later, the test says it's cocaine, turn around and put your hands behind your back. I might as well add that charge to your offenses. What's this car worth, it will look good on my asset forfeiture totals for the month.

  • On the post: Cool Cool Cool Oversight Office Says It's Incredibly Easy To Hack The Defense Dept.'s Weapons Systems

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 11 Oct, 2018 @ 12:21pm

    Re: We should rename dod to dept of war

    Didn't they (NSA or the military cyber folks) have an argument over whether to separate offense and defense with regard to cyber warfare? If I remember correctly they decided not to split it. Could this be a consequence of not knowing whether one is playing offense or defense?

    There is a need for separate teams, and new coaches with different sets of plans. One looking at defense and one looking at offense, otherwise they are just offensive (pun intended).

  • On the post: NY Legislators Introduce Bill That Would Seriously Curb Law Enforcement's Surveillance Collections

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 11 Oct, 2018 @ 05:56pm

    Until we let you have it, which we won't

    The issue, I think, is how are the various agencies going to get around this bill. I can see the ALPR and other providing companies retaining their own databases and outside agencies writing code that interfaces with those sources. The have not violated this act, and still get what they want, as opposed to need.

    What they want is total surveillance and total control. What they will get is more of this kind of legislation, more animosity, and less control.

    When they will learn is another question entirely.

  • On the post: DHS Investigators Argue The Border Warrant Exception Covers Searches Performed Miles From The Border

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 11 Oct, 2018 @ 07:17am

    Who's on the case...top men. What top men? TOP men!

    "A top Homeland Security Investigations official has told a federal court that it remains the agency's policy..."

    If a top man can, with a straight face, tell a federal judge that their agencies policy has greater authority than the Constitution, then they need new top men. Of course this is just the government looking to establish a president, similar to the FBI dragging its feet in the Apple cellphone case.

    So the serious question becomes how do we go about taking down agencies like DHS and FBI for failure to respect the Constitution...in their policies? Who will do it is another question to consider, DOJ? Ha!

    A special prosecutor or five need to be appointed, but who's gonna do that? We need an executive to be elected who is not interested in re-election and has the people in mind. Now who's gonna do that?

  • On the post: Facebook, Whose Support Made FOSTA Law, Now Sued For Facilitating Sex Trafficking Under FOSTA

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 10 Oct, 2018 @ 10:31am

    Opportunity Knocks

    With luck and careful case management this case will go to the Supreme Court and this awful law will be declared unconstitutional. Facebook will need to do so or it will face continuing liability far into the future.

    Fortunately Facebook has the wherewithal to fund the whole process. Unfortunately, it won't close Facebook down. I consider Facebook dangerous, but for reasons much different than expressed in this case.

  • On the post: Stupid Law Firm Decides To Threaten Something Awful Over Hot-Linked Hitler Picture

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 09 Oct, 2018 @ 11:09am

    Re:

    Opinion is not slander.

  • On the post: Thomas Goolnik Gets Google To Forget Our Story About Him Getting Google To Forget Stories About Thomas Goolnik

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 09 Oct, 2018 @ 11:03am

    Re: Blissful ignorance

    Governments have shown us the way for such situations. It is called parallel construction. Get the information, then make up different reasons for your decisions. It works for those government agencies that don't want the defense to know about their surveillance techniques, most of the time.

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