Mike Gale 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (23)

• On the post: The Lies Told About The EU Copyright Directive's Upload Filters May Help Get Them Thrown Out In Court

  

  Mike Gale ( profile ), 31 Jan, 2021 @ 03:48pm

  Any chance of mankind waking up before it's too late?

  This blundering around by legislatures and legal systems will have major impacts.

  Those driving it don't understand what they're doing.

  What could go wrong?

  Is there a way to get a lot of people realise, so they can fix it?

• On the post: Microsoft Patent: Chatbots Made From The Online Habits Of Dead People

  

  Mike Gale ( profile ), 31 Jan, 2021 @ 02:46pm

  We kinda have this already

  I see quite a lot of politicians.

  Many of of them are meat robots that do this already. They're programmed by the teleprompter, voice and speech coach, chief of staff, etc.

  Will they challenge the patent?

• On the post: Skin Care Company, Sunday Riley, Somehow Gets No Consequences In Fake Reviews FTC Settlement

  

  Mike Gale ( profile ), 27 Oct, 2019 @ 06:45pm

  What to do about it

  This is a widespread problem, not just Sephora, not just Sunday Riley. (At least one comment here may be interference!)

  Rather than get outraged at the specific people involved what can we do. Some ideas:

  • Be aware that the "open" Internet is intrinsically untrustworthy, and be on alert.
  • Help those you care about to understand this too.
  • If you're involved in a site with identified fraudulent reviews, maybe promote and emphasize falsely downgraded reviews, mark the malevolent accounts clearly as such and make their fake reviews undeletable and clearly shown as what they are.
  • Identify those who do and have done this, make sure that their behaviour is known to those you care about.
  • Blow the whistle on such activity and do your best to make sure that whistle blowing works well, when genuine.
  • Don't get cross eyed with outrage.
  • If somebody you know made a good review for a product that uses this sort of fraud, warn them that they may be unfairly tarred with the same brush if they don't delete it.

  Well that a start.

• On the post: Google And Facebook Didn't Kill Newspapers: The Internet Did

  

  Mike Gale ( profile ), 27 Oct, 2019 @ 03:57pm

  What do we do now (if we care)?

  Thanks for that. I personally was fooled by the Google/Facebook killed the papers narrative.

  I especially appreciate the article at this time. (I'm in the process of withdrawing from a years long test immersion in Social Media and News Media. I'm now certain that these things degrade cognitive performance.)

  Given the quality of discussion in this place, I'll look around a bit to see what solutions (to Internet-derived-brain-degradation) people around here have adopted (and how they're working out).

• On the post: Impossible Content Moderation Dilemmas: Talking About Racism Blocked As Hate Speech

  

  Mike Gale ( profile ), 01 May, 2019 @ 03:41pm

  Thought Experiment

  You run your own discussion systems, for everything.

  You comment across Techdirt, Facebook, the NYT etc. etc. You decide whose comments you see, how often etc. You decide who can see your comments.

  You can can run separate discussions on the same topic, with different audiences.

  Other people do the same.

  If you want to pay heed to external censorship systems, you can, your choice.

  How would a system, like that work for you?

  Picture it for this discussion.

• On the post: Both Sides Want The Supreme Court To Review Decision Denying Copyright In Georgia's Law. How About You?

  

  Mike Gale ( profile ), 01 May, 2019 @ 02:19pm

  Is secret law any law at all?

  I would have thought that unknowable law is no law at all. Which presents a fairly simple defence in court and the basis of mass civic "do what you want".

• On the post: FamilyTreeDNA Deputizes Itself, Starts Pitching DNA Matching Services To Law Enforcement

  

  Mike Gale ( profile ), 02 Apr, 2019 @ 08:16pm

  There site seems to say otherwise

  The web site says;

  OUR COMMITMENT

  We won’t share your DNA

  We believe your DNA belongs to YOU and only you . . . period. For that reason, we will never sell your DNA to third parties.

  Can the other guys say that?

  Didn't read the privacy policy. Is that actionable if they break that?

• On the post: Latest EU Copyright Proposal: Block Everything, Never Make Mistakes, But Don't Use Upload Filters

  

  Mike Gale ( profile ), 10 Dec, 2018 @ 07:31pm

  I hope there are is nobody considered fully human doing this

  I sure hope there are no proper humans involved in making these laws.

  If there are it's time to reconsider whether the species deserves to exist, whether we need to correct existence and let nature start again.

  First they worked to give Google hegemony with GDPR (and it's working), now this.

  If there are intelligent electorates in Europe, it can't be too long before be get FREXIT, GEXIT (DEXIT?), NEXIT, HEXIT and all the rest, followed by public execution of all those involved.

• On the post: Find The Big Fib In The NSA's Lack Of Concern For Foreigners

  

  Mike Gale ( profile ), 16 Apr, 2014 @ 05:23pm

  This point is crucial

  This is the most hopeful thing I've read in a long time.
  
  I had been bamboozled by the bit dribble of politicians et. al. that the rules that guide them only gave a damn about their own Citizens. Let's face it, that's fairly true, of the inner concerns of individuals in question.
  
  My respect for the US constitution grew when I saw this. Those founding fathers were a lot wiser than the mental midgets who pretend to carry the flame they lit. How would the midgets be judged the founders?

• On the post: First Phase Of Security Audit Finds Vulnerabilities But No Backdoors In TrueCrypt Encryption Software

  

  Mike Gale ( profile ), 16 Apr, 2014 @ 05:13pm

  More than reading the code

  It's good to see that the review included compiling and testing and fuzzing.
  
  My contention is that it is, ultimately, more productive to publish tests for the project, than just source. (I haven't checked TrueCrypt distribution to see whether they do that.)
  
  Then:
  1. More people can more easily test and add their own tests, and run them.
  2. Alternate implementations can arise, more easily. I think a function that can be switched between several independent versions can be more reliable.
  3. An NSA with the protection function separated should then participate too. IMHO

• On the post: Would You Trust The NSA's Advice On How To Deal With Heartbleed?

  

  Mike Gale ( profile ), 16 Apr, 2014 @ 03:54pm

  Why are they doing this will it work?

  They are presumably doing this as PR to say that they are trying to fulfil the seemingly ignored part of their brief.
  
  Given that the public (and many private) announcements are perceived as being devoid of truth they have a long way to climb back into the light of public approval.
  
  This is a distraction. The real issue is splitting the organisation. The Public Protection section cannot be the same as the Attack the Public section.
  
  At the end of the day we need some of what they do, we just need a return or morality and balance.
  
  It's a long, long road out of Hell, for these guys.

• On the post: DailyDirt: Learning How To Do Math Like A Boss

  

  Mike Gale ( profile ), 11 Mar, 2014 @ 08:24pm

  Re: Testing some entities, to achieve mathematical expression

  That's cool. It works. So I have reduced pessimism!!
  
  Δ Optimism > 0

• On the post: DailyDirt: Learning How To Do Math Like A Boss

  

  Mike Gale ( profile ), 11 Mar, 2014 @ 08:21pm

  Testing some entities, to achieve mathematical expression

  Trying to write for all, there exists, union, subset of or equal and Integral:
  
  ∀ ∃ ∪ ⊆ ∫

• On the post: DailyDirt: Learning How To Do Math Like A Boss

  

  Mike Gale ( profile ), 11 Mar, 2014 @ 07:53pm

  Math Programming

  First thing. Maths and Programming != the same thing. Conflating them is confusing.
  
  We are embedded in societies where communication is mathematically illiterate. Just look at textual posts like this with textual comments.
  
  (((General Communication) contains Maths) && ((Keyboard / Character-sets) contain (Maths Symbols)) → (We'd be able to use it more)
  
  I was unable to write the above using decent symbols as they aren't available. In other words, the way our so called civilisation has "developed" is intrinsically hostile to maths. (The dinosaur brains have effectively bred more of themselves by preventing sensible expression of thought...)

• On the post: Government Sues Sprint For Overcharging For Wiretaps Under CALEA

  

  Mike Gale ( profile ), 06 Mar, 2014 @ 03:27pm

  So the US is a bit like Russia

  In Russia they have a system called SORM. As I understand it the ISP pays for the boxes of SORM which can spy on people at will.
  
  Seems the NSA has taken a leaf out of the FSB book and wants a similar charging model. Difference is that the Russian system is public knowledge (AFAIK).

• On the post: How Copyright Has Driven Online Streaming Innovators Insane

  

  Mike Gale ( profile ), 06 Mar, 2014 @ 02:28pm

  Not a sane foundation for a civilisation

  When I analyse this, I see a legal system that is not up to the job.
  
  The way it works is simply NOT FIT for the purpose it's designed for.
  
  Any civilisation built on such things is maybe doomed. Mankind needs to be rid of the lunacy. I'd prefer determined evolution, very soon. The, high probability, alternative is revolution, but that tends to take us backwards!

• On the post: The Aereo Case Isn't About Aereo, But About The Future Of Cloud Computing And Innovation

  

  Mike Gale ( profile ), 06 Mar, 2014 @ 01:47pm

  We need to get out of here

  The planet has just gone wrong. BADLY wrong.
  
  Elected reps that haven't a clue, legal systems that are inimical to the future of mankind, people with primitive idea sets unable to have original thought and in control.
  
  Man oh man. It would be cool to just have a clean way to get out of this.
  
  I'm happy to buy the very few movies or TV series that have interest for me, to buy music on disc. I find newspapers expendable and most TV channels fairly useless. Just need a way to limit influence of these rubbish, to what I want, and keep them from preventing the future.
  
  Failing that, in this reality, what choices are there:
  
  1) Do a Ukraine on the idiots?
  2) Take interstellar voyager ONE to Epsilon Eridani?
  
  Sheesh. We need to stop the decrepit brains from stopping the decent futures that can be.

• On the post: Dangerous Ruling In Germany Makes Domain Registrar Liable For Copyright Infringement On Website It Registered

  

  Mike Gale ( profile ), 13 Feb, 2014 @ 09:46pm

  If you object,do something

  These bizarre things will continue while we have law systems based on inappropriate core precepts administered by those who are criminally ignorant of the world they impact.
  
  Secondary Liability cuts both ways.
  
  This music company (Universal) represents artists. So I guess they bear primary responsibility for this travesty of reason, rightness and humanity.
  
  If you care tell their fan clubs, burn your copies of their music (if that's your thing), boycott their concerts, tell them in person whatever (as long as you stay within the law).
  
  Here's some names from the Universal web site:
  
  A THOUSAND HORSES
  AALIYAH
  AARON FRESH
  AARON NEVILLE
  ABRAHAM MCDONALD
  ACE HOOD
  ADRIENNE BAILON
  AFI
  AFROMAN
  AGNES
  AGNETHA F?LTSKOG
  AIR
  AKON
  AKWID
  ALACRANES MUSICAL
  ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO
  ALEJANDRO FERNANDEZ
  ALEX CLARE
  ALEXISONFIRE
  ALFREDO OLIVAS
  B.B. KING
  BABASONICOS
  BABY BASH
  BABY BOY
  BAD LIEUTENANT
  BAD MEETS EVIL
  BANDA EL RECODO
  BANDA LOS RECODITOS
  BANDA SINALOENSE MS DE SERGIO LIZARRAGA
  BANKS
  BARRY WHITE
  BASTILLE
  BAT FOR LASHES
  BE YOUR OWN PET
  BEASTIE BOYS
  BEBEL GILBERTO
  BECK
  BELANOVA
  BERNARD FANNING
  BETH ORTON
  C. BREWER/D. RUNNICLES/ASO
  C2C
  CAF? TACUBA
  CALIBRE 50
  CAPITAL CITIESCARE BEARS ON FIRE
  CARIBBEAN CONNECTION FEAT. DAD
  CARLA BRUNI
  CARLOS Y ALEJANDRA
  CARLY RAE JEPSEN
  CARNEY
  CASHIS
  CAT STEVENS
  CELTIC THUNDER
  CHAMILLIONAIRE
  CHARLES HAMILTON
  CHASE COY
  CHENOA
  CHER
  CHESTER FRENCH
  D. FRIZZELL/S. WEST
  DANIEL ASH
  DANIEL HOPE
  DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL
  DAVID BANNER
  DAVID BISBAL
  DAVID GARRETT
  DAVID GRAY
  DAVID GUETTA
  DAVID NAIL
  DAYS DIFFERENCE
  DEAN MARTIN
  DEBI NOVA
  DECEMBERISTS
  DEF LEPPARD
  DELTA SPIRIT
  DEMI LOVATO
  DERRICK HODGE
  D'ESPAIRSRAY
  DIAMOND RINGS
  EASTON CORBIN
  EDDY LOVER
  EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS
  EELS
  EL DE BARGE
  EL MACIZO
  EL POTRO DE SINALOA
  EL TIGRILLO PALMA
  EL TRONO DE MEXICO
  ELBOW
  ELECTRIC TOUCH
  ELECTRIK RED
  ELEFTHERIA ARVANITAKI
  ELEPHANT MAN
  ELI YOUNG BAND
  ELIZABETH AND THE CATAPULT
  ELLIE GOULDING
  ELTON JOHN/LEON RUSSELL
  ELVIS COSTELLO
  EMELI SANDE
  FABOLOUS
  FAIR TO MIDLAND
  FALL OUT BOY
  FANNY LU
  FAR EAST MOVEMENT
  FATBOY SLIM
  FEDERICO AUBELE
  FEFE DOBSON
  FEIST
  FERGIE
  FIDEL RUEDA
  FINDLAY BROWN
  FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH
  FLIPSYDE
  FLOBOTS
  FLORENCE + THE MACHINE
  FLYLEAFFONOVISA
  FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS
  FOUR TOPS
  G. LOVE
  GABRIELLA CILMI
  GAME
  GARY ALLAN
  GARY GO
  GAVIN ROSSDALE
  GEORGE STRAIT
  GERMAN MONTERO
  GHOST B.C.GHOSTFACE KILLAH
  GIN WIGMORE
  GINUWINE
  GIRLICIOUS
  GIT FRESH
  GLORIA TREVI
  GODSMACK
  GOLD FIELDS
  GORAN BREGOVIC
  GOYO GASTELUM
  GRACIELA BELTR?N
  HAJI SPRINGER
  HAL LINTON
  HALEY REINHART
  HALFORD
  HATEBREED
  HAYES CARLL
  HAYLEY WESTENRA
  HAYSTAK
  HECTOR EL FATHER
  HEDLEY
  HELENE GRIMAUD
  HOLE
  HOLLY WILLIAMS
  HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD
  HOOBASTANK
  HOT CHIP
  HUICHOL MUSICAL
  I-15
  IDA MARIA
  IGGY AZALEAIL VOLO
  IMAGINE DRAGONSIMELDA MAY
  IMOGEN HEAP & FROU FROU
  INDIA.ARIE
  INGRID MICHAELSON
  INNERPARTYSYSTEM
  INTERSCOPE
  ISSA GADALA
  IVAN
  IVY QUEEN
  J KING Y MAXIMAN
  J. FUTURISTIC
  JA RULE
  JA-BAR
  JACK JOHNSON
  JACKIE CHAIN
  JACKSON 5
  JADAKISS
  JAKE BUGG
  JAMES
  JAMES MORRISON
  JAMES VINCENT MCMORROWJAMEY JOHNSON
  JAMIE CULLUM
  JARED EVAN
  JARON AND THE LONG ROAD TO LOVE
  JARVIS
  JASON ALDEAN
  JASON MORAN
  JAVEN
  KACEY MUSGRAVES
  KAISER CHIEFS
  KANYE WEST
  KANYE WEST/JAY-Z
  KARDINAL OFFISHALL
  KATE NASH
  KATE VOEGELE
  KATHARINE MCPHEE
  KATIE MELUA
  KATY PERRY
  KEAK DA SNEAK
  KEANE
  KELIS
  KELLY ROWLAND
  KEM
  KENDRICK LAMAR
  KENNY "BABYFACE" EDMONDS
  KERI HILSON
  KERLI
  KEVIN RUDOLF
  L.L. COOL J
  LA APUESTA
  LA ARROLLADORA BANDA EL LIMON
  LA FACTORIA
  LA INCONTENIBLE BANDA ASTILLEROS
  LA ROUX
  LADY ANTEBELLUM
  LADY GAGA
  LADYHAWKE
  LARRY HERNANDEZ
  LAURA BELL BUNDY
  LAUREN ALAINA
  LEDISI
  LEE ANN WOMACK
  LEE RITENOUR
  LENY
  LIFEHOUSE
  LIGHTS
  LIL JON
  LIL' ROB
  M.I.A.
  MACHETE MUSIC
  MACK & MALONE
  MACY GRAYMAJOR LAZER
  MAKANO
  MALI MUSIC
  MALLARY HOPE
  MANN
  MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER
  MARCO ANTONIO SOLIS
  MARGO GURYAN
  MARIAH CAREY
  MARIANNE FAITHFULL
  MARILYN MANSON
  MARISA MONTE
  MARK SALLING
  MAROON 5
  MARQUES HOUSTON
  MARTINA MCBRIDE/TRAIN
  N.E.R.D
  NAS
  NAS & DAMIAN MARLEY
  NATALIA KILLS
  NATALIE COLENATURALLY 7
  N-DUBZ
  NEIL DIAMOND
  NEIL HALSTEAD
  NELLY
  NELLY FURTADO
  NEON TREES
  NERO
  NERVO
  NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
  NEW YORK DOLLS
  NE-YO
  NICKI MINAJ
  NICOLE SCHERZINGER
  NIKKI YANOFSKY
  OLGA TANON
  ONE BLOCK RADIUS
  ONEREPUBLIC
  ORIANTHI
  ORIGINAL BANDA LIMON
  ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING
  OWL CITY
  PABLO MILANES
  PAC DIV
  PALOMO
  PAPA ROACH
  PARACHUTE
  PARADISO GIRLS
  PATRICK STUMP
  PAULA COLE
  PAULINA RUBIO
  PEARL JAMPEDRO FERNANDEZ
  PEGGY LEE
  PESADO
  PET SHOP BOYS
  PETER FRAMPTON
  PHIL VASSAR
  PHILLIP PHILLIPS
  PHILTHY RICH
  PHOENIX
  PJ HARVEY
  Q-TIP
  QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
  QUINCY JONES
  R.CITY
  RAKIM
  RAMMSTEIN
  RANDY HOUSER
  RANDY MONTANA
  RASCAL FLATTS
  RAY LAVENDER
  RAZORLIGHT
  REBA MCENTIRE
  REDMAN
  RENI LANE
  REV THEORY
  RHYERICH BOY
  RICHY NIX
  RICK JAMES
  RICK ROSS
  RIHANNA
  RISE AGAINST
  ROB ZOMBIE
  SAFETYSUIT
  SALIVA
  SALLY SHAPIRO
  SALT-N-PEPA
  SAM SPARRO
  SARAH BLASKO
  SARAH BUXTON
  SAUL EL JAGUAR ALARCON
  SCHOOL GYRLS
  SCOOTER SMIFF
  SCORPIONS
  SCOTTY MCCREERY
  SEAN GARRETT
  SEAN O'CONNELL
  SEBASTIAN INGROSSO
  SELENA GOMEZ
  SEMI PRECIOUS WEAPONS
  SERENA RYDER
  SERGIO DALMA
  SHANIA TWAIN
  T.O.K.
  TAIO CRUZ
  TAMAR KAPRELIAN
  TANYA MORGAN
  TAXI DOLL
  TAYLOR SWIFT
  TEARS FOR FEARSTECH N9NE
  TED NUGENT
  TEDDY THOMPSON
  TEENA MARIE
  TERENCE BLANCHARD
  TERIYAKI BOYZ
  TERRIBLE THINGS
  TEYANA TAYLOR
  THE AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT
  THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS
  THE AVETT BROTHERSTHE B-52S
  THE BAND PERRY
  U2
  UMLE
  UNIQUE
  UNLADYLIKE
  UNWRAPPED
  UTADA
  VALERIA GASTALDI
  VAN MORRISON
  VANESSA CARLTON
  VERSE SIMMONDS
  VINCE GILL
  VIOLENT SOHO
  VISTOSO BOSSES
  VITA CHAMBERS
  VOLBEAT
  VOZ DE MANDO
  WALE
  WAYNE SHORTER
  WE ARE THE FALLEN
  WEEZER
  WHITE LIES
  WILL.I.AM
  WILLIAM ORBIT
  WILLY NORTHPOLE
  WISIN & YANDEL
  WOLFMOTHER
  XAVIER RUDD
  XTREME
  YANNI
  YEAH YEAH YEAHS
  YELAWOLF
  YG
  YO GABBA GABBA!
  YOUNG JEEZY
  YOUNG LOVE
  YOUNG MONEY
  YOUR VEGAS
  YUKSEK
  YUMMY BINGHAM
  YUNG LA
  Z-RO & CHILL
  ZZ WARD
  .38 SPECIAL
  10 YEARS
  16 FRAMES
  2 CHAINZ24 HORAS
  3 DOORS DOWN
  4 MINUTE
  40 GLOCC/SPIDER LOC
  50 CENT
  9TH WARD
  
  Even if they're great artists, these guys have no right to smash the Internet.

• On the post: St. Louis Police Officers Caught Running Possibly Politically-Motivated Background Checks On Police Board Members

  

  Mike Gale ( profile ), 04 Feb, 2014 @ 03:37pm

  Should there be open season on public officials

  Maybe this thing is backwards.
  
  Thought experiment.
  
  What if all public officials (police, congress-persons etc.) could have database searches by anybody, anytime. Private citizens not paid by the taxpayer have protection and easy ways to check who "checked on them".
  
  What would be the consequences?

• On the post: European Court Of Human Rights Fast-tracks Case Against GCHQ; More Organizations Launch Legal Challenges To UK Spying

  

  Mike Gale ( profile ), 25 Jan, 2014 @ 02:20pm

  This is where publicity makes us do the wrong thing

  The Snowden revelations are being taken wrong.
  
  They reveal a corner of what is being done. Focus only on that and the problem is, arguably, made worse.
  
  I believe Germany intercepts 1 in 20 or 1 in 25 emails.
  Frances spy agencies are renown for aggressively using their resources to steal industrial secrets.
  Russia makes Internet users pay pretty directly for spy hardware that can intercept absolutely everything on the Internet without warrant.
  China...
  And we haven't even started on what the Internet Advertising agencies grab.
  Then the criminal gangs...
  ...
  
  Cherry picking who you whack is itself a mistake.
  
  We need whistleblower laws internationally that shine light on all of this. (Not just windfall revelations, thanks to one decent person. Seemingly, there are very few decent enough people, among the millions who work in this sector.)

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