You seem to put a lot of blame on Warner Bros, and not on Netflix. In various interviews the netflix people have talked about how they want exclusive deals on content[1]. If Warner Bros was looking to increase the availability of their content (rather than giving netflix a monopoly) they'd have to drop them, thanks to netflix's desire for exclusivity.
As someone who has made several hiring decisions, I don't want anywhere near a candidate's facebook account. It's full of information I can't ask for: marital status, religion, country of birth, etc. Taking that information, then making a no-hire decision just gives the candidate a great way to claim they were discriminated against. Ain't nobody got time for that!
I don't even see how it would be helpful. I don't care what you did last weekend, I care how you perform at work on Monday. I'll figure that out soon enough.
On a simple skim this can seem silly, but dig a bit deeper and it can end up looking sensible.
As a law firm, the costs of losing control over privileged information can be very high, ranging up to firm-destroyingly-high should confidential & embarrassing records get published.
Add that to the fact that most security awareness training doesn't work, and is even argued against[1]. In order for most training to be effective the we need to see our actions and the reward as coupled. With security training you sit in a boring seminar (or complete some basic computer based training program) once a year, then forget about it once the quiz is through. You may not be presented with a chance to apply your training for days, weeks, or months. Even then, the cost of failure might be nil, just like the reward for success. I can't think of a less effective method for education.
Training every single employee of that law firm to behave correctly 100% of the time is unlikely to work. Instead IT, full of people with a better understanding of the problem at hand, manages all routes for data to reach internal computers. Email, web, gopher, whatever. They actively manage block lists, virus scanners, etc. all in attempt to minimize risk. Drop one of those horrible link manipulation tools on the mail server that runs the link through a checker at click-time, rather than receipt time (the delay between the two adding valuable minutes or hours for a block-list to be updated) for good measure. Delete or quarantine all password protected compressed files, and quarantine any attachment from an unknown mail address.
If the user avoids all of that, and downloads a compressed .rar file with a password from a spear-phisher over gmail, they've skipped over half the defense in depth from the start. All that stands between that virus and the network is the virus scanner, which is generally reactive rather than proactive.
Wikipedia's current large problem seems to be that they're losing editors. While a karma system seems like it would be effective at weeding out bad stuff like this, it may also exacerbate the editor problem.
I disagree with the title of the article "In A Connected World, Where Everyone Has A Voice, Customers Win"
Not everyone has a voice, or at least a voice that can be sufficiently heard in order to affect change.
In order to get the number of views they're talking about you need to be some set of: funny, good, naked women, thought provoking. We're not all able to produce a video/webpage/audio snippet/etc. that meets the standard for a link that will get passed around and such.
Even if we were, it still wouldn't work! These videos are only interesting because they're unique. If this was the 5th, or 10th, or 100th funny/musical/interesting/naked people complaint video would you have watched it? Probably not.
Unless United (and other companies) use this video as a catalyst for real change nothing positive has happened here except some publicity for the band, and a single repaired item out of the tens of thousands reported last year.
I wrote a book on programming with PHP a few years ago, and have spent the past few years speaking at conferences, and teaching PHP to hundreds of developers. I'd like to feel I have some credibility when it comes to reccomending books on PHP.
Publishers often send me review copies, either at my request, or occasionally without prior solicitation.
While I make it clear when I have received a book free of charge, I don't feel it destroys my credibility. Especially since I do give books negative reviews.
I stayed at campgrounds coast to coast growing up. We stayed at camp grounds that were great: well spaced lots, nice trees and privacy, scenic walks, etc. We also stayed at crappy ones, essentially poorly gravelled grass lots with power outlets.
Given the choice between paying $40 and staying in, what is essentially a parking lot anyways, or for free in a WalMart lot, I'll take the lot (with the money saved go see a movie, or put it towards a sig-flags pass).
I don't think you're giving the manager enough credit. I worked at a store where we sold a popular skin care product. The manufactuer would give us consistent (but low) stock for a while, then run out. We could order more, but it wouldn't matter, they would ignore the larger number and just send a few units.
We could have raised the price, but the manufacturer also sold direct. A raise large enough to moderate demand would likely have resulted in all the customers ordering direct. Now we're just wasting shelf space.
We gave up, and discontinued offering the product. We gave customers who came in the phone number for the manufactuer so they could order directly.
While the people reading this site definetly have access to a wide variety of different news outlets, they do not represent the entirety of the US population.
A large number of people still get their news from an radio on the way to work, a newspaper with their morning break, and the evening news (or some subset thereof). I know a large number of blue collar workers who don't own a computer and see no need to (nor am I inclined to argue with them).
I think for their sake we should prevent a single company from owning too much local share. If company X owned a big chunk of those three in any market they would effectively control the news for a notable segment of the population.
Techdirt has not posted any stories submitted by preinheimer.
Blame Netflix too!
You seem to put a lot of blame on Warner Bros, and not on Netflix. In various interviews the netflix people have talked about how they want exclusive deals on content[1]. If Warner Bros was looking to increase the availability of their content (rather than giving netflix a monopoly) they'd have to drop them, thanks to netflix's desire for exclusivity.
[1] http://mashable.com/2013/04/30/netflix-streamageddon-2013/
I don't want your facebook password
As someone who has made several hiring decisions, I don't want anywhere near a candidate's facebook account. It's full of information I can't ask for: marital status, religion, country of birth, etc. Taking that information, then making a no-hire decision just gives the candidate a great way to claim they were discriminated against. Ain't nobody got time for that!
I don't even see how it would be helpful. I don't care what you did last weekend, I care how you perform at work on Monday. I'll figure that out soon enough.
Response to: Crashoverride on Apr 19th, 2013 @ 4:26pm
Not at all.
By going through the corporate servers, all the protections it provides are enabled.
better idea than it may seem
On a simple skim this can seem silly, but dig a bit deeper and it can end up looking sensible.
As a law firm, the costs of losing control over privileged information can be very high, ranging up to firm-destroyingly-high should confidential & embarrassing records get published.
Add that to the fact that most security awareness training doesn't work, and is even argued against[1]. In order for most training to be effective the we need to see our actions and the reward as coupled. With security training you sit in a boring seminar (or complete some basic computer based training program) once a year, then forget about it once the quiz is through. You may not be presented with a chance to apply your training for days, weeks, or months. Even then, the cost of failure might be nil, just like the reward for success. I can't think of a less effective method for education.
Training every single employee of that law firm to behave correctly 100% of the time is unlikely to work. Instead IT, full of people with a better understanding of the problem at hand, manages all routes for data to reach internal computers. Email, web, gopher, whatever. They actively manage block lists, virus scanners, etc. all in attempt to minimize risk. Drop one of those horrible link manipulation tools on the mail server that runs the link through a checker at click-time, rather than receipt time (the delay between the two adding valuable minutes or hours for a block-list to be updated) for good measure. Delete or quarantine all password protected compressed files, and quarantine any attachment from an unknown mail address.
If the user avoids all of that, and downloads a compressed .rar file with a password from a spear-phisher over gmail, they've skipped over half the defense in depth from the start. All that stands between that virus and the network is the virus scanner, which is generally reactive rather than proactive.
[1] http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2013/03/security_awaren_1.html
Re: There's such a thing as too open
Wikipedia's current large problem seems to be that they're losing editors. While a karma system seems like it would be effective at weeding out bad stuff like this, it may also exacerbate the editor problem.
Now?
Two comments.
First: " But the point is now they have the choice" why is this a new choice for them? Why didn't they have the choice five, ten, twenty years ago?
Second: If the partner is in charge of the CWF part of the equation, I'm not really seeing where the "Connecting" is coming from.
Article Title
I disagree with the title of the article "In A Connected World, Where Everyone Has A Voice, Customers Win"
Not everyone has a voice, or at least a voice that can be sufficiently heard in order to affect change.
In order to get the number of views they're talking about you need to be some set of: funny, good, naked women, thought provoking. We're not all able to produce a video/webpage/audio snippet/etc. that meets the standard for a link that will get passed around and such.
Even if we were, it still wouldn't work! These videos are only interesting because they're unique. If this was the 5th, or 10th, or 100th funny/musical/interesting/naked people complaint video would you have watched it? Probably not.
Unless United (and other companies) use this video as a catalyst for real change nothing positive has happened here except some publicity for the band, and a single repaired item out of the tens of thousands reported last year.
Freebees don't preclue credibility
I wrote a book on programming with PHP a few years ago, and have spent the past few years speaking at conferences, and teaching PHP to hundreds of developers. I'd like to feel I have some credibility when it comes to reccomending books on PHP.
Publishers often send me review copies, either at my request, or occasionally without prior solicitation.
While I make it clear when I have received a book free of charge, I don't feel it destroys my credibility. Especially since I do give books negative reviews.
Offer Service
I stayed at campgrounds coast to coast growing up. We stayed at camp grounds that were great: well spaced lots, nice trees and privacy, scenic walks, etc. We also stayed at crappy ones, essentially poorly gravelled grass lots with power outlets.
Given the choice between paying $40 and staying in, what is essentially a parking lot anyways, or for free in a WalMart lot, I'll take the lot (with the money saved go see a movie, or put it towards a sig-flags pass).
Compete on service, not legislative power.
Many Slide Technique
I like your many slide technique, coming back to the same points with the same slides to drive the point home. Well done.
Re: Huh?
I don't think you're giving the manager enough credit. I worked at a store where we sold a popular skin care product. The manufactuer would give us consistent (but low) stock for a while, then run out. We could order more, but it wouldn't matter, they would ignore the larger number and just send a few units.
We could have raised the price, but the manufacturer also sold direct. A raise large enough to moderate demand would likely have resulted in all the customers ordering direct. Now we're just wasting shelf space.
We gave up, and discontinued offering the product. We gave customers who came in the phone number for the manufactuer so they could order directly.
Media Variety
While the people reading this site definetly have access to a wide variety of different news outlets, they do not represent the entirety of the US population.
A large number of people still get their news from an radio on the way to work, a newspaper with their morning break, and the evening news (or some subset thereof). I know a large number of blue collar workers who don't own a computer and see no need to (nor am I inclined to argue with them).
I think for their sake we should prevent a single company from owning too much local share. If company X owned a big chunk of those three in any market they would effectively control the news for a notable segment of the population.