Tuesday, August 05, 2003

Eric Rescorla: Should we dump SMTP? While it's true that SMTP is pretty weak in the authentication department, and at least plausible to argue that authentication could suppress spam, the argument that the problem is SMTP doesn't really hold water. The basic problem is network topology. [Tomalak's Realm] Ding ding ding! 9:38:02 PM    comment []

Study: Software piracy on the wane. The latest report from the Business Software Alliance concludes that software piracy declined in the United States throughout 2002. [CNET News.com] 7:20:05 PM    comment []

>From BNA News: JUDGES OK EVIDENCE FROM HACKER A US federal appeals panel has ruled that the government did not violate search and seizure laws when it used evidence that a hacker gathered to establish a child pornography case. The decision stems from a case in which a hacker uploaded a file to a child porn newsgroup that made it possible to track who downloaded files from the service. Decision at http://pacer.ca4.uscourts.gov/opinion.pdf/024953.P.pdf Coverage at http://news.com.com/2100-1029_3-5058835.html 2:15:06 PM    comment []

Sponsor pulls support for controversial UCITA law: The software licensing law ran into stiff opposition and won passage in just two states. By Patrick Thibodeau, Computerworld. Citing widespread political opposition to UCITA, the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL) has pulled its support for the controversial software licensing law and won't seek its adoption in any state. Clearly we are experiencing directed intense and incessant politics and strong opposition, without suggestion of concrete alternatives, from some consumer groups, insurance companies and libraries, and the allies they have accumulated, NCCUSL President King Burnett said today in a letter sent to the group's commissioners, who represent each of the states. The NCCUSL, which is financially supported by the states, recommends uniform commercial laws. . . . Unless a state acts on its own, the move by the NCCUSL ends the state-by-state battle over UCITA but it doesn't end the controversy for two key reasons. First, UCITA is on the books in two states, Virginia and Maryland, and companies in those states will be able to cite the law in their contracts. The law also serves as a resource for courts to use, a point Burnett made by citing several rulings where judges recently made reference to it. _ 1:14:58 PM    comment []

POSITION AVAILABLE: FALL SEMESTER GRADUATE INTERNSHIP AT THE BENTON FOUNDATION The Benton Foundation is seeking a qualified intern at the graduate student level to work part-time at our office in downtown Washington DC. The paid internship would commence in mid-September and would run through December. Primary duties: *Assist in the publication of Benton's daily online news service, Communications-Related Headlines (http://www.benton.org/news). Intern would research daily news publications, summarize relevant stories and post summaries to the Internet. *Assist in Benton's 21st Century Skills Initiative, a multi-year effort to focus Benton programmatic resources on promoting 21st century skills (IT literacy, media literacy, civic literacy, etc) amongst underserved youth and young adult populations. Duties would include research, writing about best practices, website development and assisting Benton staff with individual projects. *Assist in the publication of the Digital Divide Network (http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org), which focuses on digital divide issues in the United States, and its international sister site, the Digital Opportunity Channel (http://www.digitalopportunity.org). Intern duties would include researching, collecting and posting of articles and Web resources, as well as writing articles profiling digital divide initiatives and related issues. *Assist in the development of a virtual conference on e-government and the digital divide, tentatively scheduled for later this fall. Duties would include assisting Benton staff with conference program, event logistics, publishing conference summaries and event promotion. Secondary duties: *Assist in other programmatic activities, including maintenance of the Benton.org website, research and writing of Benton publications, attending and summarizing FCC and congressional hearings and assisting in the organizing of meetings and conferences. Education, Skills and Qualifications: * Graduate-level student * Knowledge and interest in US communications policy issues (the digital divide, 21st century skills, media ownership, e-government, etc.) * Excellent writing and editorial skills (experience with AP writing style a plus) * Strong interpersonal communication skills * Ability to work with limited supervision * Ability to meet daily deadlines and work under pressure * Knowledge of HTML and Web publishing, including use of Dreamweaver Journalism experience is preferred, though not required. All qualified candidates will be expected to take a writing test. The intern would be expected to work a minimum of 20 hours/week, and morning hours (9am-12pm EST) are required. Candidates must be able to work out of our Washington DC office for a majority of their weekly working hours; part-time local telecommuting will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The Benton Foundation will not be able to pay for candidates relocating to the DC area, so candidates would have to relocate themselves or already be present in DC. To apply, please send cover letter, resume and _brief_ writing samples to Andy Carvin at acarvin@benton.org no later than Tuesday, August 12. *********************************** Andy Carvin Senior Associate Benton Foundation acarvin@benton.org http://www.benton.org http://www.digitalopportunity.org http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org *********************************** 12:14:21 PM    comment []

Colleges explore legal Net music setups: Universities are considering ways to bring legal Internet jukeboxes to dorm rooms, including entering deals with commercial service providers that would see online music charges included alongside tuition fees or picked up by the schools themselves. By John Borland, CNET News.com 11:14:17 AM    comment []

Survey: Linux Is Almost As Easy To Use As Windows XP: A new study by a German research firm shows users of the open-source operating system were able to do a set of tasks in almost the same time as XP users. By TechWeb News. _ 11:14:14 AM    comment []

When selling out can be a good thing, by Alex Beam, Boston Globe. The wild, solipsistic fantasy of Mammon slaying the Muse got aired out last month in a widely noted New York Times magazine cover story on Random House chairman Peter Olson. Olson, who was installed by Bertelsmann, was painted in dark tones because he insists that his Random House editors make a profit. The last time I checked, the Times magazine editors had similar goals . . . or are those Calvin Klein underwear ads public-service announcements? The Times article was the usual set piece, the liberal arts majors' noodle-slapping revenge on the grinds who went to business school and learned how to read a balance sheet. It even had the inevitable quote from the inevitably anonymous ''prominent agent'' invoking the sacrosanct nature of the book trade: This is not widgets we're selling. It's books. It's much more delicate. Ah, but there's the rub. Books are widgets. Wonderful, sometimes mysterious widgets, but still small manufactured items, as the Oxford English Dictionary defines the word. Books are made and have to be sold. Charles Dickens wanted to sell books; Charles Darwin wanted to sell books. If you don't sell books, you don't get readers. If you don't get readers, your company goes broke. Occasionally, someone seeks to wound me by suggesting that I ''just want to sell newspapers.'' You bet I want to sell newspapers! And lots of them. I dare you to find me an author who doesn't want to sell his or her books. What's really going on here? Manhattan's literary industrial complex is jittery about the dramatic changes in the book biz. Scruffy, downmarket retailers such as Costco and Sam's Club -- worse than Barnes & Noble! -- now sell millions more hardcover books than the tony store on the corner run by the nice lady who went to Bryn Mawr. Oprah Winfrey has more lit-clout than The New York Times Book Review. The horror. Yes, publishing has changed, some would argue for the better. . . . . 11:14:10 AM    comment []

Eszter: The final update on the Blogathon is that I raised $1,200 from 40 people. Thank you! The Blogathon as a whole raised over $100,000 for various charities, which is quite neat. The archives of my Blogathon transcript are available here: http://www.esztersblog.com/blogathon03 . You can find lots of information about reproductive rights and reproductive health on it in addition to some fun little puzzles and pictures from the event in my corner of blogworld. Now, I've got to pay up! 9:13:50 AM    comment []

Millions Going Solo With Cells. Industry analysts say 7.5 million Americans have cut the cord of their land-line phones, with students, recent graduates and young professionals leading the way. Some wonder if they'll return to land lines later or if wireless will meet all their needs. [Wired News] 7:55:12 AM    comment []

Iraqis Get the News but Often Don't Believe It. The booming media business is evidence that a free market can thrive in Iraq, but it has also left Iraqis overwhelmed by choices. By Richard A. Oppel Jr.. [New York Times: Business] 7:52:56 AM    comment []

How Robots Will Steal Your Job. The man behind the website HowStuffWorks has a theory that in the future most of us will be out of work, replaced by robots. He elucidates this vision in a series of essays, a sci-fi novel and even a patent application. By Joanna Glasner. [Wired News] 7:49:38 AM    comment []

Mano a Mano, Iron Teachers and Science!. "Iron Science Teacher" is the most high profile element of the Exploratorium's Teacher Institute, which runs summer workshops for science teachers. By Jonathan Rabinovitz. [New York Times: Science] 7:45:32 AM    comment []

Marilyn Monroe found dead, this date, 1962. 5:13:11 AM    comment []