Thursday, September 11, 2003

All Adam's race are members of one frame: Since all, at first, from the same essence came. When by hard fortune one limb is oppressed, the other members lose their wonted rest. If thou feel'st not for others' misery, a son of Adam is no name for thee. *** Bani Adam a'azaye yek-digarand; Ke dar Afarinesh ze yek goharand. Cho oz'oe ba dard a'warad ruzgaar, digar oz'oe ha ra namand qarar. Tu kaz mehna'te digaran beghami, nashayad nehand naamat Adami. Sa'adi, "Golestan" [Tehran <-> Washington, DC 1970-1973 teen girl blog] 8:13:38 PM    comment []

White House Threatens Senate on Media Rules. The White House today threatened to veto a Senate proposal that would strike down recently relaxed media ownership rules. By Reuters. [New York Times: Business] 8:07:09 PM    comment []

Just Say No to Viruses and Worms. With a new version of the Sobig worm expected any day now, computer experts and law enforcement officials testify in Congress on the best way to protect computers from ever more virulent intruders. By Kim Zetter. [Wired News] 7:47:35 PM    comment []

Microsoft Admits New Windows Problem. Moments before a Microsoft executive told Congress about efforts to improve security, the company warned today of new flaws that leave Windows software vulnerable. By The Associated Press. [New York Times: Technology] 5:14:56 PM    comment []

Not just another "nerdy white guy". At the memorial service for Anita Borg, her colleagues and friends vow to continue her life's work, carving out room for women in the world of computer science. [Salon.com] 5:12:45 PM    comment []

Steve Gilbert, with a 2-3 minute audio-narrated slideshow about Building Community, Fundamental questions, and 9/11. 2:30:10 PM    comment []

Two from yesterday's BNA Internet Law News: GROUPS WIN EARLY VICTORY OVER PENN PORN-BLOCKING LAW Two civil liberties groups have sued Pennsylvania's attorney general, claiming his tactics to stop child pornography also cut subscribers across the country from legitimate Web sites. The lawsuit challenges the "secret censorship orders", a system of notices that Attorney General Mike Fisher's office sends to ISPs to block access to sites that it considers child pornography. Hours after filing Fisher agreed to cease using the orders until the case is heard in November. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,60361,00.html http://news.com.com/2100-1028_3-5073799.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50868-2003Sep9.html RIAA SUED OVER 'AMNESTY PROGRAM' The RIAA has been sued in California by a man claiming that its recently-announced amnesty program is misleading. Under its "clean-slate" program, the RIAA said it will not prosecute file-sharers for their past actions if they make a written statement pledging not to trade music over the Internet anymore. The complaint says the amnesty program does not protect participants from litigation by other groups. Suit at http://www.techfirm.com/Parke-RIAA%20Complaint.pdf Coverage at http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB106315110154300400,00.html 8:29:14 AM    comment []

BigChampagne is Watching You. In fact, it tracks every download and sells the data to the music industry. How one company is turning file-sharing networks into the world's biggest focus group. By Jeff Howe from Wired magazine. [Wired News] 7:17:09 AM    comment []

Financial Times: The BBC's lessons for America. Lawrence Lessig. It also required a bit of creative thinking. For the natural intuition of content owners is control. The very idea of giving up perfect control over how and whether content is re-used is treason among insiders. But as the BBC understands, it does not live in Disney World. [Tomalak's Realm] 7:07:54 AM    comment []

New Windows virus may hit soon. A worm or virus that exploits newly revealed vulnerabilities in the current versions of Windows could emerge fairly soon, security experts say. [CNET News.com] 7:05:38 AM    comment []

Detecting Gender by Prose and How to Make Everyday Things. This week: Web sites that predict the sex of an author and that archive famous speeches. By Pamela Licalzi O'connell. [New York Times: Technology] 7:04:21 AM    comment []

The Robert Anton Wilson for Governor Web site. Position Paper #1 After refusing many pleas to run for governor, I have reconsidered and now enter the race as an unofficial write-in candidate. After all, why shd I remain the ONLY nut in California who ain't running? My party, the Guns and Dope Party, invites extremists of both right and left to unite behind the shared goals of 1) Get those pointy-headed Washinton bureaucrats off our backs and off our fronts too! 2) guns for everybody who wants them; no guns for those who don't want them 3) drugs for everybody who wants them; no drugs for those who don't want them 4) freedom of choice, free love, free speech, free Internet and free beer 5) California secession -- Keep the anti--gun and ant-dope fanatics on the Eastern side of the Rockies 6) Lotsa wild parties every night by gun-toting dopers 7) Animal protection -- Support your right to keep and arm bears 4:28:35 AM    comment []