Friday, May 19, 2006

Good usability is like "water flowing downhill". "I prefer reactions in which the fabric of the organization is changed so that it's easier for people to do the "right" thing. Like water flowing downhill." Silkandspinach's Kevin Rutherford said that in a comment to David HH's post don't... [Creating Passionate Users] 6:07:06 PM    comment []

Zimbabwe to introduce legislation on cybercrime (Xinhua). The minister said Zimbabwe would soon come up with measures to curb this crime, including raising awareness through the country's education system, cooperating with other countries in the exchange of technical information and communication network security. . . . [Zimbabwe's telecommunications regulatory body] said lack of adequate security hindered the use of information and communication technologies that rely on the protection and confidentiality of sensitive data. 4:45:08 PM    comment []

WBAB offers $10,000 reward for radio hijacker, by Bart Jones, Newsday. See also yesterday's story. 7:43:41 AM    comment []

The French Chef Model Of Intellectual Property. For the week since Brad Feld published it, I've been trying to find something to enhance "Norms-based IP and French Chefs:" Norms-based IP systems are an alternative (or a complement) to legal based IP systems. The Case of French Chefs is a superb example of how this works. If you care a lot about IP protection – especially if you think our current system has issues – this paper is definitely worth reading and pondering. The picture is of course, "Beets and Leeks," the preparation in which Thomas Keller introduced butter-poached lobster. Interestingly, that preparation is now widely copied, and Keller has gone on to a version of Beets and Leeks in which the lobster is prepared sous-vide. The picture is from "Fine dining with Tom, anne and David in Napa, California." [Emergent Chaos] [You'll have to go to Emergent Chaos for the picture.] Chefs who invent clever recipes are not able to protect the recipes by copyright, yet, "astonishingly," both the cookbook industry and celebrity chefs appear to thrive. 6:17:08 AM    comment []

NSA: Can You Hear Me Now?. Eric Umansky has got a good theory as to why some phone companies say they've turned records over to the NSA -- and why some claim they haven't. [Pajamas Media] A synopsis: The hints all fit together: The companies aren't turning over their records. But the companies that subcontract with them--AT&T for long distance,  AmDocs for bills...well let's see what denials they put out. Details and intriguing edges at the link. 6:14:41 AM    comment []

Apes Demonstrate Capacity to Think Ahead [Scientific American] 6:14:33 AM    comment []

The illusion of Iranian people vs. the governemnt. There is no clear line separating people from the government in Iran. This is a big conceptual mistake many make these days, especially the Bush administration to cover its failure to design a concrete and substantive policy on how to deal with the complex political system in Iran. Without the oil revenue, a dysfunctional state like Iran with a high unemployment rate and a broken economy, could not possibly survive. In the absence of a healthy economy with a functional private section, millions of peoples' lives depend on the government and while they are directly or indirectly benefiting from the oil revenue, it's unfair to expect them to suddenly turn against their government, no matter how repressive it is. Separating ordinary Iranians from "Mullahs" is only possible on paper, so are the resulted strategies and policies. [Editor: Myself (English)] 6:13:21 AM    comment []

Video: Lou Reed and John Cale do Heroin. The song, that is. In this 1972 video, John Cale and Lou Reed perform the Velvet Underground tune at a Paris club called Le Bataclan: Link. See also this video of Nico singing "Femme Fatale" from that same show. (sorry, I can't remember who pointed me here, but thank you.) [Boing Boing] 6:03:20 AM    comment []

Second Life Land Deal Goes Sour. An online real estate developer sues gamemaker Linden Lab for allegedly repossessing his cyberproperty. Are real judges ready to deal with virtual worlds? By Kathleen Craig. [Wired News: Top Stories] 6:03:14 AM    comment []

Questions for the NSA. DearNSA.com: questions we can ask our all-seeing, all-knowing, total information awareness overlords: Q: Where did I leave my keys? A: Inside pocket of your gray jacket (it's hanging in the front closet). Q: What should I get my wife for her birthday? A: Blue sundress from Calypso, size 12. Also note that she likes to have her toes licked. Q: Is now a good time to buy Google? A: Unfortunately, due to strict federal laws NSA cannot provide stock tips. Q: Can I substitute margarine for butter in my Toll House cookie recipe? A: We know that you've been smoking pot. Q: What should I have for dinner? A: You've been eating a lot of Chinese and pizza -- how about some Turkish? Link (via Lawgeek) [Boing Boing] 5:53:11 AM    comment []