Sunday, April 06, 2008

Assurances that don't.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/03/AR2008040304052.html

Every Click You Make

Internet Providers Quietly Test Expanded Tracking of Web Use to Target Advertising

By Peter Whoriskey Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, April 4, 2008; Page D01

... The practice represents a significant expansion in the ability to track a household's Web use because it taps into Internet connections, and critics liken it to a phone company listening in on conversations. But the companies involved say customers' privacy is protected because no personally identifying details are released. [Why is that not entirely comforting? Bob]

... Officials at another service provider, Knology, said it was working with NebuAd and is conducting a test of deep-packet inspection on "several hundred" customers in a service area it declined to identify.

"I don't view it as violating any privacy data at all," said Anthony Palermo, vice present of marketing at Knology. "My understanding is that all these companies go through great pains to hash out information that is specific to the consumer." [Perhaps he is not a native English speaker? This is what we are concerned about, not the solution to that concern. Bob]

... Nor does NebuAd record a user's visits to pornography or gaming sites or a user's interests in sensitive subjects -- such as bankruptcy or a medical condition such as AIDS. The company said it processes but does not look into packets of information that include e-mail or pictures. [More dis-information. How can you know what to eliminate or keep if you don't know what is in the packet? Bob]



I wonder if there is a guide or survey of Terms of Service?

http://news.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/04/05/1952249&from=rss

RIAA's Boston University Subpoena Quashed

Posted by Zonk on Saturday April 05, @05:27PM from the judges-should-be-issues-banhammers dept. The Courts Education Music

NewYorkCountryLawyer writes

"As first reported by p2pnet, the motion to quash the RIAA's subpoena seeking identities of Boston University students has been granted, at least for the moment. In a 52-page opinion (pdf) the Judge concluded that she could not decide whether or not to quash until she had seen the college's 'Terms of Service Agreement' for internet service. It was only then she could decide what 'expectation of privacy' the students had. She quashed the subpoena calling for the student identities, and told them they could go ahead with a subpoena just for the terms of service agreement. Interestingly the decision was issued on the very same day as the judge in Elektra v. Barker came to some of the same conclusions."



Now this is interesting. Could I 'spoof' a return address (IRS.GOV) and write myself an exemption from Income Tax? (Relying on the government to destroy or be unable to locate their copies...)

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1207305783293

E-Mails Sufficient to Modify Contract, N.Y. Appellate Panel Says

Noeleen G. Walder New York Law Journal April 7, 2008

A series of e-mails were signed writings that could be used to modify an employment agreement, a New York appellate court ruled Tuesday. The e-mails fell under the Statute of Frauds because the name at the end of each message signaled the author's "intent to authenticate" its contents, the Appellate Division, 1st Department, unanimously held in the unsigned opinion, Stevens v. Publicis, S.A., 602716/03.

[Drat! Dilbert has stolen my idea! I think I'll sue...

http://www.unitedmedia.com/comics/dilbert/archive/images/dilbert2008040261966.jpg



Who would believe an elected official who claims to be saving money?

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/04/the-cost-of-e-v.html

The Cost of E-Voting

By Kim Zetter April 04, 2008 | 5:29:00 PM

... So SaveOurVotes (.pdf), a voting integrity group in Maryland, decided to see if the 19,000 touch-screen machines their state purchased really did save money. The results aren't really a surprise -- the machines are wildly more expensive than anyone anticipated. But just how expensive they are makes their analysis mandatory reading for any legislators and state or county budget committees that approve voting equipment purchases.



Probably useful in my Computer Security class..

http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/04/05/another-video-site-for-military-films/

Another Video Site — For Military Films

5th April 2008, 12:28 pm

... The site’s called Real Military Flix and it’s at Http://realmilitaryflix.com



You should know by now that I love lists of the resources on the Internet. If nothing else, visit the WikiBooks free textbook site and some of the e-book search engines. (Even more in the comments...)

http://ydabondelli.wordpress.com/2008/03/15/80-online-resources-for-book-lovers/

80 Online Resources for Book Lovers

Posted by Kevin Bondelli on March 15, 2008



An indication that the Americans with Disabilities Act is working? (Imagine the lineup.) Police suspect Prof. Steven Hawking – he has this physics jones....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080404/ap_on_fe_st/wheelchair_bank_robbery;_ylt=AmDm2iIUQ1lM4g2atMTkdoes0NUE

Police say man in wheelchair robbed bank

AP Fri Apr 4, 7:15 PM ET

PALO ALTO, Calif. - Palo Alto police are looking for a bank robber who favors a decidedly slow-speed getaway vehicle — an electric wheelchair. Police said a man in his 60s with gray hair and a beard held up the Wachovia Bank branch at the Stanford Shopping Center late this afternoon with a black handgun.



Article for my Disaster Recovery class. (Was that rat on TSA's watch list?)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080405/ap_on_fe_st/odd_sweden_electrocuted_rat;_ylt=Am3TnNgRWng5VN4Slqi3h56s0NUE

Zapped rat causes Stockholm power outage

AP Sat Apr 5, 3:12 PM ET

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - The electrocution of a fat rat in an electric station Saturday caused a three-hour power outage in Stockholm's central train station, halting elevators and escalators.

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