...because...

http://www.pogowasright.org/article.php?story=20081027052803744

Data “Dysprotection:” breaches reported last week

Monday, October 27 2008 @ 05:28 AM EDT Contributed by: PrivacyNews

A recap of incidents or privacy breaches reported last week for those who enjoy shaking their head and muttering to themselves with their morning coffee.

Source - Chronicles of Dissent

This is the report the White House fiddled with...

http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/019645.html

October 26, 2008

DHS Privacy Office Annual Report Annual Privacy Report to Congress, July 2007 to July 2008

DHS Privacy Office Annual Report Annual Privacy Report to Congress, July 2007 to July 2008 (100 pages, PDF)

Of course it's unplanned. That's the whole point!

http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/019641.html

October 26, 2008

Gartner and Nielsen Reports - Impact of Social Networking in Government and

• Gartner Says Citizen Social Networks Will Complement, and May Replace, Some Government Functions, Egham, UK, October 23, 2008 — "By 2011, 70 per cent of social computing deployments in government that achieve business benefits will do so in unplanned or unexpected ways, according to Gartner, Inc. Government organisations around the world are showing great interest in social computing, yet deployment so far is relatively limited... Today, the primary role of social networks for governments is to facilitate the exchange of information and to establish novel collaboration patterns, often across organisational boundaries."

• Nielsen Online Media Alert - Fastest Growing Social Networks for September 2008: Twitter.com, Tagged.com and Ning Lead in Year-Over Year Audience Growth

  • U.S. Department of State: Major Programs of the Office of eDiplomacy: "Diplopedia wiki - Launched in September 2006, Diplopedia is the State Department's internal unclassified online encyclopedia. Just as people create and edit articles on public wikis on the Internet, Department personnel are using Diplopedia to create a broad, informative and expanding reference tool for knowledge-sharing about the Department, its programs and offices, and other international affairs subjects."

Related. If we didn't plan for it, it must not exist? (Don't confuse me with facts?)

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/10/26/1213226&from=rss

Australian Government Ignoring Problems With Proposed Filters

Posted by Soulskill on Sunday October 26, @09:20AM from the la-la-la-i-can't-hear-you dept.

halll7 writes with an update to the proposed Australian national firewall we discussed recently. According to the BBC, "The official watchdog, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), has been conducting laboratory tests of six filtering products, and the government plans a live trial soon. ... After its recent trials, ACMA reported significant improvements on earlier studies. The network degradation on one product was less than 2%, although two products were in excess of 75%." Now, Ars Technica reports that "an Australian newspaper has uncovered documents showing that the government minister responsible for the program has ignored performance and accuracy problems with the filters, then tried to suppress criticism of the plan by private citizens." The EFA has a great deal to say in opposition of these plans.

Perhaps this is the replacement for Professional journals?

http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/10/26/1358226&from=rss

Modern Methods For Sharing Innovation

Posted by Soulskill on Sunday October 26, @10:34AM from the let's-see-what-you've-got dept.

The New York Times is running a story about Johnny Chung Lee, a hardware hacker made famous for his projects which modified the Nintendo Wiimote to do things like positional head tracking and multi-touch display control. The article focuses on the suggestion that Lee's use of YouTube to demonstrate his innovations has done a better job of communicating his ideas than more traditional methods could. Quoting:

"He might have published a paper that only a few dozen specialists would have read. A talk at a conference would have brought a slightly larger audience. In either case, it would have taken months for his ideas to reach others. Small wonder, then, that he maintains that posting to YouTube has been an essential part of his success as an inventor. 'Sharing an idea the right way is just as important as doing the work itself,' he says. 'If you create something but nobody knows, it's as if it never happened.'"

Not yet on the scale of “Hanging Chad” -- but give it time...

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/26/112912/81/554/642200

WIDESPREAD TOUCH SCREEN VOTE FLIPPING!!

by FreeSociety Sun Oct 26, 2008 at 08:29:12 AM PDT

... ES&S iVotronics touch screens have already been observed now in four completely separate States, flipping the votes, in the early voting that has taken place to date. Eye-witness reports of repeated, consistent flipping of votes (from Obama to McCain naturally) has already occurred in the States of: West Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri, and Texas that have had early voting.

Related? True of any hot topic, isn't it?

http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/10/26/2236245&from=rss

Game-Related Education On the Rise At Colleges

Posted by Soulskill on Sunday October 26, @08:22PM from the best-kind-of-homework dept.

The LA Times has a story about the increased interest in learning how to make video games amongst college students, and the subsequent rise in game-related education as the schools respond to that demand. Some programs are gaining legitimacy, while others do perhaps more harm than good. Quoting:

"The surge in interest has led schools to add games to their menu — but not always to the benefit of its students. Recruiters say they often see 'mills' that run around-the-clock sessions to quickly churn out as many students as possible. Other programs teach specific skills but not how games are pulled together. 'It's a very hot academic growth area,' said Colleen McCreary, who runs EA's university relations program. 'I'm very worried about the number of community colleges and for-profit institutions, as well as four-year programs, that are using game design as a lure for students who are not going to be prepared for the real entry-level positions that the game industry wants.'"

Not unexpected, but how do the rest justify spending an “extra” $400?

http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/10/26/1856226&from=rss

OpenOffice.org V3.0 Sets Download Record, 80% Windows

Posted by timothy on Sunday October 26, @03:31PM from the constant-companion dept. Software Sun Microsystems IT

thefickler writes

"The newest version of OpenOffice, version 3.0, has set a download record in its first week of availability. Most surprising is the fact that over 80% of downloads were from Windows users. As one commentator noted, when it comes to a choice between almost identical software (e.g. Microsoft Office and OpenOffice), price is the determining factor."

Dude! It's a medicinal taco!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081026/ap_on_fe_st/odd_marijuana_tacos

Colo. couple get marijuana with order of tacos

Sun Oct 26, 12:44 am ET

LAKEWOOD, Colo. – A Colorado couple found an unusual topping on their order of tacos: a small bag of marijuana.

They discovered the drugs with their order from a Del Taco restaurant and called police, said Lakewood police spokesman Steve Davis.

Twenty-six-year-old Dennis Klermund, who police say waited on the husband when he picked up food Oct. 16, faces charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

This is why I'm FROM New Jersey.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081026/ap_on_re_us/green_garbage

One man's garbage becomes another's power plant

By DAVID PORTER, Associated Press Writer – Sun Oct 26, 4:47 pm ET

... According to the plan, New Jerseyans produce 6.7 pounds of trash per day, 50 percent more than the national average.