I had thought we should talk with Constitutional Lawyers, perhaps we were addressing the wrong people?
http://www.pogowasright.org/?p=21250
The fall of libel and the rise of privacy
February 28, 2011 by Dissent
Michael Cameron, in-house counsel for the New York Post, writes:
What if the world no longer needed libel lawyers?
This was the frightening concept that greeted attendees at the biennial Media Law Resource Centre (MLRC) media law conference held in Virginia in October 2010.
On the face of it, the news was grim for the women and men who make their living litigating over the reputations of the good, bad and unappealing.
However, the outlook in the longer term may not be that bleak, given the burgeoning phenomenon of digital defamation and the privacy implications of social media.
In 2009, out of the hundreds of filings in various state and federal courts, just nine defamation matters went to trial in the USA, a staggeringly low number in historical terms.
Read more on Inforrm’s Blog.
(Related) Which would get your attention: A serious/academic debate or a lawsuit?
http://www.pogowasright.org/?p=21276
What are the Constitutional Limits on Online Tracking Regulations?
March 1, 2011 by Dissent
Harlan Yu writes:
As the conceptual contours of Do Not Track are being worked out, an interesting question to consider is whether such a regulation—if promulgated—would survive a First Amendment challenge. Could Do Not Track be an unconstitutional restriction on the commercial speech of online tracking entities? The answer would of course depend on what restrictions a potential regulation would specify. However, it may also depend heavily on the outcome of a case currently in front of the Supreme Court—Sorrell v. IMS Health Inc.—that challenges the constitutionality of a Vermont medical privacy law.
Read more on Freedom to Tinker.
If you go in front of a Judge, no matter your role, expect inspection. Everything is open to review.
http://www.pogowasright.org/?p=21258
Court expert removed from case over Facebook pics
March 1, 2011 by Dissent
Talk about a Facebook page coming back to bite you! AP reports that a Beverly Hills psychiatrist has found himself under challenge as an expert witness in custody cases because of a Facebook page that was “not intended for public viewing” and for some other images he uploaded to the Internet that he claims were “satire:”
Some parents are seeking to remove a Beverly Hills psychiatrist from their child custody cases after discovering lewd photos of him on Facebook and other websites, a newspaper reported.
Dr. Joseph Kenan, president of the American Society for Adolescent Psychiatry, was dismissed from a recent case and challenged in at least two others.
The 41-year-old, who advises family courts in custody disputes, also faces at least four complaints lodged with the Medical Board of California, according to a records review by the Los Angeles Times.
Read more in The Age.
The story was originally reported by the L. A. Times, who posted some of the pictures.
Interestingly, one parent who had sought to have Dr. Kenan dismissed from a case, was unsuccessful. According to the AP:
“You’re saying Dr. Kenan should be disqualified because of a goofy Facebook page. What on earth does it have anything to do with this court?” Commissioner Mary Lou Katz asked.
That’s an interesting question in a day and age when lawyers are googling potential jurors, judges are instructing jurors to stay off Facebook with respect to the trial, and employers are making employment decisions about people based on Facebook postings. Does the psychiatrist’s Facebook page say anything about his professional judgment? While Commissioner Katz may not think so, others might disagree.
And did the doctor simply screw up his Facebook privacy settings, or did Facebook decide to share his information at some point, or is he just misrepresenting now that he’s been exposed (no pun intended)?
Unfortunately, he's not joking...
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/02/ars-interviews-sen-al-franken.ars
Defining Internet "freedom": Ars interviews Senator Al Franken
Since winning election to the US Senate in 2008, Al Franken (D-MN) has become one of that chamber's top net neutrality defenders.
… Franken has even gone so far as to call net neutrality the "First Amendment issue of our time." Those are tough words, but Franken remains convinced of their truth, even as he supports a controversial plan to censor websites over concerns about piracy and counterfeiting. (That legislation, called the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act or COICA, is currently under consideration.)
For all my students – We're going to the Cloud, ready or not.
http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/026634.html
February 28, 2011
Cloud Computing Research Study - Lockheed Martin
Special Research Report: Cloud Computing - "In December 2010, the 1105 Government Information Group and Beacon Technology Partners conducted a survey of federal IT managers to determine their attitudes toward cloud computing. The survey revealed the greatest cloud opportunities among federal agencies and the preferred deployment modes for cloud initiatives. Additionally, the research showed perceived advantages of cloud computing, concerns about security, and more. Read this special research report for more information."
(Related)
http://slashdot.org/story/11/03/01/0050201/Windows-Intune-Cloud-Based-PC-Management-Utility-Hits-the-Street-March-23?from=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot+%28Slashdot%29
Windows Intune Cloud-Based PC Management Utility Hits the Street March 23
"Microsoft has announced a release date for Windows Intune, its cloud-based solution for PC management for businesses, whether computers are on the corporate network or operated remotely. Intune will be released on March 23 for $11 per PC per month."
For my Computer Security students.
http://www.pogowasright.org/?p=21240
Tracking Internet miscreants
February 28, 2011 by Dissent
Canadian lawyer David T. Fraser writes:
A growing portion of my practice is working my the litigators in my firm on cases of online torts, including defamation and harassment. This mainly involves working to track down people who do harmful things under a veil of supposed internet anonymity. This includes people who hide behind pseudonyms on chat boards and other internet fora while saying defamatory things in addition to the (apparently) growing problem of creating fake Facebook profiles in order to harass and bully others. We’ve dealt with similar situations involving online dating sites, where people have set up fake profiles in the names of the victims in order to harass them.
[...]
Some of the cases I’ve worked on have become well-publicized in this region, and I was asked by the Canadian Bar Association – New Brunswick Branch to present on the topic at their annual Mid-Winter Meeting. In case you’re interested, below is a presentation on what sorts of tracks people leave online and how they can be assembled and used to try to identify otherwise unnamed defendants. In almost all cases, they involve applying to the court for Norwich orders, which is a form of order from the court to require a mostly uninvolved third-party to provide information that will lead to the identification of the actual defendant.
Read more on Canadian Privacy Law Blog.
[The slides:
https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=ddpx56cg_379fgxwmgd4&interval=60
Also for my Computer Security students
http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/026633.html
February 27, 2011
Internet Crime Complaint Center - 2010 Internet Crime Report
2010 Internet Crime Report, The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), February 2011
"Now in its tenth year, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has become a vital resource for victims of online crime and for law enforcement investigating and prosecuting offenders. In 2010, IC3 received the second-highest number of complaints since its inception. IC3 also reached a major milestone this year when it received its two-millionth complaint. On average, IC3 receives and processes 25,000 complaints per month. IC3 is more than a repository for victim complaints. It serves as a conduit for law enforcement to share information and pursue cases that often span jurisdictional boundaries. IC3 was founded in 2000 as a joint effort between the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C)/Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). That partnership leveraged the resources necessary to aid law enforcement in every aspect of an Internet fraud complaint. The most common victim complaints in 2010 were non-delivery of payment/merchandise, scams impersonating the FBI (hereafter “FBI-related scams”) and identity theft. Victims of these crimes reported losing hundreds of millions of dollars."
Students take note: Free is good!
http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/google-code-university-tutorials-on-computer-science/
Google Code University: Online Courses & Tutorials On Computer Science
Google Code University is an online repository of tutorials and course content in the form of text, video and slides to help people get started with various computer science topics, especially those that center around web development. You’ll find courses related to web programming, web security, Android, Google APIs, tools and much more.
… All the courses on the site fall under the Creative Commons license, thereby making it easy to use and share. You don’t need a Google account to access the courses either. It’s as simple as it can get.
http://code.google.com/edu/
The leading technology adopting industry points to the future?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20037517-1.html
Penthouse rolls out first all-3D porn channel
So, this is real--and maybe a little too realistic. Penthouse magazine is launching a new HD satellite TV channel in Europe that will broadcast original content in 3D. The new channel will join three HD channels already operated by Penthouse, which has a history of being ahead of the curve when it comes to digital distribution.
[The market for porn:
http://www.skitzone.com/2011/porn-addiction-in-america-infographic/
Porn Addiction in America (Infographic)
Interesting. Isn't this an attempt to automate my Graphic Design students?
http://www.killerstartups.com/Web-App-Tools/visualbee-com-better-powerpoint-presentations?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+killerstartups%2FBkQV+%28KillerStartups.com%29
VisualBee.com - Better PowerPoint Presentations
This is the one site you should head to if you fear your PowerPoint presentations are a bit lacking when it comes to sheer visual force. On Visual Bee, you will be able to have any presentation that you have created enhanced in a really radical scale. This is done in a really easy way - simply installing the provided plug-in will let enable Visual Bee to go through your content and have it largely improved in graphical terms. A library of over 15,000 images is used for these purposes.
Yet, note that aspects like your logo will be respected, and that you are the one having the final word on the design itself.
… Two versions of Visual Bee are already available: Visual Bee Free, and Visual Bee Premium. Only the premium edition of Visual Bee lets you brand your design, and have access to as many images as mentioned in the first paragraph - the free version is limited to about 3,000 images only.
http://www.visualbee.com/