FireGPG has to call a local copy of GPG outside of the browser. This GPG4Browsers all happens within the browser. The eventual goal seems to be to be able to provide OpenPGP even in environments where GPG is not installed on the OS and the user only has rights to run a web-browser.

The authors are aware of the following problems in the _prototype_:
      - this uses HTML5 local store which can't be cleared securely
      - it lacks validation of certificates
      - it can't generate keys.

But it is very interesting. Danke schÃn!

Sorry to burst *your* bubble but your argument fails on several fronts:

1. There already exists a succesful support company based around R: http://www.revolutionanalytics.com/
2. The model of making money by providing BETTER support and releasing Free Software is proven by Red Hat, MySQL AB (pre-acquisition), etc
3. The OP doesn't sound like they need anything besides out of the box functionality, which is incredibly full-featured in R (especially compared to Excel!)

n/t

The icon attached to this story is for "Open Source" yet the story is discussing GPL licensed software. Ironically the objective of OSS advocates was exactly to hide the obligations that Free Software licensing imposed on distributors. It would seem from the problem being discussed that they've succeeded.

You're assuming malice. But the most likely thing is that they used Wolfram Alpha to search for "CDF" instead of using Google or Ixquick. ;)

Similar cluelessness abounds in their comparison chart which claims e.g. that HTML5 is incapable of a "dynamic document hierarchy" while "Readers can dynamically open and close chapters and sections in CDF documents. CDF also supports hierarchical, tab, slide, flip, opener, and other document organizations."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsOBtTNJ-aA

And now that this study has been published there will be a spike in the number of people searching for "granny porn" and "aged cunts". ;)

This is another recommendation for Jitsi.

In addition to all the above advantages it also offers encryption of audio calls through ZRTP.

- Instant messaging doesn't work everywhere. AIM, MSN, ICQ, SMS... all incompatible. It's a mess.

Google Talk just added the ability to message AIM (e.g. SMSAIM )users. So that's one incompatibility gone.

https://www.google.com/support/chat/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1281761

So Facebook gets to ask it's unsuspecting users for their mobile phone numbers in addition to the other data they now spew out into the eager hands of crackers and marketeers?

Sweet.

Even better, it creates an evolutionary pressure for spammers to invest in databases of peoples faces linked to names and associated face-recognition technology. Brilliant. Something else for which to thank the Facebook tards.

True. And also the money to pay for any ensuing legal costs. Patents are virtually useless except as a weapon for large companies.

Florian is an "interesting" character. He consistently denigrates the efforts of: Groklaw, the Open Invention Network, FSFE, Eben Moglen and now Google. Sounds to me like he's positioning himself as the loyal opposition.

Not all patents are equal. And more importantly PATENTS ONLY BENEFIT THOSE WHO CAN AFFORD TO GO TO COURT.

Google has a big enough warchest to take on any patent claims.

Seeing as you care about accuracy: the phrase "security theatre" doesn't mean what you think it does.

what it results in is an environment where closed and repressive societies have an advantage in the information realm over open and democratic societies.

Here here! Obviously the proper response is to stop being an open society and keep hiding information from the people in this, our God-given democracy, until such time as the baby-eating fascists from Oceania are driven back to their watery realm. Do you have a news letter to which we may subscribe?