Submission + - Bruce Sterling: The Blast Shack - #wikileaks
proclus writes: "We asked Bruce Sterling (who spoke at Webstock ’09) for his take on Wikileaks." proclus sez — It is a long read, but a good one.
Submission Summary: 0 pending, 62 declined, 9 accepted (71 total, 12.68% accepted)
Submission + - Stallman comments on #Anonymous and #Wikileaks (guardian.co.uk)
proclus writes: The Anonymous web protests over WikiLeaks are the internet equivalent of a mass demonstration. It's a mistake to call them hacking (playful cleverness) or cracking (security breaking). The LOIC program that is being used by the group is prepackaged so no cleverness is needed to run it, and it does not break any computer's security. The protesters have not tried to take control of Amazon's website, or extract any data from MasterCard. They enter through the site's front door, and it just can't cope with the volume....
Submission + - Cables: Chinese hackers employed to secure Windows (posterous.com)
proclus writes: : #Leakspin — Chinese hackers employed to secure #Microsoft #Windows — #wikileaks #cablegate Chamber of Commerce
I have been learning so much from the Wikileaks cables using Google
site searches, such as the following.
http://www.google.com/search?q=site:wikileaks.ch+microsoft
This search looks for occurances of the word Microsoft in the leaked
cables. Currently three cables are coming up for me in the search,
and they provide interesting intelligence. For example, it appears
that a level of security clearance may be required to actually secure
Microsoft Windows. Secondly, and perhaps more interesting, the cables
warn of the dangers of Chinese hackers, but then state that Chinese
hackers were employed to secure Microsoft Windows! These facts
certainly bear further investigation, and likely explain much of what
we have been seeing in the current spate of network attacks. Here
below are links the the relavent cables.
09STATE67105, DIPLOMATIC SECURITY DAILY
http://www.wikileaks.ch/cable/2009/06/09STATE67105.html
08STATE116943, DIPLOMATIC SECURITY DAILY
http://wikileaks.ch/cable/2008/11/08STATE116943.html
Finally, there is a third cable describing some of the activities of
the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt. Microsoft is found
praising USAID for a focus on education and health, areas in
particular need of development in Egypt. One wonders how many Chinese
engineered Microsoft Windows systems where deployed in Egypt!
08CAIRO1067, CODEL BAIRD MEETS WITH EGYPTIAN LEADERS ON MARGINS
http://www.wikileaks.ch/cable/2008/05/08CAIRO1067.html
Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/
I have been learning so much from the Wikileaks cables using Google
site searches, such as the following.
http://www.google.com/search?q=site:wikileaks.ch+microsoft
This search looks for occurances of the word Microsoft in the leaked
cables. Currently three cables are coming up for me in the search,
and they provide interesting intelligence. For example, it appears
that a level of security clearance may be required to actually secure
Microsoft Windows. Secondly, and perhaps more interesting, the cables
warn of the dangers of Chinese hackers, but then state that Chinese
hackers were employed to secure Microsoft Windows! These facts
certainly bear further investigation, and likely explain much of what
we have been seeing in the current spate of network attacks. Here
below are links the the relavent cables.
09STATE67105, DIPLOMATIC SECURITY DAILY
http://www.wikileaks.ch/cable/2009/06/09STATE67105.html
08STATE116943, DIPLOMATIC SECURITY DAILY
http://wikileaks.ch/cable/2008/11/08STATE116943.html
Finally, there is a third cable describing some of the activities of
the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt. Microsoft is found
praising USAID for a focus on education and health, areas in
particular need of development in Egypt. One wonders how many Chinese
engineered Microsoft Windows systems where deployed in Egypt!
08CAIRO1067, CODEL BAIRD MEETS WITH EGYPTIAN LEADERS ON MARGINS
http://www.wikileaks.ch/cable/2008/05/08CAIRO1067.html
Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/
Submission + - Concern about the 'Bill To Combat Online Infringem (posterous.com)
proclus writes: Who are the REAL pirates? Those rallying behind the 'Bill To Combat
Online Infringement' seem too quick to label internet users as
pirates, an archaic term which refers to terrible crimes on the high
seas. Exploiters...
Online Infringement' seem too quick to label internet users as
pirates, an archaic term which refers to terrible crimes on the high
seas. Exploiters...
Submission + - GNU-Darwin Action: multibanding now! (tumblr.com)
proclus writes: It has been amusing to watch the office of the President and Georgetown University professors responding to the culture shock of multiband social media. It is is no surprise that the elites would like to poo-poo what amounts to a portable radio and video transmitting station for everyman. It is amusing to see them hypocritically deride the cell phone and pda as a distracting gadget. It is no surprise that they feel threatened by a technology which literally gets information directly into the hands of ordinary people wherever they are, unfiltered by media gatekeepers. We will see multiband social media and network technology give new meaning to the terms digital swarming, intelligent masses, and other democratizing phenomena as real people begin to document what is important to them, but not to the media, government, and corporate elites. It will be satisfying to see real people keeping watch over their own interests, instead of the herd mentality that comes directly from the man, and which serves only his interests. Hoorah for multibanding! For more information about how to participate in the multibanding revolution, I have a recent article with some nuts and bolts suggestions. Link to HowTo
Submission + - Enter Celestrialism... (vox.com)
proclus writes: Celestrialism is a philosophy which strives to encompass every Mormon teaching and personal revelation, add the best principles and practices that the world has to offer, so that we can work actively toward earth-life godliness. In other words, we don't want to wait for the afterlife in order to attain the blessings of Celestial glory, and we have faith that we can do it right here and now.
Submission + - Twitter, MySpace, redirection and short URLS (gnu-darwin.org)
proclus writes: I am deeply concerned about the potential for abuse in the short url scheme that is used in Twitter, MySpace, and other social networking services. I have seen a case where one of these types of urls was misdirected contrary to the aim of the poster. Users may not realize that these types of urls can be redirected on the fly to make a link appear as if it were from you, when it was not.
Submission + - Facebook censors GNU-Darwin founder?
proclus writes: My public search listing is not public, even though I have followed the instructions to make it public, which I found here.
http://www.facebook.com/help/?ref=pf#!/help/?search=public%20search%20listing
Anyone smell a rat? At any rate, these instructions are obviously faulty.
http://www.facebook.com/help/?ref=pf#!/help/?search=public%20search%20listing
Anyone smell a rat? At any rate, these instructions are obviously faulty.
Submission + - GNU-Darwin Action: iPhone boycott continues (gnu-darwin.org)
proclus writes: >> I agree that it would be cool to have blender on the iphone, but this
>> device is currently under boycott by the distribution, due to the
>> restrictive nature of the iphone platform.
Another example of this onerous and dictatorial behavior on the part of Apple with regard to the iPhone arrived just today. It is just one in a long string of outrages.
Apple Bans Jailbreakers From the App Store
A related outrage is the fact that Apple exercises this dictatorial power over what software can even be in the App store, and there are numerous examples of software that was wrongly removed from the store due to Apple's caprice. This store is the only way to get software onto the iPhone for many users. We do not support the use of this device, which so egregiously restricts the freedom of its users. We do not develop software for such devices.
Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/
>> device is currently under boycott by the distribution, due to the
>> restrictive nature of the iphone platform.
Another example of this onerous and dictatorial behavior on the part of Apple with regard to the iPhone arrived just today. It is just one in a long string of outrages.
Apple Bans Jailbreakers From the App Store
A related outrage is the fact that Apple exercises this dictatorial power over what software can even be in the App store, and there are numerous examples of software that was wrongly removed from the store due to Apple's caprice. This store is the only way to get software onto the iPhone for many users. We do not support the use of this device, which so egregiously restricts the freedom of its users. We do not develop software for such devices.
Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/
Submission + - Live long and eat parsley
proclus writes: There are certainly people who know about me and GNU-Darwin, but they may not know that I am a biochemist, bicyclist, and I have recently been writing a blog, three B's. Lately, it is about life extension by eating parsley, including a parsley recipe. Hope you like it. Incidentally, I have also been writing about winter bicycling, which has been recommended as a way to improve health. Given the fact that much of the US has recently been clobbered with snow, it seems timely. It is one of my favorite ways to get to work. Hopefully getting hit by a (b)us will not interfere with my longevity plans! That would not be getting A's.
Submission + - The molecule of the day is: Apigenin (gnu-darwin.org)
proclus writes: Apigenin is probably the
most inexpensive and widely available flavonoid, because it
is present in more than 1:10 gram for gram quantities common
parsley flakes in the form of apin. Apigenin is the
resveratrol-like flavone, with
similar properties and healthful benefits. Although apigenin
has not yet received as much attention as resveratrol, the
research that does exist is very promising, and apigenin has
consistently performed well in comparitive studies thus far. This is
not all. Apiginen is in the group of flavonoids that have a
paradoxical anti-diarrheal property. Apigenin acts by blockading
the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)
chloride channel, so that water is conserved in the body and not
lost in the intestine.
Diarrhea and ancillary effects such as dehydration can be a scourge
in many of the poor areas of the world, producing many fatalities,
especially among young children. Parsley flakes have now been
proposed as an addition to the anti-diarrhea regimen, and a
sophisticated molecular agent is now inexpensively and readily
available to help solve a major problem in the world. Finally,
parsley is simply a delightful and tastey spice. More
information, including recipes, is available in
the blog.
Submission + - Does your distribution have a resume? (gnu-darwin.org)
proclus writes: "If your distribution does not have a résumé?, then why not? I was wondering if Slashdot users felt that it was important to know what any given distribution has accomplished, and what they are doing in the present. Are they to be taken seriously, if they do not have one?
The GNU-Darwin Distribution has written up
an example,
and we are inviting commentary and input from the FOSS community. Perhaps some other distros will follow suit, so that we can see what they are about. In addition, readers can resume a discussion of our Distro based on the résumé and its accuracy."
Submission + - Comcast closing port 25? (gnu-darwin.org)
proclus writes: "It appears that Comcast has blocked port 25 to their customers in the Baltimore area. Can Comcast truly to be called an internet service provider with port 25 blocked, since it is the historical standard port for email transmission on the internet? Are they caving to the virus and worm authors? What does this mean to the future of the internet?"
