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Comment: "otherwise gun control-weary"? (Score 1) 548

by Arancaytar (#43764741) Attached to: Of 1000 Americans Polled, Most Would Ban Home Printing of Guns

You do realize that survey consistently find 90% support for more substantial or effective firearms control, particularly background checks?

Still, it is to be expected that more people support a ban on home production than those who otherwise support gun control. An easily available technology for producing a wide variety of guns (which do not yet exist, as such) would subvert all existing controls on sales (background checks, magazine size limits, anything). So logically, anyone who supports any legal oversight at all has to support very strict controls if not outright bans on home production.

Microsoft

Microsoft Reads Your Skype Chat Messages 273

Posted by timothy
from the but-they-don't-enjoy-them dept.
An anonymous reader writes "A Microsoft server accesses URLs sent in Skype chat messages, even if they are HTTPS URLs and contain account information. A reader of Heise publications notified Heise Security (link to German website, Google translation). They replicated the observation by sending links via Skype, including one to a private file storage account, and found that these URLs are shortly after accessed from a Microsoft IP address. When confronted, Microsoft claimed that this is part of an effort to detect and filter spam and phishing URLs."

Comment: Re:I'd be excited about this movie, except... (Score 2) 468

by Arancaytar (#43662687) Attached to: <em>Ender's Game</em> Trailer Released

Is my position that people who want to own stuff have to decide between supporting the industry that produced it and not owning it? Hell yes, that's what I'm saying. It doesn't matter if it's some sleek electronics gadget produced in China under bad labor and environmental controls or entertainment IP produced by someone who actively campaigns against the rights of fellow human beings.

You certainly have the right to spend money on anything you want. You can buy stuff from the KKK too. You just don't get to delude yourself that you are not contributing, in a tiny way, to making the world a worse place.

Comment: Re:I'd be excited about this movie, except... (Score 1) 468

by Arancaytar (#43659429) Attached to: <em>Ender's Game</em> Trailer Released

So it must refer to statements he's made on his personal blog, etc.

Yeah, personal blog, interviews, being on the board of directors of a powerful anti-gay lobby group, details like that. This isn't some personal character trait, it's something this man spends time and resources promoting. If you give him money and publicity, you give it to the causes he uses it for.

Comment: Re:I'd be excited about this movie, except... (Score 1) 468

by Arancaytar (#43659245) Attached to: <em>Ender's Game</em> Trailer Released

Considering art on its own merits is not the same as contributing financially to its creator, particularly when that creator has consistently used his resources for evil. This isn't about some random things he said in 1990; Card is a board member of the NOM.

The separate judgement works both ways. If the quality of Ender's Game is not to be judged by the views of its author, then neither can it exonerate or excuse them. So we're left with a rather good science fiction series written by a raging homophobic bigot with few redeeming qualities. If the ardent racist Howard Phillip Lovecraft were still alive, the same would apply to him.

Read the book in a library, and rent the DVD.

Stay the curse.

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