Comment Re:If you don't vote... (Score 1) 390
So you're saying since you're not in a traditional "swing state", there is no point in voting. I wonder how many people like you in Kansas feel the same and therefore don't bother voting either, AND I wonder if you all did decide one year to vote anyway, would Kansas all the sudden become a swing state? Maybe not, but not even trying is real shame and in no way an effective way to protest the system. I assure you that if not voting is your way to rebel against the electoral college concept, that message is WAAAAY lost.
The one thing that makes me madder than seeing certain states (like Kansas) being take for granted by a certain party, is hearing about people like you in that state not even bothering to try. And then pretending it's some sort of political statement.
Comment Re:If you don't vote... (Score 1) 390
I realize there are more than 2 parties. I am simply stating the realities of this country, which you seem to acknowledge too.
Comment Re:If you don't vote... (Score 1) 390
In some countries, where the election system is just a sham designed to "re-elect" whatever dictator is in place, then yes, an election boycott is a political statement of sort.
In countries where elections actually mean something and have a real outcome (yes, even in two party countries like the US) an election boycott is just silly. It just means your voice doesn't count. If it is political participation, it is of the pointless kind.
Comment Re:If you don't vote... (Score 1) 390
Complaining is part of the democratic process. The point is that if you're willing to make your voice count at the ballot poll (the ultimate/key part of the democratic process) then don't bother us with the rest please. It's not a legal requirement, just something We The Voters are asking nicely.
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Submission + - Facebook Data Collection Under Fire Again (computerworld.com)
The Independent Centre for Privacy Protection (ULD), the privacy protection agency for the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, issued a news release on Friday saying Facebook builds a broad, individualized profile for people who view Facebook content on third-party websites.
Data is sent back to Facebook's servers in the U.S., which the agency alleges violates the German Telemedia Act, the German Federal Data Protection Act and the Data Protection Act of Schleswig-Holstein. The agency alleges the data is held by Facebook for two years, and wants website owners in the state to remove links to Facebook by the end of next month or possibly face a fine."
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Submission + - Researchers Report Spike in Boot Time Malware (securityweek.com)
Also known as MBR (master boot record) threats, the malware infect an area of the hard disk that makes them one of the first things to be read and executed when a computer is turned on. This enables the threats to effectively dodge many security defenses.
In June, Microsoft warned Windows users about a bootkit Trojan known as Popureb, touching off discussions about whether or not infected users were better off completely re-installing Windows.
Infecting the MBR is not a new technique per se; many of the old boot sector viruses from over a decade ago did something similar, the report notes. The difference is modern MBR malware do so much more than just infecting the MBR. It certainly looks as if MBR malware is making a comeback in 2011.