97 percent of the individuals in Cambridge whose data appeared in a database which contained only their nine digit ZIP code and birth date could be identified with certainty.
I suspect the 97% number is actually LOW considering the fact that a nine digit zip code (Zip + 4) points to a SPECIFIC ADDRESS, not a neighborhood (or more accurately region).
With Zip+4, the correlation would be "how many people in YOUR house are the same sex as you and have the same birthday" - I'm guessing >99% unless you have a twin that lives with you.
With 5 digit zip, the correlation would be "how many people in your NEIGHBORHOOD are the same sex as you and have the same birthday. For this, 97% might be high... or it might be right.
The Pirate Party would never think to demand in the name of freedom that German bakers should in the future give away their bread, and have their baking sponsored by the state. (Gisa Klönne.)
I may be a bit confused here, but when a baker sells his bread to a store, does he expect to get a cut when the store "re-sells" his bread? Or when the person who eats it passes it on as fertilizer for new wheat? :)
Legislation is to legislators as air is to normal people, it's their life blood. If something works, quick break it with legislation so we can come up with more legislation to "fix" it in yet another broken way.
The thing that blows me away is the best they could come up with was a “spearphishing” attack (while certainly the most likely, it's not exactly a technology problem).
Consider the following scenario:
Phone ring...
Control Room: Control room, John speaking.
Caller: Hi John, this is Tom in management, I need you to go push the big red button that says "self destruct" for me.
Control Room: Ummm, are you sure? I was told never to do that.
Caller: Yup, I just got the ok from the CEO.
Controll Room: Well, ok then. Give me a second.
Like someone else said, you can't fix stupid! But, just like in the above example, if there aren't other fail safes in place (like two keys on the self destruct button or maybe air gaped networks), stupid can become a technology problem.
Re: Freetards united against tyranny! (Trademark pending) ;)
The real question is "why are SOPA supporters liars"?
But seriously, I wasn't meaning that Wikipedia is a "freetard site", I was actually pointing out the irony in SOPA opposition (a FREE site choosing to go offline) being viewed as "taking the internet hostage".... Ok, maybe I wasn't pointing out irony, maybe it more pointing and laughing at an inane post. ;)
Honestly, it's not the tech industry's place to tell you how to solve your problem. We CAN tell you that a given "solution" is problematic and can even give advice on what we think might be part of the problem, but it's up to YOU to figure out how to fix it (you are the entertainment "experts" after all). But don't discount our reply when we say something is going to have detrimental impact on technology (we ARE the technology "experts").
Think of it like this, if you came out and said "all copyright suspects will be shot" and the justice department said "ummm, no they won't", would you then expect the justice department to solve your issue?
I understand, but in this case there are two different groups of impacted citizens (the RIAA mafia) and the tech industry. My idea was a virtual tech industry union that has the capability of cutting off access to peoples services as a method of "striking".
Ok... So how about a less aggressive approach. What about a 30 second full page ad that shows up on all of the opposing companies web sites with instructions on how to oppose the bill.
I really think it would have been really funny if it had been done to just the constituents of the members of the judiciary committee 2 days before the hearing... ;)
Back in the day, unions would have sit in's and other types of civil disobedience, maybe an electronic version of something like that could happen today.
If all of the opposing tech companies shut down access to their sites for one day with a simple page explaining to ALL of their users what this will do, I bet the legislature would be HAMMERED by irate constituents complaining about unfair representation.
And yes, I know this won't happen, but it could certainly open some eyes!
You say "these guys feel blocked, and avoid the legal issues by... hark! INNOVATION!" but if you actually READ the letter they published, you will see that they have been working on the "new" design for 6 months. That's hardly a reaction to a patent being issued THIS month.
We’ve been working on an interesting new camera strap concept for the last six months. It’s nearing completion and we were planning on introducing it soon as a companion to our existing product line. Now, it will be our primary product.
I'm sure FFB38E is a derivative work of FFB38D ("it's exactly the same as it's predecessor except for one tiny tiny bit")! At the very least it's a mashup. So, according to copyright maximists, the answer would be NO!
On the post: Protected To Death: How Medical Privacy Laws Helped Kill 25,000 People
97% is wrong (but it's LOW not HIGH)
I suspect the 97% number is actually LOW considering the fact that a nine digit zip code (Zip + 4) points to a SPECIFIC ADDRESS, not a neighborhood (or more accurately region).
With Zip+4, the correlation would be "how many people in YOUR house are the same sex as you and have the same birthday" - I'm guessing >99% unless you have a twin that lives with you.
With 5 digit zip, the correlation would be "how many people in your NEIGHBORHOOD are the same sex as you and have the same birthday. For this, 97% might be high... or it might be right.
On the post: After the German Pirate Party's String Of Successes, Here Comes The Backlash
Bread....
I may be a bit confused here, but when a baker sells his bread to a store, does he expect to get a cut when the store "re-sells" his bread? Or when the person who eats it passes it on as fertilizer for new wheat? :)
On the post: Senator Leahy Still Insisting That SOPA/PIPA Are 'Needed'
Legislation
On the post: If Phishing Email Can Kill NY Power Grid, Lack Of Cybersecurity Legislation Is Not The Problem
Push the big red button.
Consider the following scenario:
Phone ring...
Control Room: Control room, John speaking.
Caller: Hi John, this is Tom in management, I need you to go push the big red button that says "self destruct" for me.
Control Room: Ummm, are you sure? I was told never to do that.
Caller: Yup, I just got the ok from the CEO.
Controll Room: Well, ok then. Give me a second.
Like someone else said, you can't fix stupid! But, just like in the above example, if there aren't other fail safes in place (like two keys on the self destruct button or maybe air gaped networks), stupid can become a technology problem.
On the post: It's Official: Wikipedia To Go Dark On Wednesday
Re: Re: Freetards united against tyranny! (Trademark pending) ;)
On the post: It's Official: Wikipedia To Go Dark On Wednesday
Re: Freetards united against tyranny! (Trademark pending) ;)
But seriously, I wasn't meaning that Wikipedia is a "freetard site", I was actually pointing out the irony in SOPA opposition (a FREE site choosing to go offline) being viewed as "taking the internet hostage".... Ok, maybe I wasn't pointing out irony, maybe it more pointing and laughing at an inane post. ;)
On the post: The Hypocrites Of Congress: Who Voted Against Net Neutrality, But For SOPA/PIPA
Tweet your congress critters!
On the post: Another DNS Provider Comes Out Against SOPA
The Right way....
Think of it like this, if you came out and said "all copyright suspects will be shot" and the justice department said "ummm, no they won't", would you then expect the justice department to solve your issue?
On the post: Microsoft's Cold Feet Over SOPA Behind BSA's 'Rethinking' Its Views
BSA is a Microsoft Shell
On the post: Tootsie Roll Suing Footzyrolls Over Trademark
Confused much?
/sarcasm
On the post: House Judiciary Committee SOPA Hearings Stacked 5 To 1 In Favor Of Censoring The Internet
Virtual Tech Industry Union
On the post: House Judiciary Committee SOPA Hearings Stacked 5 To 1 In Favor Of Censoring The Internet
Re: Lock Out
I really think it would have been really funny if it had been done to just the constituents of the members of the judiciary committee 2 days before the hearing... ;)
On the post: House Judiciary Committee SOPA Hearings Stacked 5 To 1 In Favor Of Censoring The Internet
Lock Out
If all of the opposing tech companies shut down access to their sites for one day with a simple page explaining to ALL of their users what this will do, I bet the legislature would be HAMMERED by irate constituents complaining about unfair representation.
And yes, I know this won't happen, but it could certainly open some eyes!
On the post: Luma Labs Discontinues Popular Product Line After Competitor Gets A Patent... Despite Prior Art Going Back Over A Century
Innovation in SPITE of the patent system.
Correlation does not prove causation!
On the post: The Color Purple... Trademarked
Re: Re: Mashup or derivative work?
Technically it's the same "except for one small nibble". ;)
On the post: The Color Purple... Trademarked
Re: Re: Mashup or derivative work?
On the post: The Color Purple... Trademarked
Re: Re: Mashup or derivative work?
On the post: Luma Labs Discontinues Popular Product Line After Competitor Gets A Patent... Despite Prior Art Going Back Over A Century
Patent # 7866899
On the post: The Color Purple... Trademarked
Mashup or derivative work?
On the post: Details Emerging On Stingray Technology, Allowing Feds To Locate People By Pretending To Be Cell Towers
That's primarily the gas generator....
http://www.technologyreview.com/communications/32282/?mod=related
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