And Disney have long been beneficiaries (they would claim 'transformative', no doubt) of prior art. A quick google points out that Lavender's Blue long pre-dates even Disney, being a song from the mid 1600s.
If DAG Rosenstein insists on the 'house' analogy, how about I fix it for him: "I want the government to have skeleton keys to every house in the country, no matter how secure. The government promises never to use the keys without judicial oversight and a proper warrant. And they also promise that nobody else in the world will be able to sneak into the keystore and take a key." ... like that won't happen!
Globally, IP address location is appallingly inaccurate. For many ISPs it just locates you at _their_ HQ. And the data in the commercially available geo-location databases marks where the IP address WAS at one point, rather than where it is RIGHT NOW.
I've seen logged in users on the sites I work on flip in a heart-beat from one end of Japan to the other because they've flipped ISP from domestic Wifi to LAN (for example) whilst keeping everything else consistent, or one mobile network to another whilst still logged in on the same device. (Of course this could also be evidence of incompetent session cookie stealing, but the behaviour is too consistent for that.)
The text does not ban cookies. It bans tracking cookies that are shared between sites. Cookie-based session control is fine providing you don't provide that data to a third part.
What's the number of comments got to do with when someone discovered TechDirt? The question was "when did you discover Techdirt, and how?" It was not "when did you start commenting on stories on TechDirt?" Quality not quantity.
If you think TD people mark posts as trolling JUST to exclude dissenters, why are we able to read your comments? So far you've managed to avoid being flagged in this conversation, despite the criticism of TD and TD forum participants. Criticism and dissent are a fine and dandy part of debate. It's lying and trolling and downright insults that get you (and others into trouble).
I'm very firmly on the fence on this one. Perhaps I'm just old enough (mid 40s) to have a very firm association with Elvis being Elvis Presley. And Elvis Costello being someone who chose the name because of the association with The King. (not that I'm particularly a fan of either of them, but that's not really relevant).
So, why did BrewDog think that Elvis Juice was in any way associated with a drink that's a pale ale flavoured with grapefruit? Did Mr Presley have a thing for such flavours? Or IPAs - I really doubt this one!
I know brand names don't have to have a reason, but given the strength of the association between 'Elvis' and 'Elvis Presley' in common culture. It seems a strange choice if you weren't looking to hook into that association.
Yes, I know Elvis is a good old Welsh name, and there are a number of other Elvis's around, but come on...?
Does the DHS only employ stupid fantasists, or people with a psychopathic aversion to the success of the American tourist industry? [shakes head in international bemusement]
Simple. If I actually wanted to bother visiting the US (no idea why I would), I will simply deny that I have an social media accounts, never use email, and can't remember phone numbers beyond my current one. (which I rarely answer even when it does ring)
There is simply no justification for this level of intrusion. So I simply won't intrude upon your soil.
Yup, I use the same approach. The other big win is that I don't have to sit around for four hours or more to get the whole game - it takes, what, about an hour? For four 15 minute quarters? Who'da thunk it!
People in the field have been saying that for several decades. I was watching TV science shows in the 70s, and studying the field in the late 1980s when I regularly heard it, and we're still hearing the same 30-40 years later... same with flying cars, as it happens.
For many years, we've been using the term AI in a very fuzzy way. The only definition that I've come across that is at all philosophically helpful is 'that which we cannot yet do with a computer'. In the early days, a computer that could play chess was considered an exercise for AI researchers, now we know that it is a question of combinatorics and efficient search spaces. There's no 'intelligence' or creative thought required on the part of the computer. In the 80s the fashion was for machines that could advise humans on whether to accept someone's life insurance or mortgage application. Now that's just data mining and decision trees. We've had emergent behaviour in robotic swarms described as AI, but that was really only when it was hard to pack enough processing power and electrical power into a small mobile device. It's still interesting (in my opinion), but it's not intelligence. There have been many attempts to have computers create music - long thought to be the epitome of human creativity. But there are now systems that can do a pretty good job of it. Once we know how to create systems that can emulate emotional responses, that won't be AI any more either. Whilst I agree that it is good that the EU are considering the issues, I do hope they remain on the 'regulation' side of the argument, rather than the 'self aware entities with rights and responsibilities', as whatever comes from this field will be manufactured because we know how to build it and understand what we did to program it. And if we do decide that machines can be self aware entities with rights and responsibilities, how then do you punish such a device if it breaches the law? Turn it off? (Is that state-sponsored murder?) Restrict it's connectivity or movement? You'll still be providing electricity and other resources. It's not a good place to go.
On the list of countries I've always wanted to visit but would be somewhat scared if I did, Russia is probably near the top.
And for those of us who've actually visited Russia (whilst it was still the USSR, as a matter of fact), consider that the US is also 'near the top' of the list. (for very small distances of 'near')
If you start seeing international tourist numbers drop in the US it'll be because of this kind of inhuman behaviour by agents of the state (be it State or Federal, I care not) towards other humans.
I've said for a number of years that I never once want to step within the boarders of the USA. I've found it easy to maintain that as it's expensive to go there. Now I just have yet another reason to stick with that policy.
It would such a shame if Apple engineers accidentally left a bug in the software such that when the iPhone is compelled to load it, it accidentally brute forces the lock, exceeding the security count, making the phone delete everything. (even if the current version of iOS shows no such behaviour)
After all, there are never show stopping bugs in production code... are there?
A cookie is not by definition in any way a session identifier. A web page can use a cookie to store a session identifier, but you can use a cookie to store something as simple as a language preference (eg, "lang=en") and that is a cookie that in no way identifies a specific person, or their specific interaction with a web page (or site) in the way that a session cookie can.
I hate this kind of fuzzy thinking and manipulation of our technology to make a political point in a report. Too many reports avoid using accurate enough language to be right, whilst giving reporters (who're generally not specialists) and therefore the readers of their reports an inaccurate understanding of a simple technology.
Cookies are a Good Thing(TM) in general, that can be used to less-than-spotless purposes, but they are not by definition dangerous. Just like computers.
On the post: Where Credit's Due: Budweiser Goes The Cool And Funny Route On Microbrewery's 'Dilly Dilly' Craft IPA
Re: prior art
On the post: Latest DOJ WTFness: Encryption Is Like A Locked House That Won't Let Its Owners Back Inside
We can use his analogy
"I want the government to have skeleton keys to every house in the country, no matter how secure. The government promises never to use the keys without judicial oversight and a proper warrant. And they also promise that nobody else in the world will be able to sneak into the keystore and take a key." ... like that won't happen!
On the post: European Parliament Agrees Text For Key ePrivacy Regulation; Online Advertising Industry Hates It
Re: Re: Re: Re: Unintended consequences
I've seen logged in users on the sites I work on flip in a heart-beat from one end of Japan to the other because they've flipped ISP from domestic Wifi to LAN (for example) whilst keeping everything else consistent, or one mobile network to another whilst still logged in on the same device. (Of course this could also be evidence of incompetent session cookie stealing, but the behaviour is too consistent for that.)
On the post: European Parliament Agrees Text For Key ePrivacy Regulation; Online Advertising Industry Hates It
Re: Breaking the internet
On the post: Desperate To Stop Leaks, The Trump Administration Considers Moving From Bad Ideas To Worse Ones
Snowcrash
On the post: 0-Day Vulnerability Exposes Thousands Of AT&T Broadband Customers To Attack
Re: Re: Re: blah blah blah
On the post: Techdirt Turns Twenty!
Re: Re:
It was not "when did you start commenting on stories on TechDirt?"
Quality not quantity.
On the post: Techdirt Turns Twenty!
On the post: Techdirt: Now With More Free Speech Reporting
Re: Re: Re:
Criticism and dissent are a fine and dandy part of debate. It's lying and trolling and downright insults that get you (and others into trouble).
On the post: BrewDog's Trademark Application For 'Elvis Juice' Brew Blocked By The Elvis Presley Estate
Why choose Elvis in the first place?
So, why did BrewDog think that Elvis Juice was in any way associated with a drink that's a pale ale flavoured with grapefruit? Did Mr Presley have a thing for such flavours? Or IPAs - I really doubt this one!
I know brand names don't have to have a reason, but given the strength of the association between 'Elvis' and 'Elvis Presley' in common culture. It seems a strange choice if you weren't looking to hook into that association.
Yes, I know Elvis is a good old Welsh name, and there are a number of other Elvis's around, but come on...?
On the post: DHS Goes Biometric, Says Travelers Can Opt Out Of Face Scans By Not Traveling
Stupidity
On the post: DHS Steps Up Demands For Visa Applicants' Social Media Account Info
Claim no knowledge
Simple. If I actually wanted to bother visiting the US (no idea why I would), I will simply deny that I have an social media accounts, never use email, and can't remember phone numbers beyond my current one. (which I rarely answer even when it does ring) There is simply no justification for this level of intrusion. So I simply won't intrude upon your soil.
On the post: Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt
Re: Traveling in the USA with cash.
On the post: Baltimore Ravens Owner Has Ingenious Solution For NFL Ratings Drop: Stop Annoying Fans With Too Many Ads
Re: Re: use Tivo!
On the post: EU MEPs Call Again For 'Robot Rules' To Get Ahead Of The AI Revolution
Re: Re: Re: Re:
On the post: EU MEPs Call Again For 'Robot Rules' To Get Ahead Of The AI Revolution
What is AI?
In the early days, a computer that could play chess was considered an exercise for AI researchers, now we know that it is a question of combinatorics and efficient search spaces. There's no 'intelligence' or creative thought required on the part of the computer.
In the 80s the fashion was for machines that could advise humans on whether to accept someone's life insurance or mortgage application. Now that's just data mining and decision trees.
We've had emergent behaviour in robotic swarms described as AI, but that was really only when it was hard to pack enough processing power and electrical power into a small mobile device. It's still interesting (in my opinion), but it's not intelligence.
There have been many attempts to have computers create music - long thought to be the epitome of human creativity. But there are now systems that can do a pretty good job of it.
Once we know how to create systems that can emulate emotional responses, that won't be AI any more either.
Whilst I agree that it is good that the EU are considering the issues, I do hope they remain on the 'regulation' side of the argument, rather than the 'self aware entities with rights and responsibilities', as whatever comes from this field will be manufactured because we know how to build it and understand what we did to program it.
And if we do decide that machines can be self aware entities with rights and responsibilities, how then do you punish such a device if it breaches the law? Turn it off? (Is that state-sponsored murder?) Restrict it's connectivity or movement? You'll still be providing electricity and other resources. It's not a good place to go.
On the post: Pokemon Go The Latest Tool For Russian Government To Silence Speakers It Doesn't Like
First sentence in the article
And for those of us who've actually visited Russia (whilst it was still the USSR, as a matter of fact), consider that the US is also 'near the top' of the list. (for very small distances of 'near')
On the post: Customs Agents, Local Doctor Subject 18-Year-Old To Vaginal, Rectal Probing In Search Of Nonexistent Drugs
Tourism suffers?
I've said for a number of years that I never once want to step within the boarders of the USA. I've found it easy to maintain that as it's expensive to go there. Now I just have yet another reason to stick with that policy.
On the post: Apple Engineers Contemplate Refusing To Write Code Demanded By Justice Department
Sarcasm warning
After all, there are never show stopping bugs in production code... are there?
On the post: NSA's First Post-USA Freedom Act Report Shows It Can Still Turn Transparency Into Opacity
One specific error in the quoted document
I hate this kind of fuzzy thinking and manipulation of our technology to make a political point in a report. Too many reports avoid using accurate enough language to be right, whilst giving reporters (who're generally not specialists) and therefore the readers of their reports an inaccurate understanding of a simple technology.
Cookies are a Good Thing(TM) in general, that can be used to less-than-spotless purposes, but they are not by definition dangerous. Just like computers.
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