Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 25 Jun 2020 @ 7:05am
Limit Facebook to Facebook account holders
Where is the consideration to those of us who do not have Facebook accounts? Facebook is allowed to collect the data, but since no Facebook account exists, just where do they assign it? Then again, why should they be allowed to collect it just because there is a 'like' button on a page I look at, that doesn't belong to Facebook? Should those third party sites be in the position of either removing Facebook's 'like' button or giving everyone who visits the opt out option?
I, and many others, have no relationship with Facebook. Why should they be allowed to track us?
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 24 Jun 2020 @ 11:06am
Re: Re:
From my perspective the competition is for 'The Most Authoritarian Government'. Where your aptly named "Cognitive Dissonance in Action" will come in is when authoritarianism is the operating standard for all governments worldwide and those in power desire more power then they will surprise, surprise, inevitably start eating other governments. But the real surprise then will be who will become not authoritarian of the year, but who will become authoritarian in the world. There can be only one!
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 23 Jun 2020 @ 4:01pm
Consequences should go both ways
While I agree that the issue lays with copyright law and over exuberant IP maximalists, that doesn't mean that YouTube couldn't improve their dispute resolution system. What we hear is that they aren't very communicative and at the very least that part has to change, though I am certain other improvements could be made.
Content ID could probably use some help as well, but if I understand how that works, someone uploads their stuff, and then Content ID looks for a match. So one has to wonder how Content ID flagged original music? Was it that close to some other tune? Did someone copy Questlove's songs and then upload them to Content ID as their own? Is there another possibility?
If someone is caught claiming other peoples stuff, then they should lose their privilege to claim anything. It does not matter if the system is automated or not, there should be a duty of care to not make claims to things that are not actually owned by that claimant.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 23 Jun 2020 @ 10:57am
Re: Re: Reform
Especially parties that include political animals (insert lame furry joke here) that aren't of a particular stripe. This is why donkey's don't like Zebras and elephants don't like hippo's. Neither want their nemeses to be allowed. That's not allowed on websites or on land or on sea or in the air or in voting booths.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 23 Jun 2020 @ 7:15am
To do or not to do, depends on who's pockets we're filling
Does anyone here know what is different, from a technical standpoint, about the Cedar Falls Utility network setup?
Other municipal broadband providers might be interested, for sure. Commercial providers either won't want to know, or do want to know because it will give them a list of things not to do.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 22 Jun 2020 @ 5:22pm
Is she or isn't she, the hairdresser won't tell
This was the entertainment industries effort to keep up with the interests of teenage (and pre-teen) boys and sometimes girls. No one has more interest in the hotness of the leading ladies than they do. It's not that others don't care, they just don't care as much.
That law, nor its dismantlement will not change the process of selecting leading ladies one iota. The ability of the casting director to make determinations with regard to the hotness or not of the potential applicants will have little to do with the actual date of birth.
If you're upset with this analysis, blame hormones.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 22 Jun 2020 @ 5:12pm
Re: Re: Re: Re:
Too many bathroom breaks might lead to a visit to the doctor. Some people enjoy the kinds of attention proctologists and urologists give, but not everyone. Then there is the possibility that someone in the hierarchy might think that so much downtime could be shirking ones duties.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 22 Jun 2020 @ 8:06am
This is the FBI we're talking about
I am surprised that the FBI didn't attempt to establish fake sting operations against those people charged. Either they were in too much of a hurry, or they realized those folks weren't marginalized enough to be able to fool them into participating in such a scam. But hey, time will tell, there may be some more cases in the pipeline that will tell us more.
As to the woman they 'tracked' down, it remains to be seen if this 'hunt' results in being able to 'prove beyond a reasonable doubt' that the person they 'caught' was actually the one setting the fire. That person may turn out to have an unimpeachable alibi, or something. That also remains to be seen.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 18 Jun 2020 @ 1:37pm
Re: Re: Takedown Challenges in progess?
As pointed out in the article, the private platforms are acting in response to a law, which is in fact from the government. Since that law requires takedowns even for illegitimate reasons at the request of third parties, and there is no due process in the process, it could be argued that it is the government mandating censorship , rather than a platform performing moderation.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 18 Jun 2020 @ 10:14am
Re: Time to shut down Twitter
Twitter isn't the problem as all platforms are saddled with the same issue. That platforms don't have better transparency in these matters, or a better method to refute such claims is another story. They can, and they should, even if it requires more work.
The issue is, in reality, the 'notice-and-takedown' part where the accused if found guilty without any kind of third party review (like a court as at this time no other entity has the power). This is the part that deserves a critical 1st Amendment challenge, but there are at least two problems with that. First we need someone with standing AND the financial resources to back up their argument to make a commitment (which could take years and big bucks). Second we need courts to recognize what is actually happening (i.e. take judicial notice of 512 requests that are not in fact in good faith or even truthful) and do something about it. The part of 512 that addresses this issue is woefully inadequate and not even followed up on when it is appropriate.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 17 Jun 2020 @ 6:09pm
"Suspicion of public health workers and the medical establishment as a whole may be one of the most significant barriers to Black and Latino participation in digital contact tracing, despite the disparate impact of COVID-19 on these communities."
Cost anticipation is another barrier to people who may or may not have access to medical insurance, or health care. This person got charged $1.1 million dollars for their covid-19 treatment, and while their insurance will pick up most of that, what happens when you don't have insurance? And because this individual was older, and on Medicare, the $6,000 that could be out of pocket was taken care of. Not everyone is old enough to be on Medicare, which raises the question of why not? Then, where will the average low income person come up with the 6 grand?
Now, Congress has set aside a bunch of money to help with the covid-19 crisis, but who knows how that impacts them? I would be very reticent to go to a hospital in the US, especially private ones, as even getting a copy of the bill from them can be a hassle. When my mother was in a hospital (while we were in the process of having her deemed incompetent) when I asked for a copy of the records, I was denied. I then told the administrator, that my lawyer, a judge of the probate court was going to be notified of their intransigence, I quickly got a copy. Hospitals are not on our side, and I bet that low income communities actually know that. That gives me a level of distrust for hospitals (not necessarily their employees, but the institutions) and I suspect that my distrust is wide spread and across racial/income bounds.
Don't get me started on the fraud that is taking place connected to covid-19. Opportunists will opportune, and it isn't just in hospitals, 3M went after a bunch of folks on Amazon selling 3M branded products (some of which were real) for seriously inflated prices. For other examples see this search.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 17 Jun 2020 @ 5:17pm
Re:
Looking at the entire proposal it is more. They want the ability to 'control' and to provide 'consequences' to those who do not 'conform', which since it is coming from the government a direct 1st Amendment violation. The problems will be, due to the 'rules', finding a way to 'have standing' to sue, that is if one can find the financial backing to take the suit through the many years process and get it to the Supreme Court, and then hope they do the right thing, rather than what their 'supporters' (a.k.a. appointers and advocates) want. Congress is not the only partisan sector of the three legged government.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 17 Jun 2020 @ 5:03pm
Re: CIA's Hacking Unit
Are you trying to tell us that Hollywood epitomizes a better security regime than is actually in practice? If the want to test their new toys, I am sure they could get access to a separate IP address or VPN or proxy server from which to launch their test attacks.
It goes along the lines of that truism. If you want to keep something secret, tell one person, if you must. There is no second option.
If they actually wanted to keep the stuff in their possession, and their possession only, then they should not let it out of the building, at least until they use it, and that should be done under very controlled circumstances. At least as controlled as the best controlled networks allow these days.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 17 Jun 2020 @ 4:50pm
Membership Resources
This sound like a really excellent idea. I hope, however, that amonst their activities they find a way to support those in the trenches and are suffering from the form of PTSD that comes from their being directly exposed to some of the crap they have to make decisions on. This could be by finding and listing resources local to their membership (in their various locals), or even instigating such resources (which might be referrals to professional counselors, or groups where they can just get things off their chest, a la AA). Showing such concern for the difficult job the membership is dealing with would go a long way toward gaining loyal followers. At the same time, it would educe recognition as to the conditions their members work in.
Along those lines, exposing a spectrum of the things they deal with to the public could help enormously. There are a few Senators and members of the Executive Branch (not to mention several Techdirt Troll Clowns) that could use some help in understanding what moderators do and are faced with. Elucidating what actually happens might also go a long way toward calming claims of bias. Unless they are under some kind of non disclosure agreement I think there is a great possibility that some exposure of what happens (where platforms won't) to what, and why certain decisions are made could enlighten even those who will deny even the facts relayed, as they will be taken as fake news, so some documentation would be appropriate.
On the post: Top German Court Rules Facebook's Collection And Use Of Data From Third-Party Sources Requires 'Voluntary' Consent
Limit Facebook to Facebook account holders
Where is the consideration to those of us who do not have Facebook accounts? Facebook is allowed to collect the data, but since no Facebook account exists, just where do they assign it? Then again, why should they be allowed to collect it just because there is a 'like' button on a page I look at, that doesn't belong to Facebook? Should those third party sites be in the position of either removing Facebook's 'like' button or giving everyone who visits the opt out option?
I, and many others, have no relationship with Facebook. Why should they be allowed to track us?
On the post: Senators Launch Full On Nuclear War Against Encryption: Bill Will Require Broken Encryption, Putting Everyone At Risk
Re: Re:
From my perspective the competition is for 'The Most Authoritarian Government'. Where your aptly named "Cognitive Dissonance in Action" will come in is when authoritarianism is the operating standard for all governments worldwide and those in power desire more power then they will surprise, surprise, inevitably start eating other governments. But the real surprise then will be who will become not authoritarian of the year, but who will become authoritarian in the world. There can be only one!
On the post: Copyright Filters And Takedowns Are Broken: Questlove Says YouTube Flagged Him For Playing His Own Tracks
Consequences should go both ways
While I agree that the issue lays with copyright law and over exuberant IP maximalists, that doesn't mean that YouTube couldn't improve their dispute resolution system. What we hear is that they aren't very communicative and at the very least that part has to change, though I am certain other improvements could be made.
Content ID could probably use some help as well, but if I understand how that works, someone uploads their stuff, and then Content ID looks for a match. So one has to wonder how Content ID flagged original music? Was it that close to some other tune? Did someone copy Questlove's songs and then upload them to Content ID as their own? Is there another possibility?
If someone is caught claiming other peoples stuff, then they should lose their privilege to claim anything. It does not matter if the system is automated or not, there should be a duty of care to not make claims to things that are not actually owned by that claimant.
On the post: Cheez-It Issues A Bogus DMCA Notice To Nuke A Picture It Didn't Like, Receives Dozens Of Offensive Images In Response
Re:
If you took the picture, yes.
On the post: Cheez-It Issues A Bogus DMCA Notice To Nuke A Picture It Didn't Like, Receives Dozens Of Offensive Images In Response
Copyrighted for non approved uses only
Strange, I don't see any © or other copyright notices, or any creative commons marks. I did see them invite any and everyone to download the pictures, without any statement of limitations. I wonder if they ever filed a copyright claim with the appropriate government agencies around the world?
NO BACKSIES!
On the post: Hello! You've Been Referred Here Because You're Wrong About Section 230 Of The Communications Decency Act
Re: Re: Reform
Especially parties that include political animals (insert lame furry joke here) that aren't of a particular stripe. This is why donkey's don't like Zebras and elephants don't like hippo's. Neither want their nemeses to be allowed. That's not allowed on websites or on land or on sea or in the air or in voting booths.
On the post: Hello! You've Been Referred Here Because You're Wrong About Section 230 Of The Communications Decency Act
Re: Re:
No,no, no. Project facts he wishes were in evidence, and there's a few politicians who are straining their wish muscles to make it so.
On the post: The Fastest ISP In America Is Community Owned And Operated
To do or not to do, depends on who's pockets we're filling
Does anyone here know what is different, from a technical standpoint, about the Cedar Falls Utility network setup?
Other municipal broadband providers might be interested, for sure. Commercial providers either won't want to know, or do want to know because it will give them a list of things not to do.
On the post: FDA First: Agency Approves Video Game Treatment For ADHD, Requires A Prescription
Panicking about panic is a trend in itself
Moral panic wouldn't be as popular if it weren't trendy. Have they started looking for a cure for moral panic? Or trendiness?
On the post: Appeals Court Says California's IMDb-Targeting 'Ageism' Law Is Unconstitutional
Is she or isn't she, the hairdresser won't tell
This was the entertainment industries effort to keep up with the interests of teenage (and pre-teen) boys and sometimes girls. No one has more interest in the hotness of the leading ladies than they do. It's not that others don't care, they just don't care as much.
That law, nor its dismantlement will not change the process of selecting leading ladies one iota. The ability of the casting director to make determinations with regard to the hotness or not of the potential applicants will have little to do with the actual date of birth.
If you're upset with this analysis, blame hormones.
On the post: Police Memo Says Officers Raiding A Journalist's Home Were Instructed To Turn Off Their Body Cameras
Re: Re: Re: Re:
Too many bathroom breaks might lead to a visit to the doctor. Some people enjoy the kinds of attention proctologists and urologists give, but not everyone. Then there is the possibility that someone in the hierarchy might think that so much downtime could be shirking ones duties.
On the post: Police Memo Says Officers Raiding A Journalist's Home Were Instructed To Turn Off Their Body Cameras
Re: Re:
It would be better if the camera was on all the time and the officers called in for a bathroom break to get the camera turned off for a limited time.
On the post: So Much For Going Dark: FBI Using Social Media, E-Commerce Sites To Track Down Suspects (Including Non-Lawbreakers)
This is the FBI we're talking about
I am surprised that the FBI didn't attempt to establish fake sting operations against those people charged. Either they were in too much of a hurry, or they realized those folks weren't marginalized enough to be able to fool them into participating in such a scam. But hey, time will tell, there may be some more cases in the pipeline that will tell us more.
As to the woman they 'tracked' down, it remains to be seen if this 'hunt' results in being able to 'prove beyond a reasonable doubt' that the person they 'caught' was actually the one setting the fire. That person may turn out to have an unimpeachable alibi, or something. That also remains to be seen.
On the post: Copyright Gets In The Way Of Chef Andres' 'Recipes For The People'; Because The DMCA Takedown System Is Still Broken
Re: Re: Takedown Challenges in progess?
As pointed out in the article, the private platforms are acting in response to a law, which is in fact from the government. Since that law requires takedowns even for illegitimate reasons at the request of third parties, and there is no due process in the process, it could be argued that it is the government mandating censorship , rather than a platform performing moderation.
On the post: Copyright Gets In The Way Of Chef Andres' 'Recipes For The People'; Because The DMCA Takedown System Is Still Broken
Re: Time to shut down Twitter
Twitter isn't the problem as all platforms are saddled with the same issue. That platforms don't have better transparency in these matters, or a better method to refute such claims is another story. They can, and they should, even if it requires more work.
The issue is, in reality, the 'notice-and-takedown' part where the accused if found guilty without any kind of third party review (like a court as at this time no other entity has the power). This is the part that deserves a critical 1st Amendment challenge, but there are at least two problems with that. First we need someone with standing AND the financial resources to back up their argument to make a commitment (which could take years and big bucks). Second we need courts to recognize what is actually happening (i.e. take judicial notice of 512 requests that are not in fact in good faith or even truthful) and do something about it. The part of 512 that addresses this issue is woefully inadequate and not even followed up on when it is appropriate.
On the post: Why Using Cellphones To Trace The Pandemic Won't Save Black Lives
Cost anticipation is another barrier to people who may or may not have access to medical insurance, or health care. This person got charged $1.1 million dollars for their covid-19 treatment, and while their insurance will pick up most of that, what happens when you don't have insurance? And because this individual was older, and on Medicare, the $6,000 that could be out of pocket was taken care of. Not everyone is old enough to be on Medicare, which raises the question of why not? Then, where will the average low income person come up with the 6 grand?
Now, Congress has set aside a bunch of money to help with the covid-19 crisis, but who knows how that impacts them? I would be very reticent to go to a hospital in the US, especially private ones, as even getting a copy of the bill from them can be a hassle. When my mother was in a hospital (while we were in the process of having her deemed incompetent) when I asked for a copy of the records, I was denied. I then told the administrator, that my lawyer, a judge of the probate court was going to be notified of their intransigence, I quickly got a copy. Hospitals are not on our side, and I bet that low income communities actually know that. That gives me a level of distrust for hospitals (not necessarily their employees, but the institutions) and I suspect that my distrust is wide spread and across racial/income bounds.
Don't get me started on the fraud that is taking place connected to covid-19. Opportunists will opportune, and it isn't just in hospitals, 3M went after a bunch of folks on Amazon selling 3M branded products (some of which were real) for seriously inflated prices. For other examples see this search.
On the post: Justice Department Releases Its Own Preposterous Recommendations On Updating Section 230
Re: Re: Re: Simple Solution?
Are you quoting the terms of service for Breitbart? I think you misspelled liberal.
On the post: Justice Department Releases Its Own Preposterous Recommendations On Updating Section 230
Re:
Looking at the entire proposal it is more. They want the ability to 'control' and to provide 'consequences' to those who do not 'conform', which since it is coming from the government a direct 1st Amendment violation. The problems will be, due to the 'rules', finding a way to 'have standing' to sue, that is if one can find the financial backing to take the suit through the many years process and get it to the Supreme Court, and then hope they do the right thing, rather than what their 'supporters' (a.k.a. appointers and advocates) want. Congress is not the only partisan sector of the three legged government.
On the post: Report Says CIA's Hacking Unit -- Home To The Vault 7 Exploits -- Deployed Almost No Internal Security Measures
Re: CIA's Hacking Unit
Are you trying to tell us that Hollywood epitomizes a better security regime than is actually in practice? If the want to test their new toys, I am sure they could get access to a separate IP address or VPN or proxy server from which to launch their test attacks.
It goes along the lines of that truism. If you want to keep something secret, tell one person, if you must. There is no second option.
If they actually wanted to keep the stuff in their possession, and their possession only, then they should not let it out of the building, at least until they use it, and that should be done under very controlled circumstances. At least as controlled as the best controlled networks allow these days.
Trusting people, you make me laugh.
On the post: Trust & Safety Professional Association Launches: This Is Important
Membership Resources
This sound like a really excellent idea. I hope, however, that amonst their activities they find a way to support those in the trenches and are suffering from the form of PTSD that comes from their being directly exposed to some of the crap they have to make decisions on. This could be by finding and listing resources local to their membership (in their various locals), or even instigating such resources (which might be referrals to professional counselors, or groups where they can just get things off their chest, a la AA). Showing such concern for the difficult job the membership is dealing with would go a long way toward gaining loyal followers. At the same time, it would educe recognition as to the conditions their members work in.
Along those lines, exposing a spectrum of the things they deal with to the public could help enormously. There are a few Senators and members of the Executive Branch (not to mention several Techdirt Troll Clowns) that could use some help in understanding what moderators do and are faced with. Elucidating what actually happens might also go a long way toward calming claims of bias. Unless they are under some kind of non disclosure agreement I think there is a great possibility that some exposure of what happens (where platforms won't) to what, and why certain decisions are made could enlighten even those who will deny even the facts relayed, as they will be taken as fake news, so some documentation would be appropriate.
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