There are two issues here:
1. Since the intelligence and counter-intelligence operatives normally deal with classified and compartmentalized information, revealing said information will most likely result in revealing the source of the information. At the very least (!), the governments/organizations that would've wanted to keep it secret will know there's some kind of a leak. So once something becomes a part of court record, the intelligence agencies will have their flow of information cut off.
2. Should courts accept the evidence collected abroad in the first place? Was the information obtained with due process? Was there a threat of violence? Did money exchange hands? In the court of law, the accused has a right to confront witnesses against him/her. If an intelligence operative presents what has been learned, wouldn't that still be hearsay? Another important issue is "character of the witness". How can that be determined? Will the intelligence agencies have to present other information obtained from the same source as evidence?
World may seem black and white when sitting at a computer in the comfort of your home or of an air-conditioned office but the reality is not quite the same unfortunately.
This RIAA letter to ICANN brings to mind an image of a Chihuahua yapping at a Great Dane going: "Come on! You want a piece of this? You want a piece of this? Bring it on, beeee-a-tch!"
Well, even though this story is a few days old, I am back at work, it's morning and I'm crabby... So here goes:
[...] Winter claims that the AdSense terms of service -- especially if you use them on YouTube -- is written such that it's impossible to avoid violating the terms -- meaning that Google always has an excuse [...]
Correction: terms of service are written
[...] The company never seems to think that its poor customer will hurt its reputation, but this is the kind of thing that can snowball pretty fast, and it's not the sort of thing that you can just fix on the fly.
Question: "poor customer will hurt" or "poor customer service will hurt". Could be either way but the second version would make more sense, one would think...
Not if you've bought the propaganda. If you're believe that "evil liar" bit, then you're excused from believeing me. At the same time, you're also excused from believing in man-made climate change, evolution, and that the Earth rotates around the Sun.
All the best,
PM
Except that the onus of the article isn't that US gov't is doing something wrong. That's already been covered. As the title suggests it's more about "look, EVEN the Pravda is saying this". And that's the part that I challenge.
Having grown up in Soviet Union, I remember reading Pravda's opinion pieces about the morally bankrupt, hypocritical US government. So now they wrote another one. Big fucking deal. If the US can critisize other countries for stifling free speach while doing the same, why can't the Russians? When Pravda start writing about the heavy handed, authoritarian Russian regime as well, THEN I'll take them seriously.
Wikimedia Foundation is neither a public company nor a part of US gov't. Why should they be sued for the way they award the contracts unless it violates prior contractual obligations?
Next up on the technology list: car stereos that recognise when the person in the driver's seat is singing along with the music or yelling at the idiots on a talk show.
darryl (the first commenter) is absolutely correct. The US gov't is not dependent on public Internet for information flow of sigint, critical information, military communications, etc. These things are done through dedicated satellite links.
However, what this might (and I stress the word "might") do is slow down/cut dissemination of public information. I do not see how that interruption would last for any extended period of time unless the gov't's technological ability was somehow compromised (basically, if they can do it to us, we can do it to them). So by itself, the redirect isn't an effective weapon unless used as part of an overall strategy to confuse population in case of a bigger attack, say an EM pulse caused by a multiple nuclear explosions. (Boy, I miss Jessica Alba and "Dark Angel"...) However, at that point the ability of gov't bureaucracies to communicate would be the least of everyone's problems. The military and emergency responders would still be able to communicate through normal secure means unless that ability was compromised as well. Which means we're on the wrong end of WW3 and the fact that the Chinese gov't may or may not read be able to read the congressional e-mails really doesn't matter any more.
Ms. Griggs seems to be one of those people with a sense of self so inflated that any personal mistakes are discounted as inconsequential and innocent and every disagreement is considered a personal attack.
Judith Griggs, a victim? In the immortal words of John Pinette "I say Nay, Nay."
Of course he also said that "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time" but that is another story :)
"[...] the American voter is (oh my goodness!) smart enough not to care all that much about someone doing something silly that's caught in a photograph."
Perhaps it's the cynic in me but I'd venture that most voters would rather vote along the party lines and ignore the "indiscretions of youth" than to vote for the opposing and better-qualified candidate.
On the post: Lee Harvey Oswald's Brother Sues Funeral Home For Selling Oswald's Old Coffin
Too much TV?
On the post: UK Intelligence Agencies Ask Court To Say They're Immune From Having To Provide Evidence
Evidence collected abroad
1. Since the intelligence and counter-intelligence operatives normally deal with classified and compartmentalized information, revealing said information will most likely result in revealing the source of the information. At the very least (!), the governments/organizations that would've wanted to keep it secret will know there's some kind of a leak. So once something becomes a part of court record, the intelligence agencies will have their flow of information cut off.
2. Should courts accept the evidence collected abroad in the first place? Was the information obtained with due process? Was there a threat of violence? Did money exchange hands? In the court of law, the accused has a right to confront witnesses against him/her. If an intelligence operative presents what has been learned, wouldn't that still be hearsay? Another important issue is "character of the witness". How can that be determined? Will the intelligence agencies have to present other information obtained from the same source as evidence?
World may seem black and white when sitting at a computer in the comfort of your home or of an air-conditioned office but the reality is not quite the same unfortunately.
On the post: RIAA Threatening ICANN About .music; Claiming It Will Be Used To Infringe
Biting off more than you can chew
On the post: US Customs & Border Patrol Protecting America From Chocolate Toy Eggs (And Charging You For The Privilege)
Re: Because folks use them for smuggling.. ?
On the post: Does Google Design AdSense Contract So You're Almost Forced To Break Its Terms?
Grammar
Correction: terms of service are written
Question: "poor customer will hurt" or "poor customer service will hurt". Could be either way but the second version would make more sense, one would think...
On the post: Russian Press And Pakistani Courts Apparently Have More Respect For Free Speech Than Joe Lieberman
Re: Re: Re: Re: Pravda? Truth? Give me a break...
All the best,
PM
On the post: Russian Press And Pakistani Courts Apparently Have More Respect For Free Speech Than Joe Lieberman
Re: Re: Pravda? Truth? Give me a break...
On the post: Russian Press And Pakistani Courts Apparently Have More Respect For Free Speech Than Joe Lieberman
Re: Re: Pravda? Truth? Give me a break...
On the post: Russian Press And Pakistani Courts Apparently Have More Respect For Free Speech Than Joe Lieberman
Pravda? Truth? Give me a break...
On the post: New Judicial Hero: Philip Gutierrez Goes Ballistic On Ridiculous Gov't Prosecutors During Xbox Modding Trial
Re:
On the post: Guy Sues Wikipedia & Craigslist For $1 Billion Because (He Claims) He Found Nudity On Both
Re: One day...
On the post: Guy Sues Wikipedia & Craigslist For $1 Billion Because (He Claims) He Found Nudity On Both
Say, what?
On the post: Transportation Secretary Expects To Use Technology To Block All Mobile Phone Usage In Cars [Updated]
Could this be any stupider?
On the post: When China Redirected 15% Of Internet Traffic... Was It On Purpose Or An Error?
However, what this might (and I stress the word "might") do is slow down/cut dissemination of public information. I do not see how that interruption would last for any extended period of time unless the gov't's technological ability was somehow compromised (basically, if they can do it to us, we can do it to them). So by itself, the redirect isn't an effective weapon unless used as part of an overall strategy to confuse population in case of a bigger attack, say an EM pulse caused by a multiple nuclear explosions. (Boy, I miss Jessica Alba and "Dark Angel"...) However, at that point the ability of gov't bureaucracies to communicate would be the least of everyone's problems. The military and emergency responders would still be able to communicate through normal secure means unless that ability was compromised as well. Which means we're on the wrong end of WW3 and the fact that the Chinese gov't may or may not read be able to read the congressional e-mails really doesn't matter any more.
On the post: Cooks Source 'Apology' Really A Rant Blaming The Woman It Copied For Daring To Tell People
Victim?
Judith Griggs, a victim? In the immortal words of John Pinette "I say Nay, Nay."
On the post: UK Politician Tossed Out Of Parliament For Lying About Opponent During Election
Re: England and democracy
On the post: UK Politician Tossed Out Of Parliament For Lying About Opponent During Election
England and democracy
As Winston Churchill said "The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter."
On the post: Are 'Indiscreet' Images On Social Networks Really Having An Impact On Elections?
Perhaps it's the cynic in me but I'd venture that most voters would rather vote along the party lines and ignore the "indiscretions of youth" than to vote for the opposing and better-qualified candidate.
On the post: Cooks Source Editor Finally Responds... Makes Things Worse [Updated]
On the post: Lawsuit Settled After Cop Revealed Anonymous Blogger To His Church, Then Destroyed Records To 'Protect Civil Rights'
Church in Florida
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