Re: Re: Re: We need new Operating System architectures
The major use of Linux root privileges is to install applications and update the system. Otherwise, the average user would not use root privileges. Also, when Linux updates, it rarely requires a reboot and for most it will update the entire system. So you do not get serial messages at boot to check for updates from MS, Oracle, Apple, Virus Scanner, etc.
The problem with the MS system is that there is no centralized system updater and the user privileges seemed to be too narrow.
"Word does happen to run on Linux - but my kids all use OpenOffice and haven't had any problems yet. Usuually it is acceptable to convert such documents to PDF when submitting them, isn't it? Why do we still allow teachers to dictate our choices in life?"
I routinely save to MS formats from LibreOffice and no one has ever noticed or commented on my formatting. I suspect if no one told the teacher, no one would know.
Most users are not really computer literate in the sense they understand what is going on. I would suspect most of the people using TOR do not really understand how TOR works. Nor do many of them care. Like any crytographic system, TOR can easily be defeated by user carelessness. Also, with a relatively large ring in the criminal activity it is very likely a couple of members are either clueless or do not care. Either way, they make simple mistakes that allow others to break the system.
Or somebody work in a foreign intelligence agency discovering the problem and not talking. The only reason anyone knows about this is the people who discovered these flaws published their results. I would love to know if the Russians or Chinese have been using NSA funded backdoors on the US government.
So MIT is wide open for a lawsuit by Aaron's family. This could get ugly fast. I wondered how much MIT egged everyone in this case. MIT = Moron Institute of T*dology.
Clueless judiciary is not unexpected because so few in law have a technical education. Compound that lack of knowledge with a willful ignorance and refusal to learn how something works and you get this disaster.
The shrillest critics in most moral panics are either frauds using the faked outrage for their own ends or ignorant and gullible. The frauds leave a foul stench that makes the of "eau de sewage" smell classy. The ignorant and gullible generally have no idea what the "fill in the blank" activity is.
The real problem is overbroad laws that any unscrupulous prosecutor can use to harass someone the ruling class wants muzzled. We can argue about the ethics and legality of the NSA's actions and Snowdon's actions but the real issue is the NSA is ignoring the US Constitution because of several badly written laws that given them apparent legal cover. The UK terrorism has the same flaws, overly broad definition of terrorism which allows for the possible harassment of someone the ruling class dislikes.
The overbroad laws effectively makes all citizens criminals who have not been convicted yet.
The prosecutor does not understand computers also knows nothing about nuclear reactors. Nuclear reactors, as designed, will not suffer the implied nuclear detonation. One of the worst case scenarios is overpressurization of the steam in the reactor causing the pressure and containment vessels to burst. Not a very easy to do in practice. The net effect would be a dirty conventional bomb. Nasty for those near by and to certain extent downwind, but no mushroom cloud.
The danger is what you noted of this persecution. Uncovering and reporting a security hole should never be a crime. There are too many websites with serious security problems. Unfixed holes create too much risk for innocent users being harmed.
Wrong! Poverty has several causes some are external to the person and some internal to the person. Many who are poor do take control of factors within their control, like get an education, get real job skills (not flipping burgers at local burger joint), stop blaming others for all their problems. However, they do have problems with getting to decent schools, training, etc.
The real problem the post was addressing is the tendency for the government to entrap the vulnerable and desperate with entirely fictional crimes. The defendants were goaded to act and apparently never seriously considered committing the planned act. Without the ATF's active involvement, they probably would never even thought the crime.
Redacting could be done electronically, probably fairly easily actually. But the CIA wants someone to actual read each document and has decided the readers may get sloppy reading it on a screen. I would suspect most people would get sloppy because of boredom whether they were doing it electronically or on a hard copy.
Depending oh the distro, just burn an official install disk for each computer with an inhouse serial number tied to the computer. Then display the base license of the distro in very, very large letters and very prominently for the goons to see and presumably read.
The problem with this idea is often one needs to reread the message/document at a later date. This need could lead to a situation where one reencrypts the plain text using a permanent key.
I often wonder if most people would be better with a very strong log on password and no encryption. Some would need to encrypt selected files such as lawyer-client communications. Given the technical competence of most police departments, a strong password would stop them could. It would never occur to them to use a Linux live CD/DVD to view the files.
Lists in theory are a good idea but the problem is lazy/incompetent/moronic/etc. idiots who are inputting the data into the system. What all these "systems" suffer from is the tendency for excessive false positives and false negatives - information that should not be entered and information that should be included. Compound this with the typical bureaucratic attitudes and you have situation that makes Franz Kafka look like a very naive optimist.
On the post: Microsoft-Sponsored Study Says Problems Caused By Using Windows Software Will Cost Businesses $500 Billion In 2014
Re: Re: Re: We need new Operating System architectures
The problem with the MS system is that there is no centralized system updater and the user privileges seemed to be too narrow.
On the post: Microsoft-Sponsored Study Says Problems Caused By Using Windows Software Will Cost Businesses $500 Billion In 2014
Re: Re: Re:
I routinely save to MS formats from LibreOffice and no one has ever noticed or commented on my formatting. I suspect if no one told the teacher, no one would know.
On the post: Yes, Federal Agents Can Identify Anonymous Tor Users, Because Most People Don't Know How To Be Anonymous
User Skill
On the post: Security Researchers Find RSA Even More Completely Compromised By The NSA Than Previously Thought
Re: Re: What were they thinking?
On the post: Details Show MIT Employees Gleefully Helped With Prosecution And Persecution Of Aaron Swartz
Lawsuit
On the post: Exasperation Shines Through As Google Angrily Responds To Contempt Motion Over Innocence Of Muslims
Re: Re:
On the post: A Lesson in Stupid Moral Panics: The History Of Dungeons And Dragons Bans
Moral stupidity
On the post: Judge Rejects Warrant Application, Because He Thinks None Is Needed
Fitting ending
On the post: Exile: Sarah Harrison On Paying The Price For Helping Edward Snowden
Overbroad Laws
The overbroad laws effectively makes all citizens criminals who have not been convicted yet.
On the post: Why Moderating Comments Doesn't Remove Section 230 Protection, And Why More Lawyers Need To Understand This
Re: Re: Re:
On the post: Fluke Gives Sparkfun A Bunch Of Multimeters In Response To Trademark Mess
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On the post: Prosecutors Admit They Don't Understand What Weev Did, But They're Sure It's Like Blowing Up A Nuclear Plant
Blowing up nuclear power plants
On the post: Prosecutors Admit They Don't Understand What Weev Did, But They're Sure It's Like Blowing Up A Nuclear Plant
Re: Re:
On the post: Judge Otis Wright Slams 'Made Up' Government 'Plot' Designed To Ensnare Gullible Poor People
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Setting up Terrorists
The real problem the post was addressing is the tendency for the government to entrap the vulnerable and desperate with entirely fictional crimes. The defendants were goaded to act and apparently never seriously considered committing the planned act. Without the ATF's active involvement, they probably would never even thought the crime.
On the post: CIA Tells FOIA Requester It Can Only Make PDFs By Printing Out Electronic Documents And Re-Scanning Them
CIA = Pure BS
On the post: Microsoft Enlisting Clueless States Attorneys General To Shake Down Foreign Companies For 'Piracy'
Re: Re: Re: Use Linux
On the post: Microsoft Enlisting Clueless States Attorneys General To Shake Down Foreign Companies For 'Piracy'
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On the post: Microsoft Enlisting Clueless States Attorneys General To Shake Down Foreign Companies For 'Piracy'
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On the post: Australian Attorney General Wants To Make It A Criminal Offense To Not Turn Over Private Encryption Keys
Re: Ephemeral keys
I often wonder if most people would be better with a very strong log on password and no encryption. Some would need to encrypt selected files such as lawyer-client communications. Given the technical competence of most police departments, a strong password would stop them could. It would never occur to them to use a Linux live CD/DVD to view the files.
On the post: Man Calls Cops To Turn In Drug Paraphernalia He Found, Gets Home Placed On Federal 'Drug Lab' Watchlist For 2 Years
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