thisworld’s Comments

• Nov 17th, 2015 @ 9:00am

  Immigrants?

  on Scientist Bans Use Of His Software By 'Immigrant-Friendly' Countries, So Journal Retracts Paper About His Software
  Is Gangolf Jobb a native-born German? If so, can he trace his lineage back to the Goths, Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals, etc.? If not, he himself is likely the offspring of immigrants at some point in time.
• Nov 17th, 2015 @ 8:47am

  Madness!

  on Insanity Rules: Disgusting Politicians Push For More Surveillance And Less Encryption... Based On Nothing
  Do you think anyone is going to continue using internet banking, or buying on-line, if there's a back-door in the encryption? It's about time that banks, and on-line retailers, nailed their colours to the mast!
• Mar 6th, 2015 @ 3:51am

  Better ... or not?

  on EFF Grabs Two More Docs From The NSA, Detailing Expanded Post-9/11 Surveillance Powers And Section 702 Justifications
  I am encouraged that ever more information is coming to light about the unfettered surveillance/data collection by the TLAs. I am dismayed that -- apart from a small sector of the population -- no-one seems to care. People within my family and acquaintances are still trotting out "nothing to hide", along with "keeps me safe from terrorists and/or [insert any other bogeyman of choice]". Notwithstanding that it patently and demonstrably can't and doesn't!
• Jan 6th, 2015 @ 3:36am

  This is why....

  on Global Moves To Give Corporations Yet More Legal Weapons By Strengthening Laws Protecting Trade Secrets
  Governments are increasingly outsourcing their departments' activities to private firms. It becomes difficult, if not impossible, to obtain information on the conduct of those privatised operations thereafter: it has become 'confidential commercial information'. Strengthening the trade secrets legislation is just what the private purveyors of public services want. No FOI! No whistleblowers, even.
• Dec 11th, 2014 @ 7:11am

  Doubt that anything will change!

  on Profiting Massively From Torture: Designers Of CIA Torture Program Raked In $81 Million (And Are Still Getting Money)
  I'm almost bereft of words: I feel like weeping. Not least for the victims of such mindless cruelty. But also for the specious claim that torture "worked", because no result = result. Also because the entire alphabet-soup will cling tenaciously to its illegal, secretive, escalation of privileges. And, alas, there will always be those who justify any such over-reaching, dutifully parroting whatever is the tabloid trigger of the day: "terrorism", "think of the children" -- the excuses are endless. Sorry, gotta go. Something in my eye....