...more recent posts
The plot thickens. Looks like Napster won't be shut down. I sense deal making time.
Great article from Joel about Microsoft Passport. This is a really understandable description of how cookies work, why they are usually no threat to privacy, and how Microsoft is routing around this "problem" to build the worlds biggest database about... you. They are trying to sell this "service" as a help to the consumer because using Passport, you only have to remember one password, and it will remember all the rest for you (as it collects info on what you are doing on each of those sites you are accessing by a password stored in Passport.) Why no one listened to my plea for the password watch, which would solve this problem much better, I do not know. I submitted it to shouldexist but nobody seemed to understand the genius of my idea :-)
I had to unsubscribe from that Chi-web mailing list. After a few weeks of skimming the subject fields before throwing everything away unread, I've decided it's not for me. And just in time, Cam has started a new list on Content Management Systems. Already very busy, and its only been up a few days. I think this will be more up my alley.
In all the Napster hysteria the DeCSS trial is getting overlooked. I guess it's a little more technical, so it's harder to report on. I won't even try, but I had to post this little exchange from the trial that was quoted on techdirt.
Q = Mr. Garbus, attorney of 2600.comWhat do you mean "get back to work Jim"? - I'm not surfing; I'm investigating.
A = Ms. Reider, Chief Operations Anti-Piracy, MPAA, witness of plaintiffs
"Q. How did you know to go to the LiViD website, download the material you downloaded in October and November? A. I'm an investigator. I followed a trail there. Q. Tell me what the trail was. A. I read about it on Slashdot."
So, Napster will be down today. In unrelated news, Hack the Planet points out the top two downloads from SourceForge yesterday were The Freenet Project (6521) and Open Source Napster Server (1932). Get busy.
If your reading this from work, don't forget to thank your computer system administrator. What? You didn't know it was sysadmin day? Shame on you. In honor, here's the original usenet post that went on to become the most desired sysadmin t-shirt of all time.
Newsgroups: alt.sysadmin.recovery
Subject: ADMINSPOTTING
Message-ID: <5cl3le$q24@infoserv.aber.ac.uk>
From: gkb@aber.ac.uk (Gary Barnes)
Date: 28 Jan 1997 14:49:18 -0000
Organization: Ripoffs R Us
X-No-Archive: Yes
Choose no life. Choose sysadminning. Choose no career. Choose no family. Choose a fucking big computer, choose hard disks the size of washing machines, old cars, CD ROM writers and electrical coffee makers. Choose no sleep, high caffeine and mental insurance. Choose fixed interest car loans. Choose a rented shoebox. Choose no friends. Choose black jeans and matching combat boots. Choose a swivel chair for your office in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose NNTP and wondering why the fuck you're logged on on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting in that chair looking at mind-numbing, spirit-crushing web sites, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last on some miserable newsgroup, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up lusers Gates spawned to replace the computer-literate. Choose your future. Choose sysadmining[1].
Gaz
[1] It might fuck you up a little less than heroin[2].
[2] ObFootnote.