March, 2013 archive
Cyber-Hype 0
In the Guardian, Heather Brooke calls out the news outfits who fell for the DDoS that broke the internet story this week.
In whose interest is it to hype up the collapse of the internet from a DDoS attack? Why, the people who provide cyber security services of course. And looking at the reporting, almost all the sources are directly involved and have a vested interest. The claims about the scale of the attack are from CloudFlare, the anti-DDoS firm hired by Spamhaus to ward off the attack. Eschewing subtlety they blogged about the event: “The DDos that Almost Broke the Internet”.
As soon as you have a source with a direct involvement, scepticism should be your guide. Sadly, reporters don’t always have the time or space for scepticism, and increasingly they are judged only on their ability to fill space at speed. In this environment there is no incentive to challenge a good yarn.
The sad truth is that many persons who call themselves “technology reporters,” at least outside the highly specialized tech media world, have no clue how computers work. To them, computers (and smartphones, tablets, what have you) are still magic boxes; the “technology reporters” don’t even know the right questions to ask.
They may know what the newest overpriced hunk of iJunk is, but they couldn’t assign a static IP address to their home computer for love or money. Heck, they probably don’t even know what a “static ip address” is (Google it).
And these are the people shaping tech news for the public.
Follow the link. Ms. Brooke offers a list of questions that you can ask–and that the “technology reporters” did not–the next time a story like this is spawned by the Society for the Full Employment of Security Consultants.
1-800-GO2-HELL 0
Leonard Pitts, Jr., calls tech support.
BTDT.
Aside:
The surest way for a company to change my polite inquiry into incoherent rage is to force me to use a voice-activated menu, usually read by a woman who has overdosed on uppers and become lost in some delusional Bali Hai.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
As an addendum to a much longer column about the Supreme Court hearing on DOMA (go read it, by the way), Dick Polman includes this delightful little observation:
That, my friends, is truly intense politeness.
Break Time 0
Off to drink liberally.
50 Shades of Cuccinelli 0
Cianti Stewart-Reid addresses Virginia Attorney-General Ken Cuccinelli’s crusade to keep them wimmen folk barefoot, pregnant, and under control. A nugget:
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
A bumper day for the politeness Do Bee, who offers up three lessons.
1. Let no chance for politeness pass you by.
“Out of fear, one of the victims called a friend, advised him of the situation and asked if he would meet them on Apple Orchard Lane,” Baker said in an emailed statement.
The driver of the Lexus, later identified as Richard Wilt, 42, of Woodstock, followed the women to the Apple Orchard Lane cul-de-sac, where both vehicles stopped, Baker said. That’s when Wilt allegedly opened fire on the women, firing a round at their vehicle, witnesses told police.
2. Also, politeness is cool in school:
(snip)
Loftis said the student, who he described as a very young child, did not bring the gun to school with the intent to harm anyone; it was just something cool he found at home.
3. Always be polite to the officer when he stops you for running a full stop (this fellow was quite determined to be courteous–follow the link):
.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Disappointing, but look for more of this as the evul fedrul guvmint sequesters its employees.
(snip)
The less-volatile four-week moving average climbed to 343,000, up from 340,750, which was the lowest since 2008.
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits fell by 27,000 to 3.05 million in the week ended March 16, the fewest since June 2008. The continuing claims figure doesn’t include Americans receiving extended unemployment benefits under federal programs.
Twits on off Twitter
0
The girls, both 16, had been confined to juvenile detention since one turned herself in and the other was arrested March 18.
Girls defending rapists.
No self-awareness. None whatsoever.
Sequestrian Dressage 0
Republicans discover that the evul fedrul guvmint actually does useful stuff.
They sowed the wind. Now they reap.
“I am disappointed to learn of the FAA’s decision to implement the budget sequestration by closing the air traffic control tower in Columbia,” wrote Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO). “This decision is disappointing not only because it presents a safety concern, but it is unwise from a budget perspective as Columbia’s tower is part of the Contract Tower Program that is cost-effective for taxpayers. There is plenty of waste that can be trimmed by administrators implementing the budget sequester and there is absolutely no need to put Columbia workers on unemployment because of the Obama Administration’s poor choices on where to cut.”
Sequestration generally provides agencies little flexibility to determine what parts of their budgets to cut — agencies with broad missions have to cut every program by the same percentage. But the majority of FAA’s employees are air traffic controllers, and as a result, FAA has identified and announced its intent to close nearly 150 relatively low-volume towers to help meet its $600 million sequestration this fiscal year.
Notice that all government spending is waste until cutting it affects their districts.
Pah!
Backwoods Boys 0
As a Southerner, I sometimes resent the portrayal of Southerners as hicks and boobs. From the days of old-time radio up through the Beverly Hillsillies on to Honey-Boo-Boo, it’s a steady current in the media.
But, really, with this sort of stuff, you can understand why:
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Practice random acts of politeness.
The girl was hit with a crossbow arrow about 10:10 a.m. as she was climbing a replica of a whale, UC Berkeley police Capt. Steve Roderick said. The structure is outside the public science center located at 1 Centennial Drive, above the campus.
I know.
Not a gun.
Still gunnuttery.
