Manila Experiences Internet/Weblog Culture 5/2/2000; 6:29:50 PM Feb. 11, 2000: So, everybody else is posting their experiences with Manila. I thought something a little different was in order, so here are my Manila Experiences. Read these if you're thinking about getting a Manila site, but think you don't need something that is designed for people who aren't too experienced with the web. I was surprised by the results, you will be too.

Reno, FBI feast on bad network security Surveillance and Privacy from Government 5/2/2000; 6:26:37 PM Feb. 11, 2000: I've been waiting the past couple of days for just this sort of article on the latest Denial of Service attacks. "FBI officials don't appear to know much of anything, except that they desperately need heaps more money, and that Western Civilisation desperately needs their increasing intervention in all matters digital. Indeed, it was such a good setup for DoD that conspiracy paranoiacs will soon be claiming that the FBI conducted the attacks themselves, to justify increased spending and increased intervention in Net-related law enforcement.

Speculation on the Motives in the DVD Trial DVD & DeCSS 5/2/2000; 6:24:38 PM Feb. 11, 2000: More demonstration of why I don't find it impossible to believe that those who would trample our rights can win in the end: An article speculating (though I don't think too wildly) on the real motivations behind the DVD lawsuits. After all, the MPAA don't need to squash all other options, only prevent the public from ever thinking of them as real options.

Passport Access & Resumes Privacy from Companies5/2/2000; 6:16:53 PM Feb 10, 2000: Hey, PassportAccess solves my What Is A Web Page? controversy in their reply to mathowie's request for them to remove his resume from their system.Per your request, we have removed your resume from our database. Our technology works by searching the Internet (public domain sites such as Yahoo and Excite) and collecting resumes that match a specific criteria.

Privacy bill would control 'cookies' Privacy from Companies 5/2/2000; 6:09:50 PM Feb 10, 2000: Sen. Robert Torricelli, D-N.J., says he wants to control networks' use of "cookies," or digital ID tags, dropped on Net users' hard drives. OK, great, we've got people who want to do something about the privacy issues on the Internet. Is Sen. Robert Torricelli, or any of his staff, aware that Cookies aren't the problem, tracking people is.

FTC Investigates Amazon's Alexa Privacy from Companies 5/2/2000; 6:06:46 PM Feb 9, 2000: Update on yesterday's Alexa story. Using a packet sniffer to monitor the data travelling between his computer and Alexa's servers, Smith discovered that his full home address had been sent to Alexa while he was using AltaVista's yellow-page service. He also learned that Alexa's servers had received detailed information from an airline ticket purchase he made on Travelocity, and a personal phone call he made to a relative in Florida.

Criminal Code DVD & DeCSS5/2/2000; 6:04:26 PM Feb 9, 2000: I hate linking to stories after they've made the rounds on the other weblogs, but this one is just so perfect, it could replace my Purpose page. Well, pieces of it anyhow. Every day, in our increasingly networked world, our freedoms and privacy are being stolen from us. And most of us just let it happen -- most of us tend to accept our computer's workings as immutable, that we are chained to an irrational, vindictive, uncontrollable machine destined to rule over our 9-to-5 days.

Amazon, Alexa unit face privacy lawsuits Privacy from Companies5/2/2000; 6:00:49 PM Feb 8, 2000: I don't usually emphasize this issue, but it is one that people should be aware of. Alexa is a browser companion that, among other things, gives a "More Pages Like This One" type-feature. In order to display that information, the software must query the Alexa servers on every page view. This gives them access to your browsing patterns for every page you visit while this tool is activated.

MP3.com files countersuit against RIAA Music & MP3 5/2/2000; 5:56:33 PM Feb 8, 2000: MP3.com returns file against RIAA's copyright violation suit with a suit against RIAA for "unfair business practices." They're going to need a sympathetic judge, esp. if the copyright infringement case goes well for RIAA. Hard to accuse 'them' of unfair business practices if you are legally 'stealing' from 'them', isn't it?

L-Bomb Humor/Amusing 5/2/2000; 5:55:09 PM Feb 8, 2000: The Curmudgeon suggests what I can only describe as a license bomb. Je l'aime!