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Technology

October 2, 2001 - 4:58pm -- autonomedia
Technology

"The Architecture of Survival"

Jon Ippolito



At times during the past two weeks, faith in the benefits of electronic communication has been as badly damaged as the World Trade Center's once-proud structures. Depicting the Internet as a veiled, invisible force, some observers have insinuated that the World Trade Centers might still be standing had it not been for the global communications network that empowered the terrorists. In an otherwise reasoned essay in the September 13 _New York Times_, Thomas L. Friedman wrote of terrorists "superempowered" by "their genius at using the networked world [and] the Internet." Even online insider _Wired News_, in a Sept. 20 headline that read "the Internet's fingerprints are all over last week's attack," metaphorically personified the Internet as Osama bin Laden's partner in crime. According to these reports of an "online Jihad," real-world structures, and the many lives within, were undermined by information architecture.


September 27, 2001 - 2:58am -- hydrarchist
Technology

Hackers face life imprisonment under 'Anti-Terrorism' Act
Justice Department proposal classifies most computer crimes as acts of
terrorism.
By Kevin Poulsen
Sep 23 2001 11:00PM PT



Hackers, virus-writers and web site defacers would face life imprisonment
without the possibility of parole under legislation proposed by the Bush
Administration that would classify most computer crimes as acts of
terrorism.



The Justice Department is urging Congress to quickly approve its
Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), a twenty-five page proposal that would expand the
government's legal powers to conduct electronic surveillance, access
business records, and detain suspected terrorists.



The proposal defines a list of "Federal terrorism offenses" that are subject
to special treatment under law. The offenses include assassination of public
officials, violence at international airports, some bombings and homicides,
and politically-motivated manslaughter or torture.



Most of the terrorism offenses are violent crimes, or crimes involving
chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons. But the list also includes the
provisions of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act that make it illegal to crack
a computer for the purpose of obtaining anything of value, or to
deliberately cause damage. Likewise, launching a malicious program that
harms a system, like a virus, or making an extortionate threat to damage a
computer are included in the definition of terrorism.

September 22, 2001 - 7:33pm -- Uncle Fluffy
Technology

nomadlab writes: "CNN is reporting that Microsoft is planning to alter it's flight simulator game.

They will remove images of the World Trade Center from the New York City simulation as well as change the documentation.


The game introduction shows two people using
the software, who say, "John, you just about
crashed into the Empire State Building! Hey, that
would be cool."


The company says it plans to remove that
particular section from the introduction because
some people may find it offensive."

September 21, 2001 - 6:35pm -- Stenglander
News
Technology

nomadlab writes: "I just saw this on slashdot.org. Microsoft's user license for the new version of frontpage puts legal limitations on what you can publish on the web if you use frontpage to author your site.


In the box was the "Microsoft Frontpage 2002" license on a four-page folded sheet, titled
"End- User License Agreement For Microsoft Software." Under Section #1, Grant of License, the second paragraph
headed "Restrictions" states in part: "You may not use the Software in connection with any site that disparages
Microsoft, MSN, MSNBC, Expedia, or their products or services, infringe any intellectual property or other rights of
these parties, violate any state, federal or international law, or promote racism, hatred or pornography."

Maybe the next version of Word will add criticism of the current government?"

September 18, 2001 - 11:42pm -- Stenglander
News
Technology

Anonymous Comrade writes: "A NEW WORM that can infect all 32-bit Windows computers
and propagates using multiple methods has spread
across the world Tuesday morning, according to Roger
Thompson, technical director of malicious code at TruSecure.

For Full Story:
http://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/01/09/18/ 010918hnworm.xml?0918alert"

September 10, 2001 - 12:39pm -- autonomedia
Reviews
Technology

Autonomedia writes: "An online version of Nick Dyer-Witheford's book Cyber-Marx: Cycles and
Circuits of Struggle in High Technology Capitalism (1999) can be found at



http://www.fims.uwo.ca/people/faculty/dyerwitheford/"

August 31, 2001 - 8:10pm -- nomadlab
Technology

I hope people will post some comments on this one. I just saw it in wired. A sculpure of a bull, 7 microns x 10 microns in size. (A micron is 1/1000th of a milimeter). This is about the size of a red blood cell. Is this art?

August 30, 2001 - 5:48pm -- autonomedia
Technology

Jim writes: Felix Stalder of Telepolis has some interesting things to say on the net and property rights
"We are witnessing a backlash against the progressive potential of the
Internet
With a mixture of technological fixes and legal pressures, large
institutions are trying extend copyright protection in order to regain
control over the flows of information. However, these efforts to maintain an
outdated copyright regime are technically inefficient and socially
dysfunctional. In the long run, they are part of a losing battle."



Full text at:
http://www.heise.de/tp/english/inhalt/te/9409/1.ht ml

August 30, 2001 - 2:10am -- hydrarchist
Technology

Autonomedia writes: "1. Amount Cornell University Library pays for subscription to "Journal of Applied Polymer Science": $12,495.00



2. Amount charged to University Libraries for subscription to "Journal of Economic Studies": $13.40/page



3. Number of people who find the $13.40 per page ironic: 3 out of 4



4. Number of Project Gutenberg Etexts converted by voluteers: 3,551



5. Current "Cost" per Etext based on 3,481 texts: $2.87 per text



6. Number of Scientists worldwide boycotting Corporate Science Journals beginning September 2001: 26,000



7. Number of college and research institutions "Declaring Independence" by publishing themselves: 200



8. Number of days DMCA arrestee Dmitry Sklyarov spent in jail: 13



9. Number of jails he spent them in: 4


August 24, 2001 - 5:55pm -- nomadlab
Technology

grumpy writes: "Robery Cringley has outdone himself with his most recent article on how to set up your own, independent, high-speed, ISP. Or what he calls a socialist internet service provider."

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