* Posts by Bernard M. Orwell

1177 publicly visible posts • joined 12 May 2010

Any social media accounts to declare? US wants travelers to tell

Bernard M. Orwell

Glory to Arstotzka.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBQE_TNI7zw

(If you've not played this, do so.)

Facebook supremo Mark Zuckerberg has flunky tell UK MPs: Nope, he's sending someone else

Bernard M. Orwell

"Shouldn't that be the approval of the person using it?"

I think there may be a misunderstanding here. I think what FB is saying is that if you submit an app to Facebook for use by Facebook members, then, if that app has a requirement for more data than name, photo and email, it will need further approval by Facebook before launch. Of course the end user can always refuse privileges to an app at the point of installation/use (at least in theory, eh?).

Bernard M. Orwell
Paris Hilton

Re: British government: I don't care how you get the little Zuckwit here, but get him here.

""See how he likes it."

Erm....what exactly are you posting on facebook?

Bernard M. Orwell

Re: British government: I don't care how you get the little Zuckwit here, but get him here.

Yeah, that Zuckerberg eh? Literally Hitler!

Bernard M. Orwell
WTF?

Re: Rule Britannia!

"told what to do by the vested interests of France and Germany"

Yay! Now we get told what to do by the Conservatives and their cronies, big media and get to be the rope in a tug of war between the US and China instead. So much better!

And the cons get to make up whatever laws they like without oversight!

Ah, paradise! But, we get to be the Empire again? Do we get uniforms?

Only complete morons think that we are taking power back to the nation. We're not. We're handing it to the psycho's who put us in this situation in the first place and removing our ability to appeal against their nonsense.

Bernard M. Orwell
FAIL

Re: Rule Britannia!

"Every time remainers spout this crap another 20k people convert to the cause because they realise how retarded their side is."

Quite so! *slowclap*

Now, can we have the promised £350 million per week into the NHS?

Bernard M. Orwell
Meh

Re: Rule Britannia!

""Sounds like someone is still bitter about how democracy works... ""

What? Like how big data, bought out with big money, illegally, can be used to rig the result?

Ah yeah, I forgot I'm not meant to be bitter about that.

US cops go all Minority Report: Google told to cough up info on anyone near a crime scene

Bernard M. Orwell

"A criminal act is a criminal act."

Except when its not a criminal act and is instead a civil infringement such as littering, parking poorly, or letting your dog crap on the pavement. Civil infringements attract fines levied via a magistrate. Criminal acts involve going to court and standing before judge and jury.

Source: https://www.inbrief.co.uk/legal-system/difference-between-civil-criminal-law/

Its worth *every citizen* understanding this difference.

We need to talk, Brit Parliamentary committee tells Mark Zuckerberg

Bernard M. Orwell
Thumb Up

"pompous knownothings on the Ctee"

Nah, they'll have Amber Rudd, the well known tech expert, right there to insist that zuck applies the correct hashtags immediately.

Facebook suspends account of Cambridge Analytica whistleblower

Bernard M. Orwell
Holmes

Re: Shoot the Messenger

so the Beeb have spoken up a little now and are reporting on the story. In part.

Specifically, note how they are loudly mentioning that CA may have had something to do with Trumps election, but there's not a whisper of how they may have affected the Brexit referendum.

Fermi famously asked: 'Where is everybody?' Probably dead, says renewed Drake equation

Bernard M. Orwell
Alien

" hence the Mythic Cosmological record across Antiquity and our human conditioning in its likeness"

Wut?

Bernard M. Orwell
Alien

Imperfect question?

"The Drake equation is a probabilistic argument used to estimate the number of active, communicative extraterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy."

I propose, tentatively, that this approach generates a narrow answer to a broader question. Surely what we want to know is "are we alone" and the Drake Equation seems to attempt to answer that in a very specific manner; it looks for "active" civilisations in its incipient form, and with the addition of time frame to the equation it delimits by those civilisations being "dead" or "alive".

But, I believe it was Arthur C. Clarke who suggested that our first contact with an alien civilization would probably be through remnant technology (as explored in novels such as "rendezvous with rama") or with automated probes (such as humanities Voyager program). Both of these possibilities are not bounded by timeframe, radio transmission ranges or even the carbon-life/death cycle that we presume all lifeforms will suffer from, and yet an encounter with such would provide proof of alien intelligence, whether contemporary or not.

My conclusion, therefore, is that the Drake Equation is an imperfect tool that really only asks the following question: "Are there alien civilisations active and alive right now, in our galaxy alone (thus precluding the infinite/finite universe question) that have the technology to communicate with us using methods with which we are familiar?"

A far cry from "Are we alone?".

[Edit: on review, this may come across as a "straw man" critique, but I still think its a view worth considering.]

Stephen Hawking dies, aged 76

Bernard M. Orwell

Re: My tape robot is named after him.

"The Universe is a smaller place with his passing"

But also bigger because of his life.

Pharma bro Martin Shkreli to miss 2024 Paris Olympics

Bernard M. Orwell
Megaphone

Re: Justice is not always as blind as it should be

"he will last a few days before...."

Yeah, because that's justice too, eh? You know, the more I look at this the more I become convinced that there is something fundamentally wrong with American notions of fairness and justice. You seem to think that the only crimes worth punishing are ones that white people commit against wealth, or any minor misdemeanor committed by black or Hispanic people. The measure of punishment against these two groups is clearly grossly disproportionate and the sentences can be 'negotiated' provided you have sufficient access to the Almighty Dollar.

It's seriously demented, but that's ok because you can always "PRAY" in capital letters and that makes everything alright.

If god actually exists, with or without his son who preached forgiveness, inclusion, tolerance and love, then I bet they are face-palming every time they have to look at what you've become.

Take a step back, take a deep breath, and start your nation over please.

Bernard M. Orwell
FAIL

No, it hasn't, and nor will it most likely.

Shkreli wasn't arrested for putting thousands of aids patients at risk of death, that's not a crime in the US. Instead, he made the error of taking money from rich people and using it like they would, and therein lies the crime he was charged with.

Inflate a drug price to a level where only the rich can afford it? No crime.

Steal money from rich people? Down you go.

America. Fuck you.

Facebook regrets asking whether it's OK to let adult men ask underage girls for smut pix

Bernard M. Orwell

Re: how would "the real internet" handle the following

"Asking for underage pr0n: creepy"

Actually, also illegal. Counts as grooming and, under UK extreme pornography laws, if you do get sent something along those lines it counts as "Making an image of" which is as near as makes no difference an offence of strict liability. This means that there is almost no defence that a court is required to take into account and that 'mens rea' (the intention to commit a crime) doesn't have to be proven. In fact, there are only three valid defences: I haven't seen these images and didn't know they existed (best of luck proving that if they are on your phone/PC), I didn't ask for these images (best of luck proving that when you've solicited such things online), or they are pictures of my children intended to be sent to my spouse (I'm sure she will be impressed being used as an alibi for your habits).

Here's the law:

https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/indecent-images-children-iioc

Bernard M. Orwell

"That doesn't demand any consideration of what real world laws are, should be, or what the rest of society may think."

Ah, thanks heavens for a little Voltaire! I think you may be shouting into the wind with society as a whole if you intend to lean on Kants Categorical Imperative, however, as no one thinks like that anymore. it's all "me, me, me" and "I want" or "I don't like". Glance down this forum; "I want to castrate him", "I want to ban facebook", "I don't like it, so you can't have it.". People just don't realise that if they got their way, so would everyone else and before you know it, we're all screwed out of something we value or want.

If you aren't willing for the ethical rule you claim to be following to be applied equally to everyone - including you - then that rule is not a valid moral rule. You can't claim that something is a valid moral rule and make an exception for yourselves, or arbitrarily for others of your choice; those who agree with you, for instance.

Nope, the crowd says non-consequentialism rules, and as we all know in this day and age, the crowd is loud....I mean right...sorry.

Bernard M. Orwell
Facepalm

Re: A,B,C,D? Surely the answer is always E:

"I miss the option about castrating the adult male and then informing the police... "

...That you have committed an act of grievous bodily harm. Good of you to hand yourself in.

...unless of course you were unaware that you can't commit an act of violence based on a suspicion that the person you just attacked might have committed a crime and then expect the police to say "good job, citizen! Saved us all the trouble there!".

Sacked saleswoman told to pay Intel £45k after losing discrim case

Bernard M. Orwell

Re: I feel you are vindicated as well

"Spycam pens are useful for this kind of thing."

Be cautious with this approach, it's a legal grey zone. In some cases the judge will allow recordings made by an employee (or aggrieved party) only if they show clear evidence of discriminatory behavior, and in other cases they may consider it "dirty evidence" obtained by covert means and dismiss it. There's no hard and fast rules at this time.

Bernard M. Orwell

Re: Money here

" I found your language offensive, tough luck"

It's not (yet) a crime to say something that offends someone, unless you are inciting a crime of some kind. Of course, there are many people who either believe that, when they are offended, they are the victims of a crime or that causing offence should be a crime. But they are stupid people who'd silence the world.

Here's the legislation. Note that the word "insulting" has recently been removed from the bill by amendment in the House of Lords.

http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN05760/SN05760.pdf

If language is, specifically, "Threatening or Abusive" you can be charged, but the word "offensive" is not included, nor is there any provision for people "feeling offended". You can find my language offensive all you want, but provided I don't threaten or abuse you with my language you have no recourse to the law.

Bernard M. Orwell
Megaphone

Re: Money here

"I'd suggest commentators here be VERY careful on what they say"

I'm not going to incite anyone to crime of any kind, I am not going to speak in support of a known illegal terrorist organization, I am not going to engage in hate-speech intended to inflame public disorder. I am not going to throw slander around.

In short, I am not going to commit a crime, and I will avoid being sued for slander on a civil basis.

Beyond that, I'll say whatever the fuck I like. When I like. Where I like.

Fuck you and your "ooh. be careful with your thought-crime, citizen." and the horse it rode in on.

Euro Commission gives tech firms an hour to take down terror content

Bernard M. Orwell

Re: Standard tactic

"Oh humans really can be corroded by malignant information exposure, doubt-toxin, buffer-overflow, trustlink-transplant etc etc. I mean, what is a cult if not that? What is religion?"

The evidence is that playing video games or enjoying violent movies won't turn you into a psychopath, but I'd hesitate to underestimate the power of social meeja to convince people that something is right to a point where they act upon it. By way of example, I offer you 3rd and 4th wave feminism and how the nonsense coming from that camp is now informing and adjusting social policy and law throughout the western world. If you think someone can't be radicalized beyond all reason by online opinions have a google for "triggerlypuff".

If this laptop is so portable, where's the keyboard, huh? HUH?

Bernard M. Orwell
Headmaster

Re: classic!

Yeah.. I've never come across a 4" floppy either. 3.5" and 5.25" yes, but never a 4".

Yes, Assange, we'll still nick you for skipping bail, rules court

Bernard M. Orwell

"Not a UN Special Commission, but a Working Group on Arbitrary Detention."

Thank you. I stand corrected on that point.

Bernard M. Orwell

Re: re. A specific request for extradition would be assessed on it's merits

"And your evidence of this is? (I can't even believe that I'm typing this..)"

Yeah, I can't believe you typed that either.... here you go. No mouth breathers involved. Unless you consider these sources as such. If you do, there are plenty more to be obtained from a simple search.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-u-s-can-get-julian-assange-1495403122

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/apr/21/us-wants-to-arrest-julian-assange-but-uk-suggests-sweden-comes-first

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-government-wants-julian-assange-in-jail-thats-bad-for-the-rest-of-us/2017/05/05/c8e153dc-3197-11e7-8674-437ddb6e813e_story.html?utm_term=.c3385104abfe

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/feb/13/judge-refuses-to-withdraw-julian-assange-arrest-warrant

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-justice-department-wants-arrest-wikileaks-founder-julian-225426922.html

https://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/20/politics/julian-assange-wikileaks-us-charges/index.html

http://www.thejournal.ie/julian-assange-arrest-3350725-Apr2017/

Bernard M. Orwell

"His lawyers already made such a suggestion and the judge ripped this idea to pieces."

Indeed. And a UN Special Commission disagreed. For whatever that is worth.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/feb/04/julian-assange-wikileaks-arrest-friday-un-investigation

But then, its not like the UK to be in disagreement with international rulings, is it?

Bernard M. Orwell

Re: re. A specific request for extradition would be assessed on it's merits

"Fuck the courts, don't we have "in the interest of national security" and "in the interest of the public"? Haven't we had those phrases used before when steamrolling over such minor details as "rule of the law"? :("

We can downvote this as much as we want, but we'd have to willingly forget the process of "extraordinary rendition" that was a part of our recent history. That happened, and we willingly took part.

Whatever we think of Assange, if you were to believe, as he does, that the US is out to get you, then maintaining a highly visible public profile like this is not a bad defence against being "disappeared".

Don't kid yourself that this doesn't happen. *IF* the US want it.

UK Home Sec Amber Rudd unveils extremism blocking tool

Bernard M. Orwell
Go

Re: Different Configuration

"Upvote from me. We need more options/variation."

Start a party? In principle, we should be able to do that....

UK worker who sold customers' data to nuisance callers must cough up £1k

Bernard M. Orwell
Trollface

Re: Actual accidents

"... about that accident you had recently ..."

Ways to get cold callers to strike you off their list quickly:

1. "Oh god, oh god, no. How did you know? I can still hear the screaming, and smell of burning flesh, oh the horror, please no. I don't want to remember! (cue screaming and weeping)"

2. "This is inspector Roberts of the CID. How did you get this number? What was your relationship to the deceased? How long have you had their details? Where were you at 1900hrs on Saturday evening? Can I take your full name and address to eliminate you from our enquiries. No, don't put the phone down...."

3. "Have you heard the good news about our lord and savior...? I'd like to read you some passages from our scriptures..."

4. "Oh! Hi! Its good to hear your voice. I've not talked to anyone in so long. (Pause). What underwear are you wearing today? is it red?......"

Secret weekend office bonk came within inch of killing sysadmin

Bernard M. Orwell
Coat

Re: And sometimes the flood is concrete

Commas are important, they can mean the difference between "At the weekend I helped my uncle, Jack, off his horse."

And....

Well....

It took us less than 30 seconds to find banned 'deepfake' AI smut on the internet

Bernard M. Orwell

Scope Creep

If this tech can be used for faking pr0n, then it can be used to fake other things too, can't it? Evidence of crime, evidence of alibi, propaganda, defamation, "fake" news....

In the hands of more sinister types than mere pr0n-mongers this could be extremely potent.

MY GOD, IT'S FULL OF CARS: SpaceX parks a Tesla in orbit (just don't mention the barge)

Bernard M. Orwell
Go

50 years.

I was aged one when Armstrong landed on the moon. I'm told that I was kept awake to see it, but I don't remember.

My childhood was filled with the wonder and possibility of space travel. As I grew up in the seventies and eighties it seemed that within my life time the heavens would yield up to mankind and to science.

It didn't, and that made me into a more cynical adult than I might've been.

Today, I watched that launch and, more amazingly, the science-ficitonesque return of the boosters to Earth, and my hope was re-awakened. I might just believe that I'll see a Mars landing in my lifespan yet.

I'll be honest with you, as I also happen to be a huge Bowie fan, when I saw that mad car, with the comical dummy in it, orbiting the Earth to the strains of my favourite tracks and realized what it represented...

...I nearly wept.

Uber: Ah yeah, we pay women drivers less than men. We can explain!

Bernard M. Orwell

"...meaning women need to get paid more per trip."

No, that's assuring equality of outcome rather than equality of opportunity. If operative A is spending 50% more time driving and thus is better at the task from practice, or from working unsociable hours, then there is no justification in giving operative B an artificial increase in pay to match operative A when operative B is not as good at the task and chooses not to work unsociable hours.

If you want to pursue the equality angle then the one valid point you put in there is a note about domestic demands. There is no good reason that such demands can't fall equally on male and female parents and is indeed a social trope that can be addressed (again, equality of opportunity; this time for men).

Also, please note its not women but those who *identify* as women, or would you choose to disadvantage males who identify as women? Tell you what, if I could get paid more for writing down on a job application that I identify as a woman, I'd do it.

We need to stop giving undue advantage to social groupings and start making sure everyone has the same opportunities to succeed regardless of gender and such.

Peers approve Brit film board as pr0n overlords despite concerns

Bernard M. Orwell

"..going to go ahead with it anyway..."

Yep, because that way they can trumpet their achievements in doing something for the Mumsnet brigade, who are generally just as bloody clueless. I don't think the gov actually want a working technology for this; they just want to be seen trying to get it done and are quite happy to fail and throw their hands in the air because "interweb experts, eh? whatchagonnado? vote for us. at least we tried to protect you from terrorpedoes!".

Bernard M. Orwell
Trollface

Re: WTF

A good question might be whether they consider society owes them anything, or whether effort is equated with reward in the workplace. You can further refine your search by asking if they have a pension, their own home, or have just took a payday loan for a night out drinking craft beers.

Also ask if they own, or know the function of, a pair of socks.

Bernard M. Orwell

Re: the arrangements should only verify age, not identity

"...our democratically elected leaders.."

I think that's the bit we need to start doubting is true.

Accused Brit hacker Lauri Love will NOT be extradited to America

Bernard M. Orwell

Re: "travel to the USA would be out of bounds for him"

"..travel to the USA would be out of bounds for him.."

Nobody in their right mind wants to go there these days anyway.

South Wales cops crow about facial recognition arrests on social media

Bernard M. Orwell

Re: Nothing more

But not illegal to wear makeup. Google search: Dazzle Makeup.

Bernard M. Orwell

"Provided it is used properly"

And therein lies the issue. It may be that today, the powers in charge of it use it properly. Tommorow? Next year? Next government? Next administration? Still so sure?

What about if and when it gets hacked by some skiddie, or extra national hackers? What about when the data from the capture gets leaked by a disgruntled employee? What about when a police officer or other authorized user decides to use it for their own ends?

Can you be completely assured that none of these scenarios will ever occur? After all, there is evidence that they've occurred before with other systems. And if they do, is there sufficient judicial and independent oversight to ensure that the powers that be can't just bury any such incident, or excuse themselves with no public accountability?

And if you get through all of that still nodding your head, ask yourself this: if there was a silent, suited, unaccountable, un-answering, unelected government official following you around all day taking notes and pictures would you still be nodding your head? How different is it that they are on the other side of a remote camera lens?

You may have nothing to hide, personally, but you should fear the state that takes these steps.

So you accidentally told a million people they are going to die: What next? Your essential guide...

Bernard M. Orwell

Re: Management Mantra

" who would get the blame if the project when wrong"

When, not if.

UK.gov mass data slurping ruled illegal – AGAIN

Bernard M. Orwell

"And let no the atheists forget..."

The distinction between atrocities carried out by atheists and those carried out by theists is that atheists did not carry out their atrocities in the name of atheism. Theists, however, carry out atrocities in the name of their religion, belief or deity.

Bernard M. Orwell

Re: A pyrrhic victory

" ...such as how bendy a banana is (another thing some people dont think exists)...."

The commissioners have no problem with straight bananas, it's the crooked ones they don't like so much, but they have never banned them. As Commission Regulation (EC) 2257/94 puts it, bananas must be "free from malformation or abnormal curvature". In the case of "Extra class" bananas, there is no wiggle room, but Class 1 bananas can have "slight defects of shape", and Class 2 bananas can have full-on "defects of shape".

No attempt is made to define "abnormal curvature" in the case of bananas, which must lead to lots of arguments. Contrast the case of cucumbers (Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1677/88), where Class I and "Extra class" cucumbers are allowed a bend of 10mm per 10cm of length. Class II cucumbers can bend twice as much.

[Sources]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euromyth

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/may/11/boris-johnson-launches-the-vote-leave-battlebus-in-cornwall

In America, tech support conmen get a mild slap. In Blighty, scammers get the book thrown at them

Bernard M. Orwell
WTF?

We're missing the point with the US fine. It's a kick-back and everyone of any importance (from a capitalist point of view) has made a profit! win!

Paying a percentage of your profit to the government to avoid penalties such as jail etc. ; It's kinda like bribing a police officer.

User stepped on mouse, complained pedal wasn’t making PC go faster

Bernard M. Orwell

Re: Reminds me of a story

"My late FIL, said it was "poke" as in "should I poke that icon?".

Did he "peek" afterwards?

America restarts dodgy spying program – just as classified surveillance abuse memo emerges

Bernard M. Orwell

Re: Liar liar....

"Guantanamo has a golf course?"

No,no. That's the bit labelled "Furriners Only" and has no one in it*.

*may not be accurate.

Bernard M. Orwell

Re: Liar liar....

"They go to a special "prison" that even has a golf course."

Ah, that's the bit labelled "whites only".

Bernard M. Orwell

Re: Liar liar....

"Do they have prison cells in the US?"

Yes, but unfortunately most of them are still labelled "blacks only".

Smut site fingered as 'source' of a million US net neutrality comments

Bernard M. Orwell

Re: Conspiracy 101

"Therefore: Big John is actually ..."

Can't be. BJ understands technology enough to be here and, despite everything, he appears to be at least semi-literate.

'The capacitors exploded, showering the lab in flaming confetti'

Bernard M. Orwell

TITSUP

KABOOM : Kit All Broken Out of Malice.

1 in 5 STEM bros whinge they can't catch a break in tech world they run

Bernard M. Orwell

Re: If women are REALLY "equal"...

"extrapolating this to include mental ability is beyond stupid "

Yes, this. Couldn't agree more. I think the point I was trying to make is that any kind of generalization is both false and disprovable. My "People are people" argument can be extrapolated to "Not all women are better than all men at task XYZ" and vice versa. There are female weight lifters that can lift far more than me!

Surely this nonsense about "Women are never better than men at IT" is equally bullshit? People vary in their abilities as easily as their status. To judge someone by a single trait is an utter fallacy.

Note, however, that I believe this cuts both ways; feminists who run around saying "all men are patriarchal bastards" are going to get equally short shrift from me, and I make no distinction about the way I will argue/debate/shout at someone due to their gender, race or social status.

Equal treatment, no?