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I don't remember a copyright warning in the manual of my last digital cameral
Ross Rader has been running for re-election to the board of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority. Shortly before the nominations process closed, a big chunk of his support "evaporated." Random Bytes...by Ross Rader :: CIRA Election Games - Part II
Ross reports CIRA is looking into the anomaly, and I hope they get to the bottom of it. He's been a valuable contributor to the ICANN process and I'm sure he brings a lot to the CIRA board.Earlier this week I noted that I was bamboozled by someone gaming the CIRA election process. My suspicions are that the technical aspects of the nomination process aren’t at fault – 2/3rds of my support really did disappear!
My theory is that a person or person controlling a large block of votes purposely inflated the amount of support for my nomination – which gave me a false indication of my status in the process – and then withdraw that false support minutes before the nomination process. This left me absolutely no time to solicit additional support for my nomination and shut me out of the process.
We worried about this kind of gaming when I worked with the early ICANN membership studies, but I hadn't seen it happen before. Instead, ICANN has gone so far in the other direction as to eliminate individual representation entirely. CIRA's prompt investigation can show that there's a better balance of representation and accountability.
During a too-brief visit to Princeton, I got to see the terrific Art of Science exhibit. Gathered in a competition for "imagery produced in the course of research or incorporating tools and concepts from science," the exhibit collected images from archaeology through zoology. They make fascinating art and engaging science.
The image at left, from Anton Darhuber, Benjamin Fischer, and Sandra Troian in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Microfluidic Research and Engineering Laboratory, "illustrates evolving dynamical patterns formed during the spreading of a surface-active substance (surfactant) over a thin liquid film on a silicon wafer." Who knew? (Note, images in the gallery may be blocked by a default Privoxy install.)
In the same day, I also got to support the filibuster and debate Dean Garfield of the MPAA.
Thanks Daniel, Stacy, Harlan, Alex, Ed, and Dean!
These guys aren't letting a cease and desist letter take them down. The Webmaster of Puppets has announced that Beatallica.org will relaunch on May 6, 2005, at 9 PM (Central US Time). While you're waiting, catch the discussion (mp3) from the Berkman Center's Signal or Noise? conference.
In a unanimous decision, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals tossed out the broadcast flag, the FCC rule that would have crippled digital television receivers starting July 1. The ruling came in ALA v. FCC, a challenge led by Public Knowledge and EFF.
The court ruled, as we argued, that the FCC lacks the authority to regulate what happens inside your TV or computer once it has received a broadcast signal. The broadcast flag rule would have required all signal demodulators to "recognize and give effect to" a broadcast flag, forcing them not to record or output an unencrypted high-def digital signal if the flag were set. This technology mandate, set to take effect July 1, would have stopped the manufacture of open hardware that has enabled us to build our own digital television recorders.
This is an extraordinary victory for fair use and innovation.
More @ EFF's DeepLinks.Copyright can be enough of a problem when copyright claimants make unreasonable demands, but sometimes, it's even worse when you can't find the copyright holder at all. Documentaries don’t get broadcast; books don't get published; films don't get restored; digital materials don't get archived, all because they use or incorporate works whose owners can’t be traced, so there's no one from whom to seek permission. In many cases, orphan works are lost because no one can authorize their use.
Read more at Copyfight and if this sets you to thinking about ways you or others you know have been affected by the "orphan works" problem, head over to submit a reply comment via OrphanWorks.org.
Join EFF and Tor developer Roger Dingledine for an evening of anonymous partying -- a BayFF celebrating the anonymous proxy network that's helping to keep the Net safe for unpopular speakers and shy listeners.
Better still, demonstrate to us that you're running a Tor node, and take home a cool exclusive T-shirt. I've got mine. Tor download and setup instructions here.
Join EFF at 111 Minna Gallery to Hear Stories From the Trenches About the Creation of Tor, an Anonymous Internet Communication System
WHEN: Tuesday, May 10th, 2005 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.