Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 7th Feb 2011 23:11 UTC
"So why do all these American reporters, who know quite well that they get praise and money for doing what Assange has done, stand in a silence that can only be called cowardly, while a fellow publisher faces threats of extradition, banning, prosecution for spying - which can incur the death penalty - and calls for his assassination? [...] U.S. journalism's business model is collapsing; the people who should be out in front defending Assange are facing cut salaries or unemployment because of the medium that Assange represents. These journalists are not willing to concede that Assange is, of course, a publisher, rather than some sort of hybrid terrorist blogger, because of their self-interested prejudices against a medium in which they are not the gatekeepers." Great article - focussing on the US, but just as applicable in the rest of the world (except the great nation of Iceland, obviously). The internet could very well become the single most important 'invention' in human history. We must stand guard against our governments getting their filthy, inefficient, censoring, controlling, and damaging hands on it.
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RE[3]: Comment by LighthouseJ
by Thom_Holwerda on Tue 8th Feb 2011 14:02
in reply to "RE[2]: Comment by LighthouseJ"
Member since:2005-06-29
But the real point that you've dodged is that these cables simply do not reveal anything new that we did not already know.
Then why the witch hunt? Why hate Assange for revealing something you apparently already knew? If you claim all this information was known anyway, then the US' attempts at trying to silence him are even worse.
I do laugh at you comparing the US to the openness of China though. Go and ask them about being open to acknowledging Taiwan and Tibet, them jailing the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Winner Liu Xiaobo, etc... oh Thom, you kill me.
I'm not comparing their openness. I'm actually contrasting them. China is not open and free, but is honest about that. They don't claim to be a free and open nation. The US, on the other hand, claims to be free and open, while in fact they're decidedly not.
Tell me - which is easier to work with and trust - a country you know is not free and open but doesn't claim to be, or a country which claims to be free and open but in fact isn't?
Edited 2011-02-08 14:02 UTC
RE[3]: Comment by LighthouseJ
by Thom_Holwerda on Tue 8th Feb 2011 14:14
in reply to "RE[2]: Comment by LighthouseJ"
Member since:2005-06-29
Lastly, of course the US has invasion plans to a lot of countries, but that's what you do with a massive defense budget. I think it's done more of an exercise so the US can think as devious as any other country that might want to invade the US.
It's more than plans actually. It's a law. Ever heard of the The Hague Invasion Act?
Can you blame me for mistrusting a nation that has a law which orders them to invade my own country (a supposed ally) if the International Criminal Court - a widely recognised UN body - were to ever hold an American soldier? Until said act is repealed, I, as a Dutch citizen, have every reason to consider the US government a threat to the sovereignty and safety of my own country.
RE[4]: Comment by LighthouseJ
by Vinegar Joe on Tue 8th Feb 2011 14:49
in reply to "RE[3]: Comment by LighthouseJ"
RE[4]: Comment by LighthouseJ
by earksiinni on Tue 8th Feb 2011 17:51
in reply to "RE[3]: Comment by LighthouseJ"
Member since:2009-03-27
Features
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/13/13 14:35 UTC
The third and final WWDC product I want to talk about is - of course - OS X 10.9 Mavericks. While iOS 7 was clearly the focus of this year's WWDC, its venerable desktop counterpart certainly wasn't left behind. Apple announced OS X 10.9 Mavericks, the first OS X release not to carry the name of a big cat.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/11/13 17:07 UTC
We already talked about iOS 7 yesterday (after a night of sleep, it's only looking worse and worse - look at this, for Fiona's sake!), so now it's time to talk about the downright stunning and belly flutters-inducing new Mac Pro. As former owner and huge, huge, huge fan of the PowerMac G4 Cube - I haven't been this excited about an Apple product since, well, I would say the iMac G4. This is the Apple I used to love.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/10/13 23:13 UTC
Apple held its big keynote event thing at WWDC earlier this evening, but since I was away with friends I've had to read up on it later in the evening. The company announced iOS 7, OS X 10.9 Mavericks, and they gave a preview of the new Mac Pro. Especially the Mac Pro impressed me, and while iOS 7's new Holo/Metro-inspired theme looks messy and garish to me, I do commend Apple for finally breaking the mold. This news item will focus on iOS 7 - I'll dive into the Mac Pro and OS X 10.9 tomorrow (it's late here now).
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/08/13 14:57 UTC
And yes, the PRISM scandal is far, far from over. More and more information keeps leaking out, and the more gets out, the worse it gets. The companies involved have sent out official statements - often by mouth of their CEOs - and what's interesting is that not only are these official statements eerily similar to each other, using the same terms clearly designed by lawyers, they also directly contradict new reports from The New York Times. So, who is lying?
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/07/13 11:40 UTC
This story is getting bigger and bigger. Even though most Americans probably already knew, it is now official: the United States government, through its National Security Agency, is collecting the communications and data of all American citizens, and of non-Americans using American services, through a wide collaboration with the large companies in technology, like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and so on. Interestingly enough, the NSA itself, as well as the US government, have repeatedly and firmly denied this massive spying on Americans and non-Americans took place at all.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/04/13 12:45 UTC
Ah, patents - the never-ending scourge of the technology industry. Whether wielded by companies who don't actually make any products, or large corporations who abuse them because they can't compete in the market place or because they're simply jerks, they do the industry a huge disservice and are simply plain dangerous. According to The Wall Street Journal (circumvention link), president Obama is about to take several executive actions to address patent trolls - which may seem like a good idea, but I am very worried that all this will do is strengthen the positions of notorious patent system abusers such as Apple and Microsoft.
Linked by nfeske on 05/31/13 10:12 UTC
With version 13.05, the developers of the Genode OS Framework take measures to ensure that Genode continues to scale well with a growing number of users and the steadily broadening platform coverage. Further highlights are the improved SoC support for Exynos 5, OMAP4, Raspberry Pi, i.MX, and new components for realizing headless systems.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/29/13 16:59 UTC
At the D11 conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook once again took the stage to be interviewed by Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher. While most of the interview can be replicated by picking and reading 10 random Apple fanblog stories - there were still a number of very interesting things that warrant some closer scrutiny.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/24/13 17:26 UTC
So, the Xbox One disaster continues. Microsoft's policy for dealing with the used games market has reportedly leaked - and it's a clear and direct attack to destroy the used games market. Prices for used games will be set at the retail value of a new game, and retailers have to hook into Microsoft's computer systems and comply with Microsoft's terms and conditions.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/21/13 21:38 UTC
At an event earlier today, Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox - the third model, but confusingly named Xbox One. The big focus was TV, integrated Kinect, and all the other stuff we all expected to be forced down our throats. I think it took them 25 minutes to actually come to what should be the core of the story: gaming. Nothing groundbreaking in the gaming department, except for how Microsoft intends to handle the used games market and borrowing games from friends: pay up, buddy!More Features »
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2009-06-18
funny that my post gets modded down. it's getting even more predictable around here.
So, you just tell me to re-read reports, what, until I agree with you, because you're correct?
And your entire 2nd point is completely off-topic with my original post and your article, and frankly shows your naked prejudiced reasons for posting these anti-US articles.
I don't disagree that the US has flaws and flawed people, most I believe won't. But the real point that you've dodged is that these cables simply do not reveal anything new that we did not already know. Rather, people like yourself treat it like some massive revelation and that now is the downward turning point for the United States, when it's what you've secretly wanted for a long time.
I'm fine with bringing those people before a judge, but if you think the leaked documents reveal who they are, then they've missed the mark. All they were intended to do is to harm the relationships between the US and other countries, and then isolate the US.
Lastly, of course the US has invasion plans to a lot of countries, but that's what you do with a massive defense budget. I think it's done more of an exercise so the US can think as devious as any other country that might want to invade the US.
I do laugh at you comparing the US to the openness of China though. Go and ask them about being open to acknowledging Taiwan and Tibet, them jailing the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Winner Liu Xiaobo, etc... oh Thom, you kill me.
You, and others too, should get to know the United States more.