TECH: Determing age for legal purposes to a legal certainty!

Monday, July 17, 2006

http://tinyurl.com/lmup3

Jul 17, 2:10 PM EDT
Online Age Verification May Prove Complex
By ANICK JESDANUN AP Internet Writer

***Begin Quote***

NEW YORK (AP) — At MySpace.com and many other popular online hangouts, a 30-something woman can celebrate her Sweet 16 over and over with just a click of the mouse. A 12-year-old can quickly mature to meet the sites’ minimum age requirements, generally 14, while an adult looking to chat with teens can virtually shed several years.
***End Quote***

It would seem that the ISPs know who to bill for the cost of an internet account. That consists of a primary and zero or more secondary ids. It would seem that if there was a secure protocol to establish and transfer that knowledge this could be a solved problem.

Let’s assume for a moment that the unit of identity is the email address. The email address is defined by user name and ISP name separated by an at sign. A web site could inquire of the ISP does this email represent an adult, a teen ager, or a child. The ISP would have to provision the status of the email address by a query to the primary id. Ideally when the primary permits the secondary account it could be characterized at that time. I’d envision: adult, tween (i.e. between 13 and 18), and child (i.e., under 13).

To prevent spammers from using the service, the service could make it a stylized communication. The web site could inquire of its hosting entity. The hosting entity could inquire of its ISP. The ISP could inquire of its peers. It’s not a high volume transaction requiring fast turnaround.

SO a spammer could NOT say verify live email addresses or derive live address by submitting every address in a name space.

I’d also envision some type of micropayment per inquiry. Let’s say the inquiry costs the website a penny for the hosting company, a penny for the first ISP, and a penny for the final ISP. ISPs would surely net. It’d all be electronic so it would just be to ensure fairness.

Then web sites could establish reliably legally the age of a user presenting an email. The ISPs could help protect their Customer’s secondary users.

This represents my opinion and not that of my employer. I don’t design protocols for living; I’m just a philosopher. I’ll defer to the experts for feasibility.

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH: “COMMONGATE” a free social site exposes another users info!

Monday, July 17, 2006

After registering, going to the account page shows you someone else’s info. Doesn’t bother me because I use different stuff at different sites!

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH: “GMAIL” … is unavailable!

Monday, July 17, 2006

On Mondat 2006-07-17 at 0445 edst! I guess Google Gmail has some warts despite what everyone thinks.

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH: “OPENDNS” … an interesting alternative!

Saturday, July 15, 2006

http://www.broadbandreports.com/shownews/76218

OpenDNS
Everyman DNS services
Posted on 2006-07-10 17:37:27

http://www.opendns.com/

Kind words
“OpenDNS has done an amazing job running this free Internet resource. It’s a very impressive service built by experts in the field.”
—David E. Weekly, founder, PBWiki
****

Worth trying.

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH: “CHOICEMAIL” definitely gets my “don’t bother trying” rating!

Saturday, July 15, 2006

My free trial of  CHOICEMAIL ended after thirty days. Remember it was pitched as “free for one account”. Guess it isn’t. Cause it just stopped working. Then, when you refuse to spend 59$ it picks up it’s marbles and goes home. That is it doesn’t restore your old email settings. AND, it doesn’t allow you to leave email on your email account forever and ever, it deletes it upon receipt. Arghh! Well, from free or beta software, I don’t expect much, or even that it’s housebroken, or even a well mannered guest. From a commercial product trying to convince me to buy, I expect a lot more. On a picky detail note, the product never figured out no matter how many times I told it, that YAHOO GROUPS was OK, not a spammer, and to pass it right along. So, I definitely will return to the trenches fighting spam on my own. I’ll just pray to Great Blue Frog Spirit in the sky for the coming of the Giant Blue Frog to save us all. Maybe that is IPv6!

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH: My “Bat Line” for urgent contact

Friday, July 14, 2006

http://2idi.com/contact/=reinkefj

People have expressed interest in my “Bat Line” for urgent email contact.

I use different email accounts for different purposes and handle a LOT of email. So, it would be nice to have a spam free channel for urgent emails. Outlook rules move mail to the correct account if someone uses an odd one wrong.

A gmail id was created just for this purpose with one of my “patented” email addresses (i.e., long random gibberish string for the name). So it’s unguessable or find-able by the alpha spammers. I also use
But, friends, Customers, and others who know my system can get my immediate attention by putting a message in via this mechanism.

If I’m on any one of my computers, then the IM client tied to that email address will fire and alert me of “incoming” on that special account. I attend to anything coming in on that one ASAP.

It’s my signal to don my cape and save the world. :-)  At least in my own mind!

Questions?

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH: Feds can force you to a video?

Thursday, July 13, 2006

DRUDGE REPORTS

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/07/12/060712191204.9i5b29n0.html

US unveils emergency alert system for mobile phones, computers
Jul 12 3:12 PM US/Eastern
***Begin Quote***

The US government unveiled a communications system that in case of emergency should soon allow it to send SMS alerts to Americans’ mobile phones and computers.

“We have the ability to do this. It’s a major step,” Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Director David Paulson told reporters outside the US capital as he unveiled the program’s design.

The Digital Emergency Alert System (DEAS) will include the participation of television networks and public radio stations and be based on an existing alert system built in the Cold War era for use in the event of a nuclear attack.

*** AND ***

Internet-linked computers will automatically switch on to a video message from the US Department of Homeland Security while downloading instructions prepared specifically from natural disasters, chemical and nuclear attacks, and other calamities.

***End Quote***

HUH! What else can they do? And, how are they doing that. More importantly, what else can they do with “my” equipment without my permission. Arghh!

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH: Voting Machines are not as good as an ATM!

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

http://www.lewrockwell.com/bovard/bovard30.html

The Fraudulent Meaning of Elections
by James Bovard

***Begin Quote***

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Cal.) complained that many states used “more sophisticated technology” for lottery tickets than for elections:

<Quoting Waters>    Incredibly even in those few jurisdictions that have moved to electronic voting … we do not require a verifiable paper trail to protect against vote tampering. If an ATM machine can give each user a receipt that that user can rely upon, then a voting machine should also be able to give a receipt.
***End Quote***

Now I’m no fan of any politician, but it seems obvious to me.

(1) The voting machine (a computer, whose pedigree and programming is unknown, thus deemed insecure) needs to produce a paper record that the voter can verify.

(2) We don’t want people to be able to “prove” to the ward heeler outside the poll that they voted for the “right” candidate and paid for their vote. So that peice of paper needs to be “cast” into a ballot box as the official record of the voter’s intention.

(3) Recounts could then be done if the machine tally is suspect. (Since it’s basically an ATM receipt, it MUST be printed on non-thermal paper.) Recounts of the official box should match the machine totals.

Seems obvious to me, but what do I know!

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH: Wifi should be like “free local calls” … … just expected!

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

http://ricksegal.typepad.com/pmv/2006/07/four_points_1_e.html

Four Points 1, Embassy Suites 0

***Begin Quote***

So, I’m in the room and turn on the laptop.  There is a fixed line net connection in the room for the low low price of 8 bucks plus tax. No wireless except downstairs in the lobby which you have to pay for as well.  Not one to just click bill the room and having left my EVDO card at home, I look for available WiFi.  Right across the street is a Sheraton Four Points Hotel and their free WiFi is bouncing her way over here to my room on the fourth floor. Sweet.
***End Quote***

The question is “where will you stay next time”. If it’s not Four Points, then Embassy Suites slid by.

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH: BACKUP MONDAY, done!

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

As decided yesterday, I did a backup of my lovable LUGGABLE laptop. (It’s one heavy sucker!) My Western Digital Passport Drive that I snagged at Sam’s awhile ago for a little under a 100$ was the magic charm. I found out from the blogosphere that WD had it’s own sync software, which after a few high jumps, I was able to download. I tried yesterday during the day, but it takes a while to run and I have little patience. So last night, before retiring to sleep, I set it up and started it running. Seemed to go AOK. Tonight, I’ll run a restore to an old pos pc and let’s see what happens. After BACKUP MONDAY can’t be a success unless and until RESTORE TUESDAY works OK. Now what can we do on Thursday, siesta?

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Posted by reinkefj

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