- cypherpunks - lists.cpunks.org

[info@fsf.org: You can now register as a DMCA agent without using nonfree JavaScript]
by Zenaan Harkness 14 Nov '17

14 Nov '17

The subject of this email from the FSF is so catchy one is inclined to read the email. "How can this be?" rings around the web. And yes, it is what it suggests it is. But it's still perhaps not what one might think it is :) Learning something every day ... Z ----- Forwarded message from "Donald Robertson, III, FSF" <info(a)fsf.org> ----- From: "Donald Robertson, III, FSF" <info(a)fsf.org> Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2017 07:45:52 -0500 Subject: You can now register as a DMCA agent without using nonfree JavaScript Read online: <https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/you-can-now-register-as-a-dmca-agent-wi…> Dear Free Software Supporter, With the deadline for registering as a DMCA agent looming at the end of the year, these two add-ons allow you to register without the use of nonfree JavaScript. Users shouldn't be forced to use nonfree software when interacting with their own government. Every user has the right to control their own computing, and the government shouldn't force you to download and install proprietary software just to take advantage of its services. But when it comes to registering as an agent under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) in the United States, that's exactly what the government expects you to do. Users are likely familiar with the DMCA's more draconian aspects, namely the creation of legal penalties for circumventing [Digital Restrictions Management][0]. The Free Software Foundation's Defective by Design campaign is [fighting][1] to end that nightmare and repeal that part of the law. But like many laws, it's crammed full of a wide variety of provisions, the anti-circumvention rules being only one of them. [0]: https://www.defectivebydesign.org/what_is_drm_digital_restrictions_manageme… [1]: https://www.defectivebydesign.org/DMCA-exemption-commenting-process-broken Another piece of the law creates what are known as the safe harbor provisions. These rules set out some steps that maintainers of Web sites can take to avoid liability when a user of their site uploads potentially infringing copyrighted materials. The main provision here is that if a copyright holder finds their work on your site without their permission, they can submit a take down notice to an agent registered for your site. This agent can then remove the work, thus avoiding liability for the potentially infringing distribution. Without this safe harbor, the site maintainer could potentially be sued. While this safe harbor rule can lead to abuse, with improper take downs, it also allows maintainers of Web sites to permit their users to share works. If the rule wasn't in place, it would be too dangerous to accept such uploads without reviewing each work -- something most Web sites can't afford to do. The Free Software Foundation takes advantage of the safe harbor provisions to ensure that we can continue to share software created and uploaded by free software developers, or to share information like that found in the [Free Software Directory][2], or to help people organize locally via [LibrePlanet.org][3]. [2]: https://directory.fsf.org/ [3]: https://libreplanet.org/ As mentioned before, though, taking advantage of the safe harbor provisions requires having an agent to accept the notices. This is where the problem arises. The U.S. Copyright Office is now requiring Web site maintainers to re-register using <https://www.copyright.gov/dmca-directory/> by December 31st of 2017. This site, [like many others that the Copyright Office requires use of][4], is lousy with nonfree [JavaScript][5]. Unlike the server software you may interact with when visiting any Web site, JavaScript is actually downloaded and run on your machine. Like any proprietary software, it does not serve the user, and cannot be trusted. Users must avoid nonfree JavaScript just as they would avoid any piece of proprietary software. But if they want to continue to enjoy safe harbor provisions, they must allow this intrusion onto their computer. [4]: https://www.defectivebydesign.org/blog/it_isnt_just_dmca_broken_beyond_repa… [5]: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/javascript-trap The Free Software Foundation reached out to the Copyright Office with these issues, and we still hope to work out a solution with them for the long term. But with the deadline coming up, we had to fix it ourselves. We collaborated with a volunteer to develop a workaround that allows you to register using only free software. The fix requires installing two freely licensed add-ons, [Register DMCA claim contacts w/o bad Javascript][6] and [Automatically reveal hidden HTML elements][7]. These add-ons, when used with [GNU LibreJS][8], allow anyone who needs to register as a DMCA agent to do so without loading the harmful nonfree JavaScript. [6]: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/librejs-compatible-pay-gov/ [7]: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/submit-me/ [8]: https://www.gnu.org/software/librejs/ There are still a few quirks that are being hammered out. Currently you have to add alternate names by uploading a document rather than filling in a text field. The only document type that they will accept is Excel, a proprietary format, but users can create documents in that format using [LibreOffice][9]. It's not a perfect solution, but it does enable users to actually complete the entire registration process using only free software. We will also be talking with the Copyright Office about supporting better formats. That is one of the beautiful things about free software: when people see a problem and have control over their own tools, they have the power to come together and make things right. [9]: https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/LibreOffice Users have a right to control their own computing. Governments everywhere should ensure that participating in any program they provide does not require the use of nonfree software. But where governments are slow to react, we all have to work together to route around the threat of proprietary software. Here's what you can do to help: * Spread the word to any Web site maintainers you know that they can register using free software. * Use the add-ons to register for your own sites, and let us know you did by emailing us at <licensing(a)fsf.org>. * Help improve [GNU LibreJS][8]. * Support the work of the Free Software Foundation by [donating][10] or [becoming a member][11]. [10]: https://www.fsf.org/donate [11]: https://www.fsf.org/join Sincerely, Donald Robertson, III Licensing and Compliance Manager -- * Follow us at <https://status.fsf.org/fsf>. * Subscribe to our RSS feeds at <https://fsf.org/blogs/RSS>. * Join us as an associate member at <https://www.fsf.org/jf>. Sent from the Free Software Foundation, 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor Boston, Massachusetts 02110-1335 UNITED STATES You can unsubscribe from this mailing list by visiting https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/mailing/unsubscribe?reset=1&jid=155084&qid=29519…. To stop all email from the Free Software Foundation, including Defective by Design, and the Free Software Supporter newsletter, visit https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/mailing/optout?reset=1&jid=155084&qid=29519521&h…. ----- End forwarded message -----

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DICE - volume 1
by brian carroll 13 Nov '17

13 Nov '17

This is an announcement of the completed volume 1 text on dice. It is similar to exploring the universe in a grain of sand yet involves a comprehensive conceptual evaluation of dice as a hypothesis that exists to be falsified, thoroughly corrected, improved upon. Dice, Cards, & Computation - volume 1 (2017, no-copyright) details: full text 6688pp PDF, 99mb, photographs 345mb. <https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wgve48036cnma95/AABWHDcQewZxoKFleSEL_AWRa?dl=0> <https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B4u3v53J_K1AeGR2UFZGSUkyVzQ?usp=sha…> ---> full text & photoset zipfile 432mb ---> separate PDF files, photoset thank you for considering the ideas Brian Thomas CARROLL ____________________________________________________________ Apple Watch Observations - 125pp (2015, no-copyright) On Drums and Drumming in the 21st century - 410pp

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Intel CS Management Engine JTAG Interface Exposed via USB DCI
by grarpamp 13 Nov '17

13 Nov '17

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15669262 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15656931 https://twitter.com/h0t_max/status/928269320064450560 https://twitter.com/h0t_max https://twitter.com/_markel___ https://www.ptsecurity.com/upload/corporate/ww-en/analytics/Where-theres-a-… https://www.golem.de/news/security-hackern-gelingt-vollzugriff-auf-intel-me… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JCUrG7ERIE https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/08/29/intel_management_engine_can_be_dis… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSAKEY

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Science, Thermite, and 911
by grarpamp 13 Nov '17

13 Nov '17

https://www.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/7cfcnn/remember_when_national_… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d5iIoCiI8g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJNzaMRsN00 https://www.youtube.com/user/physicsandreason/videos https://www.youtube.com/user/ae911truth/videos https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jonathan+cole

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The Flippening: BitcoinCash Capitalizes on BTC's AnHero
by grarpamp 13 Nov '17

13 Nov '17

https://jochen-hoenicke.de/queue/#24h https://twitter.com/BTCNewsUpdate https://twitter.com/Blockchair/status/929642238195437568 https://twitter.com/rogerkver https://www.reddit.com/r/btc/comments/7cerbo/an_official_statement_from_the… https://web.archive.org/web/20171112113951/https://www.bitcoincash.org/lett… https://twitter.com/Falkvinge https://www.reddit.com/user/Falkvinge https://github.com/Swarmops/Swarmops https://falkvinge.net/2017/05/01/blockstream-patents-segwit-makes-pieces-fa… https://theflippening.github.io/open-letter-to-bitcoin-miners-from-another-… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuQfuCqupkI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XekboDYtjLY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGyPuey-1Jw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riHzDAdBL2g

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Blockchain and Weak Frequency Signals, Bypassing Censorship
by grarpamp 12 Nov '17

12 Nov '17

https://steemit.com/bitcoin/@nisiryan0522/bitcoin-and-weak-frequency-signal… https://news.bitcoin.com/bitcoin-and-weak-signals-bypass-network-censorship…

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List Of Overlay Networks
by grarpamp 12 Nov '17

12 Nov '17

http://secushare.org/comparison https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/08/building-a-new-tor-t… http://youbroketheinternet.org/ A number of new nets, both noted in above, and elsewhere, already online or coming up. Lots to play with.

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The pentagon may be planning to bomb florida.
by juan 12 Nov '17

12 Nov '17

So here's an amerikan 'human rights' 'non government' 'organizaion' whining about 'child' marriage. Usually when an amerikan 'NGO' vomits some 'THINK OF THE CHILDREN" brain-dead slogan about some 'third world' country xxxxxx, you can be sure that xxxxxx is going to be 'liberated' and razed to the ground. But now the propaganda vomit says : "End Child Marriage In....Florida" https://www.hrw.org/EndChildMarriage "Did you know children can legally marry in Florida?" no they can't? " From 2001 to 2015, over 16,000 children under the age of 18 " Wow. Just wow. According to these sick motherfuckers, young persons younger than 18 are 'children'. Fully developed humans aged 17 and 364 days are 'children' - Now that's real american jew-christian science. But it gets a lot better : Anything involveing FUCKING ADULTS who are not yet 18 is 'child pornography' BUT, get this, the minimum age for joining the US military is 17. So any sort of 'sexual' consensual activity with anybody under 18 is 'child abuse' and 'rape' BUT those same 'children' can join the US nazi military and murder real children for fun. Isn't jew-kristian american civilization the most perfect civilization in the universe or what;

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Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II
by John Young 11 Nov '17

11 Nov '17

CODE GIRLS The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II By Liza Mundy https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/06/books/review/liza-mundy-code-girls-world… Describes the experiences of several thousand American women who spent the war years in Washington, untangling the clandestine messages sent by the Japanese and German militaries and diplomatic corps. At a time when even well-educated women were not encouraged to have careers much less compete with men to demonstrate their mastery of arcane, technical skills this hiring frenzy represented a dramatic shift. The same social experiment was simultaneously unfolding on the other side of the Atlantic. The British debutantes and their middle-class peers recruited to work at the secret Bletchley Park code-breaking operation came to outnumber the men. Mundys narrative turns thrilling as she chronicles the eureka moments when the women succeed in cracking codes, relying on a mixture of mathematical expertise, memorization and occasional leaps of intuition. ... At the end of the war, virtually all of the female code breakers were given their walking papers and returned to civilian life. Only a few superstars were asked to stay on (among them Ann Caracristi, who went on to become the first female deputy director of the National Security Agency). For these accomplished and resourceful women, who had been given a heady taste of professional success, it was jarring to have to fight to be accepted to top graduate programs on the G.I. Bill or embark on traditional paths as wives and mothers. Warned not to reveal their secret wartime lives, many remained silent about their valuable service. Thanks to Mundys book, which deftly conveys both the puzzle-solving complexities and the emotion and drama of this era, their stories will live on.

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minix - tannenbaum won!
by John Newman 11 Nov '17

11 Nov '17

It's funny looking back at the ancient flame war between Tannenbaum & Torvalds... and now it turns out there is a copy of Minix running at ring -3 in every Intel CPU out there! Sweet fucking christmas. Slashdot coverage: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/17/11/07/1041236/minix-intels-hidden-in-chi… Google engineer presentation on replacing it with Linux: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iffTJ1vPCSo -- GPG fingerprint: 17FD 615A D20D AFE8 B3E4 C9D2 E324 20BE D47A 78C7

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