Monthly Archives: June 2009

A Few More Dan Froomkin Links

dan.jpgWashington Post Ombudsman, part II: Froomkin Departs, Leaving Angry Loyalists And Questions (“Institutionally, The Post is now responding by circling the wagons … when I was able to start querying editors yesterday, a wall of silence was erected.”)

And don't miss the readers' comments….

Other voices:

But I'm not supposed to say anything.

Posted in Dan Froomkin | 3 Comments

Dan Froomkin’s Final WashPo Column

My brother has posted his final column at the Washington Post, White House Watched.

I'll post information about his next gig when it's official, probably no sooner than it appears at whitehousewatch.com. Meanwhile, there's always the archive.

Dan is slated to speak next week at the Personal Democracy Conference in NY — a fun event that I probably would have gone to but for this vacation thing.

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Firefox Anti-Ad-Cookie Plugin

Targeted Advertising Cookie Opt-Out (TACO) :: Firefox Add-ons:

Sets permanent opt-out cookies to stop behavioral advertising by 40 different advertising networks, including Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and nearly all other members of the Network Advertising Initiative.

Recommended. Even if you have a cookie-blocker (or SpyBot Search and Destroy), this is better, since those just delete cookies, leaving you open to the next one that comes along. This places the opt-out cookie and protects it.

Posted in Software | 2 Comments

How to Out E-Mail Eavesdroppers

Who is snooping on my email? – Privacy guru Richard M. Smith explains how to tell if someone is reading your email, and perhaps even whom.

You'll need your own web page, with access to server logs. Plus you'll need to be willing to have a file on you, if you don't already. (And for the last step you'll need snoopers dumb enough to use a traceable IP number.)

Posted in Internet | 3 Comments

Why You Shouldn’t Run BitTorrent Over Tor

Chris Brunner .com: Why You Shouldn't Run BitTorrent Over Tor

It begins:

If you didn't already know, Tor is a distributed anonymity network that allows anyone to use the Internet to both browse the web and publish information without giving away his or her identity.  It's a wonderful step in the direction of privacy and it serves an increasingly important role in today's world.  As far as usability goes, Tor clearly has more potential than any anonymity network that I've ever seen.  Tor could very easily be the most powerful tool that we as everyday people have to combat the gradual removal of our personal rights and freedom.

However, as of right now its most likely cause of death is not an organization or government, but rather its own users who in some cases, perhaps out of ignorance, take advantage of privacy the Tor network affords them by hiding behind it to steal software, movies, and music.  I'm not going to sit here and claim that I haven't pirated my fair share of all of the above; that's not what this is about.  Before you use BitTorrent on Tor, please stop and consider the effect this has on the Tor network.

And there's more….

Posted in Internet | 1 Comment

Today Brought to You By ..

Today's number:

20.jpg

Posted in Personal | 6 Comments