Year: 2011

Reacting to Osama bin Laden’s death

I’m filled with all kinds of mixed emotions about Osama bin Laden’s death and the subsequent reactions in the media and my social network feeds. Anything I might say wouldn’t do justice to the many aspects of what is an extremely complicated situation from all angles; instead of this blog’s usual role as my personal soapbox, I’ll opt to respect the weight of the topic by choosing to spend my time in contemplation instead.

This poem was written on September 11, 2001 and published the next day. It touched me then, and it’s far more worth sharing than anything I’d have to say myself:

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Going the “turbo Honda” route with my new computer

MacBook Pro internals with upgrades labeled: Crucial C300 6Gbps SSD, 8GB 1333MHz DDR3 RAM, MCE OptiBay Hard Drive bay

2011 is my upgrade year for the “main machine.” I had been spending a while trying to figure out the best fit between performance and portability, and had settled on the $2,199 15″ MacBook Pro. But I ended up going with the $700 cheaper 13″ model and investing less than half the savings in some … Read more

Music, movie, and software piracy is a market failure, not a legal one

This comes as no surprise. From Michael Geist, University of Ottawa Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law:

Trademark and copyright holders frequently characterize piracy as a legal failure, arguing that tougher laws and increased enforcement are needed to stem infringing activity. But a new global study on piracy, backed by Canada’s International Development Research Centre, comes to a different conclusion. Following several years of independent investigation in six emerging economies, the report concludes that piracy is chiefly a product of a market failure, not a legal one.

Read more about the 400-page report commissioned by the Canadian government at thestar.com .

How to keep your email protected when companies don’t

I got several emails today informing me that several corporations entrusted my data to a contractor with sub par security, my email was compromised, and that they “seriously regret that this incident occurred.” (Hey, Target: nice non-apology. You have the final responsibility to your customers, even when your contractors fuck up.)

Right now, many are fuming over the fact that the spamonauts now have their emails on a “confirmed live and breathing people who need weight loss and boner pills” list. And it will happen again. It’s simply impossible to ensure total privacy of your personally identifiable information.

But me? I just laughed, hit a few buttons in my mail client, and knew I’d never have to worry about some retailer’s mistake. I have a system that over many years has saved me from people who mismanage my identity –and even given me proof positive of the responsible party.

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