On a personal note, I am still in the process of moving, so blog posts are pretty scarce and will probably remain so for a little while longer. Also, the Ubuntu Community Interviews are on a temporary hiatus until the transition is complete. They will return, hopefully within a month or two at the most.
I just watched Barak Obama’s acceptance speech. After years as a politically disaffected, cynical, registered independent, I am going to vote with hope. That’s a big deal.
EDIT: There is a transcript available here.
Great Britain and the United States are both pushing for a universal move to passports which contain microchips that are said to be completely secure and cannot be forged. Today, we get news of a test which proved that was pure hubris.
From TimesOnline:
In the tests, a computer researcher cloned the chips on two British passports and implanted digital images of Osama bin Laden and a suicide bomber. The altered chips were then passed as genuine by passport reader software used by the UN agency that sets standards for e-passports.
What I want to know is whether the tester still had to take his shoes off in the line.
I get the appeal. You can listen to or watch your favorite people talk about or demonstrate topics that interest you at times that are convenient for you. That’s cool.
Here’s the deal: even though I think these are a pretty neat idea, I almost never listen to or view them.
Why?
Well, I suppose part of it could be that I am a very fast reader. I average two or three books a week, somewhere between 600 and 1500 pages. Some weeks I read more, a lot more. Other weeks I am involved in projects and am not able to read as much as I would prefer. Still, I’m not convinced this is the reason.
What I love about text is that I can scan it quickly. I can look for the parts that interest me. I can read and reread those parts over and over until I am satisfied. I am able to interact with the written word far more efficiently than I can the spoken word. I never feel like my time is being wasted, because I am in control over the pacing and what I absorb and when.
I would actually prefer to read the full text of a speech than I would enjoy listening to it, with a few rare exceptions. There are times, though, where I discover a text so compelling in its message and style that I can’t allow myself to skim, but I find that I must savor each and every word, every thought, every phrase.
Voice and video communications are capable of transferring some types of information much better than the written word. I love a quality film made by an artistic and talented director. There have been radio shows that have sent chills up and down my spine due to the writing and voice talent.
Sadly, it is an extremely rare podcast or video blog that doesn’t leave me feeling like my time would have been better spent just reading a transcript. I’ll admit, that’s why I rarely watch TV, never listen to talk radio, and do not often enjoy movies. I feel like my time is being wasted. If I am to sit at the mercy of a presenter of information with no real control over what I hear/view when (because there are not obvious road signs or maps likes tables of contents or indexes, and because I do not have an easy ability to skip what disinterests me and go directly to what fascinates me) then I want to be “sucked in,” so intrigued both by the message and the means by which the medium is conveying the message that I fail to notice the passage of time. A podcast or video blog like that would receive an instant-subscribe from me.
I found this on Bruce Schneier’s blog.
The U.S. Government has published its policy on laptops and other electronic storage devices at customs border crossings. Here is a quick quote, emphases mine:
Federal agents may take a traveler’s laptop or other electronic device to an off-site location for an unspecified period of time without any suspicion of wrongdoing, as part of border search policies the Department of Homeland Security recently disclosed. Also, officials may share copies of the laptop’s contents with other agencies and private entities for language translation, data decryption, or other reasons, according to the policies, dated July 16 and issued by two DHS agencies, US Customs and Border Protection and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
[...]
DHS officials said that the newly disclosed policies — which apply to anyone entering the country, including US citizens — are reasonable and necessary to prevent terrorism.
[...]
The policies cover ‘any device capable of storing information in digital or analog form,’ including hard drives, flash drives, cell phones, iPods, pagers, beepers, and video and audio tapes. They also cover ‘all papers and other written documentation,’ including books, pamphlets and ‘written materials commonly referred to as “pocket trash…”
Wow. I agree with the commenter on Schneier’s blog who wondered where this went (from the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights):
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Of course, the excuse is terrorism. I certainly don’t endorse terrorism in any way, shape or form, but I’m not sure how we justify destroying the rights and freedoms of the masses in the futile attempt to catch people who are (generally) smart enough to evade this search by placing their files in an encrypted file on a server somewhere before passing through the border, then downloading it later.
Yep, it’s another feel good measure, like taking off your shoes at the airport to pass through the security checkpoint. It does nothing to keep people safer and does everything to demean and disrespect the millions of innocent and honest people who pass through these checkpoints daily. Oh, wait. Maybe that’s the point. It’s one more step in teaching the masses to be quiet, submissive, and do what we are told no matter how ridiculous or presumptious or invasive.
We consistently have people come and ask very detailed questions in the Ubuntu Forums. That is reasonable, since it is an excellent place to get help. Occasionally, it is painfully obvious that the question(s) being asked are taken directly from a homework assignment, or something similar. The forum rules prohibit doing this, and moreso, the members of the community would rather a person actually learn the material they are expected to learn, and are willing to assist with hints or advice on where to look for help, but will almost never give direct answers to homework type questions.
We had a new example of this during this week. Someone was applying for a Linux sysadmin job and had the audacity to post the questionaire he was given by his prospective employer on our forums, asking our members to answer it for him. They didn’t, but the interviewer found the thread, and the job interview officially ended there.
The preservation of knowledge or the preservation of capital? The preservation of knowledge has my vote, and so I am happy to hear about the current efforts of entities like the U.S. Library of Congress to review current law and pursue copyright legislation adjustments to allow them to fulfill their intended purpose of making sure that what is learned in one generation remains available for future generations to use and benefit from.
As a side note, this also sums up why I have pushed for and used Creative Commons licenses on things I have written and which I sell or have sold.
Thanks to Greg and his blog post for the story. Some of you have seen his post already, but I have several friends and readers who probably have not yet seen it. Give it a click and a quick read.
I am impressed with how easy the upgrade was. I connected to my server, deleted the old WP files (other than the ones I had customized), uploaded the new ones and clicked /wp-admin/upgrade.php. Voila! It was done in less than five minutes.
Great job, WordPress staff! That was smooth and easy.
I disagree. Respect is something you choose to give. It is not based on achievement. It is not based on personality. Respect is given because you value people. Inherently.
A position may be earned. A title. Leadership. However, respect is something that we choose to give.
People who are respected tend to behave in a manner worthy of how they are being treated. Obviously, that is not universal, but it is common enough to be worth noting. If you want people to behave well and treat others around you with kindness and gentleness, then treat them well. Do unto others…
There is another misconception about respect. Sometimes, people get the idea that one must always agree when showing respect. That is not true. It is very possible, and fruitful, to disagree and even argue in a manner that demonstrates politeness and consideration. If you value someone, you will want to tell them the truth. You will want to share your opinions with them honestly and completely. That can be done without berating the person, without insulting them or their opinions, and without causing hurt, guilt or shame.
It disappoints me when I hear people say, “I don’t respect the position, the uniform, or the title. If this guy wants my respect, he will have to earn it.” Respect may be earned by those who excel at something. However, this is not the foundation. We start by treating all people well, but we may find there are some who represent ideals in life that we wish to strive for ourselves, and who we wish to honor further. That is what “earning respect” is all about.
If someone needs to earn your respect, then you do not actually respect the person, you are only respecting their achievement, talent, or attirbutes. If you respect a person, you choose to do so without regard to what they have or have not done. Respecting their achievement, talent, or attributes is another thing entirely, and while this is not bad, it has very little to do with respecting the actual person.
I was in a quirky mood a little while ago, and as a bit of a joke, I started a new website dedicated to my little rants and complaints about life, the universe, and everything. I decided to make it where anyone can sign up and post entries as well. Interested? Check out I can’t get behind that dot com, with apologies with William Shatner.