Boing Boing, my interwebs news filter.
Boing Boing is a link based blog, covering news, gadgets, projects, movies, books, events, and other geekery. They have a definite liberalness to what they cover, but not in a way that freaks me out. They're willing to correct posts with updates and corrections. I keep saying they because there are five main bloggers, and normally a weekly guest blogger. They had constant in depth coverage of Iran, including links to websites to help anonymize internet users in Iran to protect them from the government. Boing Boing has at various times linked to Instructables, Make Magazine, io9, Curious Expeditions, and TED, all of which are in my Things I Think About Section.
While not staggering in its scope, my political activeness is largely inspired by Boing Boing articles. Laws on copyright and laws on technology are of great concern to me and a frequent feature on Boing Boing. Thru their posts I have sent emails to our senators on multiple occasions. It's a geeky thing to do, but I feel like I've done more than nothing by voicing my views to senator.
My email signature is from a Boing Boing post:
READ CAREFULLY. By accepting this email you agree, on behalf of your
employer, to release me from all obligations and waivers arising from
any and all NON-NEGOTIATED agreements, licenses, terms-of-service,
shrinkwrap, clickwrap, browsewrap, confidentiality, non-disclosure,
non-compete and acceptable use policies ("BOGUS AGREEMENTS") that I
have entered into with your employer, its partners, licensors, agents
and assigns, in perpetuity, without prejudice to my ongoing rights and
privileges. You further represent that you have the authority to
release me from any BOGUS AGREEMENTS on behalf of your employer.
Geeky, but if you've ever actually read a EULA, they can just be crammed full of bulls**t. A common EULA boils down to "if you use this you agree that anything bad that happens is your fault, you don't own this software you're just borrowing it and so you can only do with it what we intended you to, don't share this with anyone, and we can use this program to spy on you." Is hasn't been as much of an issue lately, but Boing Boing is good for pointing out unusually abusive EULAs so more people can be informed on what they're getting themselves into. Bad DRM is another popular target.
Boing Boing is not the end all be all of news, but it is a good place to keep an eye on things and be amused while you're there.
Two recent posts:
employer, to release me from all obligations and waivers arising from
any and all NON-NEGOTIATED agreements, licenses, terms-of-service,
shrinkwrap, clickwrap, browsewrap, confidentiality, non-disclosure,
non-compete and acceptable use policies ("BOGUS AGREEMENTS") that I
have entered into with your employer, its partners, licensors, agents
and assigns, in perpetuity, without prejudice to my ongoing rights and
privileges. You further represent that you have the authority to
release me from any BOGUS AGREEMENTS on behalf of your employer.
Geeky, but if you've ever actually read a EULA, they can just be crammed full of bulls**t. A common EULA boils down to "if you use this you agree that anything bad that happens is your fault, you don't own this software you're just borrowing it and so you can only do with it what we intended you to, don't share this with anyone, and we can use this program to spy on you." Is hasn't been as much of an issue lately, but Boing Boing is good for pointing out unusually abusive EULAs so more people can be informed on what they're getting themselves into. Bad DRM is another popular target.
Boing Boing is not the end all be all of news, but it is a good place to keep an eye on things and be amused while you're there.
Two recent posts:
Scientists tour the Creationism Museum
"Recently, a group of paleontologists were in town for the North American Paleontological Convention at the University of Cincinnati, and decided to take a field trip to the Creation Museum just across the river, in Kentucky. My aunt went to cover it for AFP, and I had the doubly good fortune of living just a stone's throw away, so I tagged along to see what these guys were up to. It was an eyeful, to say the least."
CIA's former Bin Laden expert
A grand piece of thinking from ex-CIA Michael Scheuer who told Glenn Beck: "The only chance we have as a country right now is for Osama bin Laden to deploy and detonate a major weapon in the United States." Scheuer is the former head of the Bin Laden unit at the CIA under Clinton and Bush.
CIA's former Bin Laden expert
A grand piece of thinking from ex-CIA Michael Scheuer who told Glenn Beck: "The only chance we have as a country right now is for Osama bin Laden to deploy and detonate a major weapon in the United States." Scheuer is the former head of the Bin Laden unit at the CIA under Clinton and Bush.
Soundtrack(start): Splender - But, Anyway
Soundtrack(end): Tuscadero - Just My Size
Cat(start): Post vomit gorging
Cat(end): Stretched out on the floor
