* Posts by Secretgeek

388 publicly visible posts • joined 4 Mar 2008

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Painting by numbers: NASA's peculiar thermometer

Secretgeek
Alert

I realise science can only prove negatives.

But for christs sake can we just get some kind of consensus.

It's warming.

It's cooling.

It's the same.

All I really know is that I haven't seen any decent snow i.e. stuff that's worth getting a sledge out for, for the past 20 years.

IBM fills chips with water

Secretgeek
Coat

Energy re-use.

How about running an ickle CHP plant with the hot water. Ok so it'll be larger than your average box and massively more expensive but hey in 45 years time it'll have paid for itself.

I'll get my coat.

Qinetiq ships first 'Transformer' war-droid

Secretgeek

Possibly a stupid question.

How's it powered?

Blighty joins killer robot club with Afghan strike

Secretgeek
Black Helicopters

I for one....

..welcome our Cockney-accented robotic flying masters of destruction.

British Reapers? Cheaper and more effective at stopping crime than the fucking CCTV network.

City anti-Scientology protestor avoids court summons

Secretgeek
Alien

@AC 'I fail to see...'

hee hee

'Standing nearby...'?

Wearing a suit and holding a dv recorder by any chance?

Or maybe just on the phone to your superiors?

I'm just guessing here.

Secretgeek
Coat

Check out...

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/search/scientology

For freedom of information requests to the CoL plods re: how much Co$ have (bought them off) donated to CoL Plodsville. Awaiting the answers with interest.

Mine's the one with the 'charitable donation' in the pocket.

Teen battles City of London cops over anti-Scientology placard

Secretgeek
Alien

@AC 'Full ruling.'

Have just started to read the Justice Latelys ruling.

And all I can say is that I take back the reasoned, moderate, 'lets-all-live-together' comment, above and am more than willing to exchange it for a 'let's nuke this Co$ from orbit, it's the only way to be sure'.

How can we continue to let this mind-control freakery continue? (And I'm not talking about Derren Brown - who is cool)

Secretgeek
Flame

@AC 'England...'

Yeeess. That's right. We'll fight for our right to be English and defend it to the death! Well except the Northerners, useless dole scrounging bastards that they are. I'll defend everyone south of Watofrds right to be English to the death.

Except those from Saaf of the river, bunch of ponces the lot of them. I'll defend everyone in Claphams right to be English to the death!

Except for that bloke in the flat down the hallway he's a dodgy looking fucker. In my own living room I'll defend everyone's right to be English to the death!

Except when the footballs on.

Credit: Al Murray - Pub Landlord

Secretgeek
Heart

@Billy Goat

I think you're way off there Billy. What I think most reasonable commentators are NOT talking about is banning Co$ right to say 'God is an Alien - give me your cash.'

What I and a lot of others find particularly offensive are the subversive and underhanded methods that Co$ use to silence and even destroy anyone that raises their voice in opposition to their beliefs or methods.

Extremist Christians used burning crosses.

Extremist Islamists use suicide techniques.

Co$ use lawyers.

There is no real difference fundamentally (!), they all attempt to destroy those that disagree with them and their beliefs.

@AC 'Freedom of speech my arse' (Friend of Xenu anyone?)

I find the word 'Scientologist' deeply offensive to me. Tolerate it.

Spread the love people.

Secretgeek
Unhappy

More t-shirts.

I was planning on having a load of 'Evolution did happen. Oh yes it did. There's a lot of irrefutable evidence to say so', tee's printed, but I'm afraid I'll have to cancel in case I happen to harrass a Creationist.

Same goes for 'We were monkeys once.'

And 'The sun isn't drawn across the sky by unicorns.'

Etc etc etc ad absurdum.

Brits favour ASBOs for unruly mobile users

Secretgeek
Dead Vulture

@ The Cube

I'm with you on this one. The ability to blast crappy music increasingly loudly out of a crappy little speaker has to be one of the least helpful functions ever invented. Thanks a bunch mobile phone makers, remind me to pop round your house and pipe '10 bob's toons' directly into your every waking moment you bunch of bastards.

/rant

I want a baby, coos broody Paris Hilton

Secretgeek
Coat

Ermm....

"I have a lot of beautiful animals that I look after and I feel I would have a lot to give my children."

Not sure I get the connection...is she going to feed her pets to the child?

Or is Paris saying that she has a lots of animals that she's going to give to her child? Not sure that's responsible parenting if you ask me.

Get your coat love, you've pulled.

'Mad Scientist' developing powered suits for US military

Secretgeek
Happy

Can't believe no-one's put this yet.

"help to move our technology from research and development to execution"

Just exactly who are they going to be executing?

I for one will welcome our 240v extension cable trailing overlords.

(If only because it'll be hysterical sneaking behind them, pulling the plug and watching them fall over from the weight like a pissed up Robocop).

Japanese council worker in 750k smut site pornathon

Secretgeek
Boffin

Like a monkey in a zoo.

I'm surprised it took a virus for this to come (sorry) to light.

Surely the cleaners would've piped up when his workstation began to look like a pissed up Spiderman had been practising his webby shooting skills.

Goggles required.

Robot aircraft 'sense and avoid' gear in flight tests

Secretgeek
Black Helicopters

Next step...

...'sense and classify'.

Then...

'sense, classify and destroy.'

I, for one, will welcome our airborne robotic overlords.

Mel Gibson to star in Edge of Darkness

Secretgeek
Coat

Sod the plot.

If I send a cheque can I have the Miley Cyrus pics instead?

I'm going to hell for that.

Mine's the asbestos one with added pitchfork rearguard.

UK Office of Government Commerce cracks one off

Secretgeek
Happy

Took me a minute....

...but then it lept out at me like one of those Magic Eye pictures.

Absolutely priceless.

F1 chief seeks French ban on orgy video

Secretgeek
Coat

What's the fuss?

Stand up proud and shout, 'YES! I a, a multi-gazzilionaire, YES, I work in one of the sexiest (not boring) sports in the world and YES I love whipping multitudes of paid-for-lovelies who do rude things to me for cash!'

Mines the leather one with the open back.

P.S. Anyone know the collective noun for a group of paid-for-lovelies?

X-48B mini flying-wing drone prototype resumes testing

Secretgeek
Happy

What are the chances...

...of picking one of these babies up at my local model store?

I want one.

Guitar Hero III goes mobile

Secretgeek
Flame

Wonderful...

So now loud tinny crap rock can join the cacophony of loud tinny crap hip hop and dance toons that I'm subjected to every time I use pbulic transport.

Great.

Thanks for that.

'Patricia Hewitt' donates £6m to charity

Secretgeek

'I actually got your contact info....

...through an analysis of your web browsing....'

Nuff said.

Secretgeek
Joke

Gorgon Brown's at it too.

I got a similar email from Gordie telling me that due to his secret financial management techniques he was going to scrap the 10p tax rate just for me! All i had to do was pay a little bit more in 37 other taxes to be eligible for this fantastic, once-in-a-lifetime offer.

Oh, hang on a minute....that's not right.

Phorm admits 'over zealous' editing of Wikipedia article

Secretgeek
Happy

Ha haha haha ha ha..

Phorm just can't get a break can they?

Go on, try something else to try and improve your already phornicated public image.

Go on.

I dare you.

You know you want to.

Then just see how fast it gets ripped to shreds.

Oh man, this story's made my morning.

UK.gov password protects Aryan Governance Summit site

Secretgeek
Black Helicopters

So if that's a swastika...

What about the purple Isle of Man (-ish) symbol incorporated into it too?

Could it be that the tiny 'tached fiend is alive and well and living next door to Jeremy Clarkson?

Conspiracy Alert!

Dead wife contacts Lancs man via SMS

Secretgeek
Happy

Don't I know you?

Taking the covers, a vile smell and someone breathing in your ear?

I see the media have been interviewing my girlfriend again.

BT and Phorm secretly tracked 18,000 customers in 2006

Secretgeek
Coat

BBC not acknowledging sources.

Just as an aside really but the BBC website doesn't have a link to El Reg on it's latest Phorm story. Do we really think that they're not getting a lot of their info from here?

I'll take the jacket with all the real news in thanks.

Secretgeek
Flame

@Central Resources Needed

I'd just add one more to that list.

Every site signed up to the OIX

(Come on El Reg...surely you can get a copy of that list).

Just a quick email to them to say that whilst there is any possiblity that they're part of the OIX (and hence in league with Phorm et al) you will not use their products or services.

I know it won't stop Phorm snooping but it'll certainly hurt them where it counts - in the pocket as their clients start pulling out (Let The Guardian' be just the first)

Fighting snooping with a flamethrower.

Phorm launches data pimping fight back

Secretgeek
Dead Vulture

@Privacy Guarantee

'There's no 'largely' about it...'

Seriously Phorm what is you don't get?

I DON'T WANT A THIRD PARTY LOOKING AT MY BROWSING STREAM IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM WITHOUT MY EXPLICIT CONSENT.

I DO NOT WANT TO BE ASSUMED TO HAVE CONSENTED TO IT.

I ESPECIALLY DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO HAVE A COOKIE ON MY MACHINE TELLING YOU I HAVEN'T CONSENTED.

Is that clear enough?

Secretgeek
Black Helicopters

I know this has been posted before.

But with so many people commenting it's easy for it to be missed.

Shout loud, sign up, take a stand.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/ispphorm/

Secretgeek
Unhappy

@system

Things slightly mixed up there mate. If they don't receive the cookie THEY ASSUME YOU HAVEN'T OPTED OUT and give you a new profiling cookie. It's an opt-out system remember, there has to be a cookie on your machine that says 'this user wants Phorm go f**k itself' or something to that effect.

Even then they still get your browsing info they just don't target ads.

The dice are loaded and not in your favour.

Secretgeek
Paris Hilton

So...

They look at the webpage you visit and the search terms you use but won't know anything personal about you? Is that the logic they're using? Are they serious?

'largely eliminating personally identifiable information' !

'Largely'?! i.e. nearly all, most of, the majority of? That's a long long way from 'All personally indentifiable information.

The point is they're still looking at your data stream!

Paris - because they can't be acting that dumb surely?

The Phorm files

Secretgeek
Alien

BBC gets stuck in...

...hopefully. BBC correspondant Darren Waters is going to ask Phorm some of the questions that we all want answers to.

Watch this space:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/technology/2008/03/more_questions_for_phorm.html

Aliens because whether we'll get honest answers is a mystery.

As an aside - all credit goes to El Reg for highlighting this issue and sticking with it. I'm no gung ho flag waving patriotic type but it's this kind of reporting that keeps our freedoms alive for that little bit longer.

Secretgeek
Pirate

The Information Commissioners Office gets stuck in...

...well, kind of. They're taking a look. With, I'm sure, the transparent, unhindered cooperation of the ISP providers and Phorm. Maybe El Reg would like to pass the internal BT docs to them, you know just in case BT happen to forget to.

http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/pressreleases/2008/phorm_statement.pdf

Skull and crossbone - for the death of privacy.

Secretgeek
Alert

BBC redresses balance - slightly

Take a look at the articles' author Darren Waters own comments on this issue - http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/technology/2008/03/looking_at_the_phorm.html

Secretgeek
Paris Hilton

BBC take a moderate line.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7280791.stm

Top tech story at the Beeb. Shame that they don't really seem to appreciate just what BT et al and Phorm are proposing. And no mention of Phorms shady past either. Oh and no way of commenting on the article itself.

Lookslike they feel they have to report but aren't looking to start any kind of real debate on the issue.

Paris - because I can't imagine her having much thought for the consequences either. Or much thoughts at all for that matter.

Secretgeek
Go

Take direct action...

you never know. It might work.

Petition to HM Government.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/ispphorm/

Power to the people! Or somerthing like that.

BT targets 10,000 data pimping guinea pigs

Secretgeek
Go

For Ash et al

Some relevant bits of the Data Protection Act 1998

Part 1 Section 1

"personal data" means data which relate to a living individual who can be identified-

(a) from those data, or (b) from those data and other information which is in the possession of, or is likely to come into the possession of, the data controller.

[Your ISP is a good example of this. On it's own it's nothing, when someone has access to your BT account details like ermm...BT then it's personal.]

"processing" in relation to information or data, means obtaining, recording or holding the information or data or carrying out any operation or set of operations on the information or data, including-

(b) retrieval, consultation or use of the information or data,

(c) disclosure of the information or data by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available.

Schedule 1

Part 1

The Data Protection Principles [There are 8 but you can Google for the Act itself]

1. Personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully and, in particular, shall not be processed unless- (a) at least one of the conditions in Schedule 2 is met [e.g. you've given your consent], and (b) in the case of sensitive personal data [i.e. medical info, gender or ethnicity etc], at least one of the conditions in Schedule 3 is also met [e.g. you've given EXPLICIT consent and it's not carried out for profit].

[Breach of the Principles is ultimately enforceable by court order to cease processing and a possible fine, although the maximum fine is only £5K and BT probably think it's worth the risk that of couple of fines versus whatever they're making from the Phorm deal]

Part 2

INTERPRETATION OF THE PRINCIPLES

The first principle

1. - (1) In determining for the purposes of the first principle whether personal data are processed fairly, regard is to be had to the method by which they are obtained, including in particular whether any person from whom they are obtained is DECEIVED OR MISLED as to the PURPOSE or purposes for which they are to be processed. [my emphasis]

2. - (1) Subject to paragraph 3, for the purposes of the first principle personal data are not to be treated as processed fairly unless- (a) in the case of data obtained from the data subject, the data controller ensures so far as practicable that the data subject has, is provided with, or has made readily available to him, the information specified in sub-paragraph 2. - (3) The information referred to in sub-paragraph (1) is as follows, namely-

(a) the identity of the data controller, (b) if he has nominated a representative for the purposes of this Act, the identity of that representative, (c) the purpose or purposes for which the data are intended to be processed, and (d) any further information which is necessary, having regard to the specific circumstances in which the data are or are to be processed, to enable processing in respect of the data subject to be fair.

[This should be a useful starting point for the Data Protection Act - there's probably more stuff I could include but I should actually be working]

Data pimping: surveillance expert raises illegal wiretap worries

Secretgeek
Stop

The more people....

Tell your friends, tell your family, tell the people at work and the man on the bus (ok maybe not him he's looks a bit weird). I work in Data Proetction and Freedom of Information and this story gives me the willies! How dare they.

I'm no expert on RIPA but I'd have to say that even under plain old DPA 1998 they're on highly dubious ground. 'Excessive use' anybody? Transfer outside the EEUA possibly? What we have to remember is that the people that we really need to communicate this message to won't be able to set up intricate workarounds, aren't interested in the whys and wherefore's. Keep it simple - EVERY WEBSITE YOU VISIT ONLINE IS INTERCEPTED AND TRACKED BY BT AND PHORM.

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