Links

“You’re not anonymous. I know your name, email, and company.”

This is how Websites know your name, email and company even if you didn’t submit any information and weren’t logged in through social media.

The analogy at the end is the point:

A real-world analogue would be this scenario: You drive to Home Depot and walk in.  Closed-circuit cameras match your face against a database of every shopper that has used a credit card at Walmart or Target and identifies you by name, address, and phone.  If you happen to walk out the front door without buying anything your phone buzzes with a text message from Home Depot offering you a 10% discount good for the next hour.

*shudder*

Advice to newcomers and veterans of the Free and Open Source software communities

François Marier shares his notes on a collection of essays called Open Advice titled “Advice to newcomers and veterans of the Free and Open Source software communities.” There is also LWN book review for the book.

Why choose the lesser evil?

There was a really funny column in the Washington Post right after Bush’s reelection in 2004 titled “An Off-Color Rift” … but the topic seems oddly familiar:

Besides, running away is never the answer, unless you are a teenage boy who has just blown up a mailbox. As Americans, we need to stay here in America and work things out, because regardless of what color or hue of state we live in, we are all, deep down inside our undershorts, Americans. And as Americans, we must ask ourselves: Are we really so different? Must we stereotype those who disagree with us? Do we truly believe that all red-state residents are ignorant, racist, fascist, knuckle-dragging, NASCAR-obsessed, cousin-marrying, roadkill-eating, tobacco juice-dribbling, gun-fondling, religious-fanatic rednecks; or that all blue-state residents are godless, unpatriotic, pierced-nosed, Volvo-driving, France-loving, left-wing communist, latte-sucking, tofu-chomping, holistic-wacko, neurotic, vegan, weenie perverts?

So this bears one question: why even bother choosing the lesser evil? 😉

Cthulhu For President
Cthulhu For President – Why choose the lesser evil?