Posts tagged: MEDIA

Ten years ago today was the public launch of Salon (as salon1999.com, not salon.com). I can’t say that I’m surprised they have lasted, because their work has consistently been excellent.

Through Salon’s connection to the Well I have gotten glimpses of how hard they have worked over the years, and I’m glad that it has continued to pay off in terms of editorial quality and reader respect, if not guaranteed solvency. (I know that predicting the hour of Salon’s demise is a fixation for some – mostly people who read second-hand accounts of SEC filings, as far as I can tell.)

Just a quick followup on the Sony malware situation: they’ve now been spanked by both Microsoft and the Department of Homeland Security. I feel the warm glow of righteousness.

I’m seeing lots of links to this CNN story about the CIA learning to use publicly accessible information sources. I have one comment, not about the news, but about the language:

Mary Margaret Graham, an aide to Negroponte, told reporters better use of open source information should lead to more effective use of clandestine intelligence gathering as well.

(Emphasis mine.)

The term “open source” is being used here – not just by the reporter but, as far as I can tell from the context of the article, by the Federal government – as a synonym for “publicly accessible.” Not the same thing, of course.

This evening I was pointed to a blog posting from yesterday about Sony’s foray into malware distribution. The author gives a heavily technical blow-by-blow account of uncovering sleazy copy-protection software that has come along with his latest purchase from the Sony BMG record label:

…At that point I knew conclusively that the rootkit and its associated files were related to the First 4 Internet DRM software Sony ships on its CDs. Not happy having underhanded and sloppily written software on my system I looked for a way to uninstall it. However, I didnt find any reference to it in the Control Panels Add or Remove Programs list, nor did I find any uninstall utility or directions on the CD or on First 4 Internets site. I checked the EULA and saw no mention of the fact that I was agreeing to have software put on my system that I couldn’t uninstall. Now I was mad.

I find Rob Curley interesting for many reasons:

• Until recently, he worked as director of New Media and Convergence for The World Company of Lawrence, Kansas, which sounds kind of weird and obscure if you don’t know that LJworld.com is possibly the most award-winningest, cutting-edge local news site in existence.

• The World Company and its web projects gave birth to Django.

• He is at heart a newspaper guy. Two or three careers ago I was a newspaper guy too (though the paper was weekly rather than daily).