My Life Is Online

Anonymous Statement On Wikileaks

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 22:30:00 -0400

Anonymous cutting ties with Wikileaks and julian assange? Read the statement for information as to why. My personal favorite line in the statement is the reminder of the groups leaderless status:

“Anonymous is a very complex and versatile entity and there will never be any leader that will speak for them all.”

Anonymous names Amanda Todd's Tormentor

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 22:19:46 -0400

Anonymous names Amanda Todd's Tormentor :

Anonymous: vigilantes for the greater good or endangering individuals by ignoring the fact that our nation already has a justice system in place? Not to mention an ongoing legal investigation into this specific case.

Textbook Publisher Pearson Takes Down 1.5 Million Teacher And Student Blogs With A Single DMCA Notice

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:13:03 -0400

Textbook Publisher Pearson Takes Down 1.5 Million Teacher And Student Blogs With A Single DMCA Notice :

“Textbook publisher Pearson set off an unfortunate chain of events with a takedown notice issued aimed at a copy of Beck’s Hoplessness Scale posted by a teacher on one of Edublogs’ websites (You may recall Pearson from such other related copyright nonsense as The $180 Art Book With No Pictures and No Free Textbooks Ever!). The end result? Nearly 1.5 million teacher and student blogs taken offline by Edublogs’ host, ServerBeach. James Farmer at wpmu.org fills in the details.”

Fed up with your wireless contract? CRTC wants to hear from you for new code

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 17:10:46 -0400

Fed up with your wireless contract? CRTC wants to hear from you for new code:

“The CRTC says it’s asking for help because consumers have said their monthly contracts are confusing and the terms and conditions can vary greatly from one wireless company to another."

Digital Billboards Might Be Coming Soon to Ottawa

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 15:55:29 -0400

Digital Billboards Might Be Coming Soon to Ottawa:

Are these potential driving distractions necessary in Ottawa, are they actually useful marketing tools, and do the citizens of Ottawa agree that digital billboards should be allowed? These, and many more questions, are worth considering before any such digital marketing tools are legally allowed along Ottawa roadsides.

Apple Unveils iPhone 5, Finally

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:21:45 -0400

Apple Unveils iPhone 5, Finally:

While the phone seems to have a number of intriguing new features, are they enough to convince iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S users to switch over? For now, I’m sticking with the iPhone 4 - at least until my current plan is up. Until then, I’ve got all the hardware, software and Internet speed I need.

Facebook shares hit new low of $17.58 as bleeding continues

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 12:53:48 -0400

Facebook shares hit new low of $17.58 as bleeding continues :

Cnet reports that “the company’s shares have fallen to their lowest point since the stock went public earlier this year for $38 per share.” Could this be a sign that social media profit prospects were overblown? Are we on the edge of another Internet economic bubble bust? Definitely something to consider prior to buying any future Facebook shares.

The downside of new technology - Excellent article by Carleton University Chancellor’s Professor Fen Osler Hampson

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 14:24:40 -0400

The downside of new technology - Excellent article by Carleton University Chancellor’s Professor Fen Osler Hampson :

Excerpt: “The upside of this new technology is, of course, unrivalled prospects for social interaction and commerce. The widespread availability of cellphones, along with access to primary education and the construction of roads, is a proven driver of economic development. It can also help topple dictators by revealing their dastardly crimes. The downside is a new social and political anarchy that is fast coming upon us.”

Facebook Has 44% Fake Followers; Twitter Has 33%

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 17:24:00 -0400

Facebook Has 44% Fake Followers; Twitter Has 33%:

“Some 44% of people who follow the @Facebook account onTwitter are — well, actually, they aren’t, according to an entertaining new app that checks out how many fakers you have in your following.”

US war on whistleblowers must end - Assange (VIDEO)

Sun, 19 Aug 2012 22:52:50 -0400

US war on whistleblowers must end - Assange (VIDEO)

New Ustream App Lets You Broadcast Directly to Facebook

Sat, 18 Aug 2012 17:55:22 -0400

New Ustream App Lets You Broadcast Directly to Facebook:

Ustream has always shown great potential as an online tool of information dissemination. It has been used to broadcast social movements, protests, and more generally, citizen journalism. Though the uses for this online broadcasting application far exceed that which I have listed, its value to the general public might increase (or at least become better known) now that a new app is available to broadcast directly to Facebook using Ustream. As this tool becomes more versitle with regards to connecting to social media networks it may begin to play an even larger role in social movement organization and citizen journalism.

Your Deleted Facebook Photos Will Now Be Gone Forever

Sat, 18 Aug 2012 16:57:47 -0400

Your Deleted Facebook Photos Will Now Be Gone Forever:

Mashable reports: “Until recently, pictures deleted from Facebook were still accessible by entering the image’s direct URL. So, while the pictures may have disappeared from your profile, or that of whomever had uploaded them, they were still available within Facebook’s server.

The latest change deletes images permanently from Facebook’s servers within a couple of days. Check out the video above to learn more about the change.”

About time! Storing deleted images was a privacy pitfall of Facebook. Not only were users personal photos stored for indefinite periods of time, many people were completely unaware this was happening. Digital natives may be accustomed to the simple fact that online activity can remain online forever in one way or another, however less technologically inclined social media users might not always understand the full implications of sharing content on social networks such as Facebook. Perhaps this change in Facebook policy will set a positive new precedent, and other social networks and online services will follow in choosing not to store user data and content indefinitely.

"Trapwire is watching you in Ottawa"

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 22:30:00 -0400

"Trapwire is watching you in Ottawa":

As many mainstream media sources sweep the controversial Trapwire counter-terrorist surveillance network controversy under the carpet, many Canadians remain unaware of this global ex-CIA run agency program. The system works by connecting a wide-range of privately owned security cameras, collecting and analyzing digital footage in a manner “designed to detect patterns indicative of terrorist attacks or criminal operations” according to the official Trapwire webpage.

Macleans reports that “Trapwire claims to “detect patterns of behavior indicative of pre-operational planning.”” However many questions remain as to how the system works, how it stores information, and how that information is used. While an initial rumour claiming that Trapwire collects facial recognition data has allegedly been debunked, there is clearly a need for more detailed information.

Macleans asks an important question we should all be considering, “If Trapwire’s activity does indeed extend to Ottawa, who’s on the receiving end of the data flow?”

Julian Assange 'doing all right' amid Ecuador asylum row

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 22:13:03 -0400

Julian Assange 'doing all right' amid Ecuador asylum row :

“The WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange spent a comfortable night in the Ecuadorean embassy in London after the South American country’s decision to offer him asylum, and is said to be "doing all right”, according to a diplomatic source.“

WikiLeaks: Julian Assange will take Britain to the 'World Court'

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 22:12:21 -0400

WikiLeaks: Julian Assange will take Britain to the 'World Court' :

“The WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will take Britain to the United Nation’s International Court of Justice if it refuses to grant him safe passage to Ecuador, his lawyer said…”

Ecuador grants WikiLeaks founder asylum

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 22:10:57 -0400

Ecuador grants WikiLeaks founder asylum :

“He’s won asylum in Ecuador, but Julian Assange is no closer to getting there.

The decision by the South American nation to identify the WikiLeaks founder as a political refugee is a symbolic boost for the embattled ex-hacker…”

"Facebook shares hit new low on fake account woes"

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 11:56:00 -0400

"Facebook shares hit new low on fake account woes":

Not only will this affect shareholders, marketers now face the ultimate decision as to whether or not they should continue investing in Facebook advertising or move on to other social media platforms. What is a ‘like’ worth when you can’t guarantee it is from an authentic user-account?

‘Vikileaks’ staffer back with Liberals

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 11:48:00 -0400

‘Vikileaks’ staffer back with Liberals :

Liberal staffer Adam Carroll, though initially let go for airing details of Public Safety Minister Vic Toews’ divorce on the twitter account Vikileaks, has been rehired by the party leading some to believe the Liberals were behind the twitter account all along.

This hiring choice is clearly controversial as it reflects a general acceptance of his actions on the behalf of the Liberal Party as a reasonable response to the Harper government’s Internet surveillance legislation.

As politics and technology continue to intersect, political parties will have to be ever-more careful not only with officially sanctioned social networking, but also with the social networking activities of all party staffers and government officials.

Anonymous hunts down Voldemort for hacking hungry kids' charity

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 11:21:10 -0400

Anonymous hunts down Voldemort for hacking hungry kids' charity :

While Anonymous might seem like an organizational handle anyone can take up in the name of hacktivist activities, the group sets clear guidelines as to who they consider on their team and will stop at nothing to destroy anyone who doesn’t meet their standards.

“"Apparently, one of the rules is you don’t hack charity sites, you don’t hack sites of people trying to help kids. This guy was trying to impress them, to try and get into their group and boasting about what he’d done - but they turned on him, they chased him," Documentary-maker Bryan Bruce, owner of the hacked charity site, told the New Zealand Herald.

Reputation is everything in hacker culture, and building a reputation takes more than a single feat of hacking, and instead is based in the idealized conceptualizations of ‘the hack.’ Here we see clearly what happens when a hacker’s reputation is marred by what is considered unethical activity in hacker culture. As a hacker wanting to get involved with Anonymous, it is important to consider that not only do they not forget, they do not forgive.

Hacker stealing in-app purchases avoids the long arm of Apple’s law

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 22:58:36 -0400

Hacker stealing in-app purchases avoids the long arm of Apple’s law :

“Apple is closing in on a Russian hacker giving people a way to steal in-app purchases. But while the company has issued take down notices and blocked his server access, he still has found a way to stay in business.”