Monthly Archives: October 2012

Free Online Education Is Illegal in Minnesota

"The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that the state has decided to crack down on free education, notifying California-based startup Coursera that it is not allowed to offer its online courses to the state’s residents. Coursera, founded by Stanford computer science professors Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng, partners with top-tier universities around the world to offer certain classes online for free to anyone who wants to take them. You know, unless they happen to be from Minnesota. State law prohibits degree-granting institutions from offering instruction in Minnesota without obtaining permission from the office and paying a registration fee." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFree Online Education Is Illegal in Minnesota

Pirate Bay and Mega: Treating the State as Damage and Routing Around It

"Most recently, it’s come out that The Pirate Bay has moved to the cloud, thus rendering itself invulnerable to website takedowns. TPB has already taken considerable countermeasures against government raids, backing its site up on several servers and concealing the location of some of them. Meanwhile Kim Dotcom of MegaUpload is rolling out Mega, a new service duplicated on a network of servers in countries all around the world, and therefore far less vulnerable to takedowns by any national government." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPirate Bay and Mega: Treating the State as Damage and Routing Around It

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

"From shuttering a legitimate ebook lending site to removing negative reviews to destroying a user's Flickr account to knocking a copyright attorney's site offline, the DMCA notice continues to be the go-to weapon for copyright defenders. Collateral damage is simply shrugged at and the notices continue to fly at an ever-increasing pace. And now because Pearson somehow feels that a 38-year-old questionnaire is worth $120, ServerBeach felt compelled to take down 1.5 million blogs over a single DMCA notice." Continue reading →

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

Google threatens to drop links to French media if pay-per-link law passes

"Internet giant Google has warned it would exclude French media sites from its search results if France adopts a law forcing search engines to pay for content, in the latest confrontation with European governments. A letter sent by Google to several French ministerial offices this month said it 'cannot accept' such a move and the company 'as a consequence would be required to no longer reference French sites,' according to a copy obtained by AFP. France’s new Socialist government, which is open to helping struggling media companies, warned Google that it should not threaten democratic governments." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGoogle threatens to drop links to French media if pay-per-link law passes

French Jews to sue Twitter over anti-Semitic tweets following German neo-Nazi ban

"Twitter, a day after saying it blocked a neo-Nazi group’s account in Germany in a global first, faced a new battle Friday in France where Jewish students are taking it to court to force it to remove anti-Semitic messages. The hashtag #unbonjuif — which in English means 'a good Jew' — has been one of the top trending words on French-language tweets and is often followed by offensive comments such as: 'A good Jew can pump up your tyre with his nose.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFrench Jews to sue Twitter over anti-Semitic tweets following German neo-Nazi ban

Kuwait plunges into political turmoil amid crackdown

"Kuwait plunged into political turmoil on Friday after the public prosecution ordered the detention of three former opposition MPs for three days with more arrests expected. The three were questioned for nine hours on accusations of undermining the status of Kuwait’s ruler before being taken into custody. The prosecutor also extended the detention for three more days of four opposition activists arrested during clashes between police and protesters following a huge rally. It is illegal under the constitution to criticise the emir who enjoys extensive authority and must be from the Al-Sabah ruling family, in power for over 250 years." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKuwait plunges into political turmoil amid crackdown

Boston Police Tracking Protesters

"The Boston Regional Intelligence Center is one of more than 40 so-called 'fusion centers' around the country that were set up after Sept. 11, 2001 to share intelligence among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The documents show that the center has conducted extensive surveillance and investigations of lawful political activities. Members of the Boston Police Department are tracking the internal workings of political groups, interrogating peaceful activists, and filming demonstrations, such as an Occupy Boston protest from last year. In it, Occupy activists chant as the police video slowly pans the faces of those demonstrating." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBoston Police Tracking Protesters

Extend NE State Senator Term Limits? Proposed Amendment No. 3

In 2000, Nebraska voters approved Initiative No. 415 by a vote of 50.2% FOR, to 39.7% AGAINST, which limited Nebraska Legislators to two consecutive four year terms in office. This year's Proposed Amendment No. 3, would ease that voter imposed restriction and allow Nebraska's State Senators to serve for three consecutive four year terms. more

Continue ReadingExtend NE State Senator Term Limits? Proposed Amendment No. 3

Cubans ditch exit permits for international travel

"Cubans will no longer need an exit permit to travel abroad from January, the communist regime said on Tuesday, in a major overhaul of a half-century-old policy despised by the island’s citizens. The changes are the latest in a series of gradual reforms implemented in recent years by President Raul Castro, who took the helm from his ailing brother Fidel Castro in 2006. Cubans will no longer have to apply for a 'white card' to leave the island from January 14, and the period allowed for overseas stays will be extended from 11 to 24 months, according to decrees published in the official journal." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCubans ditch exit permits for international travel

Iowa: Proposed Citizen Initiative Would Ban Traffic Ticket Drones

"The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is taking up the fight against red light cameras and speed cameras in Iowa. Earlier this month, lawyers from the left-leaning activist group sent an affidavit to the city council in Iowa City containing the text of a proposed initiative banning the use of all forms of photo enforcement -- including license plate recognition cameras (ALPR or ANPR) and the use of drones. Residents had called the ACLU for help after city attorney Eleanor M. Dilkes took action to block citizens from ever voting on the topic." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIowa: Proposed Citizen Initiative Would Ban Traffic Ticket Drones