Author Archives: Jeff Porten

Heather Barlow shared this article. No argument against the commission, although I hope that it actually contains knowledgeable people who can explain why encryption with vulnerabilities is not encryption.

I do have problems with the article, which has the following inaccuracies:

1) the Paris attackers did not use encrypted communications; they sent plain-text SMS messages to each other.

2) It was the FBI’s own actions that prevented it from getting access to the data they’re now requesting the backdoor for.

3) It’s a law enforcement talking point, aiming for an emotional response, when they talk about “terrorists, murderers, and child molesters”; there is no reason to assume that law enforcement use of these tools will be limited in any way.

4) Even with an OS backdoor, there is no way to prevent people from using other forms of encryption which would continue to be secure; savvy criminals will still have encrypted communications, but it’s the everyday phone and computer user whose communications will be vulnerable. Senator Mark Warner

OK, now I’m trending towards scared.

“Here, a Clinton match-up is highly likely to be an unmitigated electoral disaster, whereas a Sanders candidacy stands a far better chance. Every one of Clinton’s (considerable) weaknesses plays to every one of Trump’s strengths, whereas every one of Trump’s (few) weaknesses plays to every one of Sanders’s strengths. From a purely pragmatic standpoint, running Clinton against Trump is a disastrous, suicidal proposition.”

http://ift.tt/1QecfR9

OK, now I’m trending towards scared.

“Here, a Clinton match-up is highly likely to be an unmitigated electoral disaster, whereas a Sanders candidacy stands a far better chance. Every one of Clinton’s (considerable) weaknesses plays to every one of Trump’s strengths, whereas every one of Trump’s (few) weaknesses plays to every one of Sanders’s strengths. From a purely pragmatic standpoint, running Clinton against Trump is a disastrous, suicidal proposition.”

Current Affairs | Unless the Democrats Nominate Sanders, A Trump Nomination Means a Trump Presidency

Fun read. The three words cut off are “Nominating Hillary Clinton”.

With Trump Looming, Should Dems Take a Huge Electability Gamble by Nominating Hillary Clinton?

It was the DP that got the Cruz communications manager fired? I managed to miss that small detail.

Letter from the President | Retracting an erroneous post

Actual thought that just occurred in my head: “I kind of want a peanut butter sandwich, but it seems like too much trouble.”

I’m reading many threads on “millennial entitlement”, which generally argue: 1) the world is rightly harsh and unforgiving; 2) you should expect no better than to be exploited; 3) this is the fault of young people, who deserve no voice until they suffer as much and as long as “we” did, for arbitrary values of how much we suffered.

Anonymous FBI source calling San Bernardino “worst terrorist attack since 9/11”. Personally, I’d say Sandy Hook was more terrifying, and in any case, could we have some goddamn sense of scale, please?

I had the flu once, and it was the sickest I’ve been since I dropped dead and had to be resuscitated for 30 minutes.

Washington Post now reporting that FBI asked San Bernardino tech to reset the iPhone password, which prevented any chance of getting access to the backup. Earlier reports said the tech acted on his own.

Sounds to me like some FBI source hung the tech out to dry earlier in order to cover the FBI’s ass.