French minister Nadine Morano is attempting to legally extract from Dailymotion the IPs of users who have been defaming her. Evidence of a cross-channel partnership of Nadines to be bone-headed about the internet? [Although given British libel laws, Ms. Morano might well have an even easier time of it there]
Charles Stross: "I've lately been trying to project possible futures that don't include any kind of singularity, be it a minor one (like the steam engine) or a massive one (strongly superhuman A.I.s that are to us as we are to cats and dogs). Mostly they require either a malthusian collapse, or repressive legislative/political forces. So, to that extent, any SF that doesn't try to address the issue is either a dystopia or a fantasy."
Nice explanation of type systems in programming languages
BoggleIt and Moodia: not nice companies
Ian Bicking: resolving Python's problems with web programming is the most important thing we can do to market Python". Amen.
"For your problems are tuned to your existing tools. You simply can’t imagine problems that your tools can’t solve well" (Reg Braithwaite on why to learn useless things)
The S outh Korean government is working on an Asimov-like 'robot ethics charter' (Telegraph)
23rd CCC, December 27-30. Information lust; hope they provide videos again this year.
Links betwen counterculture and cyberculture. Long video of a seminar at the Berkman centre - best thing I've seen this week, easily. Wow.
eXile on Russian livejournal.
Does bad temper count as a medical condition? What I love is the acronym, IED, for 'intermittent explosive disorder. Gives surreal images of planting the office dragon beside a road outside Najaf...
Ethan Zuckerman on language on the net. Big, fascinating topic, something that should be in the back of everybody's mind but isn't.
Center for Tactical Magic; I think I'm in love.