May 2012 - nexa - server-nexa.polito.it

BBC News - Cookie law set to come into force

by Marco Mendola

--- FYI --- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18206810 Buona domenica, Marco Mendola

May 27, 2012

Big Brother Awards Italia 2012

by Fabio Pietrosanti (naif)

Ciao a tutti, questa email per ricordare a tutti che sono aperte le nominations per i Big Brother Awards Italia. le categorie sono: - "Peggior ente pubblico" - "Peggiore azienda privata" - "Peggiore tecnologia" E' stato mantenuto anche il premio positivo "Winston Smith - eroe della privacy". Potete esprimere la vostra indicazione su: http://bba.winstonsmith.org/ Fabio

May 27, 2012

Human Rights on YouTube

by Corrado Druetta

Il post (del Post) da cui traggo la notizia in realtà è ambiguo: più che un'iniziativa di YouTube, a me pare un'iniziativa della ONG di video advocacy Witness (consiglio il sito: www.witness.org) assieme a Storyful, che utilizza Youtube come canale di diffusione del progetto. L'idea di un canale video tematico può non essere il massimo dell'originalità, ma dedicarlo ai diritti umani è sempre una buona cosa. Ora, si tratta di farlo uscire dalla versione "beta" e riempirlo di contenuti: http://www.ilpost.it/2012/05/26/il-canale-di-youtube-per-i-diritti-umani/ Corrado Druetta

May 27, 2012

NYTimes: "Presidential Panel Urges More Flexible Use of Spectrum"

by J.C. DE MARTIN

May 25, 2012 Presidential Panel Urges More Flexible Use of Spectrum By JOHN MARKOFF <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/john_markoff/i…> SAN FRANCISCO --- A just-completed report from a presidential advisory committee urges President Obama to adopt new computer technologies to make better use of a huge swath of the radio spectrum now controlled by federal agencies. The shift, which could be accomplished by presidential signature --- and without Congressional involvement --- would relieve spectrum congestion caused by the popularity of smartphones, and generate far more revenue for the federal government than auctioning spectrum to wireless carriers, according to the authors of the report. Making better use of the spectrum for cellphones would allow for more services, more competition and possibly lower prices for consumers using cellphone data services. The new plan, which calls on the government to electronically rent or lease spectrum for periods of time as short as seconds using newly available computerized radio technologies, was presented publicly Friday to a meeting of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, or PCAST. The authors of the report included Eric E. Schmidt, the chairman of Google, Craig Mundie, Microsoft's chief research and strategy officer and Silicon Valley venture capitalists Mark P. Gorenberg and David E. Liddle, among others. The report is scheduled to be presented to the president in June after final editing. The idea of using computer-based technologies to increase spectrum <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/18/technology/mobile-carriers-warn-of-spectr…> capacity is catching on rapidly in the United States and overseas. Twice this month in speeches before cellular and cable companies Julius Genachowski, the Federal Communications Commission <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/f/federal…> chairman, has called on industry to embrace spectrum-sharing technologies to make room for the wireless data explosion. [...] Continua qui: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/26/technology/presidential-panel-urges-bette…

May 26, 2012

Dave Winer: We *can* do better than Facebook

by bernardo parrella

http://scripting.com/stories/2012/05/21/weCanDoBetterThanFacebook.html Google's problem is they used Facebook as their guide to upgrading their view of what the Internet is. And that led them away from their strength, and into what I think is a dead-end. Much as Microsoft was led into a dead-end by the web in the 1990s. The problem with Facebook's approach is more than it has centralized all access to user's data, which they have. They've also centralized the flow of new ideas to the Internet. If you buy the idea that Facebook is the Internet, which is of course the problem for Facebook. Because no matter how big they get, they're still just part of the Internet. All the devices people use to access Facebook can access other parts of the Internet. So if something more exciting comes along, people can get there. (....) The value of the Internet is that it represents a common set of protocols and formats that are very widely implemented. Everywhere human beings are you will find HTTP and HTML. Even in space. Even at the poles. Even in the jungle. Or the core of our cities. It is even possible to add new stuff to that. But please study how that happens. Sure some of it comes from the big companies, but lots of it comes from the people. Some of it comes from young people, and some of it comes from people in their 40s, 50s and 60s. (....) If the past is a predictor, here's what will happen. Facebook will exist for a long time to come. They're huge. They've absorbed a lot of the growth of Silicon Valley. They're the continuation of companies like Sun and Netscape, Apple and H-P. Google is out there too, but they are imho where Microsoft was in the 1990s. They too will be here for a long time because it's very rare for companies as large and diverse as Google to go down quickly. It usually takes a generation or two, and sometimes they figure out how to be in it much longer. But again, if the past is a predictor, new ideas will take root among users and those ideas will grow into the next layer of tech. That's a good place to put your attention too. .... Dave Winer: We*can* do better than Facebook http://scripting.com/stories/2012/05/21/weCanDoBetterThanFacebook.html

May 25, 2012

Vint Cerf: keep the Internet open

by Marco Pancini

Cari Tutti, Vi segnalo questo op-ed di Vint Cerf: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/25/opinion/keep-the-internet-open.html?_r=1 Un caro saluto. marco -- Marco Pancini | Senior Policy Counsel | pancini(a)google.com | +32.28948492 +32.473531203 This email may be confidential or privileged. If you received this communication by mistake, please don't forward it to anyone else, please erase all copies and attachments, and please let me know that it went to the wrong person. Thanks.

May 25, 2012

Fwd: [ NNSquad ] Vint Cerf (New York Times op-ed): "Keep the Internet Open"

by J.C. DE MARTIN

Begin forwarded message: > From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren(a)vortex.com> > Date: 25 maggio 2012 08:36:59 CEST > To: nnsquad(a)nnsquad.org > Subject: [ NNSquad ] Vint Cerf (New York Times op-ed): "Keep the Internet Open" > > > Vint Cerf (New York Times op-ed): "Keep the Internet Open" > > http://j.mp/KF9pSc (New York Times) > > "The Internet stands at a crossroads. Built from the bottom up, powered > by the people, it has become a powerful economic engine and a positive > social force. But its success has generated a worrying backlash. > Around the world, repressive regimes are putting in place or proposing > measures that restrict free expression and affect fundamental rights. > The number of governments that censor Internet content has grown to 40 > today from about four in 2002. And this number is still growing, > threatening to take away the Internet as you and I have known it." > > - - - > > An indubitably accurate assessment. > > --Lauren-- > Lauren Weinstein (lauren(a)vortex.com) http://www.vortex.com/lauren > Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: http://www.pfir.org > Founder: > - Data Wisdom Explorers League: http://www.dwel.org > - Network Neutrality Squad: http://www.nnsquad.org > - Global Coalition for Transparent Internet Performance: http://www.gctip.org > - PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com > Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy > Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com > Google+: http://vortex.com/g+lauren / Twitter: http://vortex.com/t-lauren > Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 / Skype: vortex.com > _______________________________________________ > nnsquad mailing list > http://lists.nnsquad.org/mailman/listinfo/nnsquad >

May 25, 2012

Introducing Friends of WikiLeaks (FoWL)

by bernardo parrella

> From: unlike-us(a)listcultures.org http://wlcentral.org/node/2605 The WikiLeaks Twitter feed announced on 20 May 2012 that the WL Friends/Friends of WikiLeaks (FoWL) network is ready to launch an 'encrypted Facebook'. This comes amidst growing concern for user privacy and safety at the Facebook website. Facebook recently came out in support of CISPA, a proposed US law that infringes on privacy and freedom of speech. Facebook's attitude towards user privacy has led some to leave the site. "...I think it's important to not use services that you have issues with, even if they are free," wrote Engadget and Gizmodo cofounder Peter Rojas, and artist Hazel Dooney recently cited the same issues on her blog as her reason for leaving. The 'about' page at Friends of WikiLeaks states: Friends of WikiLeaks (FoWL) is an independent network made up of people from across the globe who defend WikiLeaks and promote its mission and values. We are a global collection of people with shared beliefs and intentions linked together as a strong and resilient network. FoWL clarified that it is independent from WikiLeaks: FoWL is not a subsidiary of WikiLeaks, nor is it subordinate to WikiLeaks. FoWL is a separate network that has the express purpose of supporting, promoting, publicizing and encouraging any individual or collective which shares WikiLeaks' common values and goals. 12 reasons One WikiLeaks tweet noted that "Facebook sells your information to governments, is lauded by MSM. WikiLeaks gives government information to you for free and we're terrorists". Following this statement, WikiLeaks tweeted a dozen reasons why this new site is better than Facebook. ? WL Friends introduces you to people you want to know, but don't know yet. Facebook connects you to people you already know - no point. ? Facebook is a mass surveillance tool. You put your friends into it, you betray your friends. Do friends betray friends? WL Friends doesn't know your friends. It introduces you to new friends. ? Facebook records everything you do, hands it over to the US government and corporations. WL Friends doesn't. ? WL Friends keeps your data so encrypted, not even the system admins can decrypt it. You and your friends decrypt on login automatically. ? WL Friends uses military grade cryptography and the best industry standards (OpenPGP + Elliptic Curves). ? WL Friends even uses homomorphic encryption for certain operations so WL Friends doesn't even know how many friends you have. ? The more you use WL Friends, the less you use WL Friends. WL Friends is designed to build, not control, a robust network of shared value. ? WL Friends is designed for more than just WikiLeaks. It is a general solution to build a robust support network under hostile conditions. ? Friends of Israel, Friends of Palestine, Friends of the Tea Party, Friends of Catholicism are all possible with WL Friends. ? WL Friends is designed to make infiltration costly. No person can be seen to be more important than any other or individually targeted. ? WL Friends builds a strong support network instantly for any shared belief by connecting supporters in a way that maximizes communication. ? As time goes by the WL Friends network for any shared belief is designed to mathematically grow stronger and stronger. 'Beta stage' The Friends of WikiLeaks site is now signing up members. FoWL is currently in its beta stage. This means that people from all over the world are registering to be part of this network to support WikiLeaks. For some time, nothing else will happen - we need the network to be of a certain size before we can start introducing you to candidate friends. Registering now will allow you to be a part of the network before the beta stage network gets full. As soon as we are ready to give you some candidate friends we will let you know. It takes less than 5 min to register at https://wlfriends.org.

May 24, 2012

Green Geek School Education

by Viviana Premazzi

Cari tutti, mi inserisco nel filone di dibattito che si era attivato qualche tempo fa dopo l'avvio del corso "Rivoluzione digitale" di J.C. De Martin. Vorrei segnalarvi l'idea che insieme ad Andrea Latino, Delegato alle Innovazioni e alle Nuove Tecnologie nella Segreteria Provinciale GD di Varese, stiamo portando avanti e abbiamo presentato alla Discussione Pubblica sull'Agenda Digitale Italiana: http://adi.ideascale.com/a/dtd/GREEN-GEEK-SCHOOL-EDUCATION/131023-18808 Green Geek School Education (acronimo “GSE”) si configura come un progetto educativo che ha come target gli studenti delle scuole medie superiori. Obiettivo di GSE è far conoscere e sperimentare ai giovani pratiche di cittadinanza digitale, al fine di renderli attori formati e consapevoli, capaci di fare la loro parte nella costruzione del bene comune. Vi segnalo inoltre che presenteremo il progetto sabato pomeriggio alle 17 nella conferenza "Abbiamo le smart cities, abbiamo bisogno di smart people. Promozione della cultura dell'innovazione, bottom-up", presso le Officine Grandi Riparazioni all'interno del programma del Digital Experience Festival: http://www.digitalfestival.net/abbiamo-le-smart-cities-abbiamo-bisogno-di-s… Ci farebbe molto piacere ricevere vostri commenti e, se vorrete, il vostro supporto nelle ultime ore di votazione, Grazie, saluti, Viviana Premazzi

May 24, 2012

certificazione LibreOffice

by Simone Aliprandi

È nata la certificazione per LibreOffice. Fiducia e competenza, open e garantite. Sarà un italiano, Italo Vignoli, a coordinare l’attività del comitato istituito appositamente da Document Foundation. I profili attualmente previsti dal processo di certificazione sono Certified Developer, Certified Migration Professional, Certified Professional Trainer, L1 Support Professional, L2 Support Professional. Leggi l'intero articolo su http://www.apogeonline.com/webzine/2012/05/23/e-nata-la-certificazione-per-… -- Simone Aliprandi - http://www.aliprandi.org

May 23, 2012