December 2021 - nexa - server-nexa.polito.it

In court filing, Facebook admits ‘fact checks’ are nothing more than opinion
by 380° Dec. 13, 2021

Dec. 13, 2021

Buongiorno, https://wattsupwiththat.com/2021/12/09/bombshell-in-court-filing-facebook-a… «In court filing, Facebook admits ‘fact checks’ are nothing more than opinion» --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8--- In its response to Stossel’s defamation claim, Facebook responds on Page 2, Line 8 in the court document (download it below) that Facebook cannot be sued for defamation (which is making a false and harmful assertion) because its ‘fact checks’ are mere statements of opinion rather than factual assertions. Opinions are not subject to defamation claims, while false assertions of fact can be subject to defamation. --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8--- Breve riassunto delle puntate precedenti: John Stossel, un giornalista libertario USA, si offese che Facebook etichettò un suo post che parlava degli incendi in nord America come "misleading" [1] basandosi sul lavoro del loro fornitore di servizi di fact checing “Climate Feedback”; come non bastasse reiterò l'offesa su un secondo video - titolato “Are We Doomed?” - etichettandolo come "partly false", tanto che Stossel, dopo aver chiesto inutilmente spiegazioni, decise di chiamare in giudizio Facebook (ora Meta) per diffamazione. [2] In tutta risposta Facebook ha depositato un documento nel quale sostiene che: --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8--- labels (cioè "false and misleading", n.d.r.) themselves are neither false nor defamatory; to the contrary, they constitute protected opinion --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8--- Interessante linea difensiva :-D Saluti, 380° [1] https://wattsupwiththat.com/2021/09/30/john-stossel-sues-facebook-climate-f… [2] https://digitalcommons.law.scu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3543&context… -- 380° (Giovanni Biscuolo public alter ego) «Noi, incompetenti come siamo, non abbiamo alcun titolo per suggerire alcunché» Disinformation flourishes because many people care deeply about injustice but very few check the facts. Ask me about <https://stallmansupport.org>.

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Free your vacuum (coffee?) from the cloud
by 380° Dec. 13, 2021

Dec. 13, 2021

Buongiorno, https://valetudo.cloud/ è un progetto interessante che dimostra che... fare a meno "del cloud" non solo è possibile ma apre lo spazio a un sacco di possibilità /autonome/ assolutamente precluse a chi... lascia fare. https://valetudo.cloud/pages/general/newcomer_guide_late_2021.html --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8--- What is Valetudo? Valetudo is a cloud replacement for vacuum robots enabling local-only operation. It is not a custom firmware. That means that it cannot change anything about how the robot operates. What it can do however is protect your data and enable you to connect your robot to your home automation system without having to detour through a vendor cloud, which, apart from the whole data problematic, might not be reachable due to your internet connection being down or some servers in the datacenter being on fire. Not having to leave your local network of course also benefits the latency of commands, status reports etc. Valetudo aims to be proof that easy to use and reliable smart appliances are possible without any cloud and/or account requirements. Maybe at some point it might help convince vendors that there is another way of doing things. [...] What can Valetudo do? By default, Valetudo provides control over your vacuum robot via a responsive webinterface that works on all of your devices. It can be used on phones, tablets as well as your desktop computer. Furthermore, there’s a REST-interface documented with Swagger UI as well as MQTT. With support for both Homie and Home Assistant Autodiscovery for MQTT, you should be able to connect Valetudo to the open-source smarthome software of your choice. Make sure to check out the MQTT Docs as well as the OpenHAB integration. Valetudo fully supports: [...] You can find out what your Valetudo-enabled Robot is capable of by checking out the supported robots docs section as well as the capabilities overview. By replacing the cloud, you also gain access to your own data, which you can use however you like. For example there are already a few applications that turn your map data into various other formats such as Minecraft Worlds or Source-Engine maps. There’s a huge amount of possibilities yet to be explored. Due to the openly documented, standardized and easily accessible Map Data, one can use any Valetudo-compatible Vacuum Robot to map out a new home, write some glue code to transform it into the 3d software of their choice and use that precise floorplan to figure out where to put the furniture. --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8--- /caveat emptor/ --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8--- Note: While Valetudo can be used by anyone with a basic understanding of the english language, it cannot be installed just with those skills. --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8--- Proprio l'altro ieri sono scoppiato a ridere quando ho visto la pubblicità [1] di una nota macchinetta per fare il caffè in capsule, nella quale si magnifica il fatto che per farsi un caffè basta pronunciare la formula magica (personalizzabile) «Alexa sono tornata»... e si ricorda perfino il tuo caffè preferito! Peccato solo che si può caricare una cialda per volta (però del tuo caffè preferito!) e se ti dimentichi di caricarla non c'è problema: vai alla macchinetta, carichi la cialda, poi finalmente puoi dire «Alexa fammi un espresso»! Ovviamente quella /trappola/ di macchinetta del caffè ha altre funzioni perfettamente inutili [2] per i possessori - ebbè però tiene il conto di quante capsule rimangono - ma /ESTREMAMENTE/ utili per Amazon [3] (forse qualche briciola arriva anche al proprietario del marchio della macchinetta, via immancabile app). Rimane il fatto che per farsi un caffè è necessario andare alla macchinetta, inserire la cialda, aspettare che l'acqua si riscaldi e finalmente pronunciare la formula magica. ...però è perfetta per fare colpo su parenti, amici, clienti e colleghi! «Free your coffee (?!?) from the cloud»! Che tempi! Saluti, 380° [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIFc-TuU1r4 [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecUd44qSPk4 [3] AFAIU per poter usare la macchinetta /devi/ avere un account Lavazza e associarlo a quello Amazon, per fare in modo che la macchinetta invii ad Amazon tutto l'audio catturato in cucina... GDPR, questa /chimera/! P.S.: quindi uno per ascolare la musica su quella schifezza di altoparlante della macchinetta del caffè deve avere l'app su smartphone con l'account Lavazza e associarla all'account Amazon... ascoltarla direttamente da quella shifezza di altoparlante dello smartphone no eh?!? :-D -- 380° (Giovanni Biscuolo public alter ego) «Noi, incompetenti come siamo, non abbiamo alcun titolo per suggerire alcunché» Disinformation flourishes because many people care deeply about injustice but very few check the facts. Ask me about <https://stallmansupport.org>.

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pubblicato l'aggiormanto del piano triennale Informatica nella pa
by Mauro Alovisio Dec. 13, 2021

Dec. 13, 2021

Ciao segnalo il nuovo piano triennale informatica nella pa a cura dell'Agid https://www.agid.gov.it/it/agenzia/stampa-e-comunicazione/notizie/2021/12/1… Il Piano presenta novità legate all’attuazione del PNRR e alla vigilanza sugli obblighi di trasformazione digitale Buon inizio di settimana Mauro Alovisio

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robot killer
by don Luca Peyron Dec. 12, 2021

Dec. 12, 2021

Gli Stati Uniti, lo scorso 2 dicembre, hanno respinto le richieste di un accordo vincolante che regoli o vieti l’uso di “robot killer”, proponendo invece un “codice di condotta” alle Nazioni Unite. Intervenendo a un incontro a Ginevra incentrato sulla ricerca di un terreno comune sull’uso di queste cosiddette armi letali autonome, un funzionario statunitense ha rifiutato l’idea di regolamentarne l’uso attraverso uno “strumento giuridicamente vincolante”. L’incontro era preparatorio per una conferenza di revisione sulla Convenzione su alcune armi convenzionali che si terrà dal 13 al 17 dicembre. (P. Benanti) Condivido volentieri, anche il video. dl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rDo1QxI260 _________________________ don Luca Peyron Direttore Ufficio per la Pastorale Universitaria Arcidiocesi di Torino www.universitari.to.it via XX settembre 83, Torino tel. 011 5156239

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An entire generation are puzzled by the idea that anyone has the right to say things they don't agree with
by don Luca Peyron Dec. 12, 2021

Dec. 12, 2021

Un pezzo che mi ha fatto pensare, non esplicitato ma connesso con i nostri temi mi pare di poter dire. Un sentiment che avverto anche io in aula e non solo. Buona lettura dl https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-10300047/PETER-HITCHENS-Generati… _______________________ don Luca Peyron Direttore Ufficio per la Pastorale Universitaria Arcidiocesi di Torino www.universitari.to.it via XX settembre 83, Torino tel. 011 5156239

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Structural Indicators for Monitoring Education and Training Systems in Europe 2021: Overview of major reforms since 2015
by Alessandro Brolpito Dec. 12, 2021

Dec. 12, 2021

Ciao tutti, sono, da lungo tempo, assiduo lettore della newsletter, ed ho pensato di portare un modesto contributo personale condividendo del materiale, prevalentemente di "fonte EU". Mi chiamo Alessandro (Brolpito), lavoro presso l'agenzia dell'Unione europea con sede a Torino "European Training Foundation" (ETF - www.etf.europa.eu<http://www.etf.europa.eu>), mi occupo di competenze digitali e dell'uso pedagogico delle tecnologie digitali in ambito scolastico, per giovani ed adulti, essenzialmente in contesti formali (e non). Sono membro gruppo della Commissione europea che si occupa di queste tematiche. I Paesi nei quali lavoro sono quelli extra europei, prevalentemente nell'est Europa e nei Balcani. Condivido con questo primo post uno studio appena pubblicato che sintetizza più di 20 indicatori di base, in quattro aree, sulle politiche educative in Europa: (i) educazione e cura della prima infanzia, (ii) conseguimento delle competenze di base, (iii) abbandono scolastico ed (iv) educazione universitaria. Structural Indicators for Monitoring Education and Training Systems in Europe - 2021 | Eurydice (europa.eu)<https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/structural-in…> Saluti, Alessandro Alessandro Brolpito Senior Human Capital Development Expert - Digital Skills and Learning Policy and Public Outreach Department ADDRESS Villa Gualino, Viale Settimio Severo 65, I - 10133 Torino TELEPHONE +39 011 630 2279 FAX +390116302200 E-MAIL info(a)etf.europa.eu WEB http://www.etf.europa.eu

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The search is on for $50m in lost cryptocurrency after two Australian exchanges collapse | Cryptocurrencies | The Guardian
by Alberto Cammozzo Dec. 12, 2021

Dec. 12, 2021

<https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/dec/12/the-search-is-on-for-50m…> Andrew Yeo doesn’t know what’s happened to tens of millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency belonging to hundreds of clients of the collapsed exchange ACX, but he aims to find out. In mid-October the veteran insolvency practitioner was appointed administrator of Blockchain Global, the company that used to run ACX, and since then he’s been getting a crash course in all things crypto from the tech experts at the firm where he’s a partner, Pitcher Partners. “There’s always stuff that’s different – you have that on every job,” he says. “Its always about finding out what’s different about this industry and how you can use it.” A cryptocurrency exchange is digital marketplace that enables customers to buy, sell and hold cryptocurrencies. It makes money through set fees or by taking a percentage of transactions. No mainstream banks in Australia allow customers to buy and sell cryptocurrencies, although the Commonwealth bank has a pilot in the works, so exchanges are currently the only means to do this. To get to the bottom of what has happened to the cash and coins held in the accounts of ACX customers, Yeo will need to cut through a jungle of claims and counter-claims that have been playing out in court since last year. “It’s clear that there’s a number of channels of investigation which we may have available and determining which ones are best to follow first is not a simple task,” he says. There’s plenty at stake. Since Yeo’s appointment, creditors, including ACX clients and Blockchain Global’s directors and management, have come forward with claims they are owed close to $50m. ACX is not the only Australian exchange to run into trouble in what is – for now – a completely unregulated industry. Last week, the smaller exchange Mycryptowallet also fell into administration, reportedly owing clients hundreds of thousands of dollars. Globally, exchanges have proven vulnerable to failure and theft; Japanese operation Mt Gox collapsed in 2014 after someone stole 850,000 bitcoins from it and in 2016 hackers stole almost 120,000 bitcoins from the British Virgin Islands group Bitfinex, which managed to survive and still exists today. It’s not suggested that ACX’s assets have been stolen. This week, the Morrison government announced plans to regulate exchanges – some time in the future. In a speech on Thursday to the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce, the treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, said the government would consult on establishing a licensing system for digital currency exchanges, together with regulation of businesses that hold custody of crypto on behalf of customers. The consultation process is due to be finished by the middle of next year, after an election that must be held by 21 May 2022. Experts say licensing exchanges is a good idea, but it needs to be backed up by enforcement. “With regulation comes a halo, businesses can say they’ve got a stamp of approval, and represent that people should have trust and confidence in them,” says the chief executive of the Consumer Action Law Centre, Gerard Brody. “The regulatory regime itself has got to be robust. It’s no good having a licence given to a business if the standards it’s got to meet under that licence result in consumer detriment.” Pamela Hanrahan, a professor of commercial law and regulation at the University of New South Wales, says licensing creates a “moral hazard”. “It does carry some kind of colour to it that people are properly regulated, but that’s true of every form of occupational licensing, from hairdressing to whatever,” she says. She points to failures such as the financial planning scandals that rocked the banking industry in the mid-2010s, and the 2009 Trio Capital failure, which deprived retirement savers of $176m and was the biggest superannuation collapse in Australian history, as examples of where licensing regimes have failed to safeguard consumers. “You do have to enforce it properly,” she says. Victims of ACX’s collapse certainly feel they’ve been neglected by regulators including the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. In a lawsuit filed in the Victorian supreme court, 94 of them claim Blockchain Global, as operator of the exchange, owes them $13m worth of tokens including bitcoin, ethereum and ripple, as well as cash held in their ACX accounts. “The biggest thing I’m angry about is that we’re not getting any help from Asic,” one ACX client says. “These companies are registered with Asic but … we have to sue the company.” Not all of ACX’s clients are participating in the lawsuit and all up there are estimated to be more than 200 who claim to have lost access to crypto and cash held at the exchange. On Thursday afternoon, judge Richard Attiwill stayed the proceeding against Blockchain Global due to Yeo’s appointment as administrator. However, he allowed it to continue against the other defendants in the case, including Blockchain Global chief executive, Allan Guo, and the company’s chief financial officer, Samuel Lee. Guo and Lee did not respond to questions from Guardian Australia and they are yet to file defences in the matter. Meanwhile, in another dispute also before the Victorian supreme court, Blockchain Global and Guo are fighting a former company employee, Jin Chen, over control of 117 bitcoins. Chen claims that he is owed the crypto for work developing software to run the ACX exchange, but the company and Guo say Chen has failed to comply with a deal that was supposed to end the stoush, because he did not make the source code of the software accessible. Chen denies this. On Thursday afternoon Attiwill also stayed Chen’s claim against the company in light of the appointment of the administrator, but allowed the contest between Chen and Guo to go ahead. The issues are less clear at the smaller Mycryptowallet, which is in the hands of liquidator Terry van der Velde of SV Partners. SV Partners says little information is available because the appointment is “at very early stages” but van der Velde aims to sell the business.

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European Commission takes the lead in regulating platform work – Valerio De Stefano and Antonio Aloisi
by J.C. DE MARTIN Dec. 11, 2021

Dec. 11, 2021

European Commission takes the lead in regulating platform work by Valerio De Stefano and Antonio Aloisi on 9th December 2021 The draft directive published today is already breaking the united front of the platform companies. https://socialeurope.eu/european-commission-takes-the-lead-in-regulating-pl… (Sent from my wireless device; please excuse brevity and typos (if any))

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Chrome Users Beware: Manifest V3 is Deceitful and Threatening
by Giacomo Tesio Dec. 10, 2021

Dec. 10, 2021

Manifest V3, Google Chrome’s soon-to-be definitive basket of changes to the world of web browser extensions, has been framed by its authors as “a step in the direction of privacy, security, and performance.” But we think these changes are a raw deal for users. We’ve said that since Manifest V3 was announced, and continue to say so as its implementation is now imminent. Like FLoC and Privacy Sandbox before it, Manifest V3 is another example of the inherent conflict of interest that comes from Google controlling both the dominant web browser and one of the largest internet advertising networks. Manifest V3, or Mv3 for short, is outright harmful to privacy efforts. It will restrict the capabilities of web extensions [...] like some privacy-protective tracker blockers [...] Google’s efforts to limit that access is concerning, especially considering that Google has trackers installed on 75% of the top one million websites. Firefox maintains the largest extension market that’s not based on Chrome, and the company has said it will adopt Mv3 in the interest of cross-browser compatibility. [...] As for Chrome’s other justification for Mv3– performance– a 2020 study by researchers at Princeton and the University of Chicago revealed that privacy extensions, the very ones that will be hindered by Mv3, actually improve browser performance. [...] "A web browser is supposed to act on behalf of the user and respect the user's interests. Unfortunately, Chrome now has a track record as a Google agent, not a user agent." Continua con altri commenti di ricercatori e sviluppatori su https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/12/chrome-users-beware-manifest-v3-decei… Gli adblocker danno molto fastidio sia a Mozilla che a Google, sopratutto sui browser mobile. Tant'è che gia da oltre un anno, molte utilissime estensioni di questo genere sono state bandite da Mozilla sul mobile. Eccetto uBlock Origin (che Mozilla non potevano proprio censurare senza perdere la faccia) quelle rimaste sembrano selezionate per non disturbare troppo il tracciamento ma lasciando agli utenti più sprovveduti l'illusione di essere protetti e tech-savy. Sarebbe interessante ragionare su come un sistema antitrust dovrebbe o anche solo potrebbe impedire queste pratiche. Non è nemmeno questione di interoperabilità: il nuovo framework taglia le gambe a tutte le estensioni privacy oriented in un solo colpo. Ne si può dire che sia questione di concorrenza, perché Google non produce ad blocker. Dunque? Giacomo

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[selfie] domenica alle 17 "Potere digitale"
by J.C. DE MARTIN Dec. 10, 2021

Dec. 10, 2021

Chiedendo scusa per il "selfie", segnalo che domani alle 17 a Torino terrò una lezione per Biennale Democrazia dal titolo "Potere digitale": http://biennaledemocrazia.it/evento/potere-digitale/ Tema immenso, ovviamente, ma qualcosa proverò a dirlo. jc

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