-------------------- August 16, 2004 -------------------- Let's Talk About Computer Security A week ago I was cracking jokes in this space about August being the slow month for news, but now I'm doing my second Web chat in two weeks - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF813C84658B4F3FB6B54C0 after spending a sleep-deprived work week trying out Microsoft's Service Pack 2 - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF883F84658B4F3FB6B54C0 update to Windows XP. From now on, I am not even going to think about complaining about a lack of news. Because of the magnitude of this Windows update (not to mention all the other computing-security-related stories that ran in yesterday's business section), you'll be stuck with me for a second Monday in a row. I'll be online from 2 to 3 p.m. ET today - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF893E84658B4F3FB6B54C0 , taking questions about Microsoft's big bug-fix release -- and any other tech-related topics you can think of. Submit a question or comment early - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF853984658B4F3FB6B54C0 if you can't monitor the live chat. You can check out my review of SP2 - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF863884658B4F3FB6B54C0 that ran in yesterday's newspaper, and from there navigate through the rest of the computer-security package. Copy Control Debate, Cont'd I meant to use last week's newsletter to recap a couple of interesting e-mails I received in response to my column on TiVo's request - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF823B84658B4F3FB6B54C0 to have the Federal Communications Commission approve a new Internet-sharing feature in future versions of its digital video recorders. Fritz Attaway, the Motion Picture Association of America official I quoted in the column, wrote to express his objections: "Rob -- your disdain for copyright is distressing to me, and a bit hypocritical on your part. Whether you call it 'protection' or 'control,' the idea is to protect investment in valuable intellectual property which real, talented people, like yourself, worked hard to create. The Washington Post is copyrighted and that copyright is aggressively protected (or controlled) by your employer. I assume you accept a paycheck from The Post. The people who create music and movies would also like to keep getting paychecks. What is so awful about that?" Here's my reply: "First, my answer to your question above is 'nothing.' I have no problem with people trying to get paid for their work. But does the right to make a living in a given profession include the right to force other people to contribute to that living? In the case of other industries challenged by technological change -- travel agents, long-distance phone companies and express-delivery services come to mind -- the answer seems to be, 'No.' I have not yet heard a convincing argument as to why the movie and music industries should be different, and why the electronics and computer industries should be forced to work for their benefit. "It's interesting that you cited my own employer as an example, which brings up the other flaw I see in your argument -- the idea that the Internet will make it impossible for people in creative professions to earn a living. The Post's content, along with that of every other newspaper I can think of, is published online without any technological copy controls, and, last I checked, none of us has asked that the government require other industries to implement any such controls for our sake. I'm not saying that everybody else should adopt our model (last I checked, our Web site, although not those of other papers, was still losing money), but I am saying that the market can sort through these problems on its own. "Finally, about my 'disdain' for copyright -- if I may steal from the e-mail I just sent to a former Recording Industry Association of America executive -- you read far more into my column than I've ever said. All I am arguing for is that we evaluate copyright issues by the criteria set forth in the Constitution. When it says that Congress may grant copyrights and patents 'To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts,' it's saying quite clearly that copyrights only exist because we think they'll serve a larger social good. I'm just trying to follow that logic in my writing -- if we adopt what this or that group advocates, will we all be better off or not?" One other reader, a lawyer who used to be an executive with the RIAA, wrote in with his own objections. I must confess that I had some fun responding to them (I'm leaving his name out of this, since he never replied to my response): Reader: "Why should HBO spend money to develop its own programming if anybody can record it with Tivo and give it to others?" Me: "I'd ask HBO, but I can guess the answer: Because people have been able to do just that with videotapes for the past two decades, and this company has done quite well anyway?" I went on to note that I found it strange to see this fellow advocating federal restrictions on product design, given his former employer's views on that practice as applied to pop-music lyrics: "Why is government regulation of content OK for electronics manufacturers but bad for record labels?" Overall, I was pleased with the reception of that column -- quite a few of the better blogs pointed to it. And the FCC pretty much bought my argument - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF833A84658B4F3FB6B54C0 -- well, except for the part about the foolishness of having a broadcast-flag mandate at all. Don't Write Off DSL Lastly, I've been following the ongoing debate over Montgomery County, Md.'s attempts to regulate Comcast's Internet service with much interest, but also some dismay. Apparently, a lot of people are willing to write off digital subscriber line (DSL) connections just because they're not as fast as cable-modem services. As one reader wrote - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF812584658B4F3FB6B54C0 in a letter to the editor this week, DSL "won't be a true substitute for cable access. At best it offers about half the speed of cable service, and that is further reduced by a subscriber's distance from a central business office." That's like complaining that a Honda Civic isn't a "true substitute" for a Porsche 911 because it can only go half as fast. Speed is no more an absolute good in Internet access than it is on Interstate 270; once you reach a certain threshold, there's little real-world benefit to be had, as I wrote back in February - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF822484658B4F3FB6B54C0 -- Rob Pegoraro ([EMAIL PROTECTED] - [EMAIL PROTECTED] ) -------------------- Advertisement Get your news just the way you like it. - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF892784658B4F3FB6B54C0 Add your favorite columnists and topics to a washingtonpost.com newsletter delivered to your in-box each morning. It's a free and easy way to make sure you never miss a thing. Personalize your e-mail today - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF802684658B4F3FB6B54C0 and enjoy customized articles tomorrow. -------------------- FAST FORWARD 'SP2' a Must For XP Users - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF852184658B4F3FB6B54C0 With a new update called Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, Microsoft is trying to make software once built for isolated desks safe on the crowded, bustling Internet. – Rob Pegoraro Help File: Saving Images in Web Pages; "Monster" Cables - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF862084658B4F3FB6B54C0 Monday, 2 p.m. ET: Rob hosts cybersecurity discussion with readers - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF832384658B4F3FB6B54C0 SUNDAY'S PERSONAL TECH FEATURES STAYING SAFE ONLINE Computer Naivete Costs a Bundle - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF842284658B4F3FB6B54C0 A comment from my daughter marked the start of a large headache, one that launched an odyssey that has taken $800 and roughly 48 man-hours over nearly three weeks to end. – By Kathleen Day A Digital Doctor Treats Computer Contamination - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF822D84658B4F3FB6B54C0 Take Care to Guard Your Windows - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF832C84658B4F3FB6B54C0 Computer Users Need a Good Backup Plan - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF802F84658B4F3FB6B54C0 Skepticism Is the Message for E-Mail - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF812E84658B4F3FB6B54C0 When to Leave What Closed - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF872984658B4F3FB6B54C0 Geek Speak - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF882884658B4F3FB6B54C0 WEB WATCH Putting Your Own Stamp On All Your Parcels - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF842B84658B4F3FB6B54C0 Fido the Stamp is here. Well, he could be -- all it takes is for one dog owner to snap a digital photo of his beloved pooch, submit it to the Stamps.com Web site and order personalized postage. – By Leslie Walker GAME AND SOFTWARE REVIEWS ESPN NFL 2K5; Madden NFL 2005; John Deere: American Farmer; Dragon Tales: Learn and Fly With Dragons - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF852A84658B4F3FB6B54C0 INTERACTIVE GUIDE 2004 Laptop Guide - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF845584658B4F3FB6B54C0 Check out reviews of five laptop models from Apple, Dell, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard and Toshiba. Also included are key stats -- price, processor and memory, storage, communications, expansion and support -- on each model. Rob Pegoraro's Laptop Column: The Rightness of Lightness - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF855484658B4F3FB6B54C0 Feature Story: Muscle Laptops Dominate a Market That's on Hold - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF825784658B4F3FB6B54C0 More News and Features .COM High-Tech Security's Olympic Moment: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF835684658B4F3FB6B54C0 A consortium of high-tech companies stitched together an electronic surveillance system for the Olympic Games. It relies on a high-power, secure data network, and taps super-secret software tools that no one seems willing to discuss publicly. (Post, Aug 12) SECURITY WATCH Man Pleads Guilty to Sending Out 'Blaster' Worm: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF885184658B4F3FB6B54C0 A Minnesota high school senior pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to unleashing a variant of the "Blaster" Internet worm, which crippled more than a million computers last summer. (Post, Aug 12) THE WASHINGTON POST MAGAZINE Blog Interrupted: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF895084658B4F3FB6B54C0 When Jessica Cutler put her dirty secrets on the Web, she lost her job, signed a book deal, posed for Playboy -- and raised a ton of questions about where America is headed. (Post, Aug 15) FROM STYLE Forecast: Plenty of Activity On the Weather Blog Front: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF865384658B4F3FB6B54C0 If it's possible to love something just because it could visit torrents upon the Washington region, fling hail from the skies and swell streams into rivers, then Jason Samenow is smitten. (Post, Aug 15) GAMING UPDATE Madden NFL Scores Again: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF875284658B4F3FB6B54C0 Why watch the game on your television when you can play it alone, or with friends, or online? (Post, Aug 12) THE DOWNLOAD - SHANNON HENRY Warning: Alert Systems Aren't Glitch-Free: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF855D84658B4F3FB6B54C0 Like most everything related to homeland security, a cottage industry has emerged around developing a modern emergency broadcasting system. (Post, Aug 12) WIRELESS UPDATE Unlisted Verizon Numbers Made Public: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF865C84658B4F3FB6B54C0 As many as 12,000 telephone numbers that Washington area customers had paid to keep out of the phone book may have inadvertently found their way into directories as a result of a computer foul-up, Verizon Communications Inc. acknowledged. (Post, Aug 11) THE COLOR OF MONEY - MICHELLE SINGLETARY Web Pharmacies Can Endanger Your Health and Wallet: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF835F84658B4F3FB6B54C0 If you need a prescription filled, be careful before ordering from an online pharmacy. (Post, Aug 12) FROM METRO Internet Challenges Face-to-Face Mingling: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF845E84658B4F3FB6B54C0 Getting 12 people together for a social event on a weekday may seem respectable for any civic organization or support group, but the truth is, only a few years ago such an occasion would have attracted a much larger crowd. (Post, Aug 15) DVD EXTRAS Bonus Points: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF805984658B4F3FB6B54C0 This month's column includes two of the most influential films of the 1990s -- the special edition of Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas" and the debut of Richard Linklater's "Slacker." (washingtonpost.com, Aug 10) ON THE WIRES Blockbuster Launches Online DVD Rentals: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF815884658B4F3FB6B54C0 Home-video chain Blockbuster Inc., under competitive pressure from Internet rental service Netflix Inc. launched its own online DVD rental program. (Reuters, Aug 12) Microsoft Announces 'XP Lite' System: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF875B84658B4F3FB6B54C0 Microsoft announced that it will offer a low-cost, stripped down edition of its Windows XP operating system in Asia starting in October, as it strives to fortify market share against erosion from the open-source Linux system and software piracy. (AP, Aug 11) 'Doom 3' a Terrifying Experience: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF885A84658B4F3FB6B54C0 Think of "Doom 3" as an extended version of that moment in a haunted house when the monster jumps out from behind a corner. Like some sort of gag reflex, you can't help but instinctively scream in terror. (AP, Aug 10) washingtonpost.com's RSS Refining Paperless News - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF874584658B4F3FB6B54C0 Instead of wearing out your Web browser's "refresh" command to check for the latest updates, a Really Simple Syndication program can fetch the news for you. (Post, March 14) Sign-up for free washingtonpost.com RSS feed - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF884484658B4F3FB6B54C0 -------------------- WIFI SPECIAL REPORT Getting Online, On the Road - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF854784658B4F3FB6B54C0 There are numerous options out there, from coffeehouses to hotels to schools to restaurants -- but many of these WiFi-blessed establishments don't advertise this amenity, or note it only by slapping a tiny sticker on their window. -The Washington Post Here, There, WiFi Anywhere - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF864684658B4F3FB6B54C0 (The Washington Post, 4/25/04) Getting Connected With the Hot Spots - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF814184658B4F3FB6B54C0 (The Washington Post, 4/25/04) -------------------- Read Rob Pegoraro's Past E-Letters Microsoft Completes XP Upgrade - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF824084658B4F3FB6B54C0 (Aug. 9, 2004) Calling Out the Copy Controllers - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF894384658B4F3FB6B54C0 (Aug. 2, 2004) Wireless Media Receivers - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF804284658B4F3FB6B54C0 (July 26, 2004) More Stories - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF884D84658B4F3FB6B54C0 -------------------- Personal Tech Reviews and Features Main Page - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF894C84658B4F3FB6B54C0 Desktop PCs - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF864F84658B4F3FB6B54C0 Digital Cameras - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF874E84658B4F3FB6B54C0 DVD and Video Reviews - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF834984658B4F3FB6B54C0 E-Music - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF844884658B4F3FB6B54C0 Games - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF804B84658B4F3FB6B54C0 Handhelds/PDAs - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF814A84658B4F3FB6B54C0 Home Entertainment - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF807584658B4F3FB6B54C0 Internet Service Providers and WiFi - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF817484658B4F3FB6B54C0 Laptops - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF887784658B4F3FB6B54C0 Wireless Phones and Plans - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF897684658B4F3FB6B54C0 Columns and Special Reports Ask the Computer Guy - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF847184658B4F3FB6B54C0 Leslie Walker's .com - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF857084658B4F3FB6B54C0 Cynthia L. Webb's Filter - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF827384658B4F3FB6B54C0 Shannon Henry's The Download - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF837284658B4F3FB6B54C0 Cybersecurity - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF817D84658B4F3FB6B54C0 The War on Spam - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF827C84658B4F3FB6B54C0 -------------------- E-Mail Newsletter Services To sign up for additional newsletters or get help, visit the E-mail Preferences Page - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF897F84658B4F3FB6B54C0 To unsubscribe, visit the E-mail Preferences Page - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF807E84658B4F3FB6B54C0 (do not reply to this e-mail). For feedback, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - [EMAIL PROTECTED] Technology Newsletter . For advertising information, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - [EMAIL PROTECTED] Newsletter Feedback . To subscribe to the print edition of The Washington Post newspaper, click here - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF867984658B4F3FB6B54C0 Privacy Policy - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT045CF877884658B4F3FB6B54C0 -------------------- Copyright 2004 The Washington Post Company http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7GT06B9797C784658B4F3FB6B54C0 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/BCfwlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kumpulan/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
