I received a check in the mail today for a whopping $27.68 for fradulent web billing activity that happened back in 1998. I initially thought the check was a scam but went to the FTC website and found that indeed the check was legitimate. The story on the FTC website is pretty amazing. The thing that really blows me away is I have moved 4 times since 1998 how in the world did the FTC find me. Even more incredible is that the FTC was finally able to recover money and over 400,000 people are getting checks for around $30.00

I wonder how much I lost initially? Time to dig bank statments out from the time period in question.

Did the individual that hacked Governor Sarah Palin and running mate of Senator John McCain really think he was going to get away with hacking her email.

I also wonder if that individual really thought about the scrutiny that would be brought upon him by the FBI and Secret Service. In all honesty he may have high fived his buddies over it last week and got a good laugh, but did the individual that did this, really think that he could simply hide behind an American based proxy service. 

Nothing like drawing a bullseye directly on your chest. But I bet the 20 year old son of a Tennessee State Representative purportedly under investigation is probably about to wet himself.

While we don’t know if he was the one that did the deed, hypothetically if he did I am sure he is not smiling now. Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Press is a great thing in this country and others. But breaking the law to gain information that is reported in the press will probably buy the individual that did this some time in a 8×10 cell. 

If you can’t do the time don’t do the crime.

Update: Google has updated the EULA and say the license terms were a mistake! You are now safe to use the Browser without fear of Google profiting from your work.

If you use the Google Chrome Browser you automatically give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty free and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services.

Google what Happened to do No EVIL?

Until the Google Chrome EULA is changed, I will not be using the Google Chrome browser.

Update: In part due to this blog post the OLPC finally responded and resolved the issue. On July 25th the OLPC replaced and delivered the two missing Laptops. I want to thank the help desk team member who took the initiative to make things right!

In early 2007 I ran a series of events that raised money for OLPC. We were successful in raising enough money for 5 OLPC laptops pairs to be purchased.

I ordered 2 units first, followed with 3 more several weeks later. During the long delivery time I was in the middle of a house move, I informed and received confirmation from the OLPC Admin that the first 2 units ordered had their shipping address updated.

But I found out in Dec 2007 that they actually shipped the first two units by fedex to the old address. The new residents of my old address denied receiving them. Conversations with Fedex driver guaranteed the OLPC Laptops had been left. Well I filed a Police Report, Filed a Fedex Claim and contacted OLPC.

Since that time I have received several email’s from OLPC that said they have been working on it. My most recent communications with them have resulted in no response. I have asked OLPC to either refund the cash that was used to buy these units that came largely from donations or to replace the two stolen computers.

OLPC customer support is horrible and I feel that the OLPC organization cannot be trusted at this point. They have not worked in good faith to try and at least communicate with me on the issue even after multiple attempts to get them to move off of dead center.

The least the could do is tell me if the Properly Filed FedEx claim was paid or denied, they tell me they are not going to refund money or that they are not going or they are going to someday replace the laptops. All I want is a answer from someone over their.

The other 3 units that ordered at a later date were all received and have been shipped off to those that won one as part of the promotions we were having.

Imagine you get a letter in the mail demanding $100,000 for having 20 movies in your shared folder that is tied to your P2P application. Imagine if you have no choice but to pay that demand letter.

Well if MPAA had it their way you will be doing just that. Pretty scary that they would think that way. If P2P software applications where smart they would do everything in their power to protect people using their applications.

I do not condone piracy but I do not condone the theory that you are guilty and have to prove yourself innocent. This country was built on the foundation that you are innocent until proven guilty and this notion by the MPAA is absurd.

I should not that their contention is that if they bring a lawsuit against you for having copyrighted file in a shard directory then you should have a default judgment held against you. [TorrentFreak]

Well first it was bandwidth limitations now they are going to shutdown access to Usenet on their service. It is to early to tell if this is going to affect third party usenet services.

This is simply shocking and while many people have not a clue what usenet is, many rely on the service to participate in over 100,000 discussion groups.

Sprint and Verizon also are going to block access to some Usenet groups.

I am not yet a 100% sure if this means time warner is going to block access to third party usenet services, or if they are going to completely block access to Usenet by blocking Port 119 that the service runs on.

If the block access to Port 119 then this turns into a net neutrality issue among other things.

This stems from people using Usenet to share child porn which is horrible, but what is dangerous here is that they have decided to kill access to Usenet as a whole to stamp out what is happening in a handful of the 100,000 discussion groups. [CNET]

Comcast was involved in FCC hearings in which the FCC attempted to get to the bottom of their P2P traffic shaping that has caused P2P users on Comcast to have their outbound traffic delayed.

Their were representatives from organizations at the hearing as well that were speaking on behalf of consumer rights. The public was allowed to attend these hearings as well.

It turns out that Comcast hired a bunch of people to fill the public seating at the hearing. In a brazen move to keep critics out of the hearing.

It is my opinion that the FCC should re-open these hearings in light of this revelation. It is obvious that the stakes are very high and Comcast is doing everything in their power to stifle the voice of the people. PortFolio.com