Universal Rule

Book Reviews

Friday, January 17, 2003

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Decrypting the secret to strong security: "There is probably some truth to the notion that giving programmers access to a piece of software doesn't guarantee they will study it carefully. But there is a group of programmers who can be expected to care deeply: Those who either use the software personally or work for an enterprise that depends on it." [Privacy Digest]

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Boing Boing Blog writes about Lessig: Whither the Supremes' Constitutional commitment?: "Larry Lessig's insomnia last night led him to post a fiery post-game analysis of yesterday's terrible Supreme Court ruling, which cheated our public domain to protect copyright. He focuses on the fact that many of the Supremes have espoused the view that their role is to protect the Constitution from Congress's excesses, but that the Justices seem to be picking and choosing which parts of the Constitution matter."

How to release products? -- Comment()
Joel on Software writes: "When Apple releases a new product, they tend to surprise the heck out of people, even the devoted Apple-watchers who have spent the last few months riffling through garbage dumpsters at One Infinite Loop. [...] Microsoft, on the other hand, can't stop talking about products that are mere glimmers in someone's eye. Testers outside the company were using .NET for years before it finally shipped. [...] So, which is right? Should you talk endlessly about your products under development, in hopes of building buzz, or should you hold off until you've got something ready to go?" (See also Mouth Wide Shut.)

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Olympus C-5050 Zoom review: "Our full in-depth review of Olympus's C-5050 Zoom five megapixel, three times optical zoom digital camera. The C-5050 Zoom is one of the first of a new generation of five megapixel digital cameras... " [Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)]

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Why 'Shared Source' Is a Lie: " Microsoft is under a lot of pressure these days, mostly from Linux and the open source camp providing attractive alternatives to the closed world of Windows. Under extreme duress, Microsoft has grudgingly come up with a concept that would give its marketing forces some ammo in their fight against Linux and open source." [osOpinion]

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The United States of America has gone mad by John le Carré is a fine piece (many have noticed this): "Those who are not with Mr Bush are against him. Worse, they are with the enemy. Which is odd, because I'm dead against Bush, but I would love to see Saddam's downfall - just not on Bush's terms and not by his methods. And not under the banner of such outrageous hypocrisy."