The fancy new version of statusnet rocks.

It's AGPL licenced, fully federated, and you can have you own installation for free.

head to
http://status.net/signup

And you can get your own statusnet installation. Mine is at http://shiny.status.net.

And cos it's all federated, anyone using another Ostatus compliant app can subscribe to you. You can subscribe to me by entering shiny@status.net, or br3nda@identi.ca -- you can subscribe to Google buzz users by entering their gmail address - and there are a handful of other apps out there that support ostatus.

It's a true open source, open data, open web solution - without any single point of failure. awesome stuff.

and now a baby photo:

p.s. Baby microblogs at caseyaroha@identi.ca

Some kids in Italy filmed themselves beating another child - then uploaded it to google video. Google removed this video quickly and helped the Italian police find the children and convict them.

However, here it turns scary - an Italian court has found google employees guilty of failing to comply with their privacy laws in this case. That's the violation of the privacy of the victim in the video.

In Italy, employees of a company are themselves held accountable for the actions of the company. This means it is 3 google employees who are now expect to serve prison time for this crime they are convicted of.

These 3 employees didn't create the video, they didn't upload it, and the company removed it immediately - but that doesn't matter under this verdict.

More info (and justified outrage) on google's blog
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/serious-threat-to-web-in-italy.html

and now a baby photo:

interesting things on the web i have encountered recently

Iconic Photos have a photo of Mao's funeral, before and after the communist government removed the "Gang of Four", thereby erasing them from some parts of history.
http://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/2010/02/16/the-gang-of-four/

BoingBoing reports on a movement to reform copyright law in the US, fixing their "Guilt on Accusation" style law that requires immediate takedown when accused of infringing copyright. This broken law has been used to supress speech for some time. Falsely claiming something infringes your copyright can be used there to stop someone else's message getting out. btw, this isn't very much different to Section 92C of New Zealand's copyright act.
http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/9Y7wlnZJTW0/fixing-us-...

Harriet Jones explains how Google Buzz exposed her location and other details to her violent ex-husband, without asking permission. It is sad that we need to have examples of violent ex-husbands to make some corporations take privacy seriously
http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/kp3eQ_UIjjc/fck-you-google

boingboing reports on BACON IN A CAN -
http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/qFrdx5T0Rk4/bacon-in-a...

11 volcanic cones entrusted into the care of 12 iwi in Auckland.
http://maorinews.com/karere/?p=1910

You Tube adds graphs of ISP data speed -- and it's really embarrasing for Telstraclear
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Knowit/~3/CcBz47oZJlU/telstraclear-are-yo...

There are lotsa quotes of stuff i said in this Computer World story by Stephen Bell :
"Wellington's Brenda Wallace cruises to victory in predictions contest"
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/technology/android-boosted-ipad-dism...

Well-known Wellington geek Brenda Wallace cruised to victory for the second year running, in developer group Unlimited Potential’s contest for the best predictions for ICT in the year ahead.

A growing number of organisations, especially government agencies, will choose open-source software during 2010, for the wrong reasons, Wallace predicts. Referring to the Public Sector Remix open-source desktop trial, she says, “I suspect they’re doing it because Microsoft wouldn’t give them the price they wanted. I hope they’ll stay open-source, because it gives them freedom and control and breaks a monopoly.”

Libraries will begin renting e-books, she says. More tablet computers will enter the market, running “quasi-operating systems” such as Google’s Android rather than full-blown Linux, Apple or Windows; “but users won’t know or care about the OS; they’ll just use [the devices].”

The move to open government “will get creepy”, Wallace says, observers will “stalk” politicians, reporting their movements through Twitter and other real-time forums. “I’d like to see them do it to the lobbyists,” she says; “I’d like to know who they’re having lunch with.”

a post on ReadWriteWeb became the first google hit for "facebook login"..

check the ensuing comment thread for lols at people complaining about facebook changing colour and not letting them login.

Why you should go to LCA, by Selena Deckleman
http://www.chesnok.com/daily/2010/01/27/why-you-should-go-to-lca-2011/

LWN articles (subscription required while the stories are new)
An LCA 2010 overview http://lwn.net/Articles/371044/
LCA: Static analysis with GCC plugins http://lwn.net/Articles/370717/
LCA: Cooperative management of package copyright and licensing data http://lwn.net/Articles/370308/
LCA: How to destroy your community http://lwn.net/Articles/370157/

Another brilliant LCA! by Tridge http://blog.tridgell.net/?p=21

Computer World NZ http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/devt/376AB6C5B174B722CC2576B2007B7F93

75% of Linux code is written by paid devs http://www.fudzilla.com/content/view/17365/1/

Smarter Linux file structure aims to ease software management http://www.techworld.com.au/article/333549/smarter_linux_file_structure_...

Make Meeting Times Inconvenient To Get Better Results http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2010/01/make-meeting-times-inconvenient-to-...

That rather counter-intuitive suggestion came from Leslie Hawthorn, a program manager at Google. during a presentation at linux.conf.au on how to get involved with open source software

Illuminating the elephant in the open source room http://www.linuxworld.com/news/2010/012110-illuminating-the-elephant-in-...

Just a reminder that the LCA2010 funding programmes are due to close this Friday so get your applications in quick!

These funds are designed to fund delegates who contribute to the Open Source community who, without financial assistance, would not be able to attend LCA2010.

* InternetNZ Oceania Programme - funds people living in
Australasia-Pacific Region

* InternetNZ Kiwi Fellowship - funds people living in New Zealand

* Google Diverstiy Programme - for people in diverse groups.

To apply, see: http://www.lca2010.org.nz/register/funding

it's in Wellington New Zealand - 18th Jan to 23rd Jan.

There's still time to submit a speaking proposal to a miniconf:
http://www.lca2010.org.nz/programme/miniconfs

There are 3 funding programmes, if you're an open source contributor and need $$$ to get to Wellington for the conference.
http://www.lca2010.org.nz/media/news/89

The Programme is out - checkout the speakers and topics:
http://www.lca2010.org.nz/programme/schedule

There's is a partner's programme -- details coming soon.

Accomodation - there's student-style accomodation (which I reccomend) - also 4 star, 5 star, and apartments for groups/families.
This year there are couple and family accomodations available.
http://www.lca2010.org.nz/register/accommodation

The primary sponsors, who you should all be thinking good thoughts about now, are: Internet NZ and Google....

other sponsors: Catalyst, Canonical, Egressive, 3months, amberDMS, Dreamhost, Ingres, iwantmyname.com.

Last night, we announced 3x LCA2010 funding programmes to assist thosewho contribute to the Open Source communities:
http://www.lca2010.org.nz/media/news/89

- InternetNZ Oceania Funding Programme (funds people living in the
Australasia and pacific)
- InternetNZ Kiwi Fellowship (funds new zealanders)
- Google Diversity Programme (funds for member of minority groups within open source - female, disabled, or other group.)

More details of the funding programmes can be found here:
http://www.lca2010.org.nz/register/funding

recently:

I spoke in front of lotsa government people - on a panel along with the Vikram Kumar and Kate Lundy. It was videoed, but i don't know where to find the video. here's a photo:

organised a Girl Geek Dinner --- but more importantly, i found someone to take over organising the next one! Hurrah for Amber Craig

I got commit access to laconica - which is amusing. Who gives a 6 month pregnant person commit access? The project changed named this week to "statusnet". It's the software the power http://identi.ca

I went to Open Govt barcamp - including the hackfest. While there i recorded a podcast. Need to clean it up a bit, but my plan is to get about 5 interviews then advertise the podcast.

The mini confs have been announced. These are the one day conferences within a conference.
full announcement

They're all excellent FOSS topics, and in amongst these are some favourites that I'm really looking forward to.

The Education miniconf will be run by Tabitha Roder, the person i picked as my hero for Ada Lovelace day. She's also a moodle ninja and sensei by day, and the leader of OLPC/Sugar open source work in New Zealand. The Wellington "Friends in Testing" group has been growning from strength to strength this year, and now meets every Saturday to test the latest build. Education, of both the young and the not-so-young is one way the free and open source worlde grows and bring in fresh ideas from new people. It's also a much nicer community than some other parts of open source.

The "Free the Cloud" miniconf will be run by Evan Prodromou, most famous for founding and building http://identi.ca and the Laconica software behind it. He also wrote the Open Micro Blogging specification. "Cloud" is a common buzz word these days, but it's a real concept (once we agree on what it means). Licences like the AGPL (the William Wallace of open source licences) are unlocking code for the world to reuse and build apon.

As much as i fear commericial music publishers being believed when they claim to be the representative of all musicians -- i have a much much greater fear of the same thing happening in literature.

Human thought is recorded by the written word, and the importance to society and civilisation cannot be underestimated.

I highly recommend having a read of the Google Books settlement over in the US.

I'm still getting my head around it, but here's what has alarm bells ringing:

1) It considers any book not published in the USA is therefore classed as "out of print" / "orphaned work". The book may be in print in New Zealand, by New Zealand publishers, but if they're not selling in the USA they don't count.

2) Out of print works can be offered up by Google for users of Google Book search to read online without buying the book, or any other restrictions usually enforce by copyright, such as creative commons derivative/share-alike clauses.

3) The settlement took a really really small group of authors ([USA] Authors guild) and declared their assertions representative of millions book authors everywhere.

4) The settlement grants these rights to Google, and only to Google. They've secured themselves a water tight monopoly over searching nearly all of the earth's books, as defined by the "out of print" rules and the consent of that tiny group of authors deemed to represent all authors.

My new smart pen arrived - all the way from americaland. (Thanks Jenine's mum!)
Here's some notes i took last night at the Python Users group.
I'm not sure if the sound is showing up or not. .. hmmmm.

In the bundled software (windows :( ) I click on a word and it plays back the audio explanation that the speaker was giving (mostly Jonathan Wright speaking).

The slashing of Adult and Community Education (ACE) funding will have a devastating impact on the ability of people to learn Sign Language in community classes, says Lynne Pillay Labour Spokesperson for Disability Issues.

“The majority of New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) classes are delivered through community education and are used by parents and families of deaf children, teachers, nurses, police, and workmates. They are taught by trained NZSL tutors based on a curriculum especially developed for community classes.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2009/06/26/1245b6a21a74
http://www.guide2.co.nz/politics/news/sign-language-classes-not-affected...
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Business/QOA/b/9/a/49HansQ_20090625_00...

Other info on this issue:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0906/S00353.htm
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/features/2544933/Dark-times-lo...
etc... just google.

The Government announced in the 2009 Budget that ALL funding for adult education in schools (“evening classes” or “night school”) will end in December 2009. The Government regards the programmes that schools offer as mere “hobby” classes and if schools want to continue, all courses they offer will have to be “self-funded” - this will mean that the fees will increase by 50% or more at some schools and 200% or more at others, if schools decide to continue which is unlikely.

Some food for thought from the Electronic Freedom Foundation.
iPods, First Sale, President Obama, and the Queen of England | Electronic Frontier Foundation

President Obama reportedly gave an iPod, loaded with 40 show tunes, to England's Queen Elizabeth II as a gift. Did he violate the law when he did so?

You know copyright laws are broken when there is no easy answer to this question.

I like EFF - they have released many a report on the privacy issues in google's products and advertising technology [1] [2] [3]

Incidentally, seeing challenging questions of copyright laws from EFF reminds me of APRA's statement to their members saying that:

The language on the CFF site is similar to the EFF – the “Electronic Frontier Foundation” who are challenging songwriters’ rights in Britain. The EFF has a mutual relationship with Google, the same ISP whose tactics against songwriters has angered the Featured Artists Coalition.

heh. so many things wrong with that statement by APRA.

and finally.. an ipod on a puppy:

Google decided they couldn't pay the royalties that some record labels demand for youtube content, so google choose to not host those label's content.

Then someone set up http://www.fairplayforcreators.com/

Which, as far as i can tell is some kind of demand that google both host their content, and pay their royalities, no matter how high the royalties are.

Fair Play for Creators was established after Internet-giant, Google, made the decision to remove some music content from YouTube. Google's decision was made because it didn't want to pay the going rate for music, to the creators of that music, when it's used on YouTube.

The owners of fairplayforcreators are MCPS-PRS Alliance, a UK collecting society.

It uses emotive language and red herring statements like this

Music creators rely on receiving royalties whenever and wherever their work is used. Royalties are vital in nurturing creative music talent. They make sure music creators are rewarded for their creativity in the same way any other person would be in their work.

This is all true. -- but placing this statement where they did implies that Google wanted to host the content without paying any royalties at all. This is blantantly untrue, and a quick read of the "supporters comments" section shows most of the supporters have been mislead into thinking google were intending to host the contennt without paying.

World around us: 1,000-year-old fishing trap found on Google Earth

Britain's most ancient fishing trap has been discovered off the coastline of Wales after research carried out on Google Earth.

View Larger Map

Lets face it, if you want to sell your 2nd hand goodies online, you'll probably get a better price if you use trademe.

likewise, if you're buying, tradme is more likely to have what you want.

but - there are some goods that have always been traded 2nd hand (cds, books, clothes) and don't make sense to sell through trademe because of the $5 auction f/ee.

if you're buying or selling something $7 or less, check out http://lixtor.co.nz - they have no auction fees.

You'll need to ignore the adverts (or tweak your ad blocker) - because there's google adverts RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AUCTION

p.s. if you sign up, say "Shiny" referred you

209.85.175.132Source: 209.85.175.132Ko te putanga html tēnei o te kōnae http://www.tcf.org.nz/content/ebc0a1f5-6c04-48e5-9215-ef96d06898c0.cmr. Ka mahia aunoanoatia e G o o g l e he putanga html o ngā tuhinga i te wā ngōki i te tukutuku.    From Google's submission on TCF code practise

Section 92A puts users’ procedural and fundamental rights at risk, by threatening to terminate users’ Internet access based on mere allegations and reverse the burden of proof onto a user to establish there was no infringement. …

Copyright law is often complex and context sensitive, and only a court is qualified to adjudicate allegations of copyright infringement. Indeed, in Google’s experience, there are serious issues regarding the improper use and inaccuracy of copyright notices by rights holders. In this context, the responsibility should not fall to ISPs to determine cases of infringement.    

MPs call for tighter controls on Google

[UK] Politicians have urged the Government to put an end to Google’s dominance of the online search advertising market, calling for the matter to be referred to the Competition Commission.

APRA Member Bulletin February...Source: docs.google.comThere are a few members that do not share the Association's view of this process and they have made their opposition clear. However, the vast majority agree that we cannot sit idly by and watch the disintegration of these core crucial rights. Just because technology makes an act easy does not make i...    amazed at how greatly this APRA spokesman missed the point.    

The bloodshed in Gaza is escalating -- the death toll now stands at over 1000 people and rising, almost half of them civilians and over 100 childresen dead.[1] As tanks, airplanes and artillery bombard targets in thickly populated urban areas, thousands more have been injured and 1.5 million terrified civilians have no escape from this prison-like enclave -- the borders have been sealed. Hamas continues to fight and fire rockets deep into Israel, killing 5 Israeli civilians.

Sources:

1. Associated Press: "Israel Shells Near UN School, killing at least 30" (5 January 2009)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ioi_0jtO9RjMwPNRoXNCnd...

2. "Gaza: outlines of an endgame", Ghassan Khatib (6 January 2009)
http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/gaza-outlines-of-an-endgame

Al-Jazeera: "Arab ministers hold UN ceasefire talks" (6 January 2009):
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/01/20091522052418539.html

Associated Press: "Diplomats seek truce as civilian toll rises" (5 January 2009):
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ioi_0jtO9RjMwPNRoXNCnd...

3. Israel Today: "Israel rejects European, UN efforts for immediate ceasefire" (5 January 2009):
http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=17938

Yediot Aharonot: "Israel examining international treaty to isolate Hamas" (5 January 2009)
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3650522,00.html

p2pnet news » Blog Archive » Google dumbs down videos: literallySource: www.p2pnet.netp2pnet news view Movies | Music:- Google has taken the concept of dumbing down to a new level which’ll bring joy to the icy little hearts of Vivendi Universal, EMI, Warner Music and Sony BMG and their RIAA.

Official Google Blog: @Twitter: Welcome to Google Friend ConnectSource: googleblog.blogspot....We know many of you enjoy using Twitter to see what people are talking about and to let others know what you've been up to, whether it's sharing a YouTube video or checking in on your friend's tweets. ...

WCC has extended the deadline for 5 more days to SAVE MANNERS MALL ! !

SUBMISSIONS due 5 PM 10 December.

UPDATE: although the facebook group mentions an extension to 10th December, this was not actually true :(

Wellington City Council has announced they want to close Manner’s Mall to pedestrians and open it to bus traffic.

Take 5 minutes to save Manner’s Mall TODAY to do an on-line submission BEFORE 5 PM 10 December.

Go to http://www.wellington.govt.nz/haveyoursay/publicinput/golden-mile-2008-1... and take 5 minutes to make a submission to WCC telling them that you oppose this project.