Balandar

Ok, the UO site should be working correctly now. Took me A LOT longer than the EQ and DAoC websites. The UO site easily has about 10 times the amount of information of those other two combined. I need a drink.

I came back and played DAoC for a week or so a week ago. Going to take another month - 2 month break.   Takes to long to reach 50th level and I rather kill elves then kill monsters over and over. So... I'll be playing UT instead. If anyone has Unreal Tournament and would like to play a game or two, let me know.

The home does have meaning to me. I am a friend of Veldrens in real life. I will be keeping it for the Elves of PGoH that wish to continue to have a place to call their own.

I will not be selling the log cabin.

Veldren is leaving the world of UO and will be giving the house to me as a parting gift.

I know, I know! Waiting on a response from the server gods on what they did to the server. Should get a response back on the 8th.

Well, I bought the Microsoft IntelliMouse Optical DF8-00026 today. Runs nice and smoooth. I also bought the "Fellowes Gel" keyboard wrist pad and mouse wrist pad. I wish they made a pillow of the stuff. Oh, and a new speaker system (nothing expensive). I got the Creative Inspire 4.1 4400. A lot better than my $7 speakers before. I can feel the vibrations from the speakers through the chair, desk, and floor. Now when that damn neighbor has his radio up...  

Never said anything about wireless. I am looking at the optical mice with tails.

I need a new one and I want a good one. I have been looking at the Microsoft IntelliMouse Optical as well as the Explorer. Anyone know of an excellent mouse that has programmable buttons and is optical? I need something good for gaming, everything from EQ/UO/DAoC/whatever to UT. Oh, and of course general programming and doing college projects.

angry

Are you a complete genius? Are you a stark raving idiot? Can you pass this test?

Please wait for the test to load.

Congratulations, you're Jack the Ripper!

Perhaps the most famous serial killer ever, you placed fear into the heart of Victorian London in 1888. You prey upon prostitutes; while they lift their skirts for you, you seize their throats and strangle them. Then you lower them to the ground and cut their throats; perhaps, if you feel like it, you'll slice out a kidney or cut open a leg.

The next morning, the body will be in the open for all the world to see; the newspapers will echo the screaming out on the cobbled streets.

You can proudly tell the world that you gut women like fish with the following graphical badge:

Which Evil Criminal are You?

Check it out, you're an ABC Warrior!

In bars frequented by colossal death robots, you're always the quiet guy at the back who no-one ever bothers. And for good reason. You've fought in several nuclear wars, could beat the sun in a staring match, and have a chin larger than many articles of furniture. Morals are not a concept you understand, but strangely enough, nobody ever questions your judgement. Usually because they're dead. Even Judge Dredd wets himself when you turn up. Grrrr.

Declare human life to be an abomination with the following merry image:

Which Colossal Death Robot Are You?

for

Thanks!

There's a lot more I wish to do for the site. But the time... just can't seem to find it.

were

prides.

that

Thinking

in

Added a chat link to the our chat room for this site. We are not allowed to use IRC clients (bandwidth and cpu usage issues), so this is our only option. For large gatherings and private meetings use mIRC from http://www.mirc.com

Volano Chat allows up to 50 users.

Privacy group urges states to halt Microsoft's Passport

By Brian Sullivan

(Jan. 29, 2002)  

Saying  the federal government isn't doing enough to ensure consumer privacy, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) has sent an open letter to the attorneys general in all 50 states to stop what it claims are Microsoft Corp.'s unfair and deceptive business practices surrounding the company's Passport service.

In the letter to the attorneys general, the consumer privacy group said it chose to go to the states because of its frustration with the lack of action by the Federal Trade Commission (see story). "We have repeatedly urged the Federal Trade Commission to investigate this matter in two separate filings, but the commission has failed to act," said the letter, which was signed by Marc Rotenberg, EPIC's executive director; Chris Hoofnagle, legislative counsel; and Nathan Mitchler, law clerk.

In a telephone interview Tuesday morning, Hoofnagle said the first time the FTC pursued a company for negligent privacy violations was this month. In contrast, the states have a long history of investigating and prosecuting privacy violations, he said.

Among EPIC's objection to Passport are the following:

• It can be used to profile users' browsing and shopping behaviors.
• Microsoft has said it wants all Internet users to hold a Passport account.
• Passport's security flaws could expose subscribers' personal information, including credit card numbers.
• By tying Passport to other services, such as Hotmail and online customer support, Microsoft has already acquired more than 200 million Passport accounts.

Microsoft this afternoon denied EPIC’s charges and said the privacy organization “completely misrepresented Passport.”

“Really nothing has changed in terms of their complaint and our assurance that their claims are totally unfounded,” said Tonya Neff Klause, spokeswoman for Waggener Edstrom, which represents Microsoft. “They must have totally missed Microsoft’s fall federation announcement.”

Last September, Microsoft announced that it would alter Passport’s authentication system to interoperate with similar services from competing companies (see story).

“Microsoft is committed to putting people in control of their personal information,” Klause said.

Hoofnagle said Microsoft has begun to push Passport on a variety of different fronts to gain subscribers. For instance, he said, some functions of Microsoft Money applications, its personal finance software, are available now only to Passport subscribers. An increasing number of Web sites that have partnerships with Microsoft have also begun to require Passport registration, thus removing consumer choice, he said.

Hoofnagle also said that because it has been shown that Passport has some security flaws, Microsoft's claim that all information is private and secure is a deceptive business practice and the company should stop making such claims.

While EPIC doesn't expect an immediate response to its letter to the state attorneys general, Hoofnagle said it was the best strategy the group could pursue. The states have much tougher privacy legislation, he said, pointing to a California law that bans unconstitutional seizures of private information by both governments and businesses as an example.

He also said that the state officials may be more willing to act because being seen as a protector of consumer rights is always a benefit at election time, and most of the state attorneys general are elected.