Philosophy Mondays: Human-AI Collaboration
Today's Philosophy Monday is an important interlude. I want to reveal that I have not been writing the posts in this series entirely by myself. Instead I have been working with Claude, not just for the graphic illustrations, but also for the text. My method has been to write a rough draft and then ask Claude for improvement suggestions. I will expand this collaboration to other intelligences going forward, including open source models such as Llama and DeepSeek. I will also explore other moda...
Intent-based Collaboration Environments
AI Native IDEs for Code, Engineering, Science
Web3/Crypto: Why Bother?
One thing that keeps surprising me is how quite a few people see absolutely nothing redeeming in web3 (née crypto). Maybe this is their genuine belief. Maybe it is a reaction to the extreme boosterism of some proponents who present web3 as bringing about a libertarian nirvana. From early on I have tried to provide a more rounded perspective, pointing to both the good and the bad that can come from it as in my talks at the Blockstack Summits. Today, however, I want to attempt to provide a coge...
Philosophy Mondays: Human-AI Collaboration
Today's Philosophy Monday is an important interlude. I want to reveal that I have not been writing the posts in this series entirely by myself. Instead I have been working with Claude, not just for the graphic illustrations, but also for the text. My method has been to write a rough draft and then ask Claude for improvement suggestions. I will expand this collaboration to other intelligences going forward, including open source models such as Llama and DeepSeek. I will also explore other moda...
Intent-based Collaboration Environments
AI Native IDEs for Code, Engineering, Science
Web3/Crypto: Why Bother?
One thing that keeps surprising me is how quite a few people see absolutely nothing redeeming in web3 (née crypto). Maybe this is their genuine belief. Maybe it is a reaction to the extreme boosterism of some proponents who present web3 as bringing about a libertarian nirvana. From early on I have tried to provide a more rounded perspective, pointing to both the good and the bad that can come from it as in my talks at the Blockstack Summits. Today, however, I want to attempt to provide a coge...
>400 subscribers
>400 subscribers
Share Dialog
Share Dialog
Brief post today with an update on an important case that I wrote about last year: the federal prosecution of Barrett Brown. As I wrote back then, linking is the essential building block of the web. Criminally prosecuting someone for linking threatens this foundation. I am therefore relieved that yesterday the prosecution decided to drop these charges. While this is great news it is important to point out that Barrett Brown has been imprisoned since the fall of 2012 – that is not a typo.
The two remaining charges are threatening an FBI agent and possession of credit card numbers with intent to defraud. I can’t speak to the first one at all. On the second one I don’t know what the evidence is, but possession of credit card numbers (even including the names, expiration dates and CVVs) should not count as intent. Why? Because by following a link on the web you might wind up with such a file on your computer! Furthermore, anyone who has ever held your card in their hands (like every restaurant you have been to) has this information. Nobody should be able to transact with just that information without a second factor of authentication.
I hope the remainder of Barrett Brown’s case comes to a rapid and just conclusion and takes into consideration his year and a half in custody.
Brief post today with an update on an important case that I wrote about last year: the federal prosecution of Barrett Brown. As I wrote back then, linking is the essential building block of the web. Criminally prosecuting someone for linking threatens this foundation. I am therefore relieved that yesterday the prosecution decided to drop these charges. While this is great news it is important to point out that Barrett Brown has been imprisoned since the fall of 2012 – that is not a typo.
The two remaining charges are threatening an FBI agent and possession of credit card numbers with intent to defraud. I can’t speak to the first one at all. On the second one I don’t know what the evidence is, but possession of credit card numbers (even including the names, expiration dates and CVVs) should not count as intent. Why? Because by following a link on the web you might wind up with such a file on your computer! Furthermore, anyone who has ever held your card in their hands (like every restaurant you have been to) has this information. Nobody should be able to transact with just that information without a second factor of authentication.
I hope the remainder of Barrett Brown’s case comes to a rapid and just conclusion and takes into consideration his year and a half in custody.
No comments yet