Net Neutrality
Google news search – net neutrality
The FCC has announced it will repeal Net Neutrality. They are ignoring the will of the people.
EFF – Today—and Every Day—We Fight to Defend the Open Internet
“Today, we heard from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about its plans to devastate Network Neutrality. Instead of responding to the millions of Americans who want to protect the free and open Internet, the FCC instead is ceding to the demands of a handful of massive ISPs, like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T…
The FCC’s new approach invites a future where only the largest Internet, cable, and telephone companies survive, while every start-up, small business, and new innovator is crowded out—and the voices of nonprofits and ordinary individuals are suppressed. Costs will go up, as ISPs take advantage of monopoly power to raise rates on edge providers and consumers alike. And the FCC’s proposed plan adds salt to the wound by interfering with state efforts to protect consumer privacy and competition.”
There is a link at the bottom of this article to help you contact your Congressmen. It took me about 3 minutes to do it and that was with a custom message. PLEASE take 3 minutes to protect the future of the internet.
Raw Story – What is net neutrality? FCC to roll back Obama-era rule
“If the internet is a data highway system, internet service providers like AT&T, Comcast or Verizon are supposed to function as road crews, not toll booth operators. “Network neutrality” means that all internet service providers must treat data that travels over their networks “without discrimination in favor of particular apps, sites or services.” In other words, net neutrality prohibits the internet service providers from slowing down, blocking or speeding up certain content in favor or detriment of other content. It also prevents the giant internet service providers from stifling competition from other enterprises such as Netflix or Google.”
Thanks Scott!
New York Times – FCC Plans Net Neutrality Repeal in Victory for Telecoms
“The Federal Communications Commission announced on Tuesday that it planned to dismantle landmark regulations that ensure equal access to the internet, clearing the way for companies to charge more and block access to some websites.”
NPR – FCC Unveils Plan To Repeal Net Neutrality Rules
“The vote is expected to repeal so-called net neutrality rules, which prevent broadband companies from slowing down or blocking any sites or apps, or otherwise deciding what content gets to users faster.”
The Washington Post – FCC plan would give Internet providers power to choose the sites customers see and use
“Former Democratic FCC chairman Tom Wheeler, who drafted the 2015 net neutrality rules, called Tuesday’s move “tragic,” adding that “if you like your cable company, you’ll love what this does for the Internet.
“The job of the FCC is to represent the consumer,” he said in an interview. “Tragically, this decision is only for the benefit of the largely monopoly services that deliver the Internet to the consumer.””
iVerge – FCC announces vote to destroy net neutrality next month
“This is a puzzling plan and one that the FCC has to be well aware will not offer any legitimate consumer protections. Companies’ terms of service and related policies aren’t meant to protect consumers, they’re meant to protect companies — and they can change at a moment’s notice. While it’s entirely possible that a company could violate its own policies and get in trouble with the FTC, a company could also just promise open internet protections until it doesn’t feel like following them any more, rewrite its policies, and then implement new and potentially discriminatory practices.”
Popular Mechanics – FCC Is Revving Up to Destroy the Internet As We Know It
“The Federal Communications Commission, under Chairman Ajit Pai, is preparing to completely undermine the founding principle that has defined a free and open internet since the foundation of the World Wide Web. The FCC has today released a plan to completely roll back all net neutrality legislation under the guise of “restoring internet freedom.“
Tuesday Morning News
NoScript Updated
Noscript is a security/privacy plugin. Firefox 57 left the old plugins behind. New plugins are now “Webextensions“. Bottom line is all plugins need to be rewritten for FF 57 and Noscript has been updated accordingly.
Noscript install page
Noscript home
Not So Hidden
Surprise! Google Chrome’s incognito mode doesn’t hide your web activity.
“When you launch the incognito tab there’s this disclaimer there where we really try to help make it really clear to people that your activity is certainly still visible to the websites you visit and could be visible to your employer, to your school, and to your [internet service provide] of course”
Not So Random
“Windows 8 and later fail to properly randomize every application if system-wide mandatory ASLR is enabled via EMET or Windows Defender Exploit Guard”
I would say this would be patched quickly, at least I hope it would. Regedit workaround in article.
Not So Private
“You may know that most websites have third-party analytics scripts that record which pages you visit and the searches you make. But lately, more and more sites use “session replay” scripts. These scripts record your keystrokes, mouse movements, and scrolling behavior, along with the entire contents of the pages you visit, and send them to third-party servers. Unlike typical analytics services that provide aggregate statistics, these scripts are intended for the recording and playback of individual browsing sessions, as if someone is looking over your shoulder.”
Firefox: Noscript + uBlock Origin + Privacy Badger
Chrome: uBlock Origin + Privacy Badger
Macrium Reflect 7 Free Edition Updated
Get Off Of Facebook
Y’all know I am not a fan of social media, especially Facebook. IMHO social media isn’t good for your emotional well-being, is a privacy and security nightmare, and is bad for society in general. I’ve posted numerous examples here in the past. Below is another one. It is written by Sandy Parakilas, former operations manager, platform team at Facebook.
We Can’t Trust Facebook to Regulate Itself
“I led Facebook’s efforts to fix privacy problems on its developer platform in advance of its 2012 initial public offering. What I saw from the inside was a company that prioritized data collection from its users over protecting them from abuse. As the world contemplates what to do about Facebook in the wake of its role in Russia’s election meddling, it must consider this history. Lawmakers shouldn’t allow Facebook to regulate itself. Because it won’t…Facebook knows what you look like, your location, who your friends are, your interests, if you’re in a relationship or not, and what other pages you look at on the web…Facebook knows what you look like, your location, who your friends are, your interests, if you’re in a relationship or not, and what other pages you look at on the web…But when I was at Facebook, the typical reaction I recall looked like this: try to put any negative press coverage to bed as quickly as possible, with no sincere efforts to put safeguards in place or to identify and stop abusive developers…The company won’t protect us by itself, and nothing less than our democracy is at stake.“
This is the second anti-facebook statement by a former high-ranking Facebook employee this month.
Is anyone listening?
Malcolm Young Dead
AC/DC guitarist and co-founder is dead.
Official announcement on their Facebook page.
Official website statement.
Family statement.
Malcolm Young wiki.
Top 10 AC/DC Malcolm Young Songs.
I had the pleasure of seeing AC/DC play several times, the last time was November 15th, 2008 in Washington, DC.
Here is a pic I took at the concert (click for full-size):

Well, I had a AC/DC video here but frigging YouTube “restricts playback”. I hate them. Oh well, shot down in flames…
Rock on Malcolm.
Friday Random Stuff…
Software Updates
AMD Crimson ReLive Edition 17.11.2 (support for Star Wars Battlefront II, other fixes)
Intel SSD Toolbox 3.4.9 (firmware update for P4500 and DC P4600 series)
Winaero Tweaker 0.9
Off Topic
Tracking Turkeys
“A data collection service called SafeGraph collected 17 trillion location markers for 10 million smartphones during the holiday last year.”
Why?
Better Make That A Large Popcorn
Star Wars: The Last Jedi will be the longest Star Wars movie ever. The Phantom Menace will still feel like it’s the longest though.
Because Meat, That’s Why (and beer, don’t forget beer)
The CDC says only 12% of Americans eat the daily recommended amount of vegetables. Look fellas, there is only enough room in my belly for so much. I can have a half pound bacon cheese burger and a beer or I can eat peas and broccoli. It’s no contest.
FYI – Vegetarians are less healthy and are more depressed.
Related: The Burger Lab: How To Make The Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger
Weather Forecasts, Someone Please Explain
Weather Service calls for third straight mild winter (October 19, 2017)
“For the third time in as many years, the nation — on balance — should expect warmer-than-normal temperatures, according to the National Weather Service, which released its winter outlook Thursday. The Weather Service favors warmer-than-normal conditions for the southern two-thirds of the Lower 48, including the Mid-Atlantic. Only a sliver of the Northern Plains and Pacific Northwest is expected to experience colder-than-normal temperatures…Still, Halpert said “there was nothing to indicate” the nation will have punishing outbreaks of the polar vortex as experienced in the winter of 2013-2014 and, to a lesser degree, the winter that followed.”
OK, then this…
Report: Polar vortex to bring ‘extended period of severe winter weather’ (November 16, 2017 )
“All indicators favor a cold winter in the eastern U.S.,” according to the report. “The combination of cold and wet could result in an above normal snow season for parts of the northern U.S., including the large population centers of the northeastern U.S.”
Criminy!
Wednesday Random Stuff…
Software Updates
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC 2018.9.20044
CCleaner 5.37.6309
Tails 3.3
Tor Browser 7.0.10
New Nvidia Drivers
388.31 WHQL Drivers are out.
“Provides the optimal gaming experience for Star Wars Battlefront II, Injustice 2, and Destiny 2”
Off Topic
Amazon and Whole Foods Market Announce Lower Prices on Additional Customer and Holiday Favorites
“Whole Foods Market and Amazon today announced new lower prices on additional best-selling grocery items and holiday staples at Whole Foods Market stores, including a new lower price on organic and no antibiotic turkeys for all customers – and an even deeper discount on organic and no antibiotic turkeys for Prime members. This offer is a sneak preview of the special savings and in-store benefits Prime members can expect when Prime becomes the official rewards program of Whole Foods Market.”
Donut Media YouTube channel
Lots of cool automotive related videos like:
Top 10 Greatest Movie Car Chases from the 80’s
Evolution of the Jeep 4×4 Utility Vehicle
Two Grannies, One Lamborghini
Camaro – Everything You Need to Know
Top 10 Best Police Chases
Patch Tuesday
Time To Run Windows Update
5 – Critical Security Updates
73 – Important Security Updates
1 – Moderate Security Update
(See end of this post for full info.)
Windows 10 – November 14, 2017—KB4048954 (OS Build 15063.726 and 15063.728)
Addresess 19 fixes and several security issues (See end of this post for full info on security issues.)
Adobe Flash Player and Shockwave Player Security Updates
APSB17-33 Security updates available for Adobe Flash Player
Download for IE
Download for Firefox, Opera
APSB17-40 Security update available for Adobe Shockwave Player
Download
Firefox 57
The all-new Firefox Quantum I mentioned this morning is now available to download.
Those having issues with the new FF and old add-ons can use the Firefox Extended Support Release.
Like it or no? New poll up in the right sidebar.
Fedora 27 Is Out
“The Workstation edition of Fedora 27 features GNOME 3.26. In the new release, both the Display and Network configuration panels have been updated, along with the overall Settings panel appearance improvement. The system search now shows more results at once, including the system actions…GNOME 3.26 also features color emoji support”
I stopped reading right there. If anything invloving a fracking emoji is one of your main features you have failed. It’s like they are taking cues from Apple.
CompuServe Forums Calling It Quits
Yeah, I didn’t know they still existed either.
[Read more…] about Patch Tuesday
Firefox Quantum
Firefox 57, a.k.a Firefox Quantum will be released today. It’s a big deal. Completely redesigned, the folks at Mozilla say it’s twice as fast and uses 30% less memory. In addition, the interface will be cleaner and is designed for high-resolution displays
If you want to know the hows see here: Entering the Quantum Era—How Firefox got fast again and where it’s going to get faster
One of the downsides of an all new browser is that many old add-ons will not work. It is up to the add-on creators to update their stuff. The hysterical, chicken-littles over at Zdnet call this “add-on armageddon“.
I’m pretty pumped about Firefox Quantum. I hope it returns Firefox to its former glory.









