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08 Dec 2010 10:22

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Biz, World: PayPal explains why they dropped Wikileaks so quickly

  • We have an acceptable use policy and their job is make sure that our customers are protected, making sure that we comply with regulations around the world and making sure that we protect our brand.
  • PayPal’s VP of Platform Osama Bedier • Explaining why his company chose to block Wikileaks. Simply put, they read the State Department’s letter to Wikileaks saying what they were doing was illegal, they decided to block the site on those grounds. Bedier also noted that he isn’t fazed by threats of an Anonymous DDoS attack: “One of the signs that you’re a successful payments company is that hackers start to target you,” he saild. “This case isn’t anything different.” This topic was unpopular with the European conference he was talking to, BTW. It’s also important to note that a letter from the State Department is not a legal decision. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Dec 2010 10:10

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World: Anonymous takes out MasterCard to avenge Julian Assange

  • action Wikileaks has lost a number of business ties in just a few days – including Amazon, PayPal, Visa, and MasterCard. Anonymous is upset. Don’t upset anonymous.
  • reaction Not long after MasterCard shut Wikileaks out of its payment mechanism, Anonymous did pulled out the DDoS card. Anonymous shut down MasterCard. Wow. source
  • » Yeah, but… : Not to downplay what our friends at Anonymous did, but nobody really goes to MasterCard’s Web site. If they really wanted to hurt them (not suggesting this – definitely not) they’d attack their payment-processing mechanism.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Dec 2010 21:38

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World: Sweden: Worst possible place for Julian Assange to have random sex

  • 53 rapes reported in Sweden for every 100,000 inhabitants source
  • history Sweden has some of the broadest, furthest-reaching sexual assault laws of any country in the world, partly due to a history that favors womens’ rights.
  • result Sexual assault cases are reported in Sweden more than anywhere in the European Union – and the culture encourages high degrees of equality in gender roles.
  • reaction “Sometimes we lawyers joke that soon you have to have a written permission before you can have sex,” said Bengt Hesselberg, a Swedish lawyer. LOL, funny guy.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Dec 2010 13:33

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World: Visa, Mastercard just made it really hard to donate to Wikileaks

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Dec 2010 10:44

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World: Will Julian Assange be getting bailed out of jail anytime soon?

  • NO he will have to stay in custody until at least December 14 source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Dec 2010 08:38

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World: Julian Assange’s extradition for sex crimes not ensured, BTW

  • 21 days for a British court to decide whether to extradite him source
  • » And if they do decide to extradite him: His lawyer, Mark Stephens, says that Assange plans to fight against it. The extradition process is designed as an easy transfer between Britain and Sweden, by the way.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Dec 2010 08:32

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World: Julian Assange arrested as part of sex crimes investigation

  • It’s about time we got to the end of the day and we got some truth, justice and rule of law. Julian Assange has been the one in hot pursuit to vindicate himself to clear his good name.
  • Julian Assange’s lawyer, Mark Stephens • Regarding his client’s decision to accept his arrest by British authorities. Considering what’s on the line for him (a heck of a lot more than a sex warrant), it’s nothing short of impressive that he gave himself up to police. Wikileaks emphasizes, by the way, that Assange’s arrest won’t affect the release of more cables – including tonight’s release. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

06 Dec 2010 20:48

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World: Julian Assange works with authorities, keeps them at arm’s length

  • yeah … Julian Assange, currently in the U.K., agreed to meet with British police about his legal situation in Sweden, which wants to extradite him. He has not been arrested and his people are the moment cooperating with the authorities.
  • … but Our boy’s lawyers have been fighting tooth-and-nail for him, trying to get him as sweetheart a deal as they possibly can. It might be hard with rape charges, though. (His lawyers deny that Sweden has actually charged him.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Dec 2010 23:56

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Politics: Max Headroom: Newt Gingrich calls Julian Assange a “terrorist”

  • Newt calls Julian Assange an “enemy combatant”: Talk about harsh words, but Newt Gingrich’s take on how bad Julian Assange is for the country is perhaps a weeee bit over the top. No matter, he just keeps on talking anyway, calling Obama’s approach to handling national security matters “amateurish.” Maybe we’re crazy here, but we have to imagine that the Obama administration didn’t singlehandedly build all of these security mechanisms that broke down. Rather, the work of MANY presidential administrations nosedived.
  • Like “groundhog Day”On “Meet the Press” today, Mitch McConnell claimed that he’s been talking to the Obama administration more in the last two weeks than he has in the last two months. However, he claimed (bizarrely) that Saturday’s vote on the tax cuts was like “Groundhog Day” – the same thing over and over again. That’s a good look for you, Mr. Kettle; reminds us of Mr. Pot.
  • Did he say “more immigrants”?The New York Times’ Thomas “Tommy Boy” Friedman was also on “Meet the Press” today talking (in that big-idea mode of his) about globalization and immigration. During the chat, he suggested that (in a talk about ways to boost the American worker’s value) the U.S. bring in “more immigrants” – which we’re still trying to wrap our heads around.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Dec 2010 11:59

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Politics: Columbia University to public affairs students: Don’t read Wikileaks

  • Engaging in these activities would call into question your ability to deal with confidential information, which is part of most positions with the federal government.
  • A message from Columbia University’s Office of Career Services • Offering a word of advice to its School of International and Public Affairs that reading the Wikileaks data dump and talking about it could endanger their chances of ever working with the State Department. The recommendation was forwarded to them by an alumnus now working at the State Department. Meanwhile, the State Department itself claims it hasn’t made an official statement on anything like this. But by us posting about this, we’ve hurt our future job chances. Damn. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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