Friday, March 19, 2010
DMCA - Digital Millenium Copyright Act
a. What problems has the DMCA created?
b. Should the DMCA be changed and if so, in what ways?
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, also known as the DMCA, is an attempt to protect the rights of copyright holders in the emerging world of digital distribution. A concern is the omission of "fair use" provisions in certain sections. Many lawmakers forget that hacking these materials can be a method of creating better security as well. If no one ever tried to had a network, firewalls would not be necessary, and if 64 bit encryption stopped everyone, they wouldn't have developed 128 bit, and so on. Unfortunately, the DMCA does not have an exception for this and people with good intentions can be punished unfairly. The argument is that the DMCA is that since its been put into play it has "stifled free speech and scientific research" and is "Doing more harm than good". I think this problem prevents technology flaws from being presented without fear of punishment. Companies don't want the bad press about their product as well as they don't want it taken without being paid, but you can't have innovation without contestation and therefore the biggest change I would want made to the DMCA is an exception to those who test securities and protection features to be able to freely present flaws found and not be considered in violation of the flaw.
To clarify who can do these testings and be free from prosecution, a simple registration of individual, group or organization in order to declare intentions. I personally would rather have the do-gooders being the ones testing than fixes being done after a major breach. Its just like any of our natural resources or public services, it needs to be properly regulated with special attention paid to the needs of the consumer.
b. Should the DMCA be changed and if so, in what ways?
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, also known as the DMCA, is an attempt to protect the rights of copyright holders in the emerging world of digital distribution. A concern is the omission of "fair use" provisions in certain sections. Many lawmakers forget that hacking these materials can be a method of creating better security as well. If no one ever tried to had a network, firewalls would not be necessary, and if 64 bit encryption stopped everyone, they wouldn't have developed 128 bit, and so on. Unfortunately, the DMCA does not have an exception for this and people with good intentions can be punished unfairly. The argument is that the DMCA is that since its been put into play it has "stifled free speech and scientific research" and is "Doing more harm than good". I think this problem prevents technology flaws from being presented without fear of punishment. Companies don't want the bad press about their product as well as they don't want it taken without being paid, but you can't have innovation without contestation and therefore the biggest change I would want made to the DMCA is an exception to those who test securities and protection features to be able to freely present flaws found and not be considered in violation of the flaw.
To clarify who can do these testings and be free from prosecution, a simple registration of individual, group or organization in order to declare intentions. I personally would rather have the do-gooders being the ones testing than fixes being done after a major breach. Its just like any of our natural resources or public services, it needs to be properly regulated with special attention paid to the needs of the consumer.
Google vs WolframAlpha
1. All english words containing the letters "eue"
Query: English words containing EUE
-Feued, queue, queued, queueing, queuer, queuers, queues.
I got the answer faster with Google.
2. How much potassium in 4.7 oz of banana?
Query: How much potassium in 4.7 oz of banana?
477mg
I got the answer right away with Wolfram Alpha
3. How old was Barack Obama on the day you were born?
Query: How old was Barack Obama on December 3rd 1989?
I was born on December 3rd 1989 and Barack Obama was 28 years old and about 4 months.
wolfram Alpha got me the answer
4. Date and time of the next total solar eclipse in Eugene?
Query: Date and time of the next total solar eclipse in Eugene?
11:25 PDT, Monday, August 21, 2017.
Google was best.
5. What is the minimum and maximum price of google stock since it went public?
Query: What is the minimum and maximum price of google stock since it went public?
Minimum: $327.46
Maximum: $629.51
Got it from google of course.
6. Link an image of the barcode for UPC 01234567890
Query:UPC 01234567890 (In images)
Google was fast and easy
7. How many vertices does an icosahedron have?
Query: How many vertices does an icosahedron have?
It has 12 Vertices
Google was best
8. Distance from Eugene to Tokyo?
Query: Distance from Eugene OR to Tokyo?
4886 Miles or 7863 Kl or about 8 hours and 50 minutes Aircraft
Wolframalpha was best
9. Average Oregon income per capita?
Query: What is the average Oregon income per capita?
$40,040 Per Year (estimates from 2007)
Wolframalpha best
10. What is the Morse code for your first name?
Query: Morse code for Makayla Most
Wolfram Alpha game me the answer right away.
Overall Wolframalpha was most helpful.
Query: English words containing EUE
-Feued, queue, queued, queueing, queuer, queuers, queues.
I got the answer faster with Google.
2. How much potassium in 4.7 oz of banana?
Query: How much potassium in 4.7 oz of banana?
477mg
I got the answer right away with Wolfram Alpha
3. How old was Barack Obama on the day you were born?
Query: How old was Barack Obama on December 3rd 1989?
I was born on December 3rd 1989 and Barack Obama was 28 years old and about 4 months.
wolfram Alpha got me the answer
4. Date and time of the next total solar eclipse in Eugene?
Query: Date and time of the next total solar eclipse in Eugene?
11:25 PDT, Monday, August 21, 2017.
Google was best.
5. What is the minimum and maximum price of google stock since it went public?
Query: What is the minimum and maximum price of google stock since it went public?
Minimum: $327.46
Maximum: $629.51
Got it from google of course.
6. Link an image of the barcode for UPC 01234567890
Query:UPC 01234567890 (In images)
Google was fast and easy
7. How many vertices does an icosahedron have?
Query: How many vertices does an icosahedron have?
It has 12 Vertices
Google was best
8. Distance from Eugene to Tokyo?
Query: Distance from Eugene OR to Tokyo?
4886 Miles or 7863 Kl or about 8 hours and 50 minutes Aircraft
Wolframalpha was best
9. Average Oregon income per capita?
Query: What is the average Oregon income per capita?
$40,040 Per Year (estimates from 2007)
Wolframalpha best
10. What is the Morse code for your first name?
Query: Morse code for Makayla Most
Wolfram Alpha game me the answer right away.
Overall Wolframalpha was most helpful.
Internet Censorship
The four search engines that were used for this assignment are:
1. Google.com
2. Bring.com
3. www.baidu.com
4. Google.Cn
1. uss yorktown nt:
Google.com and Google.cn are the same, which would make sense since they are both a google search engine. Bing came up with the same link first as both google search engines, but says something different under the link. The link on Baidu did not come up until the third one when you search for it. It also says something different under the link. The last two also varied more between languages as most sites are not in both languages.
2. Google china censorship:
google.com has a sponsored link and then video listed before the organic results, while all the rest only have organic results. Google and Bing.com brought up lots of news articles about the China vs Google censorship issue. Google.Cn brought up a link to Google.CN and then some articles about the censorship issue. Baidu.com pulled up articles about the censorship battle and yahoo.
3. Tiananmen Square:
All but baidu.com list images and the english engines show images of the student protest. The two Chinese search engines only came up with results for How thousands of people welcomed Tiananmen Square and how it holds the Monument to the People's Heroes. Google.com's first result for Tiananmen Square was about the protests of 1989, same with Bing.com, but Google.cn and Tiananmen Square had nothing about the protests.
4. Taiwan independence:
Google lists "Scholarly" articles first, while the rest list content from wikipedia. Some articles in Google.com and Bing talk about how the US tried to help make things peaceful and about Taiwan fading independence. www.baidu.com and Google.cn brings up articles about the US not supporting Taiwan's independence.
1. Google.com
2. Bring.com
3. www.baidu.com
4. Google.Cn
1. uss yorktown nt:
Google.com and Google.cn are the same, which would make sense since they are both a google search engine. Bing came up with the same link first as both google search engines, but says something different under the link. The link on Baidu did not come up until the third one when you search for it. It also says something different under the link. The last two also varied more between languages as most sites are not in both languages.
2. Google china censorship:
google.com has a sponsored link and then video listed before the organic results, while all the rest only have organic results. Google and Bing.com brought up lots of news articles about the China vs Google censorship issue. Google.Cn brought up a link to Google.CN and then some articles about the censorship issue. Baidu.com pulled up articles about the censorship battle and yahoo.
3. Tiananmen Square:
All but baidu.com list images and the english engines show images of the student protest. The two Chinese search engines only came up with results for How thousands of people welcomed Tiananmen Square and how it holds the Monument to the People's Heroes. Google.com's first result for Tiananmen Square was about the protests of 1989, same with Bing.com, but Google.cn and Tiananmen Square had nothing about the protests.
4. Taiwan independence:
Google lists "Scholarly" articles first, while the rest list content from wikipedia. Some articles in Google.com and Bing talk about how the US tried to help make things peaceful and about Taiwan fading independence. www.baidu.com and Google.cn brings up articles about the US not supporting Taiwan's independence.
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