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Plans for KVCR >> 2012 - 2013 KVCR District Program Review
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Version: 8
Group: 2012 - 2013
Type: District Program Review
Last Modified On: 4/12/2013 1:42:32 PM
Last Modified By: Kenneth Couch
State: Submitted (Finalized)
State By: Kenneth Couch
1. Mission
- Assume the reader knows nothing about your unit. Please describe concisely its mission.
KVCR's mission is to be the cultural, educational, informational and communication center of the Inland Empire. KVCR additionally will focus it's mission on students. KVCR will become a training ground for students who want to train and work in the media world. This will include TV, Radio, Broadband, internet, social media and any form of the media world.
2. Description
Please describe concisely the following characteristics of your unit. Feel free to use both narrative and quantitative information.
- Purpose
- Functions or services
- Clientele(s)
- Value of your services to the clientele(s), the Colleges, and the District
- Organizational structure and number of personnel by function
- Annual budget by object code for the last three years
- Hours of operation, location, and other pertinent service characteristics
- Significant changes, if any, since the last program review
i. The purpose of KVCR is to acquire, produce and disseminate educational, informational and cultural content via all platforms, TV, Radio, Satellite, Internet, etc. KVCR is the only locally-owned public television and radio broadcaster that serves the communities of the Inland Empire and Desert Cities. KVCR serves the greater Los Angeles area and the Inland Empire region of Southern California including the Coachella Valley, High Desert, and Mountain Communities and is the Inland Empire's only dual licensee public radio and television station. The station is a non-profit organization, which has served the community for more than half a century. Its PBS member stations include KVCR-DT and its multiple program streams on digital channel 24 in Riverside-San Bernardino, K09XW on channel 9 and KJHP-LP channel 18 serving the Coachella Valley. Its NPR member station operates on 91.9 FM in Riverside-San Bernardino and 89.1 in Hesperia.
ii. KVCR is comprised of KVCR 91.9 FM and 89.1 FM, KVCR TV on 24.1, 24.2, 24.3 and 24.4. In addition, we provide two TV channels of service in the Coachella Valley. KVCR TV is available to viewers on cable, satellite, telco, broadcast. KVCR provides news and information on 91.9 and 89.1 using local content, NPR, PRI and APM. KVCR TV provides local programming, PBS, APT and NETA. KVCR is launching FNX: First Nations Experience channel. It is the first of its kind in the country.
iii. KVCR serves the students, faculty, staff and administration of the San Bernardino Community College District, Crafton Hills College and San Bernardino Valley College as well as the citizens of the Greater Los Angeles area with a primary focus on the Inland Empire and the Coachella Valley.
iv. KVCR provides TV and radio training opportunities for students in the RTVF program or any other students at both Crafton and Valley. Students get hands-on training with state-of-the-art technology and have the opportunity to work with our professional staff in production, engineering, marketing and other areas. In addition, KVCR broadcasts information about events and activities on both campuses and the district operations in the form of news and public service announcements.
v. KVCR is overseen by the General Manager of KVCR along with a five member management team and staffed by 16 classified employees of which all will be paid for via KVCR's fundraising efforts through the foundation. The KVCR Educational Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit public benefit corporation organized under the Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law, the Implementing Regulations of the San Bernardino Community College District, and the Master Agreement of the San Bernardino Community College District. The purpose of the Foundation is to be an auxiliary organization of the San Bernardino Community College District, subject to applicable provisions of the California Educational Code and Title V of the California Administrations Code. The primary mission of the Foundation is to meet the funding requirements of KVCR, a wholly-owned broadcasting affiliate of the San Bernardino Community College District. Administration by the Auxiliary of the functions and activities of the stations, instead of administration by the district, is deemed to be more effective in accomplishing functions and activities than would be possible under the District's budgetary, purchasing, and other fiscal procedures.
vi. KVCR Budgets: FY08 - Total = $8,728,194 / District = $2,783,345 (32% of the budget); FY09 - Total = $7,622,708 / District = $1,807,741 (23% of the budget); FY10 - Total = $10,012,254 / District = 1,652,758 (17% of the budget); FY11 - Total = $9,174,072 / District = $1,472,152 (16% of the budget)
vii. KVCR resides on the campus of Valley College on the southwest corner behind the business building. KVCR is a 24/7/365 operation with office hours from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
viii. This is the second program review for KVCR.
3. Outcomes and Other Measures of Effectiveness
- Identify at least one essential measure of effectiveness for each major operation of the unit. (See Effectiveness Measurement Guidelines and Examples.)
- Include at least one baseline measure or measure of progress on a well-defined outcome.
- Include at least one measure showing effectiveness in responding to the Colleges' needs.
- For each measure, identify the assessment method you used.
- Please summarize the results of the measures you have applied. If results showing trends over time are available, please report them.
a. TV - Nielsen Ratings. Radio - Arbitron Ratings.
b. This is the baseline year with 930,000 viewers and 23,000 listeners.
c. Number of students enrolled in RTVF program. The new facility will enhance the RTVF program and enrich student experience.
d. Monitor quarterly ratings from Nielsen and Arbitron.
e. This is the first year of the program review.
4. External Opportunities and Challenges
- Describe any external opportunities that might lead to unit improvement over the next three to five years.
- Describe any external challenges (e.g., legal requirements, budgetary constraints) that might limit operations or improvement over the next three to five years.
a. KVCR Media Academy Project - The vision is to build a unique instructionally based collaboration and partnership with area K12 districts, Community Colleges, Universities, non-profits and the business sector. This project will greatly benefit and enhance the learning opportunities for students from 10th grade through a Masters Degree. Using the KVCR Innovation Centre as the hub, partners will create an educational environment that equips students, many of whom are first in their families to attend college, to be conversant with technology and media in all disciplines and across all technological platforms providing educational opportunities at all levels, producing content to be used on all platforms that now exist and those developed in the future. We know that in this ever-shifting world of technology, the only sure thing is the insatiable appetite for new content. The students will create content to serve communities in the area, giving communications students practical experience and showcase the broad opportunities available in the area. The programming will be available to more than 5 million households in Riverside and San Bernardino counties including Palm Springs region. (Potential to reach 18 million people signal wide with the inclusion of Los Angeles and Orange counties)
b. Budgetary restrictions limit expansion but in the current economic climate most operations are in survival mode. When challenges occur, we look for the opportunities.
5. Analysis and Evaluation
- Analyze the implications of the assessment results and external factors for your unit.
- In light of your analysis, what are your unit's main strengths?
- In light of your analysis, what are your unit's main weaknesses?
a. TBD
b. Visionary, collaborative and adept at partnering.
c. Shortage of both staff and funds.
6. Three-to-Five Year Vision
- Describe your unit as you would like it to be three to five years from now.
a. 1. Reduce or eliminate reliance upon funds from the district.
2. The new First Nation Experience (FNX) channel will launch locally, nationally and internationally. FNX is a 24/7 multi-platform digital media experience dedicated as an outlet for American Indians to express and share their experience with authenticity and accuracy. FNX is a cross-cultural bridge to voices from other indigenous societies as well as the general public that share common values and interests.
3. The Media Academy project will be fully developed in the Inland Empire and the Coachella Valley.
4. The emergency services project will be fully operational. KVCR FM/TV proposes that the digital communication technology now in place at KVCR be utilized by the Counties to enhance existing plans and processes for public safety and emergency preparedness in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Properly planned and implemented, it will increase the probability and ensure essential services needed in times of disaster, for all residents in the Counties. The Counties have agencies with plans for Disaster response and management. KVCR brings to the table communications expertise and infrastructure that will significantly enhance the ability of public safety officials and the public at large to manage the disaster in ways not available here-to-fore. We are prepared to provide key station personnel to work with County officials and programs to determine how digital technology and the expanded broadcast capacity can best be used to help accomplish their respective missions.
5. Increase the KVCR Annual budget from $8.5 million to $15 million. This includes the FNX budget. This would afford the station to support the FNX channel, add news as well as additional services including customer service, fundraising and outreach.
6. Increase the KVCR staff from 30 to 75. A staff of this size would provide the necessary manpower to support the FNX channel, local news on KVCR, Major Gifts, Mid-Level Giving, additional customer service and outreach activities.
7. Phase two of building expansion to approximately 65,000 square feet. As the FNX channel expands additional space will be needed to house a larger staff.
7. Impact on the Colleges and the District
Describe the most significant relationships with other District operations and College operations.
- What major impact does your unit have on them?
- .What major impact do they have on your unit?
- How do your mission, vision, and goals contribute to the Board Imperatives and the District and/or College mission, vision, strategic directions, and/or goals?
a. KVCR provides three primary functions for the colleges and the district:
1. A learning lab for students to work in a state-of-the-art facility with hands-on training in both TV and radio. KVCR has now expanded its role in hands-on training via the RTVF program. Allowing students the opportunity to receive hands-on experience with a real television and/or radio station is priceless for students. If students are willing to spend time in our studios, they will observe a different experience not seen in the classroom. The KVCR studios can present the situation of being "LIVE" which adds another element of broadcasting. It also allows students to add more to their young resume.
2. Provides a broadcast outlet on both television and radio to reach the general public, which touches more than 1.2 million people each month. Marketing, public service, special events, etc. are communicated on a daily basis. This is a terrific opportunity for the district and colleges to reach the general public to share their messages of enrollment, special programs, college activities and college fundraisers. This is valuable asset KVCR brings to the district. For the seventh year in a row according to the Roper Poll, PBS (therefore KVCR) is the most trusted organization, considered an exceptional value (2nd only to the military), is considered fair, and the leader in addressing important issues. For this reason many companies nationally and locally align themselves with PBS and NPR. Here in our region, nearby colleges and universities spend thousands of dollars with KVCR to reach our audience. They understand the value of PBS and NPR and the brand associated with both entities. Our greatest impact provides the district and colleges the opportunity to keep their name out in the community with every "on-air" message. The "San Bernardino Community College District", "San Bernardino Valley College" and "Crafton Hills College" name can be heard for miles throughout Southern California with two slightly different audiences, the PBS and NPR audiences.
3. Provides educational programming made available to faculty and students in the classroom and at home. This year, KVCR has created an additional resource for faculty and students. Each semester KVCR will send emails to faculty if KVCR is broadcasting a program that may be valuable to the class curriculum. Thus far KVCR has received positive feed back from many faculty members, and who have requested the notifications keeping coming. The resources have served courses taught in Anthropology, Art, Astronomy, Biology, Child Development, English, Geology, History, Human Services, Music, Religious Studies, Physical Education, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology and Theatre Arts. KVCR has something for everyone!
i. As technology has changed and Distance Education migrated from TV to the web, which is a true benefit for students, but it omitted a large contribution that KVCR once provided to the campuses' enrollment.
ii. The campuses have a major impact upon the success of not only the RTVF program, but also the BEACoN Project and the Communications Career Academy. District operations and procedures impede our ability to move quickly and cost effectively in providing functions and activities. The district can impede the potential of recruiting and hiring and retention of staff. These are two of the greatest impacts on the function of KVCR.
8. Other Pertinent Information
- Include here any other information you regard as necessary for a full understanding of your unit.
The KVCR Foundation: The Auxiliary's function is to raise and/or receive gifts, property, and funds to be used for the benefit of the District's television and radio stations (KVCR-TV/FM). In turn, KVCR-TV/FM shall use the gifts, property and funds raised and/or received by the Auxiliary for supportive services and specialized programs for the benefit of the District stations, including the following:
- To extend and improve the District's contact with the members of the communities of San Bernardino and Riverside;
- To improve services to the communities served by the District such as local television and radio programming and national television programming with a cultural and/or educational character;
- To provide media-related educational opportunities to the District's students, such as internships with KVCR-TV/FM.
KVCR is a unique operation in that it serves the district, CHC and Valley, but also the entire Greater Los Angeles area consisting of more than 18 million people. Because the bulk of our funding comes from non-district sources, we are able to provide opportunities to our students and messaging to the public that would be difficult or impossible for an educational entity to access without a TV and Radio Station. KVCR creates a synergy by blending district funded operations with non-district funded operations keeping our cost of doing business way down. KVCR also helps provide training to students to launch their careers in the media. We also hire many of the students that come to us from the RTVF program at Valley.
9. Goals, Objectives, Action Plans, and Resource Requests
- Goals (with priority rank) over the next three years
- Objectives (with priority rank) under each Goal
- Principal Activities under each Objective, if available
- Timeline for completion of each Activity or Objective
- Person responsible for ensuring completion of each Activity or Objective
Progress on or achievement of a given Goal or Objective does not necessarily require additional resources. For Goals and Objectives that do require resources, enter the following information:
- Resources required to achieve Goals and Objectives over the next three years, with description and rationale for each
- Identification of associated Goals or Objectives
Type of Resource
- Expenditure Category
- One-time/Ongoing
- Estimated annual cost (or savings) for the next three years
- 1 - Goal - Ratings
Goal: Increase Ratings on TV
Goal will show an increase in ratings and thus total audience from 850,000 to 950,000, an 11% increase.
Action Steps:
1. Assess national program offerings within budget that are likely to draw the largest audiences (KVCR Program Manager)
2. Assess local needs and issues to address with local programs (KVCR Program Manager)
3. Work with KOCE and KLCS to develop complementary program and promotion schedules in order to assist viewers in finding programs they enjoy on one of the three PBS stations (KVCR TV Station Manager and Program Manager)Priority Rank:3Objectives:
- 1.1 - Objective - Become Self Sufficient and get off Fund 74Priority Rank:1Start Date:07/01/2012End Date:07/01/2014Responsible Person:Kenn CouchStrategic Direction:NoneImpact Type:-- Pick One --Institutional Learning Outcome:Not ApplicableResource Requests:
- 1.1.r1 - Become self sufficientDescription
No additonal resources needed.RationaleResource Type:OngoingExpenditure Category:Other
- 1.1.a1 - Kenn Couch
Raise the revenue of the station through bequests, donations, pledges, underwriting, rental's, and anything we can think of in the future.Start Date:07/01/2012End Date:07/01/2020Responsible Person:Kenn Couch
10. Progress Report on Last Cycle's Goals, Objectives, and Actions
- Estimate progress to date on each of the last cycle's Goals, Objectives, and Activities.
- Any uncompleted Goals, Objectives, and Activities that are still important should appear in the Goals, Objectives, and Action Plans section above.
1 - Goal - Ratings
Goal: Increase Ratings on TV
Goal will show an increase in ratings and thus total audience from 850,000 to 950,000, an 11% increase.
Action Steps:
1. Assess national program offerings within budget that are likely to draw the largest audiences (KVCR Program Manager)
2. Assess local needs and issues to address with local programs (KVCR Program Manager)
3. Work with KOCE and KLCS to develop complementary program and promotion schedules in order to assist viewers in finding programs they enjoy on one of the three PBS stations (KVCR TV Station Manager and Program Manager)Priority Rank:1Objectives:
1.1 - Objective - To become self sufficientTo become more involved with the community and the collegesRaise RevenuePriority Rank:1Original Start Date:03/23/2012Original End Date:06/30/2013Revised Start Date:07/01/2013Revised End Date:07/01/2020Responsible Person:Kenn CouchStrategic Direction:NoneImpact Type:-- Pick One --Institutional Learning Outcome:Not ApplicableStatus Code:Work is Completed and OngoingProgress Description:
2012 goals that we have met so far:
Completley migrated back to district
Fund 74 was reduced by $750,000 and we absorbed that hit
Raised revenue to become more self sufficient
Paid off $367,000 of old debt back to the district
Expanded our involvement with the colleges by adding Football, Basketball, Soccer and Graduations to our schedule line up
11. Process and Participants
- Describe briefly the main steps of the process that produced this report.
- List the name and function of each participant in that process.
- Include as many members of the unit as possible in the preparation and/or review of this document. It should not be the product of the manager alone or of a small proportion of unit members.
- Describe the plan for future assessment cycles, particularly if not all measures were applied in current cycle.
a. Reviewed plans such as mission statement, visions, Media Academy, Nielsen and Arbitron ratings, programming, etc.
b. Kenn Couch-TV General Manager; Ben Holland-Program Manager; Jerry Rathbun - Director of Technology, Production Manager - TBD; Development & Planning Supervisor - TBD; Director of FNX - TBD; Lillian Vasquez - Marketing Coordinator
c. Participants will include management and lead staff from KVCR.
d. Plan will be assessed annually.


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Wellness Courses
RIT students are required to complete two Wellness Courses before graduation. These courses are designed to promote an active academic and social balance and assist students in making helthy descisions. Courses range from classroom seminars to physically demanding activity courses.
- Health & Wellness Seminars
Wellness for Life, Wellness Challenge Exam, Massage: Holistic Therapy, Eating, Body Image and Food, Sexuality and Relationships, Overcoing Adversity, Smoking Cessation, Weight Management and Stress Management.
- Dance
Beginner Dance, Beginner to Advanced:Ballet, Ballroom, Country Line, Latin, Jazz, Swing, Irish Step, Tap , Argentine Tango and Hip Hop.
- Fitness
Cardio Conditioning, Step and Scupt, Power Boxing, Aqua: Tone and Condition, Aqua Turbo Kick, Core, Glutes and Abs, Weight Training (Intro and Intermediate), Spinning, Pilates, Swimming for Fitness, Fitness 101, Bootcamp, Turbo Kick, Yoga (Beginner, Intermediate and Kundalini), and more.
- Life Support and Safety CPR, Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries, First Aid, Lifeguarding, Water Safety Instruction
- Lifetime Recreation and Leisure
Archery, Badminton, Basketball, Billiards, Bowling (off campus), Fencing (Foil & Sabre), Flag Football, Frisbee (Ultimate), Golf, Horseback/English (off-campus), Horseback/Western (off-campus), Ice Skating, In-Line Skating, Ice Hockey, In-Line Skating Drills, Juggling, Officiating (basketball, softball, flag football), Racquetball, Softball, Team Handball, Tennis, Disc Golf, Soccer/Indoor/Outdoor, Skiing (downhill), Snow Boarding, Swimming, Tennis, Volleyball, Dodgeball
- Interactive Adventures
Backpacking, Camp Cooking, Canoeing, Cross Country Skiing, Kayaking, Kayak Rolling, Hiking, Rock Climbing (Indoor & Outdoor, Bouldering, Top-Rope Set Up, Training for Climbers/Technical), Adirondack Snow Shoeing, Ice Climbing, Wilderness Skills and more.
- Martial Arts
Aikido, Cardiokickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Qigong, Tai Chi, Self-Defense/Women, Sparring, Brazilian Capoeira (off-campus).
- Military Sciences
Army ROTC-Leadership Drills/Lab, Physical Conditioning, Air Force ROTC-Physical Training and Leadership Lab, Navy ROTC
All RIT Wellness courses are non-academic graduation requirements. Therefore, they are not averaged into a student's GPA and are graded as pass/fail, primarily based on pariticpation. Students participating in an RIT varsity sport will be granted one wellness course per season they participate in. RIT Club Sport participants recieve on wellness course per year.

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome to Ultimate Subaru Message Board, my lurker friend!
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Sticky Goo in Radiator Overflow
Posted 22 August 2009 - 05:08 PM
I am trying to identify a mysterious 'goo' that has shown up in my radiator overflow tank and around the radiator cap. It is a black, sticky, and stretchy substance that can ball up if rolled, but also smeared. It floats as a surface film but as such is completely cohesive in that it tends to stick together and can be removed from the water.
This is causing me concern because I have no idea where it came from. One month ago I had an instance of overheating. I replaced the thermostat and since that time, everything has been fine. Then yesterday, after a good distance of mountain driving it overheated again, but this time fluctuated between Hot and Normal. Today it has been fine, albeit a much shorter driving distance. I am a little familiar with the head gasket issue with this model year and am worried that could be the source of the goo and the cause of the intermittent hot temp, but I didn't think that oil in the radiator would look like, or turn into this type of goo. I am including pictures to see if anyone recognizes the stuff and can say whether or not it is oil.
The Images are below. If they do not show, please check the following link:
I appreciate any help.
Jacob Cooper
1998 Legacy 2.5 GT
Posted 22 August 2009 - 05:33 PM
Posted 22 August 2009 - 06:28 PM
The overheating you mention is a classic Subaru internal blown gasket symptom. Gases pass through to the cooling system and create air pockets and stop the constant flow of coolant through the system. As it gets worse you may see bubbles in the overflow.
You can get a hydrocarbon test to see if exhaust is present in the coolant also you can sniff the overflow to see if it smells like exhaust but that isn't an iron clad proof that it's not if you don't smell it.
Keep us posted on your progress.
Posted 22 August 2009 - 11:13 PM
As for mileage, the car itself is at around 225K. I've had the car around 2.5 years. However there was an engine swap a few years ago, before I got the car. The replacement was said to have around 60K, I believe. So, I would guess approx 75K.
Again, thanks for the help and I will update soon.
Posted 23 August 2009 - 01:08 AM
Chances are though, that if it's overheating, it's due to a bad head gasket.
Posted 23 August 2009 - 05:47 PM
Thanks for the replies. I will try to get this 'checked out' as soon as I can.
As for mileage, the car itself is at around 225K. I've had the car around 2.5 years. However there was an engine swap a few years ago, before I got the car. The replacement was said to have around 60K, I believe. So, I would guess approx 75K.
Again, thanks for the help and I will update soon.
because you are new, you don't know this:
the 96 - 99 2.5L engine had a head gasket problem. the reason the previous owner replaced the engine was probably because the first engine had bad head gaskets. he put in a low mileage replacement which now has bad head gaskets. depending on where you are, the gasket replacement cost 900$ - 1500$. USE ONLY A SUBARU GASKET!!!!!!! others will fail shortly.
the other solution is to swap in a used 2.2L engine, those did not have the HG problem.
keep us posted.
Posted 23 September 2009 - 02:57 AM
-back on the road
Posted 23 September 2009 - 03:40 AM
Posted 23 September 2009 - 11:53 AM
Posted 23 September 2009 - 01:02 PM
Looks like the rubberized coating on the original early type EJ25 headgasket.
The early gasket was coated on it's whole surface. This left much of the coating exposed in big patches (ring around cylinder, open deck) to the coolant. Eventually, espescially if improper coolant mix is used, the coating flakes away. This leaves a ragged edge to deteriorate at the edge of the sealing surfaces and eventually leaks form.
Probably better to get the HG job done now before it overheats drastically and damages bearings, warps the heads/block.
Posted 24 September 2009 - 10:20 AM
0 user(s) are reading this topic
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Ad-block FTW
Why is Apache doing this? Shouldn't it be up to the webmaster and developers whether to ignore IE10's DNT or not?
Why is Apache doing user agent sniffing(a no no usually for even web apps) and overriding web applications by default? The patch doesn't even give a choice to the webmaster to configure Apache to disable this action. So it's being forced on Apache users because of the ego of the DNT spec writer? Lets say IIS turns on DNT for all browsers, how will Mr. Fielding feel then? Apache is being used as a pawn in this power game and this move will help no one. Let the advertisers ignore DNT from IE10 if they want to, why block DNT flag on at the web server level?
This is not Apache's territory. they should not be doing anything to affect my browsing session. Nothing at all. Period.
And who the hell cares about the digital advertising alliance. They don't dictate anything having to do with advertising on my computers.
What the hell is going on here? These people seem to be violating every tenant of privacy. This makes Apache an outlaw. It's ridiculous to say the least. They say they don't tolerate...., well we should never tolerate their interference.
If you guys are supporting Apache because they are Apache you need to stop and reexamine your position. I don't use IE but all browser makers should be pampering the users not the advertising industry, and the web server manufacturer should never pamper advertisers.
This is not Apache's territory. they should not be doing anything to affect my browsing session. Nothing at all. Period.
Apache isn't doing this. One person has posted a patch. It has not, as I understand it, yet been accepted by the Apache Foundation. Even if it were, Apache HTTPD is by design a highly configurable web server which has modules to do all sorts of things, but on any typical web server only a few of those modules will be enabled. This particular patch - even if it were accepted as part of the distribution - only works if both the 'setenvif' and 'headers' modules are enabled, which, on my servers, is not the case. Furthermore, the 'patch' is five lines in a configuration file; if you don't like 'em, comment them out.
Slow news day, storm in a teacup, nothing to see here, move along.
Ad-block FTW
Pretty much, along with cookie blockers. Anyone who doesn't use one on the internet these days is either mad or insane. Perhaps both. I don't care that site users are whining and crying that they're losing revenue, it's stuff like what was mentioned in the article itself(too long to repeat) that ensure that I'm going to keep using them. Plus the long list of abusive ads themselves that like to run with their volume at 11, or inject malware.
I'd be happy with ads, no really. If companies weren't being so stinking abusive over it. I'd call the entire thing an abusive relationship, you even get companies promising "we don't do this, don't worry we've changed." And next time, they're right back to doing it. Sounds familiar doesn't it?
Not just that. Many people don't know that you can get easily infected by a rogue advertisement even being displayed. That alone keeps me using Adblock, even if all of the other factors people name didn't exist.
Just wait till they start hiding under your bed with chainsaws.
Just wait till they start hiding under your bed with chainsaws.
Nah, they come in through the skylight [xkcd.com] or on stage at Yale [xkcd.com]. It's common knowledge that under the bed is where Stallman keeps his katana and Linus keeps his nunchucks. Rumor has it RMS also hid a special macro in Emacs which turns your pinky finger into a deadly weapon.
It's common knowledge that under the bed is where Stallman keeps his katana and Linus keeps his nunchucks.
The same bed?
It's in the interest of all its user-base to minimize the number of DNT browsers. Ads fund websites and targeted advertising brings in more revenue for the sites (i would think).
Choosing to ignore a standard is not what they should be doing either.
It's already starting to bother me. I'm seeing these advertisements here on Slashdot too. After I've searched for something on Google, the related advertisements start to come up EVERYWHERE on the internet. Seriously, they come after you. If you search for specific flights you start to see ads for that everyone. It'll haunt you and there's nothing you can do.
Not true: you can change your Google Ad Preferences [google.com] or opt-out.
Similarly, you can use the NAI's opt-out page [networkadvertising.org] to opt-out of Google and other ad network tracking.
There's plenty of browser plugins that work to block ads entirely (such as AdBlock) and ones that ensure that the "opt-out" cookies stay in existence even if you clear your other cookies.
All the other browsers than Safari and IE are in bed with advertisers because both Firefox and Opera get revenue directly from Google.
The default search box in those browsers comes configured to use Google, yes. They do get income from ad revenue stemming from searches from the box. You're not forced to use that search box, nor are you forced to use the default settings -- you can add other search providers (like DuckDuckGo, ixquick, etc.) -- Firefox, for one, doesn't have ad agreements with anyone other than Google.
So for the love of god Apache Project, stop taking bribes from Google and doing evil things like this!
Is there evidence that the Apache project is "taking bribes from Google"?
My understanding from the article is that an individual contributed a patch to the the Apache httpd.conf source code and does not reflect the official viewpoint of the Apache Foundation, nor that the patch has been approved for inclusion. Naturally, I welcome any corrections.
Just a FYI.
I went to NAI's opt out page and tried it. I have Adblock-plus. To get all of them, you have to turn off Adblock-Plus, hit the "all of them" button, and then re-enable. Otherwise, you only get 50-some-odd out of 95.
Also FYI, I typoed the URL for Google's ad preferences. Here is the correct URL: http://www.google.com/ads/preferences/ [google.com] -- I left off the "s" at the end of "preferences". Mea culpa.
Google and every other advertiser know that, when given the choice to opt in on something, you likely won't. I could type a wall of text, but if you have a few minutes you could watch this TED talk about opt-in vs opt-out.
To sum up: you are not really in control of your decisions
http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_ariely_asks_are_we_in_control_of_our_own_decisions.html [ted.com]
Wow, +5 for a shill account with one paranoid delusional comment.
1) It's not obvious that Google is behind this. Roy Fielding, the man responsible for it, works for Adobe.
2) If Roy Fielding were a sock puppet for Google, and Google would prefer DNT not to exist at all, then he probably wouldn't have made DNT in the first place.
This hasn't gone down well with ad networks
To quote Firefly: "Do we care? Is this something we are caring about?"
We care that they care. If they choose to ignore DNT due to Microsoft's actions (or rather, probably deliberate attempt to make the feature ignored) we do care. We prefer that the ad networks honor DNT, and they might, if it's not turned on by default.
It's that simple.
If it's something you opt into, then yes. It would be in their interest to avoid harsher requirements from governments, when questioned they would be able to just point at the optional flag and say there's no need for legislation. However when it's on by default it will hurt too much
Tracking should be something users should have to opt in to, not out of.
You think ad networks will be the one who honor DNT?
Uh, yes, that is the entire point of DNT. It has no other use than as a flag for ad network to honor.
We care that they care. If they choose to ignore DNT due to Microsoft's actions (or rather, probably deliberate attempt to make the feature ignored) we do care. We prefer that the ad networks honor DNT, and they might, if it's not turned on by default. It's that simple.
The moment a number of users started to turn on DNT ad networks would find a reason to not honor it anyway. It seems DNT was a privacy standard built on the peculiar premise that it only works as long as it stays unknown to most users ('if few enough know about enabling DNT then maybe the ad networks will leave us that do alone').
The moment a number of users started to turn on DNT ad networks would find a reason to not honor it anyway. It seems DNT was a privacy standard built on the peculiar premise that it only works as long as it stays unknown to most users ('if few enough know about enabling DNT then maybe the ad networks will leave us that do alone').
Yes, and we saw the same reaction with the AdBlock Plus detection/counter-measures hoopla. Advertisers can tolerate a small percentage of blocking, but it can't become to popular.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adblock_Plus#Advert_filtering_controversy_and_.22acceptable.22_ads [wikipedia.org]
DNT is just an Evil-Bit with better marketing, so I'm not sure what concessions the advertisers can make to continue the pretense that DNT is an effective option.
I guess hell is freezing over now because I am forced to side with Microsoft on this one. I can't think of anyone who actually wants to be tracked like a bear with a radio collar. The express install has DNT as a default setting because most people really don't want to be tracked. For the few that do, they can choose custom settings and not choose DNT.
I will be ripping that patch OUT of any Apache I install. If it were a physical thing, I would then piss on it and burn it. It is deeply disrespectful to the end user. All it does is lend credence to the idea that the whole DNT thing was a big fat LIE by the ad networks (liars for hire).
I don't quite know if we care about them, but just speaking about customized ads: I've been finding them quite useful of late.
For a long time I was using a dual Chromium/Chrome setup: No Javascript in the former and the majority of browsing in that, and only using Javascript on the latter when necessary for a specific site.
I got a new, faster computer and installed Ubuntu anew on it using Chromium with Javascript on. So I got to experience the web with custom ads.
I find it somewhat useful. For example I see
If do-not-track is just a factory default, and not a user choice, then the ad networks have no reason to honor it.
If it hasn't gone down well with ad networks, it means they are being earnest about implementing this: those are the "okay" networks. They want not to track users who explicitly express "do not track", (but would like to track other users, the don't-cares). Microsoft is screwing that up by making the don't-care users look like don't-track-me users.
"Bad" ad networks don't care about this issue, s
It does not protect anyone's privacy unless the recipients believe it was set by a real human being, with a real preference for privacy over personalization
By being set, it protects my privacy as long as "recipients" abide by it without question — it only becomes an issue when "recipients" qualify when they will abide by it.
If active choice is not an option, a default in favour of not tracking seems a better position to me but, then again, I am not an ad network executive.
The point is, DNT only works, at present, on a voluntary basis. As you say, your stance (privacy by default) is not what any ad company will voluntarily choose -- but as long as only a few users opt-in, it can make sense to roll with it for good PR, and to keep the people who care about privacy placated so they don't agitate for privacy regulations the ad men would have to comply with.
It does not protect anyone's privacy unless the recipients believe it was set by a real human being, with a real preference for privacy over personalization
Yeah, that is bull. The recipients don't care that it's set by a real human being, they care that it's set on a small enough fraction of UAs that the PR is worth more than the value of the data they forgo. The former (for now) satisfies the latter, but if enough people started setting it, it'd still be too many, and they'd start ignoring it.
Now you may (as I do) consider the whole situation laughable, because it by design secures privacy for a few by throwing the masses to the wolves, but that's the system we have, and IE's default breaks the conditions under which that system can continue to exist. There's only three ways it can play out (so long as it's the same voluntary cooperation):
(A) ad networks see IE's market share as "too much", disregard DNT altogether.
(B) ad networks see IE's market share as acceptable losses and continue to respect DNT across the board; Firefox etc. eventually copy IE's default; ad networks then disregard DNT altogether.
(C) ad networks see IE's market share as "too much", disregard DNT only on IE, nobody copies IE -- at the very least the system continues to work for people who care enough to set DNT on non-IE UAs, and there's the possibility IE switches back to opt-in DNT, after which the ad networks will restore the status quo.
A and B are total losses (of the voluntary scheme; the aftermath may or may not result in new privacy regulations); C maintains the status quo for many users, and has the possibility to return to status quo across the board.
By being set, it protects my privacy as long as "recipients" abide by it without question — it only becomes an issue when "recipients" qualify when they will abide by it.
Oh, come off it. It protects your privacy when those qualifications don't affect you. So don't run IE, and it still protects your privacy. Now if you meant "it protects everyone's privacy as long as "recipients" abide by it without question" , then yes. But since we all know the DNT system is designed to operate by throwing ignorant or apathetic individuals to the wolves, protesting that it doesn't protect everyone's privacy is kinda disingenuous.
At the same time, what guarantee do advertisers give users that their ads are not a potential attack vector, or what standard do they follow that their ads are not intrusive and degrade the performance of a users machine or overly distract and irritate the users? How invasive do their ads and data collection get to be?
So all adverts then.
I have ad-blocking on by default. There are only a couple of sites where I specifically allow them to be shown, because as you point out some sites can't exist without them. I don't like adverts, and I go out of my way to avoid buying anything that is "advertised". If I want something, I'll go looking for it, research it, and the buy it.
I don't take calls from cold callers either - I think they are as distracting, irritating and privacy invading as adverts on websites.
Tracking is not required to serve ads. I don't mind seeing billboards on the side of the road, but if the billboard is photographing my license plate and sending that to a central server, I have a problem with that.
I do see that without ads many websites would not be around or would be forced to hide behind a paywall...
Good riddance to 'em. This crap is clogging the tubes.They can serve up static ads on their own damn servers, instead of bouncing us back and forth amongst a boatload of ad servers.
Quit your shillin'. I have no obligation to let them infect my machine, or know anything about me if I don't want. Obviously this 'DNT' thing is worthless. I'll stop them the old fashion way by blocking their servers.
The attack vector argument is a very good one.
I've seen multiple instances of malware-laden ads being served by "mainstream" ad networks on multiple sub-1000 Alexa sites.
Some or another advertiser throws up some script (by design or not), and suddenly, you're getting pwned.
...useless and silly.
Well, yes. Expecting ad agencies to honor DNT seems about as clever as firewalling based on the April fool's "evil bit". In both cases, the people doing something you don't want have to choose to honor your wish. Good luck with that.
So let's see if I have this straight? The marketroids are saying that, by their default, I want to hear all the crap they are paid to push and unless I explictly say, "get lost', they'll continue to bug me until I collapse under the weight of junk product info?
Did Bill Hicks have a great point?
This means advertisers will be ignoring the DNT altogether no matter how a particular browser is set up.
No surprise there. The only unknown was how the advertisers were going to rationalize that.
"Key to that notion of expression is that it must reflect the user's preference, not the preference of some institutional or network-imposed mechanism outside the user's control."
This patch however also ignores this same element of the spec, in that no matter what the user may or may not of done, there will be a "mechanism outside the user's control" (the Apache server) which decides on what they want the preference to be.
I do agree that the DNT setting should be a user choice, perhaps given when the user first installs the browser as well as having the option to change it at any time, but to me this is not the right response to having a default set - although I'm sure if the default setting was that tracking was allowed, the add people would for some reason not be complaining about having a default...
This patch however also ignores this same element of the spec, in that no matter what the user may or may not of done, there will be a "mechanism outside the user's control" (the Apache server) which decides on what they want the preference to be.
DNT is purely advisory. Advertisers who want to ignore it are going to configure their servers to do so. If it is too hard to do so with Apache they'll use somthing else.
Advertisers and sites that depend on them don't want to admit that choosing to use a certain browser and allowing itts default settings *is* a choice.
When that browser is bundled with the OS installed on 95% of all PCs, it's not a choice at all - it's indifference. Complete, total indifference.
When using IE10 for the first time (per user) you get a screen where you can choose "express settings". The screen clearly spells out what that means, *including* what DNT will be set to. Arguably, the user *has* made a decision by selecting express settings. How does Roy Fieldings patch determine how much of that text the user read before continuing?
And how does the patch determine when a user *explicitly* sets the DNT.
Yes, Microsoft probably does this because it will annoy Google and hurt them more than it will hurt Bing. But at the same time it does help protect users' privacy. What a joke if Apache accepts this patch. What a sell-out. Disgusting.
How is this any different from Google circumventing the default privacy settings in Apple's Safari?
Google was sued here. Since Apache isn't a company, is this the way for the likes of Google and others to get their bidding done?
Should be standard procedure, and we shouldn't need some new protocol to argue over.
Its invasive, and wrong. Period.
I would laugh so much if MS include an ad block in IE and turn it on by default.
In case it has faded from people's memory, PRIVACY IS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT [youthforhumanrights.org] - enshrined in laws across the planet.
That wasn't some arbitrary, weird, one-man-and-his-hobby-horse decision, this was the result of a serious amount of very costly and capable people sitting together and hammering out basic principles. A bit like the US Constitution that US politicians appear so keen to ignore.
So, from that principle, not wanting to be tracked IS the legally correct default, DNT should have never been needed
Article is misleading. DNT is enabled if you setup Windows 8 with express settings, at which point it actively states DNT will be set 'on'. Until that point there is no configured values. This is Apache caving into advertiser pressure, pure & simple IMO.
If you do not want to be tracked, DO NOT SEND REQUESTS.
But sending requests with a "please handle this one but dont use it to track me or put it in logfiles" comment
How much tracking is done via log file analysis alone?
Not Logging requests that the user specifies makes it a standard for script kiddies only.
If it was intended for just not putting a cookie... well fail?
Thats what browser settings are for and what could have been done with more aggressive browser se
This is not an attack on privacy. This is the only valid option.
If you look at the details of the Do Not Track Header [wikipedia.org], you'll see that there's not much to it. It's an optional HTTP header that represents the user's request not to be tracked. There is no mechanism to actually enforce this choice; any party can easily just ignore the header and track you regardless. The entire purpose of the header is to express a user's intent, and, therefore, the entire value of the header is derived from that intent.
It's like the "Baby on Board" car signs: If I place one in my car's windowpane, polite drivers should see that sign and grant me additional driving space and courtesies, and I may be able to drive in the carpool lane. Imagine, now, that everyone always puts that sign in their car by default because they want the additional driving space and courtesies. The value of my sign is significantly diluted; not only does standard driving operation make it impossible to honor those requests, but my own actual situation gets lost in the noise. Drivers will surely ignore the little yellow sign altogether, and it becomes worthless.
Unless "Do Not Track" is actually an explicit expression of a user's conscious intent, it will face the same hypothetical fate and become yet another ignored standard. Its only value is derived from its explicit intent, and Apache and Fielding are taking steps to ensure that the value is not compromised.
It's like the "Baby on Board" car signs
No, it isn't. That sign communicates a statement with a measurable truth value - either there is or there isn't actually a baby in the car, so you are either saying the truth or you are lying.
The DNT flag expresses a preference. The only person to judge its truth value is you. Basically, the car analogy equivalent would be a sticker saying "please don't drive too close".
Now continue your thought experiment regarding what would happen if everyone put that sticker on their car.
Isn't this precisely the sort of argument W3C is for?
W3C is against DNT being on by default.
Fielding thinks his options should be "use another browser." Well fuck you Mr. Fielding. Thanks for coming up with a standard that you are going to cheerfully ignore while giving users the false impression that you are going to honor their wishes.
Do we need and involuntary standard to get advertisers to behave? Because that's where this sort of shit may be leading.
Or do you want a war with Microsoft? Maybe they'll patch IE to identify and disable Apache servers by default, or send them spoofed and anonymized information by default.
Testing can show the presense of bugs, but not their absence. -- Dijkstra


text:
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 3rd Mar 2010 20:43 UTC, submitted by kragil
Canonical has unveiled a complete branding overhaul, redesigning everything from the Ubuntu website to its logos and marketing material. However, what interests me more are the new Gtk+ themes, and even then, I'm not interested in the colour choices and the like. No - what stood out to me right away was not the theme itself - but the placement of the titlebar widgets.
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I agree with slashdot.
by Bill Shooter of Bul on Thu 4th Mar 2010 04:58 UTC


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text:
Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher noted a somewhat off-color metaphor from Lindsey Group\'s Peter Boockvar in a speech Tuesday.
Fisher cited Boockvar\'s comment from Jan 2 that:
"…QE [quantitative easing] puts beer goggles on investors by creating a line of sight where everything looks good…"
MarketWatch talked to Boockvar after Fisher\'s speech to ask what he thought. Here\'s what Boockvar said:
"Richard Fisher is the only Fed official with market experience, from his hedge fund days, so he is worried about the Fed's policies affecting the markets. He is doing what a prudent central banker should be doing.\"
\"When the Fed pumps $1 trillion a year into the economy it creates bubbles. There is a lot of froth in certain markets, such as Treasuries and junk bonds.\"
Asked whether he thought the markets were in bubble, Boockvar said:
\"Stock markets were not in a bubble territory in 2007, but when the mortgage market collapsed, stocks came crashing. This can happen again with the junk bonds. And when stock markets rise 30% when earnings only rise 6%, there is something out of kilter."
– Tom Bemis
Follow The Tell @thetellblog
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text:
Thursday saw some interesting twists in the London Mayoral election campaign, with the three main candidates publishing details of their tax affairs. They agreed to do this after a Newsnight debate on Wednesday evening, when Boris Johnson, Ken Livingstone, Brian Paddick and Jenny Jones all said they would disclose what they earned and how much tax they paid.
This in turn followed the explosive row which broke out between Boris and Ken during an LBC Radio debate earlier this week, with Ken accusing Boris of taking income from a TV production company, Finland Station. Boris memorably denied this, and later accused Ken of "f*****g lies" for making the claim in the first place.
On Thursday Boris Johnson and the Lib Dem candidate Brian Paddick published their tax details, in the form of PDF files from their accountants. Ken initially refused to do this, claiming that the only way to achieve "full disclosure" would be for all the candidates to reveal their total household incomes, not just their individual earnings.
This, said Ken, was because the tax avoidance allegations which have been constantly levelled against him also involve his wife, who was paid by the same company as him, Silveta Limited. She was apparently paid to type up Ken's memoirs, and like him would have been paid at the corporation tax rate of 20%, rather than the higher rate of income tax.
Ken was accused of stalling, and only after pressure from the other candidates and the media issued a PDF of his own - not from his accountants, although Ken's team claimed that's where the figures came from.
So with all three disclosures, what do we now know that we didn't before?
With Boris we've discovered that he earned £1.3m over three years, all of which was paid to him either directly as a salary - for doing his job as Mayor of London - or from freelance payments. These come from his work for the Daily Telegraph where he continues to be a columnist.
Critics of Boris claimed this high income explained why he lobbied for the 50p top rate of tax to be reduced - something George Osborne ended up doing in the Budget last month. The New Statesman points out that if Boris' earnings continued on their present level (assuming he's re-elected next month, of course!) - he would gain from the tax rate reduction by around £16,000 a year.
But the numbers back up Boris' claims - he has paid around 45% tax on his earnings, and none of them appear to have been paid by any company. Boris appears to be paying slightly less tax than might be expected, but he could have allowable deductions, like professional subscriptions, which would explain the discrepancy.
Brian Paddick finds himself in a similar position. His income has dropped markedly since 2008, when he earned around £130,000 in "other income" - presumably sales and advances on his own memoirs, "Line of Fire", which were published in the same year.
Since then he has relied increasingly on his police pension of just over £63,000 - he is taxed on that at 20% for the first £40,000 or so, and then at 40% thereafter. He had 'other earnings' of just over £13,000 - the details of what these earnings where are not given, but they could be subjected to different tax arrangements, depending on what they were.
According to Paddick's own website, the total tax paid as a proportion of his taxable income in 2010/2011 was about 29%.
It's when you turn to Ken Livingstone's tax affairs that things become less transparent, because Ken has been paid by a company - he makes no secret about that.
He says that the numbers he's published today came from his accountants, although unlike Johnson and Paddick there is no letterhead to corroborate this. That would be a cosmetic detail, were it not for problems with how the figures have been drawn up.
Clearly rushing to quell claims that he was stalling, Ken claims that he paid just under £35,000 in tax last year on a total income of £94,500 - an effective rate of 36%.
But there are some strange anomalies in the records - firstly in Ken's claim that he paid £11,000 in "corporation tax on dividends" - however dividends don't attract corporation tax, they attract income tax. This might be an honest mistake, but it is not one that any tax accountant worth their salt would be expected to make.
What complicates Ken's claim is that he does not say in those figures how much he has earned and left in his company, it only says what he has taken out the company. Companies House records for Silveta Ltd suggest that there's still a lot of money from Ken's income - paid into the company, not directly to him - which has not been paid out. This is going on the most recent figures available up until June 2010, when the company had assets of around £284,000.
This confusion has led to the claim that Ken's actual tax rate is actually only about 14%. Labour are trying to deny this and have issued a briefing document to be used by their staff.
What seems to be most damaging for Ken, though, is that he has reluctantly rushed out a set of figures which have only thrown up more questions than answers.
He hasn't broken any laws, but he's managed to switch the whole debate in this election away from policy and towards the financial dealings of the candidates.
Behind in the polls, and now tipped by the bookies to lose the Mayoral election, the Labour candidate appears to have come out of a week-long row - which he himself ignited - the loser.


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That's political speak for "re-evaluating the impact on future popularity/votes" and "assessing lobbyist monetary income levels"
Finally someone to stand up to the Corporate states of America. Wait til we do the same.
End The Fed.
End The IRS.
End the Corruption.
One nice thing about Europe is that representatives of independent countries often vote independently. Unlike in the U.S.A., where members of congress are supposed to vote for their district or state's interests, but instead just go with whatever corporation or national lobby promises the most money. (This reminds me that I need to order fresh flowers for the 10th amendment's grave.)
One nice thing about Europe is that representatives of independent countries often vote independently. Unlike in the U.S.A., where members of congress are supposed to vote for their district or state's interests, but instead just go with whatever corporation or national lobby promises the most money. (This reminds me that I need to order fresh flowers for the 10th amendment's grave.)
Actually, I'm deeply suspicious that it is yet another "more bribes, please" situation for our politicians.
I would rather have the chance for someone to be bribed than have institutionalized bribery dominating the system like we do with congress. That cultural borders make it more difficult for one lobbyist or company to know how to properly lube up all the representatives in the E.U. is a very good thing; I'd say it's also a very good thing that those same borders eliminate the pressure for representatives to fall in line with a political party that has half of the votes.
If all we do is oppose, then some battles we'll win, others we'll lose, but the front line is only going to tighten around us until we are nothing but obedient corporate servants. What we need to do is strike back at the politicians and remind them that they are serving the interests of all the population, and not the interest of special groups who would like the free market to bend down for them and give them money just because they feel they're entitled to it.
What we need to do is strike back at the politicians and remind them that they are serving the interests of all the population
they know very well who they should be serving. they are NOT choosing to serve who they should be serving. instead, they choose whomever pays them.
the difference of the central european countries is that, there is still a lot of generations currently at the age of running government, corporations etc, who has grown up during the communist era with at least some ideals. you wont find those in anglo-american countries. hence, the opposition from central europe.
the difference of the central european countries is that, there is still a lot of generations currently at the age of running government, corporations etc, who has grown up during the communist era with at least some ideals. you wont find those in anglo-american countries. hence, the opposition from central europe.
Actually, the main difference is that we bribe our politicians, not some lobbyists.
Well, actually, considering how deep our conservatives are in the bribery swamp, I guess that's not correct. Let's say it's optional, not mandatory like in the US. Here, you get your campaigning expenses reimbursed from tax money if you happen to get more than x% (with x being somewhere between 0.5 and 3 in most countries that have this system) of the votes. That's doable for most halfway serious political parties.
The point is that we're not as used to seeing politicians get cozy with business tycoons as the US people are. For us, it's still reeking of some shady deals, of lobbying (don't say that word aloud here, it's often used synonymously with corruption), of, well, corruption. We have a party that's more or less known to be the political arm of the industry, and even THEY don't dare to be seen shaking hands (or worse) with business leaders.
And, frankly, I prefer it that way. Politicians will be bought. One way or another. Campaigning costs money, and someone has to foot the bill, a bill that no ordinary person (hell, even a well off person) cannot foot. He will be bought.
So it's better that OUR pockets buy him.
I don't know... While it's common (especially in USA) to claim that all politicians are scum, let's look at the European Parliament's stance on ACTA, as supported by something like 98% of the members in 2010. European Parliament resolution of 10 March 2010 on the transparency and state of play of the ACTA negotiations [europa.eu]. The relevant parts:
1. Points out that since 1 December 2009 the Commission has had a legal obligation to inform Parliament immediately and fully at all stages of international negotiations;
2. Expresses its concern over the lack of a transparent process in the conduct of the ACTA negotiations, a state of affairs at odds with the letter and spirit of the TFEU; is deeply concerned that no legal base was established before the start of the ACTA negotiations and that parliamentary approval for the negotiating mandate was not sought;
3. Calls on the Commission and the Council to grant public and parliamentary access to ACTA negotiation texts and summaries, in accordance with the Treaty and with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of 30 May 2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents;
4. Calls on the Commission and the Council to engage proactively with ACTA negotiation partners to rule out any further negotiations which are confidential as a matter of course and to inform Parliament fully and in a timely manner about its initiatives in this regard; expects the Commission to make proposals prior to the next negotiation round in New Zealand in April 2010, to demand that the issue of transparency is put on the agenda of that meeting and to refer the outcome of the negotiation round to Parliament immediately following its conclusion;
5. Stresses that, unless Parliament is immediately and fully informed at all stages of the negotiations, it reserves its right to take suitable action, including bringing a case before the Court of Justice in order to safeguard its prerogatives;
6. Deplores the calculated choice of the parties not to negotiate through well-established international bodies, such as WIPO and WTO, which have established frameworks for public information and consultation;
7. Calls on the Commission to conduct an impact assessment of the implementation of ACTA with regard to fundamental rights and data protection, ongoing EU efforts to harmonise IPR enforcement measures, and e-commerce, prior to any EU agreement on a consolidated ACTA treaty text, and to consult with Parliament in a timely manner about the results of the assessment;
8. Welcomes affirmations by the Commission that any ACTA agreement will be limited to the enforcement of existing IPRs, with no prejudice for the development of substantive IP law in the European Union;
9. Calls on the Commission to continue the negotiations on ACTA and limit them to the existing European IPR enforcement system against counterfeiting; considers that further ACTA negotiations should include a larger number of developing and emerging countries, with a view to reaching a possible multilateral level of negotiation;
10. Urges the Commission to ensure that the enforcement of ACTA provisions – especially those on copyright enforcement procedures in the digital environment – are fully in line with the acquis communautaire ; demands that no personal searches will be conducted at EU borders and requests full clarification of any clauses that would allow for warrantless searches and confiscation of information storage devices such as laptops, cell phones and MP3 players by border and customs authorities;
11. Considers that in order to respect fundamental rights, such as the right to freedom of expression and the right to privacy, while fully observing the principle of subsidiarity, the proposed agreement should not make it possible for any so-called 'three-strikes'
+1 informative, thanks for posting that.
But...if all that's true then how come we're still voting on it nearly two years later?
Because the EU Commission can continue to draft and negotiate ACTA for as long as they like, but ultimately they have to put it to the EU Parliament to vote on before it can become law. There are a couple of things they can try if the Parliament rejects it, but those can still be vetoed by a 2/3rds majority of the Parliament and history has shown that they generally don't like it when the Commission tries to do an end-run around them.
Because Parliament keep giving the "wrong" answer.
They say that the best defence is an offence. Why not go on the a counter-attack. Let's make Internet access, or simply access to adequate telecommunication, a fundamental human right. This would protect net-neutrality and work against arbitrary disconnection laws.
Remember the telephone? Electricity?
Government mandates and sponsorship are what got the province of Saskatchewan serviced with those facilities, and in the '70s, my grandparents finally got electricity and a phone while I was a kid. It's well within MOST people's lifetimes to remember that infrastructure has to be supported, not boondoggled with cries of "why should I pay" by selfish yokels in the cities.
You DON'T pay for it. The people of Saskatchewan did.
But why should the Saskatchewan city dwellers pay?
So the farmers can produce food.
So the farmers can live like human beings.
So the small towns can be home to small businesses instead of congesting everything in the cities.
So the farmers can run the equipment they need to do the job.
But you don't really care about that, do you? Well, good luck surviving in the cities without food if the farmers all go belly up because they can't use the internet to sell their crops, find parts, locate equipment, review new equipment, etc.
THAT's why you shouldn't be a selfish, navel-gazing jerk about subsidizing rural development.
Government solutions are absolutely the best for natural monopolies.
Saskatchewan's state-run electric, gas, and telephone companies are the reason it has some of the lowest rates in the country. All this despite having very low population density, which make the servicing costs much higher.
When the horrible evil socialists came to power there, shortly after WWII, there was basically no asphalt, electricity, or telephone outside of city limits. No private companies would step up, as it was far too long term
Forget those, how about the US Postal Service? It was mandated in the US Constitution (much to the chagrin of today's Teabaggers), with the requirement that it provide service equally to everyone in the nation, no matter where they lived. The Founders knew that good communications were essential to a healthy democracy, and with mail being the most advanced communications form at the time, they enshrined it in the Constitution and prevented one's location from being a barrier to communicating, by "socialis
You are creating a strawman here. The government doesn't provide the means to utilize rights so they wouldn't be required to provide internet access. If you are born without a tongue the government doesn't pay for the surgery to make one. If your tongue gets cut off the government doesn't foot the bill to sew it back on. Making internet access a right prevents the government from turning it off when people have it. It doesn't require the government to provide the access in the first place.
I would go farther
If you remove the politicians who are selling out, they'll just be replaced by other sellouts. It's not enough to defeat bad laws as they come up, new laws affirming the freedom of data need to be fought for and won. The best defense is a good offense, and that is something sorely lacking in the IP wars. And the great difficulty with mounting that offense, is deciding what the objectives should be.
The last time it happened? Oh, round about the time some dangerous up-start invented the printing press. And look at all the trouble they caused!
It ruined economies and nation were aflame!
Err...or not.
One of the reasons the US grew so powerful was its blatant disregard for intellectual property in the old world. And now, many years later, as the US is in decline, guess which other growing nation doesn't give a flying fuck about what the US thinks about intellectual property.
I guess 50 years from now the US and Europe will be on the same side trying to fight off Intellectual Property laws being crammed down our throats by the Chinese. Assuming, of course, they need to resort to such silly things as laws t
It's neither. A population can take a lot, but only so much. It's when the last straw snaps that people are willing to die to overthrow their government in protest.
It's only a matter of time before terrorism will be practised by western people against the west and not just by some random extremist nutcase-organisations.
There maybe enough laws, technology, police and military personel, but they are all outnumbered once an entire population sais "Fsck it! I'm not taking this shit any longer!" and then the shit hits the fan, at 100.000 miles/hour.
People haven't changed. When soldiers have to make the decision to shoot relatives (brothers, sisters, grandma, mom) many will reside with the population. That is when governments fall.
I favor a 'continued use' inheritable copyright for fiction, and a 20 year or so copyright for printed non-fiction. With the condition that once something is broadcast, that quality of media (or lower) is public domain.
Patents for actual technological advances, only. None of this drek about patenting the 'look' of an iToy.
I'd give 5yr terms at most for copyright of anything. Today's world moves too fast. Twenty year old software wouldn't be of any use to the public. Copyright exists to facilitate more material being created and filling the public domain. That's not much of a deal for the public if the material only enters the public domain after it has lost its value.
Good luck with that. Some of these laws were made in the 18th century (which in law terms was a lot like right now), and we are still suffering from them. If food corporations use waste in the food production, get yourself an FDA for example. But the FDA mainly assures that it is legal to use all kinds of junk in the production of food. As like today, the laws were usually fighting symptoms, not problems. So working hours got regulated, but massive theft of land (the Enclosure) was supported. And an Enclosu
Should we dare hope?
No. But vote. And it would be a good idea to plan ahead for what to do after something similar gets passed.
Vote and agitate. Be annoying, be pesky, don't give up and challenge them at every opportunity. Be their boss don't let them be your boss.
Some lateral thinking, the single biggest target right now should be "TAX HAVENS". The US and Europe could shut them down overnight, ban trade in tax haven currencies and zero their value. Either cough up details and provide full access or choke or you organised criminal banking activities.
Want a sign of real change, that's exactly where it starts. Substantially redu
The EU is not showing some backbone. Poland and Czech are showing some backbone. Especially for Poland this is new. It must be related to Donald Tusk who looks like someone with a brain and ethics which is very seldom in politicians. Not to forget he is a conservative (by European standards).
Thanks for that from Germany.
This is the EU, where that sort of slight of hand is more difficult. Well, or at least they do things in different clandestine ways. Or something.
Yeah, like the software patent stuff, which was trying to slip by in the Agricultural and Fisheries Commission [theregister.co.uk]. Luckily, it didn't work out.
Yep, and since this is the EU, they actually take the time to read the bills being proposed, unlike in the US where they just say Yes to the bill with the most financial backing. As a result of this, any unpopular law that somehow finds it's way into a completely unrelated bill, get's vetoed and removed before the bill can continue it's path, again unlike the US.
[I]n the US where they just say Yes to the bill with the most financial backing.
That, and the one with the tenuous backronym or name which makes you look like a terrorist child abusing communist sympathiser if you vote against it.
They already tried the "save the children" thing. They failed. They have been caught. In Germany the government and parliament even submitted an act for web filtering. The commerical TV launched a campain to support the "save the children" topic with a "hunt the child abuser" show. Well the show was fake. And the law was never executed, due to massive public protests. Recently the made a new act which revoked the old one.
They over used children and terrorists. But maybe they come up with something new. The
Welcome to Slashdot, where submissions are dumbed down to the lowest common denominator. Thanks Geek.Net!
This would be a great country if the election was held every 3 months.
If a "hacker" reads this, please explain what it is that "Anonymous" intends to accomplish by releasing the private info of Czech gov't officials publicly. It seems stupid.
These acts will most likely provoke paranoia and promote web censorship. How is this furthering the agenda that "Anonymous" supposedly has? Is "Anonymous" just a few script kiddies stupid enough to risk imprisonment over a misguided sense of morality?
Or maybe I'm missing the point. Please enlighten me.
It certainly does. if you dont know what it is, google it.
What is also quite impressive are the protests planned by Pirate Parties and others in numerous cities all over Europe (+ some other continents). Many events are to be held this Saturday, February 11st. The map looks absolutely breath-taking:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=212120558776447282985.0004b7b33e16f13c710c7&msa=0 [google.com]
once we start cutting off aid, military support, impose trade embargos, etc.
Hint: Hard to embargo EU members. Clearly illegal for other European countries, hence any embargo would need to be addressed at the whole union, have fun trying to enact such a thing, not mentioning that the WTO would probably rule against any such embargo.
The US is who does the embargoing and it wouldn't be a direct blatant embargo like that. We control most of the worlds economy and can just start attacking EU interests in various trade lines.
In a democracy, what is supposed to happen is the government doesn't listen to the people and makes desicions based on the amount of money business contributes to their re-election campaigns. It is dangerous to listen to the people because, as the great and wonderful Steve Jobs said, the people don't know what they want and it's not their job to know what they want. And if the people organize to make themselves heard, they are actually forming a threat against the government which is terrorism and you should never give in to terrorists.
"In a democracy, what is supposed to happen is the government doesn't listen to the people"
You haven't been paying attention lately. These days the corporations ARE the people.
Yes, Mitt Romney even told us so!
Western Europe is the major source of intellectual property. Look at WIPO's top applicant nations - Germany, France, UK, Netherlands. Look at IMDB's top film making countries - France, UK. Look at the fashion world where you're nobody unless your're based in London, Paris, or Milan. In addition, Central and Eastern Europe are the conduits (if not the source) for many counterfeits. With ACTA, those governments would bear a share of the burden in protecting someone else's economy while their own not-quite-so IP-reliant economies see no benefit. So they'd go from not spending money enforcing someone else's IP while getting economic benefit from those citizen who profit from counterfeit, to spending money enforcing someone else's IP while killing off a pretty nice influx of money. Western EU countries are going to have to offer much more trade incentives to get what they want, but then by increasing trade incentives to get IP enforcement, they will just be switching from one hose siphoning money from them to another hose siphoning money from them.
is it every day the first thing I do is clean all the
The Czech Republic will get told, by Hollywood, that if they don't sign up then Hollywood will stop coming to Prague to make movies.
Which movies are shot in the Czech Republic?
Well, there are numerous scenes from "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" that were shot in Prague (youtube can help).
That must bring a nice boost to the local economy when the entire troupe from a big production movie like that comes to town.
I think Europe needs to work on developing its own movie industry more, instead of sucking up to the assholes in Hollywood. I have Netflix, and on it I've seen a bunch of really great European-made movies over the last several years (probably made within the last 10); overall they're much better than the dreck that comes out of Hollywood.
In less than a century, computers will be making substantial progress on ... the overriding problem of war and peace. -- James Slagle


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July 16, 2012 BY cement / 0
The World Basketball Festival hit the road again this weekend, stopping by our nation's capitol for an incredible weekend in celebration of the past, present, and future of the game. The past: an exhibit of relics from Team USA squads of the past, with plenty of Air Jordan's mixed in. The present: this year's elite squad featuring the likes of Jordan Brand athletes Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul showcasing their skills in the decked out DC Armory. The future: clinics put on by our Olympians for the likes of the youth of US service members and awesome displays showing off next level Jordan releases like the Jordan Super.Fly. Click through our extensive gallery to get a look at some of the Jordan Brand action that went down on the weekend and drop us a line in the comments below if you made it out to the epic Washington, DC stop of the World Baksetball Festival. Photos: Sneaker News
Filed under: Air Jordans Carmelo Anthony Chris Paul Jordan Athletes Jordan Brand


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Retail properties were again in hot demand at Bayleys' latest Greater Auckland portfolio auction, with 13 of a total of 17 properties up for auction selling for a total of $13.3 million
Six tenanted retail offerings sold at yields of under 7 per cent as investors fought it out on the auction room floor to secure well-located premises.
Bayleys' commercial and industrial auctioneer, Richard Valintine, said the clearance rate reinforced how effective auctions were in capitalising on the strong demand for a limited supply of good quality investment properties.
"High clearance rates for this type of property have been a feature of our auctions throughout the year, with demand outstripping supply," he said.
"However, investors are clearly distinguishing between well-located retail properties perceived as top tier and secondary properties usually occupied by local tenants in less desirable locations.
"There is still a market for these secondary properties, particularly if there is an opportunity to add value, but investors expect a higher yield for the additional risk, and they obviously adjust what they are prepared to pay accordingly."
The property which attracted the strongest bidding and sold for the highest price was a Burger King facility on a 2224sq m corner site at 112 Apollo Drive, Albany which went for $2,530,000.
Valintine declared the property to be "on the market" at just over $2.4 million and several parties continued to place multiple bids before it eventually sold at a 5.8 per cent yield.
The property was sold with a 10-year lease from the date of the building's completion in April 2007, with rights of renewal for a further 20 years.
It was leased to Antares Restaurant Group, which holds the New Zealand franchise development rights for Burger King.
Also sold under the hammer for for $2.3 million at a 7.5 per cent yield was a 595sq m, two-level bank building on a 329sq m corner roundabout site at 179 Onehunga Mall, Onehunga.
Westpac last year exercised the second of three three-year rights of renewal over the property.
The lowest yield of the auction was 4.3 per cent for a 180sq m early 1900s villa converted for restaurant use at 227 Jervois Rd, Herne Bay, which sold for $1.8 million.
The Empress Garden Chinese restaurant last year exercised the first of two six-year rights of renewal on its lease, which produces current net annual rental income of $78,000.
James Chan, of Bayleys Auckland, said the sales price reflected the longer term redevelopment potential of the 726sq m freehold Business 1 zoned site and its prime location close to the central city.
The landmark former Epsom Post Office building sold after auction with vacant possession for $2,050,000. The two-storey, 415sq m building on a 789sq m site, has a Historic Places Trust Category 2 classification.
It was built in 1909 and has been extended over the years.
The property was put up for sale by Daryl and Valerie Kirby who purchased it from the Government in the late 1980s. They renovated the building, renamed it Kirkby House, and ran their advertising business from the 263sq m ground floor until their retirement.
They kept the layout of the postmaster's original two bedroom apartment on the first floor largely unaltered, although they modernised it with the rest of the interior of the building.
Bayleys agent Rachael Pittaway says the property generated huge interest, with more than 65 inquiries and 45 site visits.
It has been bought by an investor who will do further refurbishment and strengthen the building before re-letting it.
"He is intending to further enhance the character features of the building and may look at utilising the vacant land at the rear of the site to suit a tenant's requirements," Pittaway said.
Other properties to sell at the auction included:
Unit 1A at 89 Ellice Rd, Wairau Valley - a 118sq m road front cafe and bakery with a 22sq m outdoor courtyard and 13 customer parking spaces, sold for $840,000 at a 6.6 per cent yield. It is part of a 35-unit complex built five years ago by Kea Property Group, and the Ellice Cafe has a 10-year right of occupation from June 2008.
Unit E at 292 Dominion Rd, Mt Eden - a 54sq m outlet in the Eden Quarter Shopping shopping complex occupied by the Sharing Shed hairdressing chain, which has been in the unit since 2007 on a six-year lease, was sold for $625,000 at a 6.2 per cent yield.
Lot 5, Unit K, at 185 Great South Rd, Manurewa - a 257sq m unit in the Southmall Shopping Centre with two tenants, was sold for $590,000 at a 9.6 per cent yield. One of the tenants, a dry-cleaner is on Great South Rd side and the other, a shoe store, is within the centre.
Unit K at Titan Place, Silverdale - a 547sq m, three-year-old industrial unit that is mostly vacant, with holding income of $15,700 gross from basement tenancies, was sold for $560,000. It has a 302sq m workshop and warehouse, a 15sq m showroom, 25sq m office and 37sq m of amenities plus a 300 sq m yard including eight car parks and container drop off area.
Lot 42 in the Westgate Shopping Centre - an 89 sq m unit leased to Labtests for eight years until 2017, was sold for $520,000 at a 6.4 per cent yield.
415 Great South Road, Otahuhu - a two-level, 153sq m building with ground floor retail and a three-bedroom flat upstairs on an 80sq m site sold for $525,000. The 73sq m retail unit is producing monthly net rental income of $1993, and the flat is vacant.
Unit J2 at 239 Queen St, Auckland - a 16sq m unit in Mid City retail complex with a three-year lease to Blog Fashions from August 2011, was sold for $390,000 at a 10.7 per cent yield.
Unit 19 at 3 Northcroft St, Takapuna - an 85sq m ground floor unit in the 31-level Sentinel Apartments building was sold for $370,000 at a 7.6 per cent yield. It is occupied by dry cleaning and laundromat business, Ocean Drycleaners, on a six-year lease from February 2010.
Unit 118 at 184 Symonds St, Auckland - a 72sq m ground floor commercial unit with three car parks and a two-year lease from December 2011 to Machine Monitor NZ, in a high profile position next to a building entranceway on Khyber Pass corner, was sold for $250,000 at a 6.9 per cent yield.


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HSBC Holdings, PLC (Symbol: HBC) is a London-based banking and financial services organization that isn't indebted to the British government. [1] This sets the company apart from several U.K. competitors, like Barclays (BCS), Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS-LN), and Lloyds Banking Group (LYG), who have resorted to borrowing.[2] For the full year 2010 ended in December, HSBC reported a total interest income of $80B and a net profit of $14.2B.[3] While HSBC is headquartered in the UK, its operations where impacted by the financial crisis which started in the US. Because it is not an American company, it was not able to receive the same bailout opportunities as American banks and instead relied on British bailout money.
For the full year 2010 ended in December, HSBC reported a total interest income of $80B and a net profit of $14.2B.[3] HSBC Holdings operates in four main business segments. The financial crisis has distorted the net income break down of each segment. The Personal Financial Services, Commercial Banking, and Global Banking & Markets have traditionally earned equal portions of Net Income.[4]
Personal Financial Services provides savings accounts, mortgages, personal loans, and credit cards. Within this segment is the HSBC Premier banking service, which offers 24-hour priority telephone access and free international funds transfer between HSBC accounts.[2]
The Commercial Banking segment offers banking products to corporate, mid-market, small, and micro businesses. These products include financing, cash management, international trade, and investment banking. [2]
The Global Banking & Markets segment offers financial products to major government, corporate, and institutional clients worldwide. These products include foreign exchange, currency and interest rate derivatives, and private equity managers.[2]
The Private Banking segment offers trustee services to high net worth individuals. These services include cash management, clearing, wealth management, and inheritance planning.[2]
HSBC owns large sets of mortgages which either it purchased or it originated. This makes it dependent on the housing market. An increased rate of foreclosure will cause the company to writeoff mortgages and attempt to sell them on the market. Selling houses becomes more difficult the more that the housing market declines. By contrast, the growth of the housing market allows HSBC's assets to become more reliable and likely to be paid.[5] [6]
HSBC [6] historically issued rights to allow existing shareholders to purchase additional securities at a discounted price.[1][7] This has allowed HSBC to avoid needing government capital, unlike its competitors Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS-LN) and Lloyds Banking Group (LYG), giving investors more confidence in HSBC. While issuing rights to prevent HSBC from raising capital, the company no longer has any rights to offer and so if it needs more capital, it will be forced to borrow from the government.
As a U.K. based bank, HSBC is relatively insulated from U.S. crisises. However, U.K. banks have U.S. commercial real estate exposures -- in the form of loans and other debt mortgage-backed securities (MBS).[8] So hardships in the U.S. housing market and banks suffering losses due to subprime lending in turn causes foreign banks to suffer losses. However, because the UK tends to react after the US market has, this means that US banks are sometimes able to rise out of recessions sooner than UK based banks.


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Clueless About Card Data Hack, PF Chang's Reverts To Imprinting Devices 142
wiredmikey writes: After saying earlier this week that it was investigating reports of a data breach related to payment cards used at its locations, P.F. Chang's China Bistro confirmed on Thursday that credit and debit card data has been stolen from some of its restaurants. What's interesting, and somewhat humorous, is that the company said that it has switched over to manual credit card imprinting systems for all of its restaurants located in the continental United States. The popular restaurant chain said that on Tuesday, June 10, the United States Secret Services alerted the company about the incident. Admitting that it does not know the extent or current situation and impact of the attack, the company noted in a statement: "All P.F. Chang's China Bistro branded restaurants in the continental U.S. are using manual credit card imprinting devices to handle our credit and debit card transactions," the company said. "This allows you to use your credit and debit cards safely. If it's not obvious, anyone who has visited a P.F. Chang's and used a payment card in the last several months should monitor their accounts and report any suspected fraudulent activity to their card company.