Chrome Extension- MafiaaFire

The chrome extension MafiaaWire basically gives you an updated list of redirected websites. So the next time , your evil highness shuts down your favorite website- the list promises to give you an update.  While obviously entertainment intellectual property is a very obvious site category for such redirects, in some cases these extensions can be used for simple things like hosting dissents or protesters against govt corruption in non US countries .

Basically under the new SOPA act (an oline version of pepper spray http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act) even browsers like Firefox and Chrome would be liable for any such extension that can be used to download American Intellectual property illegally.

In the meantime – this is an interesting and creative use case of technology and sociology merging in the brave new world.

You can read about it here-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAFIAAFire_Redirector

MAFIAAFire works by downloading a list which contains the names of the “blocked” sites as well as the sites to redirect to. This list is downloaded every time Firefox starts up or every two days on the Chrome version (although the user has the choice to force an update on the Chrome version instead of waiting for two days).

When a user types in a domain name from the list of blocked domains, the add-on recognizes this and automatically redirects the user to the secondary site. Since this happens before the browser connects to the DNS server, this renders any DNS blocks useless.

Although the add-on checks for which sites are entered into the address bar every time (as it needs to check if that site is on its block list), it does not log these requests nor send these requests to any central server. In other words: it does not track the user.

or

Download it from

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/hnifiobpjihmmjgiokkaalgomddebhng

Interesting times indeed!

Related-

Encryption

http://poemsforkush.wordpress.com/2011/12/17/encryption/

 

Occupy the Internet

BORN IN THE USA

Continue reading “Occupy the Internet”

Software as a Religion ( SaaR)

The decline of organized religion and debate about such matters in the Western Hemisphere has been co-related to the increase in debates and arguments (again mostly) in the Western Hemisphere on software. Be it the PC vs Mac, the Microsofties vs Open Sourcers, the not so evil Google versus fans of Facebook, considerable activity is now being done by human beings in terms of social interaction on the merit’s and demerit’s of each software bundle. Perhaps for the first time in human history these interactions are being captured digitally on medium (that is hopefully longer lasting than papyrus).

Will this lead to newer branches of psychologists, sociologists (Goodwin’s law is too simplistic but an effort)

Even software as a religion is plausible, all they need is another college drop-put whizkid  to find a way to make it effective.

Religion as a software has of course been around for several millennium.

Also see http://goo.gl/smISa

Should you buy Zynga or Wait for the FB IPO

I am going to make a case for whether to buy or not buy  Zynga, and waiting to buy Facebook instead. Of course if Mark Pincus offers you a deep discount, and Mark Zuckenberg totally goes over the top with his P/E multiple, all bets would be re-valuated.

In the interest of your time, and my personal happiness, I am going to use a fairly standard way to measure attractiveness of both these companies- notably the Porter’s Five Forces Model. I will also review the recent experiences of Groupon and LinkedIn valuation to underscore what subtle differences in culture, and reputation of founders can affect the eventual value creation or destruction in an IPO.

(to be continued)

What are you thankful for?

I am thankful for-1) God and Jesus Christ and Rama and Allah and Buddha and their priests and intermediaries and everybody taking care of me. or atleast trying hard to take care of me.2) Earth my planet for nourishing me despite me polluting her, her fresh air and her delicious fruit and marvellous wine and hearty bread.

3) Fellow Human Beings for being nice to me when they feel curt, for displaying civilized manners, and working together in a vast invisible web of commerce, trade and exchange to meet our needs.

4) Scientists and Engineers who create wonderful technology by spending hours , months , years of their lives and giving it up for free on the Internet.

5) Powerful people who take time to mentor unknown wild cards, and young people to rejuvenate with new exciting ideas.

6) people who appreciate my poetry and people who appreciate my technology. and people who criticize only in the intention of me striving to create something better.

Continue reading “What are you thankful for?”

Happy Thanksgiving Images

Happy Thanksgiving Dear Readers

Click to Enlarge.

 

Images Courtesy- World-Wide Web

Note- American Origin I. P Addresses (which are not the same as actual people) are 40% of the readers on this website as can be seen by- Google Analytics Flow

Free online education by Stanford and MIT

One more reason American education is the best in the world- it has a big heart.

Stanford just announced free courses starting from Jan 2012- and they are online (so no visa blues) and free( as in speech and free as in beer) and just the same as actual courses (yes , the homework will have to be done, and the dog cannot eat the homework)

http://www.venture-class.org/

MIT meanwhile has 2000 courses  at http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/

 

– but I liked Stanford’s minimal , clutter free interface ( I read Steve Jobs biography- the interface hangover continues).

Hurrah for Stanford!

MIT needs to DESIGN  their free online courses website and maybe do more search engine optimization at

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/.