I saw an interesting quote concerning Microsoft’s recent acquisition offer. Thanks to Peter for pointing out this article.

Google wants to use the Internet to build a huge business (and, in the process, kill Microsoft–a mission that may end up becoming an Ahab-like obsession). Microsoft wants to use the Internet to protect its already huge Windows and Office businesses.

One strategy is offensive, the other defensive. At Google, every exciting new idea that undermines Microsoft’s core business will be rushed into production. At Microsoft, every exciting new idea that undermines Microsoft’s core business will be killed (or, at least, delayed).

He also pointed out this excellent commentary in Forbes.

Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you.

I’m not big into music.  I generally find it pretty annoying.  I realize that this isn’t a popular position, but it’s the truth.  I’d rather listen to just about anything on talk radio than music.  Anyway, we’ve been talking about how to deal with our massive CD collection and equally large, if less organized, digital music collection.  I’ve decided to start listening to Rhythmbox in shuffle mode and to discard anything I don’t like.  This is, of course, subject to mood, right?  No matter.

We’re digitizing the CDs or specific tracks that we like and are archiving the CDs in the attic for now.  I’ve got about 2GB of mp3s in my trash presently and have just started.   It’s amazing what I have.  Aphex Twins, Rammstein, Barbara Streisand, Kenny G., and other assorted crap.  I’ll tell you one thing I’ve learned from this.  Although you can use streamtuner and streamripper to rip hours of Internet radio, you shouldn’t.  You end up with Kenny G.

What I keep, I’m hoping to generate metadata for with Picard and musicbrainz.  It seems all those kids on Napster didn’t use controlled vocabulary and authority files to describe their music.

I recently had occasion to wonder what goes on in my yard while I’m not home. I’ve got a couple of Logitech QuickCam Messenger cameras that I’ve been pointing out the windows and use Motion to monitor the cameras, detect motion, capture images, notify me of motion events, and transfer the images to a remote server. Motion provides some handy facilities for the last two objectives. I use the Motion on_event_start to trigger a bash script that connects to various other computers, including my work desktop, and notifies me that Motion has detected movement in the camera’s field of vision. Both computers are configured to use SSH public key authentication. The bash script triggers a Zenity alert box shown below.

Clicking OK on the alert box opens a Firefox browser window to a Qdig Quick Digital Image Gallery. The gallery is populated via the on_picture_save option. When a picture is saved a bash script is triggered that copies the picture to the Qdig gallery directory. When the browser opens the gallery, thumbnails are dynamically generated for the contents of the directory. I can’t yet testify to the effectiveness of the system as I haven’t caught any motion yet, but I’m hopeful.  Motion also provides a mini-HTTP server that can be configured to listen to a remote port so that one could watch streaming video in real time.  In fact, motion is extremely flexible and, due the inclusion of the ability to trigger external scripts, is highly extensible.

I saw this compliation of hardwood floor refinishers recently on a neighborhood listserv. The formatting makes sorting out which comments go with which company a little confusing. You’ll have to figure it out yourself.

Bohemia, 308-8500 Mark (maybe 201-1029 also),
$1.75-$2.25/sf install OR refinish (probably
$5.50 installed and finished); 3 coats poly; nice
flyer from Kathleen; “dust free, insured,
licensed & 100% guaranteed); $1.25/lf moulding
(1/3 of total sf); huge list of good references

The cheapest (but still do a great job);
Banks Flooring, 231-8399 (from Leslie Page)
* Bobby Bullock, 528-1708 in Creedmore (every
bit or better than Accent Floors (who is very
expensive), booked way in advance, but worth the
wait… buy new furniture with the savings)
* Accent Hardwood floors; owner Genia Smith (excellent, but $3/sf)
* Elston Hardwood Flooring 383-3616
$1.75-$2/s.f.; light sand & 1 finish coat $0.75/sf
* Just Floors – 419-1925, 1803 Chapel Hill
Rd, Suite #D, Durham F)
287-2342 $2/sf $0.60/sf remove
linoleum (Shonte’s cell 697-9717) — Tracy
Proctor of Just Floors Hardwood Flooring
(919-697-1244). He refinished the floor in one
room for me, but has done more extensive work for
several friends (who are quite picky), and they
were very pleased. His prices are good (much
less than Accent, in my experience), plus he’s a really nice person.
* “Elegant Hardwoods”, much less than others,
Frazee subcontracted them (BUT-uneven sanding,
wavy surfaces, and although I watched them apply
3 coats of polyurethane, they’re wearing very quickly.)
* Stern flooring 479-0222
* Tim Ellis; small family business, competitive. 477-2468
* David Elston to refinish $1.75/sf; no recommendation
* Disconnected phones:
* McLean’s Hardwood Flooring
* Smith Floor Finishing & Covering

LC made an announcement about the Multi-State Initiative. I saw this on the diglib list. NCSU Libraries is a partner on the North Carolina geospatial project.

DIGITAL PRESERVATION PROGRAM ADDS NEW PARTNERS TO PRESERVE STATE
GOVERNMENT DIGITAL INFORMATION

Digital Preservation Network Grows to More Than 100 with New Partners

Twenty-one states, working in four multistate demonstration
projects, are today joining the Library of Congress’s National Digital
Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP) in an
initiative to catalyze collaborative efforts to preserve important state
government information in digital form.
States face formidable challenges in caring for digital records
with long-term legal and historical value. A series of Library-sponsored
workshops held in 2005 and involving all states revealed that the large
majority of states lack the resources to ensure that the information
they produce in digital form only, such as legislative records, court
case files and executive agency records, is preserved for long-term
access. The workshops made clear that much state government digital
information-including content useful to Congress and other
policymakers-is at risk of loss if it is not now saved.
“The records of state government are of keen interest to
Congress as well as to the states themselves, and it is critical that we
work with state archives and libraries in their efforts to ensure that
this information remains available and accessible,” said Librarian of
Congress James H. Billington. “I am committed to having the Library
play a leadership role in encouraging the preservation of these
important resources.”

These partnerships expand the NDIIPP network to include state
government agencies. In August, the network added partners from the
private sector in an initiative called Preserving Creative America. With
these new partners, the NDIIPP network now comprises well over 100
members, including government agencies, educational institutions,
research laboratories and commercial entities.
“The Library of Congress is eager to welcome state partners in
our growing digital preservation network,” said Associate Librarian
for Strategic Initiatives Laura E. Campbell, who is leading NDIIPP for
the Library of Congress. “These projects will help ensure long-term
access to critical information for both Congress and the American
people.”
The projects will collect several significant categories of
digital information such as geospatial data, legislative records, court
case files, Web-based publications and executive agency records. Each
project will also work to share tools, services and best practices to
help every state make progress in managing its digital heritage.
The states projects are the most recent initiative of NDIIPP
(www.digitalpreservation.gov), authorized by Congress in December 2000.
A cornerstone of NDIIPP has been the establishment of a broad network of
partners committed to the continuing selection, collection and
preservation of significant digital content that is at risk of loss. The
total amount of the funds being made available to the new partners is
$2.25 million.
Following are the lead entities and the focus areas of the
projects:

Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records: Persistent Digital Archives and Library System.

Arizona will lead this project to establish a low-cost, highly automated information
network that reaches across multiple states. Results will include
techniques for ingesting mass quantities of state data as well as
developing a strong data management infrastructure. Content will include
digital publications, agency records and court records. States working
in this project are Arizona, Florida, New York and Wisconsin.

Minnesota Historical Society: A Model Technological and Social Architecture for the Preservation of State Government Digital Information.

The project will work with legislatures in several
states to explore enhanced access to legislative digital records. This
will involve implementing a trustworthy information management system
and testing the capacity of different states to adopt the system for
their own use. Content will include bills, committee reports, floor
proceedings and other legislative materials. States working in this
project are Minnesota, California, Kansas, Tennessee, Mississippi,
Illinois and Vermont.

North Carolina Center for Geographic Information and Analysis: Multistate Geospatial Content Transfer and Archival
Demonstration.

Work will focus on replicating large volumes of
geospatial data among several states to promote preservation and access.
The project will work closely with federal, state and local governments
to implement a geographically dispersed content exchange network.
Content will include state and local geospatial data. States working in
this project are North Carolina, Utah and Kentucky.

Washington State Archives: Multistate Preservation Consortium.

The Washington State Archives will use its advanced
digital archives framework to implement a centralized regional
repository for state and local digital information. Outcomes will
include establishment of a cost-effective interstate technological
archiving system, as well as efforts to capture and make available
larger amounts of at-risk digital information. Content will include
vital records, land ownership and use documentation, court records and
Web-based state and local government reports. States working in this
project are Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Montana,
California and Louisiana.

I’ve been waiting to see a US precedent concerning forcing a suspect to divulge encryption passwords. The UK passed the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) in October of 2007 which provides for a two year imprisonment for failure to produce an encryption key regardless of any other charges. The RIPA has been used once against an animal rights activist. Now, a Vermont judge has ruled that, under the Fifth Amendment, a suspect cannot be required to produce evidence including an encryption key. Here is some interesting blog commentary by an attorney.

This is a particularly interesting case in a couple of ways. First, officials opened his laptop and started poking around as he was being processed at a Canada-United States border crossing. Second, it brings up some interesting questions concerning rights of accused. The particular crime he is accused of, possessing “animation depicting adult and child pornography”, is one that inspires extreme emotional reactions, it seems. People then tend to forget why the Fourth and Fifth Amendments were included in the Bill of Rights, namely that American citizens weren’t protected by the Magna Carta and searches and seizures illegal in England were commonplace in the colonies.

Of course, if Bruce Schneier is right, the government may be trying to place a backdoor in new encryption standards to avoid this sort of mess. It wouldn’t be the first time, though. See the clipper chip, or mandatory key escrow. I’m sure this isn’t over, but it’s a nice turn of events.

After 7 years of bigger government, astronomical offense spending, Haliburton/Blackwater/Exxon profiteering, and just general outlandishly illegal behavior, I find it easy to understand the appeal of Ron Paul.  I kind of like him.  In debates, anyway.

His big platform position, that he will only support things in the constitution, is pretty absurd. I was reading Imagining a Ron Paul Presidency and was again stuck by Paul’s vision of the role of government.  No Department of Health and Human Services, no Department of Commerce, etc.  Paul lays out a compelling argument for disposing of most of the government and I can understand it’s appeal.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the role of government vis-à-vis a nanny state versus Paul’s minimalist government.  It’s pretty obvious that the federal government is ridiculously untrustworthy and largely inept, but I can’t image that reducing the government to Paul’s core functions will improve the quality of life in the US.  Just as important, I can’t imagine Paul having much success trying to slash agencies that, as he points out, seem to exist solely to enrich corporations (DoE, for one).  I expect the government would grind to a screeching halt if Paul won the presidency.  Perhaps some Paul supporters think that is an acceptable situation.  What do I know? Maybe it is.  Luckily, I’ll never have to decide since there is only the tiniest, most remote chance he’ll make it to the general election.  Instead, I’ll get to choose between a bible quoting, right wing, corporate shill and some equally appalling republican candidate.

The Digital Curation Conference is wrapping up. There were some salient take-aways.

1. The UK has a much more focused national strategy for digital library development due largely to the structure of funding organizations.
2. Relatedly, the one off, silo-ed, unfederated, independent architecture of US digital collections, both within and without individual institutions, is due largely to the grant situation in the US.
3. Holding a digital library/data center/information management conference 2 stories below ground without wireless Internet or mobile phone reception is both hugely annoying and enormously beneficial.
4. The Library of Congress National Digital Information Infrastructure Preservation Program, while providing me with interesting work, doesn’t seem like it will provide the national direction that I think is necessary. I trust the digital preservation experience will be valuable to others, though.
5. Conferences that include food and Internet in the conference registration rock. It’s nearly impossible for most academics I know to request funding for Internet.

I had a tough time finding Opera for Ubuntu 7.10 64 bit. The 9.50 release, opera_9.50-20071109.2-shared-qt_amd64.deb, works fine. Newegg doesn’t work with Firefox. I usually use Epihany when not using Firefox, but sometimes I just feel like a change. Thanks to the Opera Desktop Team. Shame on Newegg for not supporting Firefox.