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- Science Nation Science for the People: Surprising discoveries and fascinating researchers
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Science News
In Science News
And the Mother of the Year Award goes to ...
A Florida woman is in jail, charged with felony child neglect after leaving her son at an airport as she boarded a flight.
Swimming lessons
A 7-year-old learning how to swim is nothing new unless it's an 800-pound grizzly bear taking the plunge.
Grizzly bear gets swim lessons in Montana pool
Grizzly bear gets swim lessons in Montana pool
Internet firms help Canadian courts ID authors of controversial email
Think you can be anonymous online? Most people simply have no idea how easy it is for law enforcement officials -- and other litigants, like someone suing you -- to gain access to personal email, Google searches, and other online information users think is "theirs."
The latest ominous evidence of this fact comes from our friends to the north. A Canadian court has ordered Google (GOOG) to turn over the identities of anonymous Gmail users who had accused York University faculty members of fraud and dishonesty. Like similar cases in the U.S., the York incident shows just how easy it is for courts to allow authorities to gain access to "our" personal information.
"People need to know that very little information that they give or make available to third parties [like Google] is unavailable to the government or private litigants," says Eric Goldman, director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University School of Law. "I think most people are surprised at how relatively easy it is for the government and private litigants to obtain 'their' information."
When York announced its hiring of Martin Singer in January as the first dean of its new Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, the university called the professor a "renowned scholar of Chinese history" and quoted university president Mamdouh Shoukri as saying: "York University is fortunate to have attracted such a strong scholar and administrator."
Shortly thereafter, someone circulated an email from an account belonging to a group called "York Faculty Concerned About the Future of York University" among members of the community accusing Singer of "lying about scholarly credentials" and accusing Shoukri of perpetrating "an outrageous fraud." The anonymous group called for the president's resignation and a new search for a dean, according to Canada's National Post.
University authorities were not amused, and won a court order in May compelling Google to turn over the IP addresses linked to the Gmail account. Google, in turn, identified Bell Canada and Rogers Communications as the internet service providers from which the email originated.
Last month, neither of the ISPs opposed a court order requiring them to turn over the contact information of the persons who used the Gmail account. This past week, Justice George R. Strathy of Ontario Superior Court called the orders a reasonable balance between protecting freedom of speech and protection from libel, according to the paper.
David Noble, whom the Post refers to as "an outspoken professor at York," was outed as one person linked to the account. On Friday, he told the paper that York's legal action was "a fishing expedition" and accused the university of "trying to create a chill among faculty."
Noble maintained that the allegations raised about Singer were legitimate. "They are spending enormous sums, for what?" the Post quotes him as saying. "I think they are just desperate to find out who is involved," adding that his colleagues wanted to remain anonymous because they were "afraid of reprisals."
In response, Will McDowell, York's lawyer, defended the action, saying, "Academics enjoy quite extensive latitude in what they say and what they write and what they research at Canadian universities, but I would say this about any of us: The right of free speech is not unlimited."
"Like all law-abiding companies, we comply with local laws and valid legal process, such as court orders and subpoenas," a Google spokesperson said in a statement to DailyFinance. "At the same time, we have a legal team whose job is to scrutinize these requests and make sure they meet not only the letter but the spirit of the law."
York now has the identities of half a dozen people who allegedly had access to the Gmail account.
American laws governing similar situations differ somewhat from Canadian statutes, but the York case is reminiscent of the recent "Skank blogger" ruling, in which a Manhattan Supreme Court judge ordered Google to turn over the e-mail and IP address of an anonymous blogger who called model Liskula Cohen "the skankiest in NYC."
Writing about the case, my colleague Jeff Bercovici noted that the ruling could force anonymous internet cranks to go to greater lengths to shield their identity. "In trying to make people accountable for the vicious things they write online, that judge is only going to force them to cloak their identities ever more effectively," Bercovici wrote.
Google search queries -- obtained by court-ordered warrants -- have been used in numerous criminal cases, including the recent case of a Florida man who was convicted of murder based on evidence that included his own Google research, which included searching on terms like "trauma, cases, gunshot, right chest."
No matter how many precautions we take to remain private or cloak our identity, the authorities and other potential litigants usually have little difficulty obtaining this content. And they do it not by nefarious mean like hacking, but through our very own court system.
Internet users everywhere would do well to take heed. Your emails -- and maybe even your Google searches -- could be one subpoena away from the prying eyes of federal authorities, not to mention private litigants.
The latest ominous evidence of this fact comes from our friends to the north. A Canadian court has ordered Google (GOOG) to turn over the identities of anonymous Gmail users who had accused York University faculty members of fraud and dishonesty. Like similar cases in the U.S., the York incident shows just how easy it is for courts to allow authorities to gain access to "our" personal information.
"People need to know that very little information that they give or make available to third parties [like Google] is unavailable to the government or private litigants," says Eric Goldman, director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University School of Law. "I think most people are surprised at how relatively easy it is for the government and private litigants to obtain 'their' information."
When York announced its hiring of Martin Singer in January as the first dean of its new Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, the university called the professor a "renowned scholar of Chinese history" and quoted university president Mamdouh Shoukri as saying: "York University is fortunate to have attracted such a strong scholar and administrator."
Shortly thereafter, someone circulated an email from an account belonging to a group called "York Faculty Concerned About the Future of York University" among members of the community accusing Singer of "lying about scholarly credentials" and accusing Shoukri of perpetrating "an outrageous fraud." The anonymous group called for the president's resignation and a new search for a dean, according to Canada's National Post.
University authorities were not amused, and won a court order in May compelling Google to turn over the IP addresses linked to the Gmail account. Google, in turn, identified Bell Canada and Rogers Communications as the internet service providers from which the email originated.
Last month, neither of the ISPs opposed a court order requiring them to turn over the contact information of the persons who used the Gmail account. This past week, Justice George R. Strathy of Ontario Superior Court called the orders a reasonable balance between protecting freedom of speech and protection from libel, according to the paper.
David Noble, whom the Post refers to as "an outspoken professor at York," was outed as one person linked to the account. On Friday, he told the paper that York's legal action was "a fishing expedition" and accused the university of "trying to create a chill among faculty."
Noble maintained that the allegations raised about Singer were legitimate. "They are spending enormous sums, for what?" the Post quotes him as saying. "I think they are just desperate to find out who is involved," adding that his colleagues wanted to remain anonymous because they were "afraid of reprisals."
In response, Will McDowell, York's lawyer, defended the action, saying, "Academics enjoy quite extensive latitude in what they say and what they write and what they research at Canadian universities, but I would say this about any of us: The right of free speech is not unlimited."
"Like all law-abiding companies, we comply with local laws and valid legal process, such as court orders and subpoenas," a Google spokesperson said in a statement to DailyFinance. "At the same time, we have a legal team whose job is to scrutinize these requests and make sure they meet not only the letter but the spirit of the law."
York now has the identities of half a dozen people who allegedly had access to the Gmail account.
American laws governing similar situations differ somewhat from Canadian statutes, but the York case is reminiscent of the recent "Skank blogger" ruling, in which a Manhattan Supreme Court judge ordered Google to turn over the e-mail and IP address of an anonymous blogger who called model Liskula Cohen "the skankiest in NYC."
Writing about the case, my colleague Jeff Bercovici noted that the ruling could force anonymous internet cranks to go to greater lengths to shield their identity. "In trying to make people accountable for the vicious things they write online, that judge is only going to force them to cloak their identities ever more effectively," Bercovici wrote.
Google search queries -- obtained by court-ordered warrants -- have been used in numerous criminal cases, including the recent case of a Florida man who was convicted of murder based on evidence that included his own Google research, which included searching on terms like "trauma, cases, gunshot, right chest."
No matter how many precautions we take to remain private or cloak our identity, the authorities and other potential litigants usually have little difficulty obtaining this content. And they do it not by nefarious mean like hacking, but through our very own court system.
Internet users everywhere would do well to take heed. Your emails -- and maybe even your Google searches -- could be one subpoena away from the prying eyes of federal authorities, not to mention private litigants.
They're back at it ...
Banks go back to risky investing
A year after the financial meltdown, the biggest banks are betting on exotic investments.
Calling the Doc
Desperate need for more doctors
A growing shortage of primary care doctors could hinder President Obama's reform plans.
We're #37
And we are so proud of the fact we're not sure whether to shit or go blind!
(Note: there was no sarcasm in the previous statement, whatsoever.)
OK, so the teabaggers have no problem - they're so full of shit they are blind anyway.
Bad News Beers
The quality of hops is falling due to rising temperatures.
Climate change depresses beer drinkers
Press freedom protest in Hong Kong
My name is ...
Not a distinction you'd want
Biggest bankruptcies in U.S. history
Starting with Lehman Bros., these failed companies have destroyed huge amounts of wealth.
Just the facts
Here's something those mouth-breathing troglodyte teabaggers can't comprehend:
After al Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 Americans, eight years ago on Friday, we went to war and spent hundreds of billions of dollars ensuring that this would not happen again.
Yet every two months, that many people die because of our failure to provide universal insurance — and yet the repugicans want us to do nothing?
Full Story
After al Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 Americans, eight years ago on Friday, we went to war and spent hundreds of billions of dollars ensuring that this would not happen again.
Yet every two months, that many people die because of our failure to provide universal insurance — and yet the repugicans want us to do nothing?
Full Story
Science News
From BBC-Science:
 |  | Teeth and bones from late Ice Age animals, including hyenas and woolly rhinos, are unearthed at a cave in Devon. |
Wilson Won't Apologize to Congress
We'll see, we'll see ...
Name or Generic?
Taste-testing name brands vs. generics
Some name brands come out on top, but not as often as you would think.
Bad Air
Bad news for air travelers
The U.S. airline industry is shrinking to a size not seen since just after the 2001 terror attacks.
Low Pay for High Work
Jobs with surprisingly low pay
Many workers in critically important roles make barely above minimum wage.
Liar, Wrong Way Wilson
This is for that moron from South Carolina - Wrong Way Wilson
You see as it turns out (in typical repugican fashion) the accuser is actually the one guilty of what they accuse others of doing.
You see as it turns out (in typical repugican fashion) the accuser is actually the one guilty of what they accuse others of doing.
Karma's a bitch, ain't it Joe!
Domestic Violence - a pre-existing condition?!
Nine states allow insurance companies to consider domestic violence a pre-existing condition, and use that to deny insurance claims. Eight of the major insurance companies have used this right to deny coverage to victims of domestic violence.
Full Story of this outrage.
Full Story of this outrage.
Surprise, Surprise, Surprise
Rude surprise for online cheaters
Students who buy pre-written homework online may not realize how they give themselves away.
Quake rattles Venezuela capital, nearby states
Fast Food Marijuana Mix Up
Batman verses Superman
Classic superhero argument continues
The answer to whether Batman can beat Superman is not as simple as you think.
Check by mail
Gaming critics get $200 in the mail
In an extreme marketing stunt for Dante's Inferno, EA mails bloggers checks.
Obama 'fires up' crowd
Obama 'fires up' crowd, rhetoric
The president warns his critics and seizes the reins of the health care debate at a rally.
This job can kill you
The deadliest professions in America
Workers in these jobs face hazards every day, from extreme weather to dangerous equipment.
Beaches and Bacteria
Dangerous bacteria found on U.S. beaches
A nasty and hard-to-treat staph germ has been discovered in sand and water for the first time.
Daily Almanac
Today is Sunday, Sept. 13, the 256th day of 2009.
There are 109 days left in the year.
Today In History September 13
There are 109 days left in the year.
Today In History September 13
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Cobourg, Ontario, Canada
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Velencia, Carabobo, Venezuela
Bremen, Bremen, Germany
Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands
Albufeira, Faro, Portugal
Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Aalst, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
as well as Scotland, and the United States
Cobourg, Ontario, Canada
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Velencia, Carabobo, Venezuela
Bremen, Bremen, Germany
Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands
Albufeira, Faro, Portugal
Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Aalst, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
as well as Scotland, and the United States
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
Calm, cool and calculated -- that's you, right? Well, that may be what you're used to being referred to as, but those may not be the adjectives used to describe you today. In fact, you may end up being called fiery, spontaneous and startling. Why hold back? Just go for it and let everyone see what you're all about.
Caution: Highly Flammable!
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