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CNN REQUESTED PERMISSION TO GO HOGWILD ON MY PC TODAY

Today I followed a link to a live video stream on CNN.com. To watch it, I had to give permission to have "Octoshape" installed on my computer.  Here's how Octoshape defines itself:

The Octoshape software utilizes a grid streaming technology. With grid streaming technology, parts of the video and audio stream you watch may be delivered to your personal computer system via the personal computer systems of other end users of the software, and the personal computer system on which you install the Software may also be used to deliver parts of the video and audio stream to other end users of the Software only while you are viewing the same respective stream.

This basically means that I'll download the stream at the same time upload the downloaded data to someone else that is requesting it.  That way CNN doesn't have to upload it to everyone that wants to see it.  The people that download the content will pass it on to other people.  It's similar to the concept behind bit torrent software.

Here's all it said about the licensing terms on that same informational page that was offered before installing the software:

By installing the Octoshape software you are granting permission for Octoshape, the website and other end users of the software to utilize and share the processor and bandwidth of your personal computer system for the limited purpose of facilitating the communication between you and other end users of the software, including Octoshape and the website, and improving bandwidth efficiency in order to provide you the content.

I didn't install it because it didn't specify that my computer would only be used to serve the data that I had specifically requested and that I would have control of how much of their data my computer would serve.  It seemed like these terms are so broad as to allow them to use my computer as a server at will.  I was only willing to pass on the content of theirs that I knowingly downloaded and only using the same amount of bandwidth as I used to download it, no more.  I decided not to install it.

I told someone about this and they linked me to a list of criticisms of this software from Wikipedia:

Octoshape has been criticized ^[7] for its "ludicrous license terms". Octoshape's EULA, amongst other things, for protection against reverse engineering the Octoshape software prohibits the user utilizing the records that their firewall or anti-virus software may record .

Other points of criticism:

• Being closed source software prevents the internal functions of the software from being publicly examined for hidden functions and other security problems.

• Shifts the broadcaster's share of the cost of bandwidth to the listeners instead by running servers on the listeners' machines.

• Octoshape reserves the right to expand the scope of what its software does on listeners' computers. ^[8]

This seems to be a common problem with software provided by large media content providers like CNN. Having a large audience, they can afford to alienate technologically savvy visitors to take advantage of the vast majority who do not understand the technology.  Content providers that built their business on the internet are generally better about having fair and clear terms of service because their initial rise in popularity depends on acceptance by people who are more familiar with the internet.  Be on the lookout for mass media content providers trying to screw you over.

GAWKER.COM INADVERTENTLY OUTS SECRET CELEBRITY PARTY PAD

Today gawker.com published a post profiling a secret NYC party pad where celebrities hang out with strippers and smoke indoors, while saying "we're not mentioning [the owner's] full name, or the location, or running any pictures that might give away either, so as not to ruin perhaps the last refuge for New York debauchery in the era of smoking bans and wealthy neighbors who expect perfect quiet downtown."

Commenter exifhunter pointed out that the GPS coordinates  (+40° 43.64′ -73° 59.62′) in the embedded EXIF data on the iPhone photo of a pickle cabinet within the apartment that the author, Ravi Somaiya, published in the story, placed it at this location.   Commenter ModernMindOfM then gave the address of the location as "12 Great Jones St. The red door under the red awning at the base of the 6 story brick building. Acme Bakery resides in front."

A number of elite Gawker star commenters were awed by exifhunter's supernatural ability to read EXIF data:

@exifhunter: Dude, I want you on my side

Pretty amazing. Somewhere Joan Allen is using his guy to find Jason Bourne.

@exifhunter: I'm just going to offer to buy the movie rights to your life right now, no questions asked.

@MisterLumpyDough: @nirreskeya: @exifhunter: Holy crap. Can you people see me right now?

REDDIT / DIGG

LOCAL TV NEWS BANTER: WHY IS IT SO WEIRD?

Whenever I see local news on TV, I pay attention to the "friendly interaction" between the anchor and the other reporter(s) sitting by them. Those little comments they make to each other about the previous report are always really weird. It's unlike any kind of human interaction you'd see anywhere else. It's like they're acting like they're making small talk, but it's totally not small talk because small talk is just something to fill up time or to show a stranger you're stuck next to that you're not an introverted creep thinking about how much you resent them encroaching on your personal space. I suppose it's because local news is targeted at people that don't pay attention to what words mean but how they sound, but if you're not part of this target audience, it does seem really freaking weird. Take this for example:


With most things, you don't get them when you first see them, but the more you see them the more you get it, because you learn about stuff and things make sense as you grow up. Local news though is something that seemed normal to me when I'd watch it as a kid, but the older I get the more it freaks me out. I'm not even so sure that it's these odd asides themselves that are so strange; maybe what's alienating me is the blatant realization that there's an audience for them.

Have you also noticed this? Do you even ever watch the local news? What is the anchor in that video talking about?

DAVID CARRADINE KILLS HIMSELF JERKING OFF, MEDIA MOPS UP

According to media reports, actor David Carradine died in Bangkok last night or this morning at the age of 72. He was found in his hotel closet. While earlier reports from the U.K. mentioned rope tied around his genitals and his neck, the stories have since been sanitized of all mention of his genitalia and the implication of auto-erotic asphyxiation. Compare the following screen captures of the story from bbc.co.uk taken 61 minutes apart:

In fact, there was an intermediate edit between the two versions above that only mentioned the cord being around his neck (Sorry, no screencap.) Compare also the following two versions of this story at telegraph.co.uk, both marked "Published: 3:34PM BST 04 Jun 2009".

Reports in the U.S. media are even shorter on details such as the story at abclocal.go.com, which initially reported Carradine's agent suggesting that he had died of natural causes.

Carradine was best known for his work on the TV series Kung Fu and a number of movies including Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Kill Bill Vol. 2. He is survived by his wife Annie Bierman and their three children.

UPDATE (16:26 04 June 2009): Commenter friendlyfires on thesuperficial.com makes some interesting points about Carradine's death and says author David Foster Wallace died of auto-erotic asphyxiation and it was covered up as a suicide. UPDATE (19:08 04 June 2009): While most other media outlets are just hiding the details of the incident, Fox News is trying to sell this as a suicide despite all the evidence against it. Who commits suicide half-naked with rope around their dong? UPDATE (04:42 04 June 2009): The Huffington Post has a good article about what happened.

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FOX NEWS' AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED TRANSCRIPT MAY NOT BE 100% ACCURATE

Screen capture
Original page

CHRONIC MASTURBATORS DEMAND PUNISHMENT FOR JOURNALIST REPORTING ON LEAKED WOLVERINE FILM

RopeOfSilicon.com decided on April 3 that a review of the leaked copy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine was not just news you did not need, but news that should not have been published by anyone. Site owner Bret Brevet called for FoxNews.com to fine (LOL) Roger Friedman for writing one. Personally, I prefer my movie news from a source that just prints all the news and lets me decide whether I want to read it or not. I don't know if this Brevet guy is a shill for the MPAA or if censorship is just a hobby for him, but calling his site "your one stop shop for everything movie related [emphasis mine] on the Internet [sic]," points to his aspirations of Stalinist flackdom. Characterizing his own cry to punish a journalist as "news" is an exercise in Orwellian doublespeak. Variety.com reports that this is coming amidst a wave of lobbying for Friedman's dismissal from "the fanboy blogging community," which to me sounds like a bunch of bedwetters in search of a mother figure to protect their childish fantasies. This community includes David Poland at The Hot Blog, aintitcool.com (noitsreallylame.com), and Josh Tyler at CinemaBlend.com (who actually posted a picture of a crucified Wolverine to accompany his tearful rage.) As of this moment, there have been conflicting reports from Fox News and it's parent company, News Corp, about whether Friedman has been fired or not. Friedman's original article has been deleted from FoxNews.com but a screen capture can be seen here. UPDATE (12:53 06 April 2009): A more readable screen capture can be seen at Chud.com.

DIGG THIS STORY

WHO'S LYING ABOUT THE ALLEGED ASHLEY BIDEN COCAINE VIDEO: RADARONLINE OR NY POST?

On March 28, RadarOnline.com reported a "WORLD EXCLUSIVE" story of a video being shopped around of a woman alleged to be Ashley Biden, Vice-President Biden's daughter, doing cocaine. They wrote, " In addition to RadarOnline.com, representatives for the New York Post, a large British newspaper and the National Enquirer have all viewed the tape." The same article says, "The tape was made without her knowledge." March 30, RadarOnline.com wrote, "The explosive video . . . was shot with a hidden camera, RadarOnline.com has learned," implying that they received additional information without naming a source. "Our viewing of portions of the tape is consistent with that. The low, tilted angle of the camera and the actions of the woman both indicate the camera was not in plain view." They are also reporting that the lawyer has dropped the client because "he did not want to be involved due to circumstances surrounding the publicity of the matter." Today, March 31, RadarOnline.com reports they have "learned exclusively" that the video was preplanned as a setup. "It is clear from the tape that the woman said to be Ashley Biden does not know she is being filmed," they say. The New York Post however has been reporting that, "The camera follows the woman from a few feet away, focusing on her as she moves around the room. It appears not to be concealed." Keep in mind that a camera that tracks a moving person requires a human operator to control it. The New York Post also says the seller's lawyers at the time claimed that she "acknowledges the camera in a way that makes it clear she knows she's being recorded, . . . waving at it during a part of the video not shown to The Post." Why is there a discrepancy between the two reports despite both media outlets having viewed the same footage? Is it "clear from the tape that the woman . . . does not know she is being filmed," as RadarOnline.com says or does it appear "not to be concealed?" as The New York Times says. If RadarOnline.com saw the video originally, how and where did they they "learn" two days later that the camera was hidden? Was it from Biden's lawyer or someone much more powerful? Did this person also persuade the video seller's lawyer to quit as well?

UPDATE (22:53 31 March 2009): This story just hit digg! UPDATE (15:04 01 April 2009): Neither Ashley Biden nor her father have made any comments about the tape, which gives the impression that it is authentic. The story has been out of the news for a day now.

WHY OLD MEDIA IS DYING

They don't provide URLs or links to what they're writing about whenever they are writing about something posted on the internet.