(False) Pretexting

Ok, for the sake of argument, I'll at least consider the possibility that, as investigators quoted in This article claim, there may be legitimate uses of 'pretexting' -- frankly, I prefer the terms 'lying' or 'deception', but those are emotionally-charged. Notably, though, it's never stated in what ways this is needed. Can anyone out there explain why anyone should have to lie outright to get personal information, and how there isn't some less-deceitful way of obtaining the same information? The only end that grabs me as legitimate at all is the missing child bit, but even then I've never been a fan of 'ends justify the means' ethics.

Thoughts?

Sobots

The idea of Sobots excites and frightens me at the same time, for the same reasons.

This seems like some pseudo-scientific summoning ritual; I like that:

In reality, Rity can't do much yet. On this day the scientists have a hard time just getting him to appear. They're gathered around a big-screen TV that sits like a living room centerpiece along one wall of the lab. A grad student is mugging for a mounted camera, which is supposed to recognize his face and summon his Rity. But nothing is happening.

This is really unimportant.

So, for better or worse, I have kind of a soft spot for Lindsay Lohan. And I'm sure my history as being the kid that was picked on at school doesn't hurt. But This Stuff about the media giving her a hard time and harassing her about a message she sent upon hearing about the death of one of her old producers just sounds so much like the cool kids making fun of someone for being human. It's not unheard of for someone who's distraught to misspell things, and when you're overcome by emotion you're not so much paying attention to what you're saying or how you're saying it, just that it's being said.

Anyways. I just think the harpies need to lay off a bit and let a 20-year old girl be a 20-year old girl.

Now I want to take a Net.Culture.History class...

OK, so This is probably old news to a lot of people out there, but it's fascinating and almost-fresh to a guy like me. For example, I've heard the term "net-dwellers" before, but not "net.dwellers," which is a very small difference but opens up a whole new level of understanding (etymologically-like) when you know the structure of IRC and old-style newsgroups.

The first form I heard Godwin's Law in was, in fact, "once a discussion reaches a comparison to Nazis or Hitler its usefulness is over," which wasn't it's original wording but was, it seems, it's original intent.

The one who will find this least ground-breaking: Nick, who's been a feature of the Internet longer than anyone I know, by my estimation.

Lj Spam: Pan's Labyrinth

I kind of want to see This.