Need To Know 2002-07-12

archive

"Other designers too, such as Lateral chairman Jon Bains, say online design rip-offs are common. 'A lot of the stuff we did for Levi's is now being abused,' he says." - some of us remember abusing it fairly heavily at the time http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediaguardian/story/0,7558,751048,00.html >> HARD NEWS << in powers of two Nice to see, in the midst of all these scandals, Yahoo turning a healthy profit. But as other companies fiddle the figures, Yahoo's been busy instead with fiddling its own users' private correspondence. In a fantastically clumsy attempt to prevent cross-site scripting attacks, the free e-mail wing of the sprawling giant has long been replacing complete English words in the text of HTML mail sent to its users. Mention "mocha" in an HTML mail to a friend with a @yahoo.com account, and your choice in coffee will be silently switched to "espresso". Talk about "free expression", and your recipient will think you said "free statement". Here's the full list of swaperoos: http://www.ntk.net/2002/07/12/yahoo.txt - try not to mail it to your friends This fiddling has been going on now for over a year year (the ever vigilant RISKS digest noted it back in March 2001). But because of Yahoo's underhand methods, very few people have spotted the turnabout - certainly far fewer than if Yahoo had done the sensible thing and, say, "**"'ed out the vowels in the word, or, God forbid, written a smarter parser. But the sneakier you are, the wider the damage spreads. The word "medieval" (since it contains the javascript command "eval") is converted in Yahoo mail to "medireview". Google now shows over 640 sites (and 1,150 separate instances) of the word "medireview" being used as a synonym for medieval. University papers, bibliographies and book reviews, Indian newspaper columnists, and endless enthusiast sites drop it unseen into texts. People have begun to ask where it originally came from, and does it have a subtler meaning beyond "medieval"? Is Yahoo ever going to fix its filters? Or is it time we pushed to get the first regexp-obfuscated word into the Oxford English Dictionary? http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/21.34.html - does anyone still at Yahoo even know how to turn it off? http://www.google.com/search?q=medireview - NTK now entirely filled with google links That's not to say the e-commerce sector is any better with the numeric wing of alphanumerics. Rivalling last week's $3 billion bill for a Google text ad campaign, two NTK readers spotted AMAZON.CO.UK apparently "writing off" sums in the region of 900 trillion pounds as "Totals before VAT" on purchases as innocuous as a RedHat CD-ROM and DVDs of "Brass Eye" and "The Simpsons". It's possible an older evil may be at work here: both incidents follow an occasion when an unsuspecting customer appeared to have been charged a cool 3 million for a copy of "Cthulhu By Gaslight", and the uncountable horrors contained therein. On a lighter note, we have one unconfirmed report of NATWEST taking a leaf out of Dr Evil's book on Thu 2002-06-27, when its automated credit card phone system would cheerfully announce recent transactions such as "8th March: One Hundred Billion Pounds. 8th March: Eight Pounds 47. 8th March: One Hundred Billion Pounds." If that's not a boost to consumer confidence, we really don't know what is. http://www.ntk.net/2002/07/12/doham1.gif http://www.ntk.net/2002/07/12/doham2.gif http://www.ntk.net/2002/07/12/doham3.gif - you want loyalty points with that? >> ANTI-NEWS << berating the obvious now in its third incredible month, PUERILE GOOGLE MISSPELLINGS AHOY: http://www.google.com/search?q=%22pubic+holiday%22 - plus "pubic convenience", "open to the pubic", "cumputer", http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=FP_DumpError%20strErrorUrl , "wank to know", and the perhaps not-particularly-clairvoyant: http://www.google.com/search?num=1&query=%22remember+to+edit+this%22 ... one of these "men's pants" is not like the others...: http://www.ntk.net/2002/07/12/dohdeb.gif ... Nathan Barley Outfitters Ltd: http://www.ntk.net/2002/07/12/dohgit.gif ... "Casual footwear can mean casual attitudes", President warns: http://www.ntk.net/2002/07/12/dohsan.gif ... ... first paragraph of http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/NTKisSkill/2094374.stm imitates the last of: http://physicsweb.org/article/world/11/2/9/1 ... VENABLES "under the microscope" - a microscope ON DRUGS: http://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/news/072002/08/venables_quiz.shtml ... >> EVENT QUEUE << goto's considered non-harmful It's the epic NTK vs "EDGE" showdown that's been brewing since the dawn of time - plus C64 tribute band PRESS PLAY ON TAPE, JOHNNY BALL, WILL SELF, and the KLF's BILL DRUMMOND. Well, not all on the same bill, disappointingly, but contributing to different events during the course of THE CLERKENWELL LITERARY FESTIVAL (from Tue 2002-07-16, area around Farringdon tube station, London EC1). We particularly recommend: NTK's "DAVE GREEN" perversely opposing the motion CAN COMPUTERS TELL STORIES? (6.30pm, Tue 2002-07-16, Tardis Studios, 54 Turnmill St, UKP5), versus the likes of CHARLES "Revolution Software" CECIL, JAMES "Hogshead" WALLIS and the guy from Edge - also features sale of old NTK t-shirt stock at amazing knock-down prices. Wed is C64 night, with BEN "Gremlin Graphics" DAGLISH introducing the sensual sounds of the SID chip, as recreated by Swedish cover maestros PRESS PLAY ON TAPE (6pm, Wed 2002- 07-17, The Gallery, 77 Cowcross St, UKP10 - includes, while stocks last, free posters, bags and CDs). Then you are instructed to "bunk off early" for THE HISTORY OF COMPUTER GAMES PUB QUIZ (4pm, Fri 2002-07-19, The Surprise, 28-32 Bowling Green Lane, free), hosted by ADAM "The Adam And Joe Show" BUXTON, and featuring NTK's vocal impersonations of classic videogaming moments, plus your chance to win that timeless icon of retro-credibility, the Sony PlayStation 2. http://www.idler.co.uk/html/frontsection/events.htm - Theremins! Board games! And "Is God A Cunt?" http://www.ntk.net/index.cgi?b=01998-06-26&l=95#l http://www.ntk.net/index.cgi?b=01997-10-17&l=145#l - ah, those were the days... >> TRACKING << sufficiently advanced technology : the gathering The world is divided between those who keep their mail on the server, and those who frantically POP3 it down as soon as they hear a TCP/IP dial-tone. And no-one is happy, because the serveroids are screwed whenever they'ree offline, and the POPpers are fisted whenever they stray from their local copies. And God help those of us in-between, frantically trying to sync their IMAP folders with their local copies. And so God has, in His mysterious way. OFFLINEIMAP is a great IMAP synching program written in Python 2.2. Point it at an IMAP account, and it'll bidirectionally sync every folder it can find with a local copy. That means you can happily gulp down all your mail to your laptop, reply, delete, transfer, and flag them offline, and at the next sync your IMAP folder will reflect the new truths. The only downside is that offlineimap saves the local copy in Dan "Closer to God than thou" Bernstein'ss Maildir format. Very secure, but a bit scantily supported by mail readers. Mutt will do it, as will Balsa and (we think) Pine. For others, you may want to consider running courier-imap and using your local machine as your new IMAP server. Twisted, but we're sure God would approve. http://gopher.quux.org:70/devel/offlineimap - bloody-mindedly gopher-compatible. May be Satan. May eat your mail. >> MEMEPOOL << ceci n'est pas une http://www.gagpipe.com/ http://www.framleyexaminer.com/ book deal... When Audiophiles Attack #3 - digital interconnects *don't* all sound the same: http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/review_list.asp?category=CAB&subcategory=DIGTL ... (intentionally humorous) Open Source development How-To: http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=35668&cid=3851076 ... vs Linux advocacy How-To: http://24.221.230.253/ ... proudly naturist "TIVO logo should never be depicted wearing clothing or costumes (like Santa hats or Hawaiian skirts)", rules reveal: http://www.tivo.com/flash.asp?page=entertain_wallpaper ... http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,754228,00.html imitates: http://www.theonion.com/onion3218/gaymuppet.html ... because it seems like literally weeks since we last ran one of these: http://www.classicgaming.com/blackeyesoftware/pr0n/ ... Orange or Blue? O2 or O-Town? T-Mobile or N-Sync? Three or Five? Is it just us, or is it getting harder to tell the difference between mobile networks and boy bands nowadays?... >> GEEK MEDIA << get out less TV>> ANNA IN WONDERLAND (10.30pm, Fri, BBC Choice) meets the "Furries" which, as we all know, is not a fetish, but a valid lifestyle: http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/35/25807.html ... brief Drew Barrymore nudity enlivens female-bonding Whoopi Goldberg/ Mary-Louise Parker road trip BOYS ON THE SIDE (12.20am, Fri, BBC2)... and crikey, mates, it's DEADLY DRAGONS WITH STEVE IRWIN (1.10pm, Sat, ITV)... a winning mix of mild titillation and TV nostalgia constitutes SPORT RELIEF (from 7pm, Sat, BBC1)... alternative fund-raising suggestions come courtesy of docu-drama THE GREAT DOME ROBBERY (9.55pm, Sat, C5)... and a local swami makes fun of the protagonist's hairgel in an even more self-referential than usual ANGEL (10.35pm, Sat, C4)... plenty of plot holes, factual errors, cheesy Kirk acting in STAR TREK: GENERATIONS (1pm, Sun, BBC1): http://uk.imdb.com/Goofs?0111280 ... there's alleged full- frontal nudity from both David Bowie and Rip "Larry Sanders Show" Torn in the glacially unwatchable THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH (11.30pm, Sun, BBC2)... Sunday night is shaping up as a popular slot for supposed "making of" electronic press kit promos like SEEING THE FUTURE: SPIELBERG'S MINORITY REPORT (11.40pm, Sun, C4) - but with added Philip K Dick craziness... and a stubborn local mayor ignores warnings, refuses to cancel festivities in METERORITES! (10.50am, Mon, BBC2)... Kyle "Dune Guy" MacLachlan inadvertently remakes "Big John, Little John" in made-for-TV movie THE SPRING (9pm, Mon, C5)... Iain Lee - who knows a thing or two about career-limiting moves - hosts MY WORST WEEK (10.35pm, Tue, BBC1) on George Michael's brief return to the public eye... and of course OJ Simpson had to be "discredited" after spilling the beans about the faked moon landings in CAPRICORN ONE (11pm, Tue, ITV)... THE WATERBOY (9pm, Tue, C5) is one of the few retarded Adam Sandler movies not parodied by the startling http://www.kerrap.co.uk/ ... NTK reader Stevan Keane maintains there's an innuendo about "Oriel Six" in the largely tedious early episodes of STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE (6pm, Wed & Thu, C4)... and set your videos for amusing RIAA remix soundbites in The Money Programme's typically unsensationalised ATTACK OF THE CYBER PIRATES (7.30pm, Wed, BBC2)... FILM>> Paul "Mortal Kombat, Event Horizon" Anderson resurrects a competent but uninspired adaptation - right down to the bad acting and dialogue - of survival horror original RESIDENT EVIL ( http://www.cndb.com/movie.html?title=Resident+Evil : a very brief shot of [Milla Jovovich's] nipple near the beginning as she gets out of a tub. At the very end she gets up off a table with a little white gown covering her front and back, as she kneels down you see some lower nudity [...] This makes the DVD a must buy)... Anthony Hopkins is reunited with the "it puts the lotion on its skin" girl, Chris Rock notably fails to comment on Hopkins being called "Gaylord" in jovial "Beverley Hills Cop"/ "The Sum Of All Fears" spy hybrid BAD COMPANY ( http://www.capalert.com/capreports/badcompany.htm : women as sex toys; picture nudity; female nudity behind steamed shower doors; multiple deaths by gunfire; illegal sales, scalping)... "Gattaca's" Ethan Hakwe and Uma Thurman team up again in Richard "Slacker" Linklater's experimental digging-up-the-past containment drama TAPE (imdb: date-rape/ film-maker/ human-relationship/ motel/ highschool/ obsession/ reunion/ secret)... making this week's surprise recommendation the reassuringly unreverential part-CGI remake SCOOBY DOO ( http://www.screenit.com/movies/2002/scooby-doo.html : [Sarah Michelle Gellar] and [Isla "Home And Away" Fisher] show varying amounts of cleavage; [LINDA "Freaks And Geeks" Cardellini] briefly also shows a moderate amount of cleavage; Scrappy Doo - a small talking dog - urinates on Daphne's clothing; kids could be enticed to talk like Scooby-Doo)... >> SMALL PRINT << Need to Know is a useful and interesting UK digest of things that happened last week or might happen next week. You can read it on Friday afternoon or print it out then take it home if you have nothing better to do. It is compiled by NTK from stuff they get sent. Registered at the Post Office as "poetically licensed" http://www.perl.com/pub/a/2002/07/p6pdigest/20020702.html NEED TO KNOW THEY STOLE OUR REVOLUTION. NOW WE'RE STEALING IT BACK. Archive - http://www.ntk.net/ Unsubscribe? Mail ntknow-unsubscribe@lists.ntk.net Subscribe? Mail ntknow-subscribe@lists.ntk.net NTK now is supported by UNFORTU.NET, and by you: http://www.geekstyle.co.uk/ (K) 2002 Special Projects. Copying is fine, but include URL: http://www.ntk.net/ Tips, news and gossip to tips@spesh.com All communication is for publication, unless you beg. Press releases from naive PR people to pr@spesh.com Remember: Your work email may be monitored if sending sensitive material. Sending >500KB attachments is forbidden by the Geneva Convention. Your country may be at risk if you fail to comply.