Business Technology: Fog, Smog, And Too Much Grog On The Blog

CARING IS SHARING?
Hey, Siggie--There's a New York state government official who might need to enroll in your course 'cause it looks like he might be ready to blow his top--I read the following post on the InformationWeek blog by ace security reporter Larry Greenemeier, who was there in person last week at the InfoSecurity conference: "I listened to Will Pelgrin, director of the New York state Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure, talk about the challenges he faced trying to create his office shortly after 9/11. Pelgrin was very clear that there was some resistance among state agencies to share information that could be used to improve cybersecurity. During one meeting shortly after the cybersecurity and critical infrastructure office was established, New York Gov. George Pataki told agency leaders in the room to share information with Pelgrin and his team. 'As soon as he left the room, they said, "We're not sharing anything with you,"' Pelgrin said. Excuse me? To his credit, Pelgrin noted that he's been able to win over his colleagues over time." --Posted at 11:43 by Bailey Rumpole

DESPERATELY SEEKING PROTECTION:
Hello. I, too, am concerned about cybercrime, particularly since an adviser to the U.S. Treasury Department said last week that profits from cybercrime now exceed the profits from drug trafficking. This person testified that cybercrime vigorish topped $105 billion last year, which, where I come from, is, in spite of inflation and various service charges, still a lotta money. Now it's true that some other individuals in attendance took exception to that figure--in fact, writing on threatchaos.com, a gentleman from Threat Research referred to the figure as "just total bunk," and since bunk is a concept with which I'm not exactly unfamiliar, I take that gentleman's interpretation very seriously. So I'm looking to follow the money, and if you're each willing to send me $20 a month in cash, then I and my associates will guarantee--G-A-R-R-A-N-T-Y--to protect you from crime of all sorts, be they cyber or not. Reply in "full" confidence, and I *will* be in touch. --Posted at 11:22 by Bank of America

MAGNOLIA IS *SO* RIGHT!
I just tossed my computer, printer, modem, and all those wires into the Dumpster behind the local Wal-Mart because I read about how most Americans can't tell phishing from the real thing, or even the real thing from phishing! A survey by some security group and AOL, which is my service provider and is really cool, said that 70% of us thought scam E-mails were from legitimate companies!! What's up with that? I mean, just because I've never done any banking with Bank of America, does that mean I'm supposed to just like IGNORE a message that says, "Your Bank of America account is in jeopardy?" I mean, who's the dummy here? All I wanted that computer for was to do some nice offshore online gambling, but like Magnolia, all these criminals have gotten to me. P.S.: If a Wal-Mart employee takes my computer out of the Dumpster and sells it in the store, am I entitled to some of the proceeds? --Posted at 11:18 by Beaux the Body

I LOVE YOU, TED,
even though you sometimes speak harshly. I'd suggest you enroll in a nice anger-management course I conduct, and if you don't have a car to drive there that's OK because Google just released its 483rd new product of the year: a public-transit mapping service! TechWeb News says the Google Transit Trip Planner, which is initially available only for Portland, Ore., provides directions for public transportation from a starting location to a destination, gives schedules for service, and even compares the cost of the trip with the cost of driving. Ted, this could help if road rage is one of the root causes behind your anger. --Posted at 11:01 by Sigmund "Pink" Floyd

NO, IT'S THE END OF **CLAPTRAP!!**
Dear Magnolia: I hate to pound another nail into your foo-foo psyche, but did you hear that BBN Technologies is developing open-source radio software that will maim, gut, and skin old-fashioned radio??? As Tom Claburn has reported, "software-defined radio ... shifts many of the functions of hardware into software, which can be more easily reconfigured to achieve a desired result. For example, an SDR might be able to pick up a weak transmission by changing signal-processing techniques." Now excuse me, but it's time for my raw lamb breakfast!" --Posted at 10:31 by Ted Nugent

THE END OF INNOCENCE?
Help me with my blogfunk, fellow blogospherians, because there are just too many metaphors out there about DEATH and CRIME and COFFINS and I don't know if I can take it. I mean, I thought all this techie stuff was good and pure, right? So why do the media have to describe Yahoo's new VoIP service like a crime spree? InformationWeek says the move is "putting another nail in the coffin of traditional landline telephoning" and VNU says "BT & Yahoo Launch Skype Killers." How about we declare 2006 to be The Year Of No War/Crime/Violence/Mayhem/Badness Metaphors about technology? --Posted at 10:22 by Magnolia de Belgium

Bob Evans
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