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      Capitol insurrection was recipe for COVID superspreader event

      Beth Mole · news.movim.eu / ArsTechnica · Thursday, 7 January, 2021 - 19:28 · 1 minute

    A mask is left behind in a hallway at the US Capitol January 7, 2021, in Washington, DC. The US Congress has finished the certification for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris

    Enlarge / A mask is left behind in a hallway at the US Capitol January 7, 2021, in Washington, DC. The US Congress has finished the certification for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' Electoral College win after pro-Trump mobs stormed the Capitol and temporarily stopped the process. (credit: Getty | Alex Wong )

    Yesterday's disgraceful and violent insurrection will stand as one of the darkest moments in American history. But it could also be yet another dark point in the ongoing pandemic, which—in case you got distracted—is still spreading out of control and devastating much of the country.

    As marauders entered the United States Capitol building Wednesday, health officials around the country logged more than 243,000 new cases of COVID-19. Hospitals tallied nearly 132,500 COVID-19 patients in their beds. And at least 3,793 American lost their lives to the pandemic virus. With surge upon surge of disease, over 21 million people in the US have been infected and over 352,000 loved ones are dead.

    Fuel on the inferno

    The pandemic did not pause for those in the District of Columbia on Wednesday. Like many places, Washington has seen an increase in cases and deaths amid winter holidays. During the president's insurrection, the capital reported 316 new cases—a sharp rise from the seven-day rolling average of 86 new cases per day logged on November 1. There were also five new deaths Wednesday, up from an average of one November 1. Overall, the city of more than 700,000 residents has reported a total of nearly 30,500 cases and over 800 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

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      rC3 Call for Subtitlers

      percidae · pubsub.movim.eu / CCCEvent · Wednesday, 6 January, 2021 - 16:18 · 3 minutes

    English version below

    C3Subtitles?!

    Hat dich im Lockdown die Langeweile und die Sehnsucht nach Chaos Events gepackt? Sitzt du daheim und schaust sehnsüchtig die Talks vom rC3 und vergangenen Chaos Veranstaltungen?
    Bring ein bisschen Congress zu dir nach Hause, wie beim rC3, und bringe dich ein, die Qualität und Barrierefreiheit der CCC-Aufzeichnungen zu verbessern! Du kannst jederzeit von Zuhause aus an Untertiteln für die Recordings arbeiten. So lange oder kurz du möchtest!

    Wie geht das?
    Die Transkripte sind software-autogeneriert und werden von Dir in einem Etherpad verbessert. Aufgrund von Akzenten der Speaker und Fachvokabular ist das dringend notwendig.
    Danach folgt wieder ein automatisierter Schritt: Das Timing der Subtitles. Auch dieses Ergebnis wird von Dir geprüft. Danach sind die Untertitel fertig!

    Genauere Beschreibungen und Anleitungen findest Du im C3Subtitles Wiki . Den aktuellen Status der Untertitel findest du auf c3subtitles.de .

    Bei Fragen wende dich an die unten genannten Kontaktwege.

    Du brauchst Untertitel? Lass uns wissen, welche Talks dich interessieren!

    Was ist mit Untertiteln für andere Bühnen?

    Du gehörst zu einer Organisation / Erfa / Hackerspace (Chaos-West, WikiPaka, ChaosTrawler, Chaoszone, Sendezentrum, Bitwäscherei Zürich, c-base, hacc München, OIO, Chaosstudio Hamburg – und alle anderen) die auf Events (rc3 und andere) Videos recorded und veröffentlich hat?
    Du möchtest, dass diese barrierefreier zugänglich sind und ihr sie mit Untertiteln versehen könnt? Dann melde dich bei uns!
    Schreib uns an, am besten via Rocket-Chat in #subtitles oder auf einem anderen Weg, siehe unten.
    Was du dafür brauchst:

    • Eine Kontaktperson für uns
    • Eine Fahrplandatei (wenn die nicht exisitert finden wir trotzdem einen Weg)
    • Öffentlich zugängliche Video-Dateien
    • Motivation, um Barrierefreiheit selbst in die Hand zu nehmen

    (Spoiler: Wer schnell ist, bekommt für die Talks noch gute Trint-Transkripte! Noch haben wir Credits!)

    Übrigens: Untertitel haben auch den Vorteil, dass man damit Videos maschinendurchsuchbar macht! Such mal nach “war das perfekte Argument dabei..” ! Media kann das bereits: schau ab Minute 14 in media.ccc.de/v/rc3-11583-rc3_eroffnung .

    Kontakt:


    English Version:

    C3Subtitles?!

    Have you been hit by lockdown, you’re bored and you are craving for more chaos event feeling? Are you sitting at home and watching recorded Talks from rC3 and past Chaos events?
    Bring a little bit of rC3 to your home and help with improving quality and accessibility of the CCC recordings! You can work on the subtitles from the comfort of your home, as long or as short as you like to!

    How does this work?
    The transcripts are generated automatically by speech recognition software and improved and corrected by you. Since talks contain lots of domain-specific terms and may have speakers with heavy accents, this is very much necessary. The next step is again automated: aligning the subtitles to the audio. Again, the result of this process is verified by you. Afterwards, the subtitles are finished!

    For a more in-depth description and how-tos, take a look at c3subtitles Wiki. You can find the current status of any talk in our database on c3subtitles.de .

    If you have any questions, contact us via any of the channels below!

    You need subtitles? Let us know which talks you are interested in!

    What if I want subtitles for a different stage?

    You are part of an organisation / Erfa / Hackerspace (Chaos-West, WikiPaka, ChaosTrawler, Chaoszone, Sendezentrum, Bitwäscherei Zürich, c-base, hacc München, OIO, Chaosstudio – and all the others) which recorded and published videos during rC3?
    And you would like to improve accessability of your talks via subtitles.
    Send us a message via Rocket-Chat in #subtitles or another way, see below:
    What do you need:

    • A contact person for us,
    • A file containing a Fahrplan-File,
    • Publicly available videos, and
    • Motivation to take accessability into your own hands

    (Spoiler: the faster you are, the higher the chance for automatically generated transcripts by Trint – we still have credits!)

    By the way: With subtitles you can make the video content machines searchable! Search for this query on media: “war das perfekte Argument dabei..” ! Media can already do that: Check 14 minutes in on media.ccc.de/v/rc3-11583-rc3_eroffnung .

    Contact:

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      Call for Interpreters: translate #rC3!

      sebalis · pubsub.movim.eu / CCCEvent · Friday, 18 December, 2020 - 11:04 · 4 minutes

    [Deutsche Version: unten]

    If you are multilingual and fluent in German, English and maybe other languages, please consider joining the translation team.

    We want to interpret ALL talks in the two main channels and content from other channels too, live and in real time. Our work is transmitted live in the streams, and recordings are published on CCC sites and YouTube. For each event we have two channels for interpreted content. In the first, German talks are interpreted into English, and vice versa. A second translation channel translates into languages other than English or German – what we do there depends on availability and on the interests of the group, and maybe on the specific event.

    That is a lot of material to translate and in order to succeed, we need YOU. With the second channel, you have the chance to contribute in an even more special way if you can interpret into another interesting language (from English or German). We have mostly used French and Spanish up to now, but there were others and we are interested in variety, so let us know what you can offer – especially if you can bring along a few interpreters for the same target language. Sometimes we might even use the second channel for interesting things that are not (strictly) translations.

    Don’t be shy. If you are uncertain whether you’re good enough, chances are that you’ll do just fine. We will try to look after you as best we can in these strange times.

    Simply send an email to translate-subscribe(at)lists.ccc.de and write a quick intro to the mailing list after you’ve completed your subscription. Also sign up as a translation angel at https://engelsystem.de/rc3 and give the system permission to send you emails. Most importantly, join one of our online meetings.

    You need a Mumble client to take part in our meetings and to do the actual work, so set this up as much as you can. Some details can be found at https://wiki.c3lingo.org/divoc . Then follow the mailing list for meeting announcements. This year we recommend that you join a meeting before day 0, but there will be an official kick-off on that day as well

    So please, take this chance and help us bring rC3 to an even wider international audience.

    Microposts can be found at on Twitter at @c3lingo and #c3t and  on Mastodon at chaos.social/@c3lingo – but don’t expect quicker answers there, our social media team is virtually dormant.

    We look forward to welcoming you!


    [English version: above]

    Wenn du mehrsprachig bist und flüssig Deutsch, Englisch und eventuell weitere Sprachen sprichst, dann würden wir dich gerne in unserem Übersetzungsteam begrüßen.

    Wir dolmetschen ALLE Vorträge in den zwei Haupt-Kanälen und Content aus anderen Kanälen live. Unsere Arbeit wird ins Internet gestreamt und Aufzeichnungen werden auf CCC-Servern sowie auf YouTube veröffentlicht. Für jede Veranstaltung haben wir zwei Kanäle für Übersetzungen. Im ersten Kanal werden Talks von Deutsch nach Englisch übersetzt und umgekehrt. Im zweiten Kanal übersetzen wir in andere Sprachen als Deutsch und Englisch – was wir dort machen, hängt davon ab, wen wir im Team haben, von unseren Interessen und vielleicht auch von dem jeweiligen Event.

    Es gibt also viel zu übersetzen, und dafür brauchen wir DICH. Im zweiten Kanal hast du die Gelegenheit, einen besonderen Beitrag zu leisten, wenn du in eine andere interessante Sprache übersetzen kannst (von Englisch oder Deutsch). Meistens haben wir bisher Französisch und Spanisch verwendet, aber es gab auch anderes und wir sind an an Vielfalt interessiert. Wenn du also etwas anbieten kannst, sag einfach Bescheid – besonders dann, wenn du einige Dolmetscher·innen für die gleiche Zielsprache mitbringen kannst. Manchmal werden wir den zweiten Kanal vielleicht sogar für interessante Dinge verwenden, die nicht Übersetzungen (im engeren Sinn) sind.

    Trau dich. Wenn du dich fragst, ob du gut genug bist, wirst du wahrscheinlich gut klarkommen. Wir versuchen, uns gut um dich zu kümmern in diesen seltsamen Zeiten.

    Schicke einfach eine E-Mail an translate-subscribe(at)lists.ccc.de und schreibe eine kurze Vorstellungsmail an die Liste, wenn du fertig eingetragen bist. Registriere dich außerdem als Übersetzungsengel auf https://engelsystem.de/rc3 und erlaube dem System, dir Mails zu schicken. Und, noch wichtiger, nimm an einem unserer Online-Treffen teil.

    Du brauchst einen Mumble-Client für unsere Meetings und auch für die eigentliche Arbeit, also setze das schon auf, so gut du kannst. Weitere Infos zum Setup gibt es in https://wiki.c3lingo.org/divoc . Achte auf die Mailingliste für Meeting-Termine. Dieses Jahr empfehlen wir, dass du schon vor dem Tag 0 ein Meeting mitmachst, aber es wird an dem Tag auch ein offizielles Kick-Off-Meeting geben.

    Also, nimm bitte diese Chance wahr und hilf uns, rC3 für ein noch größeres internationales Publikum zugänglich zu machen.

    Microposts von uns gibt es auf Twitter unter @c3lingo and #c3t und auf Mastodon unter chaos.social/@c3lingo – aber erwartet dort keine schnelleren Antworten, unser Social-Media-Team ist mehr oder weniger im Ruhezustand.

    Wir freuen uns darauf, euch zu begrüßen!

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      Here’s what we learned from that massive House antitrust report

      Kate Cox · news.movim.eu / ArsTechnica · Wednesday, 7 October, 2020 - 20:16 · 1 minute

    The United States Capitol Building, the seat of Congress, on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

    Enlarge / The United States Capitol Building, the seat of Congress, on the National Mall in Washington, DC. (credit: Omar Chatriwala | Getty Images )

    Last June, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law began an in-depth investigation into four major firms—Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. The subcommittee wanted to answer one key question: did Big Tech get big playing by the rules, or do it cheat to stay at the top? After 16 months of hearings, research, and analysis, the panel's findings are out... and the results look really bad for every company involved.

    The tech sector does indeed suffer from abuses of "monopoly power," the subcommittee concluded in the mammoth 450-page report ( PDF ) published late yesterday afternoon.

    "As they exist today, Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook each possess significant market power over large swaths of our economy. In recent years, each company has expanded and exploited their power of the marketplace in anticompetitive ways," Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and antitrust subcommittee Chairman David Cicilline (D-R.I.) said in a joint statement. "Our investigation leaves no doubt that there is a clear and compelling need for Congress and the antitrust enforcement agencies to take action that restores competition, improves innovation, and safeguards our democracy."

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      Trump admin. sends Congress its blueprint for weakening Section 230

      Kate Cox · news.movim.eu / ArsTechnica · Wednesday, 23 September, 2020 - 20:30

    Cartoon hands hold out a band-aid over the words Section 230.

    Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson / Getty Images )

    The Department of Justice today dropped a proposed "recalibration" of one of the most important laws governing the US Internet into Congress's lap and urged legislators to act to remove a liability protection on which nearly every website and app currently relies.

    Attorney General Bill Barr sent the proposed legislation—an extension of his June wish list —to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence (in his role as President of the Senate) this morning.

    "For too long Section 230 has provided a shield for online platforms to operate with impunity," Barr said in a written statement. "Ensuring that the internet is a safe, but also vibrant, open, and competitive environment is vitally important to America," he added. "We therefore urge Congress to make these necessary reforms to Section 230 and begin to hold online platforms accountable both when they unlawfully censor speech and when they knowingly facilitate criminal activity online."

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      $100 billion “universal fiber” plan proposed by Democrats in Congress

      Jon Brodkin · news.movim.eu / ArsTechnica · Thursday, 25 June, 2020 - 18:00

    A US map with lines representing communications networks.

    Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | metamorworks )

    House Democrats yesterday unveiled a $100 billion broadband plan that's gaining quick support from consumer advocates.

    "The House has a universal fiber broadband plan we should get behind," Electronic Frontier Foundation Senior Legislative Counsel Ernesto Falcon wrote in a blog post . House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC.) announced the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act , saying it has more than 30 co-sponsors and "invests $100 billion to build high-speed broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved communities and ensure that the resulting Internet service is affordable." The bill text is available here .

    In addition to federal funding for broadband networks with speeds of at least 100Mbps downstream and upstream, the bill would eliminate state laws that prevent the growth of municipal broadband. There are currently 19 states with such laws. The Clyburn legislation targets those states with this provision:

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      Aktueller Stand zum 37C3

      ST · pubsub.movim.eu / CCCEvent · Saturday, 6 June, 2020 - 00:49 · 2 minutes

    English version below

    TL;DR: Ob und wie der Congress in diesem Jahr stattfinden wird, wissen wir wahrscheinlich erst im Oktober. Wenn er stattfindet, dann in Leipzig.

    Liebe Community,

    das Jahr 2020 ist bisher für die meisten unter uns ein sehr chaotisches Jahr. Bis zum 37C3 ist noch ein halbes Jahr Zeit. Aufgrund der aktuellen Lage, um Gerüchten vorzubeugen und damit ihr euch auf die momentan denkbaren Situationen einstellen könnt, möchten wir transparent sein.

    Die Planungen für den 37C3 haben begonnen. Nach ersten Gesprächen stellte sich heraus, dass die Messe Leipzig auch in diesem Jahr die einzig sinnvolle Option für den Congress ist. Das bedeutet: Wenn der 37C3 als Präsenzveranstaltung stattfindet, wird der Austragungsort Leipzig sein.

    Aktuell ist es nicht abschätzbar, ob und in welcher Form ein 37C3 in diesem Jahr durchführbar ist. Selbst wenn es rechtlich möglich werden sollte, wissen wir um die besondere Verantwortung unseren Teilnehmenden gegenüber. Um dieser Verantwortung gerecht zu werden, wird unser CERT maßgeblich bei der Bewertung der Situation einbezogen.

    Wir rechnen damit, dass die Lage spätestens im Oktober klar genug sein wird, um sinnvoll bewerten zu können, ob der 37C3 als Präsenzveranstaltung stattfinden kann. Das bedeutet ausdrücklich, dass wir uns alle Optionen offenhalten müssen – inklusive eines 37C3 erst im nächsten Jahr. Sobald es eine endgültige Entscheidung gibt, wird diese hier in diesem Blog veröffentlicht.

    Bleibt gesund!


    English version:

    37C3: current status

    TL;DR: We will probably know in October whether and how the Congress will take place in Leipzig this year.

    Dear Community.

    This year so far has been a very chaotic one for most of us. The future, as we saw in March, can change faster than we would like to imagine. There is still half a year until the usual congress date, but because of our current situation and in order to prevent rumours, we want to be transparent this year, so that you can adapt to different situations.

    The initial planning for a 37C3 has begun. After initial talks it became clear that Leipzig Trade Fair is the only reasonable option for us this year. This means that the 37C3 will take place in Leipzig – if it does as a physical event.

    At the moment we cannot assess whether the 37C3 is feasible at all. Even if it should become legally possible, we know about the special responsibility towards our participants. In order to fulfil this responsibility, our CERT is involved in the evaluation of the situation.

    We expect the situation to be clear enough by October at the latest to make a reasonable decision for this event. This explicitly means that we must keep all options open – including pushing back 37C3 to 2021. As soon as there is a final decision, it will be published on this blog as usual.

    Stay healthy, everybody!

    Photo by Kuma Kum on Unsplash

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      Senators push to allow remote Senate votes during emergencies

      Timothy B. Lee · news.movim.eu / ArsTechnica · Thursday, 19 March, 2020 - 20:10

    Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

    Enlarge / Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). (credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

    Two senior senators—Republican Rob Portman of Ohio and Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois—are introducing legislation to allow Senate votes to be held remotely.

    "In times of extraordinary national crisis, the Senate must be able to convene and act expeditiously even if we can't be together in person," Portman said in a press statement.

    Some members in the House of Representatives have also been pushing to allow remote voting in the House. A bipartisan group of lawmakers wrote a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Wednesday urging her to allow remote voting.

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