Ten minute with Dublin WAN

by James McKenna Sat May 24, 2003 17:47

Before we go off to a site to have a load of cookies downloaded perhaps you would like to write a few lines about what it is for.

Who runs the site, etc etc

What's your game?

by hunter Sat May 24, 2003 17:55

convergence is an irish environmental festival thing held every year. this years one was held last week. i assume this is some interview with someone from that.

by Phuq Hedd Sat May 24, 2003 18:33

You should have them off by default if you are worried about personal security.

The Dublin WAN is an interesting project and it'd be great if more people were to get involved. The sooner we get together to colonise this space for ourselves the harder it will be for the corporations to establish a claim to it by being there first.

by James McKenna Sat May 24, 2003 20:40

Thanks for that . If you turn off the cookies you don't get access. There's a tracker cookie there, that's why I asked. Is there an advertisement company running the site? They sometimes track visitors to sites for market research purposes. Other people use them too.

by Mark Space Sun May 25, 2003 02:14

I just had a scoot around that site (cookies off, Java off, Javascript off, referer off - it let me in OK) and there is NO info on the Dublin WAN apart from a "click here to listen to the interview", which I can't do as I don't have a sound card.

So if anyone has a link to more usable content, feel free to post it!

by James McKenna Sun May 25, 2003 09:18

There is a piece of software you can download free called "Zone Alert" and if you take the hour or so it you will be able to see the number of hack attempts theat happen ever hour. It is for the most part advertisers keeping track of potential customers who visit certain sites but there has been talk that the US department of "Total Information Awareness" are "mining" any sites used by anti-war/"terrorists" to keep track of them.

If you can get a target group to visit a specific site you can then track them, their contacts, mail etc. They are called "tagging sites" and are run to catch paedophiles too.

To catch or track your audience you only need to set up a site and call it something like "Bisop Luceys Naked young Girl photographs " , or "Pipe-bombs, how to make them". If you want to encourage specific traffic in your new "web" you drop hints in specific areas where you think your targets may gather. Crossreferenced with the net-log if the site administrators are friendly or through a cracked version of "Remotely Anywhere" , "Back Oraface" or "Sub Seven" , remote accessing programmes if they are not, you can then track your targets and in some cases access their PC hard-drive when they are on line.

Zone Alert Pro is free and you can at least stop this barrage hacking. It's mostly advertisers like I say but on sites like this I think the US Navy lads in the US Embassy Ballsbridge would like to know more. That is why I was unwilling to "Clock-in" .

by simon Sun May 25, 2003 11:28

I use the firewall - Zone Alarm -http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/zap_za_grid.jsp. works fine and you can set its security levels as you work. i.e. to let mail/ftp programs function.

Note reg. cookies most of the time cookies are completely harmless - they can usually be regarded as membership numbers. Some sites use them as a method of remembering your visits (prevents multiple log-ins etc.). the browser invansive advertisers dont usually use cookies but 'silently' installed programs that can be uninstalled easily.

If you use a firewall and segregate your traffic you should be fine. Dont fall for web paranoia about cookies etc - if you knew what you were talking about youd be less panicky. Unless you are a paedophile or a terrorist you are of very little interest to anybody.

by Simon Sun May 25, 2003 11:46

Just listened to the mp3 and these people are trying to build grassroots wireless networks to supply cheap internet access for people. It involves the creation of hubs and networks with people taking control of their own communications. I have read about this taking place in many places such as villages in england where people were sick of waiting for BT to roll-out broadband services.

There is also a project in Laos where a village without electricity and running water set up a wireless internet service with pedal powered computers. amazing. It wasnt set up so that they could send email or by stuff on ebay as there are unable to read, it was for checking coffee stock prices as their main source of income was fair-trade coffee.

It a bloody great idea - its still in development but Im signing up as it will depend on a large number of people.

by Pains McKenna Sun May 25, 2003 12:40

All that security stuff is a problem.

But if you knew of the world outside your computer and your little head, you would be aware that the Convergence Festival is a genuine and important Irish event, not a dummy site set up by the FBI, with careful agents dropping hints here. To survive in this mad world, you need a mix of security awareness and common sense - not just a dollop of one and an absence of the other.h

by Adam - Convergence Media Centre Sun May 25, 2003 15:46 a_d_conway at yahoo dot co dot uk

Firstly, Convergence is a sustainable living festival run by Sustainable Ireland. Part of this, this year, has been a media centre which has been trying to make information and events available in a variety of media, including on the internet. The original article was posted by a member of the media centre in an attempt to make the interview available to a wider audience, nothing more sinister.

Could you let me know what cookies you get trying to download from this site? I wrote the PHP backend for the site and didn't use cookies at all. The only thing which might is the streams which use Realvideo/audio and so use the Real's server software. Everything else (including the above link) is static photos or audio or video clips which are either displayed on the page or linked for download. If the site is setting cookies then I'd be very interested to know which ones so I can try and stop them. (I don't get any set when I look at it myself)

by S. Aerobics - Oxygen to Info Mon May 26, 2003 17:19

"A group of enthusiasts fed up with waiting for BT to provide broadband internet access in the area is causing the stir. And if their plans work out, they could soon be providing the service to the entire comminity - for free".

Useful links

kingsbridgelink.co.uk
arwain.net
wlan.org.uk
wnap.org.uk
consume.net
locustworld.net
communitywireless.org