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Edward Snowden: Permanent Record

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Re: Edward Snowden: Permanent Record

#91
post #10
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Offtopic: You were faster than my comment! I understand the Yubikey is popular but I do not understand the why the Wi-Fi dongle is popular. Any ideas?

I've bought an Alfa adapter 10+ years ago because you can use them in promiscuous mode. So you can snoop wifi traffic, listen for handshakes and doing so crack WEP/WPA (wifi) encryption. Things probably haven't changed..

This was a popular adapter more recently because of the WPS pin exploit using something like the reaver tool.

Re: Edward Snowden: Permanent Record

#92
post #59

Or how about from a library. https://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=worldcat_org_all&q=edward...

Or how about we all choose how we wish to get content, and stop implying judgment. When did reading become an us vs. them thing?

Is he implying anything at all or are the voices in your head?

Re: Edward Snowden: Permanent Record

#93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I vaguely remember 10% as a ballpark for most authors

What happens to the other 90%? Is this typical for book authors?

It is very typical.

Assuming Print on Demand w/ amazon. He's not doing that but we'll just assume to keep it easy. And list price of $24

Amazon takes $5 to print Amazon takes $9.60 royalty

That leaves $9.40 or 40% available.

Of that Macmillan takes their cut to cover editing, covers, advertising, etc.

And what is left is probably $2.40 for each sale.

For Self published folks (going eBooks this time). Assuming you list for $10 and get a 70% royalty from amazon.

You'll earn $7 for each sale.

But, then once you factor in advertising (on amazon which goes to amazon), your earnings for each book drop to maybe a 5-30% royalty range. And that assumes you can sell your book for $10, which most self published cannot.

I have friends who sell $10k worth of eBooks/mo who make $2k/mo. So 80% goes to amazon and 20% goes to them.

Re: Edward Snowden: Permanent Record

#94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Since Amazon says it's not available until September 17th and you can only pre-order it now, I think probably even those 7 are records inaccurately registered before the book is actually there, and there are probably 0! Or did some libraries get the book earlier than Amazon can? Possible, but my guess is not.

Fair enough! I was thrown off the fact that it hasn't been released by the Worldcat page saying that there were three editions. I assumed that it was not possible to have data quality issues of that magnitude.

Oh, Worldcat data quality is definitely very problematic.

At it's best, it definitely doesn't represent _every_ library copy.

It requires libraries to register their copies with the central database. All of these libraries are different organizations with different software, at varying stages of 'legacy', trying to interoperate with each other, usually without very well-resourced IT teams. Then WorldCat has got to figure out when copies at different libraries are copies of the "same" thing, and what "same" means.

The worldcat database is very useful, but it certainly has data quality problems.

Amazon also says "4 formats and editions": hardcover, paperback, kindle, audiobook. Technically I'd say these are "formats" not "editions" -- the text is the same in each, although you might consider the audiobook a separate "edition" maybe, as it's not text at all, it's a whole different sort of thing. (And the Amazon UI hides it behind a 'more' link, although still just referring to the whole list as "4 formats and editions").

I'd guess Worldcat knows 3 of those 4 -- maybe all except kindle. Worldcat, like Amazon, is not really capable of distinguishing "editions" from "formats".

I'm not sure I'd consider the "3 editions" a "data quality" error exactly, in this case. It does point to some of the complexities of figuring out what's out there in the bibliographic universe, and how to model it in a consistent way that makes sense to users. (What _is_ an edition vs a format anyway?). Amazon gets data and corrections from people trying to sell books there providing some data entry/correction labor for free. And Amazon's website and data are _core_ to their business. As well as from other DBs like ISBN. Worldcat has to try to piece things together from a bunch of disorganized under-funded non-IT-expert nonprofits, who may consider "getting good data to WorldCat" not the highest among competing priorities, along with other DBs like ISBN.

Neither WorldCat nor Amazon are _great_ at determining "what separate editions/formats exist of this thing, and how do they relate to each other" in the general case. Cause it's a hard problem. Amazon does well enough to sell books apparently. They each have strengths and weaknesses. For things published decades before Amazon existed and/or no longer in print, WorldCat will do better in some ways.

Re: Edward Snowden: Permanent Record

#95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apparently, you can run for any government office in a foreign state and it immediately nullifies your US citizenship. I have only heard this as rumour, and I don't have time to confirm / deny this, but it may be worth looking into.

>> I don't have time to confirm / deny this, but it may be worth looking into. Then why take the time to post it?

Because it is a interesting avenue to investigate if someone wants to know more.

Re: Edward Snowden: Permanent Record

#96

Customers who bought this item also bought - ALFA AWUS036NEH Long Range WIRELESS 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi USBAdapter - Yubico - YubiKey 5 NFC - Two Factor Authentication USB and NFC Security Key, Fits USB-A Ports and Works with Supported NFC Mobile Devices EDIT:formatting

It recommended me "20 ORANGE SNAPPY GRIP -Bucket Handles -Mining-Gold Prospecting-Gardening" under the customers also bought... I guess I'm just not leet enough. This in spite of the fact that I've actually bought a few external wifi adapters from amazon.

Re: Edward Snowden: Permanent Record

#98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And yet in the UK we have a notorious data miner in the heart of No 10 giving an edict for all data from government websites to be fed into a central location for targetting.

Sorry, what/who are you referring to?

My guess is Downing Street, Boris Johnson and London's massive network of CCTV, but I'm not sure.

Re: Edward Snowden: Permanent Record

#99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And yet in the UK we have a notorious data miner in the heart of No 10 giving an edict for all data from government websites to be fed into a central location for targetting.

Sorry, what/who are you referring to?

"Data privacy campaign groups and Labour have expressed alarm after it emerged Downing Street has ordered departments to centralise the collection and analysis of user information from the government’s main public information website ahead of Brexit."

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/10/no-10-request-...

Edit: I wonder if this includes the petition site?? Can't say that I'd be too keen on the Dark Lord Cummings getting the details of my personal petition history!

Edit2: Yes, I know that's not his official job title, at least not yet.

Re: Edward Snowden: Permanent Record

#100
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The other countries that tax worldwide income: Libya, North Korea, Eritrea and the Philippines. Great company to be in. You could call it ridiculous because it’s so unusual. But the reason most countries don’t do it is that taxes are a supposed to be a deal - the government forces you to hand over money and pays for services you use in return. Expats - they aren’t using those services. And your point about tax evader…

Devils-advocate: The U.S. government still provides expats services such as the State Department, potentially U.S. government intervention to help evacuate citizens from troubled areas etc...

And if you're a Coca Cola employee, that's one of the benefits provided.
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