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    Obama to Urge Expanded Prison Terms, Definitions for Hackers

    Obama to Urge Expanded Prison Terms, Definitions for Hackers

    Cybersecurity experts doubt new proposals as 'dangerous,' 'troubling'

    Nadia Prupis
    Jan 15, 2015

    President Barack Obama is widely expected to announce proposed changes to cybersecurity legislation in next week's State of the Union address, urging Congress to expand the definition of what makes a hacker a hacker--and to increase prison terms for them.

    At issue is the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), which protects computers and cell phones from unauthorized access. The law gained notoriety in 2011 when it was used to prosecute the late activist Aaron Swartz for downloading academic articles from the digital library JSTOR, which charges for subscriptions. Swartz committed suicide in 2013 while under investigation.

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    Open Access Week:  Celebrating Knowledge in the Commons

    Open Access Week: Celebrating Knowledge in the Commons

    Movement spotlights how making works freely available helps release 'untapped potential of billions of people'

    Andrea Germanos
    Oct 23, 2014

    This week marks the eighth annual Open Access Week, which champions scholarly work being made part of the "knowledge commons" for the benefit of all.

    Many scholarly articles, though they may be publicly funded, remain restricted as a result of paywalls or copyright restrictions.

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    Chelsea Manning and The Power of Empathy

    Chelsea Manning and The Power of Empathy

    Nozomi Hayase
    Jul 12, 2014

    It is 3 am. Something in me is unsettled and I cannot sleep. Earlier today, the Israeli military intensified its assault on Gaza Strip as a kind of collective punishment of the Palestinians; those vulnerable and marginalized who have been locked up and denied their humanity. After more than 440 air strikes since the beginning of the week, I saw photos of injured and dead men, women and children by the dozens.

    I hear a man walking on the street outside my window shouting loudly; "you are a liar, a liar". In this explosion of anger, I feel his pain. Life does not have to be this way. We can live with dignity and treat each other with respect and kindness. We can do much better.

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