Online, but out of sight: Anonymity gets more popular

Part Two

"The visibility and awareness of these issues goes much deeper into the general public than it did even five or six years ago," Fowler said.

Despite increased interest in anonymity and security, some providers of online anonymity protection have not been able to turn their products into successful businesses. People who want to communicate anonymously may not want anyone to know that they have obtained software to do so, and some of the available software is free, including the Java Anonymous Proxy, at anon.inf.tu-dresden.de/index_en.html.

Tor, first financed by the U.S. Department of Defense, received support from the Electronic Frontier Foundation for a year, but the money has run out, and Dingledine is working on the project unpaid and is looking for sponsors.

Tor uses "onion routing," in which layers of servers separate computer users from the Web sites they visit to hide a user's location. The software is easily installed and operates in the background, simply adding icons in Windows.

To make sure it is working, users can visit a site like www.showmyip.com and verify that their Internet Protocol address has changed. If it has, the software is working. The software may slow browsing, because Web pages must be transmitted through various servers around the world to get to your computer.

Software bundled with Tor, called Privoxy, prevents your computer from automatically sending certain personal information to Web sites.

It does not block sites from finding existing cookies on the computer, so those sites will still know you are you (but not where you are because of Tor), but it does delete new cookies after rebooting.

Some companies that focused several years ago on anonymity now focus on security, and rather than trying to sell sophisticated software to consumers, they sell to Internet service providers like Verizon and EarthLink, who in turn can promise customers protection from spam and hacker attacks.

"Privacy is a concern, it just isn't mass market," said Hamnett Hill, president and chief executive of Radialpoint, a Montreal company that provides security services for Internet customers of BellSouth, Adelphia and other U.S. companies. "One of the big enlightenments that we had at a certain point is that people don't want to buy security software. They want peace of mind."

Radialpoint used to offer software to protect identity. The idea was not enough to carry the business, which is why the company no longer focuses on such products. Of course, there still are businesses that sell software that provides anonymity protection. For example, there is Anonymizer.com and GhostSurf, which is sold by Tenebril, at www.tenebril.com. And some companies sell services to protect privacy in a way that is only tangentially related to the Internet.

PrivateTel, for example, offers to provide temporary phone numbers for people who, say, post personal ads.

"The need to have a conversation and to complete the actual telephone call and remain anonymous is what is the driving force," said Dan Kaluzny, the company's chief executive.

Grandma's birth control pills

The doctor that had been seeing an 80-year-old woman for most of her life finally retired. At her next checkup, the new doctor told her to bring a list of all the medicines that had been prescribed for her.

As the young doctor was looking through the! se, his eyes grew wide as he realized she had a prescription for birth control pills.

"Mrs. Smith, do you realize these are BIRTH CONTROL pills? "Yes, they help me sleep at night"

"Mrs. Smith, I assure you there is absolutely NOTHING in these that could possibly help you sleep!"

She reached out and patted the young Doctor's knee.

"Yes, dear, I know that.! But every morning, I grind one up and mix it in the glass of orange juice that my 16 year old granddaughter drinks................................. And believe me, it helps me sleep at night."

Check this out if you want to see some pics of Joe and Jeff in the studio working on the new album...

http://www.vai.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=16218

Check out http://www.guitarworld.com/

A banner about the bottom

Joe will be on next month's cover!!

Can watch a mini movie - Joe is in it

cuthbert1776

Figured you would be interested in that article.

It was just a hunch.

mthead, yer welcome for the studio link...

SupaaDave, my link was for the studio pics...Zinc gave a link for the album cover and name....whaddya think of it?

Cuth, my guess is the 13 songs will be whittled down to 10 or 11 at most. I'm thinking 10...and I'm betting the crowd chant song is the one Joe was telling us in the chat about, that everyone will have to learn... :D

Zinc, thanks bunches for the link for the magazine cover, can't wait! I have to do the video at home though, no Quicktime at work >:( Lol....something to look forward to at the end of the work day!!

Guitarmeister, DT April 1st when they're filming for a DVD??? Lucky you!!! I'm sure you'll have a great time...my son and I are looking forward to seeing them in San Fran March 11th...it'll be our first time to see them live.... :)))

I feel it....excitement getting bigger and bigger every day towards the new album....Feb magazine cover for guitar tips....wanta bet another March or April Joe cover for some other guitar mag with the new cd release??? YEAH BAYBEE!!

cheese101

Joe is only on the first few minutes of the quicktime video - says a few words, begins his song, then it goes to another person.

If you go to this link

http://www.click2music.fi/finland/viikkarit/2006/vk03/vk03.htm

hahahaha all these news about the upcoming CD made me listen to Joe again!!!

I don't think these are the new titles: C Mixo, 7/8 E Lydian or F# Phryg

i agree - those are keys, and the 7/8 is a time signature... probably just working titles

HA! Bob, that's funny...it DOES look like Joe is playing with a lil green alien guy, but actually, if you look at the other photos, it's part of the graphics on his shirt.

And I agree with Phrydom (which I know means u'll be able to sleep tonight now Phry, LOL)....those are prolly only working titles for the songs......from other pics I've seen of Joe's past studio time, he tends to do that....and then names them later. Some things stay, from the studio names, but most are changed....

And sooner or later, Joe &/or Jon will give us updates on everything...we just have to be patient...but it's hard....

Speaking of patience, fixed the chat yet Jon? Lol...love ya Jon, really do!

OME:

You're absolutely right. Even Joe doesn't play his own songs note for note live. Regarding Surfing with the Alien, I think I just have a complex about my short fingers! I'm gonna get the 8-3 pull if it kills me, dammit. Civgeek had a great idea about how to play it note for note (see below). By the way, I checked out your tunes...very cool. Is that a Stratocaster in your myspace photo? I have one just like it. Black American Standard with rosewood fretboard. I love that guitar.

civgeek:

Well, the classical positioning helps. I can just make the 8th fret, but it is mighty uncomfortable and not very clean. Your idea about using the B and G strings was perfect, however. I still can't believe I didn't think of that. Doh! Thanks.

Best Regards,

Question for Recording Engineer Types:

Did anyone notice what looks like a guitar cabinet speaker attached to Jeff's kick drum in the studio pics for Joe's new album?

http://www.dunnett.com/satriani/satriani.html

Any idea what that is all about? Wonder what they are piping into the drum. Too wild, man..too wild.

Best Regards,

ok what is this chord???i've accidentally played it a couple times and it soudns kidna cool but i dont know what it is the notes are D G D F# B

tab:

e 7 B 7 G 7 D 5 A 5 E x