No CFP 2003 for me ...
I was selected to present a tutorial at the 13th Annual Conference on Computers, Freedom & Privacy (aka CFP 2003): "How to Analyze Censorware"
But, while the conference will go on despite the war, all the tutorials have been canceled (not to mention the travel/hotel expense money for the tutorial presenters ...).
Sigh ... The tutorial page is still on the CFP 2003 website, (at least as I write this), and I've copied the description of my censorware tutorial below, just for fun.
T2. How to Analyze Censorware
This tutorial will discuss basic procedures and techniques for analyzing what is blacklisted by a censorware ("filtering") program. The emphasis will be on explaining the internals of the operations of the blacklists, focusing on how both extensive porn-passing, and collateral damage to innocent sites, are inevitable. A programming background is helpful, but not required, for the material. Due to the possible risk of arrest of the presenter, cryptographic circumvention techniques will NOT be mentioned.
Seth Finkelstein, Anti-censorship activist and programmer, has spent hundreds of unpaid and uncredited hours over several years to decrypt and expose to public scrutiny the secret contents of the most popular censorware blacklists. Seth has been active in raising the level of public awareness about the dangers that Internet content blocking software and rating/labeling schemes pose to freedom of communication. His work has armed many with information of great assistance in the fight against government mandated use of these systems.
By Seth Finkelstein | posted in activism | on March 23, 2003 11:49 PM (Infothought permalink) | Followups
