The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act is a law that intends to protect computer systems from intruders and criminals.  

For those that haven’t been following, this is also the law that Aaron Swartz was prosecuted under for downloading too many academic papers at MIT.

Right now, Congress is considering updates to the CFAA.  It’s widely acknowledged that the way the law is written now, it not only doesn’t accomplish its goal effectively, but it also (like any good over-reaching internet law) makes criminals out of everyone.  From FixTheCFAA.com:

The CFAA is so broad that law enforcement says it criminalizes all sorts of mundane Internet use: Potentially even breaking a website’s fine print terms of service agreement. Don’t set up a Myspace page for your cat. Don’t fudge your height on a dating site. Don’t share your Facebook password with anybody: You could be committing a federal crime.

Unfortunately, the latest proposed changes to the CFAA don’t make it better; they actually make it worse.

It’s absolutely important that we protect our networks and computer systems through technical and legal means.  But the way to do it can’t be to criminalize tons of pretty regular behavior and quash the kind of experimenting and hacking (the good kind) that has been at the root of so much of our innovation and progress.

So, add your voice to the cause and let’s make sure congress doesn’t make things worse than they already are.

Today I turn 34.

For some reason, I can’t get Fred’s post about turning 17 for the third time out of my head. As I have been approaching this milestone, I can’t help but feel like I’m turning the corner to a new phase.

I definitely feel like the last 17 years have been about figuring out how to be an adult.  I owe a lot of that learning to Frannie.

And I’m pretty excited to look ahead at the next 17, and to figure out how to be a really good professional, husband and dad.

I’m not big on birthdays, and generally don’t like to make a big deal out of them.  But Frannie and I have arrived at a really nice way of celebrating ours — we’ve started taking days off together on each others’ birthdays, playing hooky and doing something fun.  Last year on my birthday we rented a tiny little boat and cruised around Boston Harbor in 45 degree weather.  This year on hers we caught a matinee movie and made an early escape for a few cocktails.  It’s a really nice thing to do and I hope we keep doing it forever.

I’m excited for the next 17. If they’re anything like the last 17 they will be twisty and turny, but will hopefully end up taking me (and us) in a good direction.

The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act is a law that intends to protect computer systems from intruders and criminals.  

For those that haven’t been following, this is also the law that Aaron Swartz was prosecuted under for downloading too many academic papers at MIT.

Right now, Congress is considering updates to the CFAA.  It’s widely acknowledged that the way the law is written now, it not only doesn’t accomplish its goal effectively, but it also (like any good over-reaching internet law) makes criminals out of everyone.  From FixTheCFAA.com:

The CFAA is so broad that law enforcement says it criminalizes all sorts of mundane Internet use: Potentially even breaking a website’s fine print terms of service agreement. Don’t set up a Myspace page for your cat. Don’t fudge your height on a dating site. Don’t share your Facebook password with anybody: You could be committing a federal crime.

Unfortunately, the latest proposed changes to the CFAA don’t make it better; they actually make it worse.

It’s absolutely important that we protect our networks and computer systems through technical and legal means.  But the way to do it can’t be to criminalize tons of pretty regular behavior and quash the kind of experimenting and hacking (the good kind) that has been at the root of so much of our innovation and progress.

So, add your voice to the cause and let’s make sure congress doesn’t make things worse than they already are.

Today I turn 34.

For some reason, I can’t get Fred’s post about turning 17 for the third time out of my head. As I have been approaching this milestone, I can’t help but feel like I’m turning the corner to a new phase.

I definitely feel like the last 17 years have been about figuring out how to be an adult.  I owe a lot of that learning to Frannie.

And I’m pretty excited to look ahead at the next 17, and to figure out how to be a really good professional, husband and dad.

I’m not big on birthdays, and generally don’t like to make a big deal out of them.  But Frannie and I have arrived at a really nice way of celebrating ours — we’ve started taking days off together on each others’ birthdays, playing hooky and doing something fun.  Last year on my birthday we rented a tiny little boat and cruised around Boston Harbor in 45 degree weather.  This year on hers we caught a matinee movie and made an early escape for a few cocktails.  It’s a really nice thing to do and I hope we keep doing it forever.

I’m excited for the next 17. If they’re anything like the last 17 they will be twisty and turny, but will hopefully end up taking me (and us) in a good direction.