Monday, February 12, 2024

App Development: Privacy Policy 2024

 

Privacy Policy

Last updated: Feb 12, 2024

S1air Coding ("us", "we", or "our") operates http://molyett.com (the "Site") and develops software (the "Program"). This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use and disclosure of Personal Information we receive from users of the Site and Program.

We do not collect your Personal Information. By using the Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

Information Collection And Use

While using our Site and Program, we do not ask you to provide us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify you. Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to your name ("Personal Information").

Any Personal Information that is given to the Site via blog comments is given without restriction and will be stored by the Blogger platform. Such data is likely to be covered by the Blogger privacy policy.

Log Data

Like many site operators, we collect information that your browser sends whenever you visit our Site ("Log Data").

This Log Data may include information such as your computer's Internet Protocol ("IP") address, browser type, browser version, the pages of our Site that you visit, the time and date of your visit, the time spent on those pages and other statistics.

Communications

We do not use your Personal Information to contact you.

Cookies

Cookies are files with small amount of data, which may include an anonymous unique identifier. Cookies are sent to your browser from a web site and stored on your computer's hard drive.

Like many sites, we use "cookies" to collect information. You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our Site.

Security

The security of your Personal Information is important to us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your Personal Information.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us.

Monday, January 8, 2024

Avoid Computer Crimes

 A reminder for all:

A person may not intentionally, willfully, and without authorization alter data stored by a computer database.

MD Criminal Law Code § 7-302 covers (among other things) intentionally inserting records, sign-ups, registrations, etc for the purpose of disrupting the proper use of the service. Intentionally signing someone up for a listserv to get that listserv blocked for sending spam clearly falls within this.

For the non-Maryland folks, 18 U.S. Code § 1030 is your guiding light.

Intentional disruption of someone else's use of Internet services is a crime.

Flooding a candidate's volunteer signup system with fraudulent entries to exhaust the system and prevent actual volunteer's from registering: computer crime.

Collecting the credentials of a campaign staffer and using it to download the emails from their account to distribute publicly in an effort to discredit and embarrass the campaign: computer crime.

We do not want or need to resort to computer crime to undermine functions of the electoral process, nonprofit organizations (even those with despicable goals), or generally civil society. (Judgement withheld regarding explicit government corruption. Reading recommendation: The Burglary: The Discovery of J. Edgar Hoover's Secret FBI, Book by Betty Medsger)

To defenders: Protect your systems and accounts as if people are fine with breaking laws. Loosing the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of your data is not mitigated by "Hey, that was illegal!"

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Email from Congressman Sarbanes - Dec 19, 2023

Letterhead from Congressional email

December 19, 2023

Dear Mr. Molyett:

     Thank you for contacting me to express your opposition to military assistance for Israel. I appreciate hearing from you about this important matter and welcome the opportunity to respond.

     As you know, on October 7, 2023, Hamas committed horrifying acts of terrorism against Israeli civilians. Israel responded with retaliatory attacks in the Gaza Strip. President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken continue to hold high level talks to ensure respect for the rules of war in protecting civilian life, providing humanitarian aid to civilians in need in Gaza, establishing a humanitarian corridor for Palestinians and securing the release of hostages. 

     I would be less than frank if I did not share that I have regularly supported funding for Israel to defend itself against the threat of terrorism and believe we should continue to support the Iron Dome and other efforts to protect Israeli citizens. However, I opposed H.R. 6126, the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, in part because it did not include any humanitarian assistance for Palestinian civilians – which I also believe to be critically needed. Unfortunately, this aid package passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 226-196 on November 2, 2023. I remain hopeful that we will be able to achieve a strong bipartisan path forward on an aid package that supports both Israeli and Palestinian civilians.

     As a strong advocate for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which would allow both communities a peaceful and secure future, I share your concerns regarding the impact of this conflict. I continue to strongly believe that the path to peace and security among Israelis and Palestinians must come from concrete and specific confidence-building measures, not from aggression or terror.

     On October 20, I joined my colleagues in the House of Representatives in sending a letter to President Biden in support of the Administration’s efforts to ensure that food, water and medicine are made available to civilians in Gaza, as well as their ongoing efforts to facilitate safe zones for civilians seeking refuge. The letter also expressed support for the Administrations leadership in fostering a sustainable future for Palestinians and Israelis at the conclusion of this conflict.

     I was also supportive of the Biden Administrations decision in March 2021 to restore $235 million in economic and humanitarian aid to Palestinians, which had previously been cut under the Trump Administration. I had urged President Trump to unfreeze funding for the United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA), which provides essential funding for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. The bipartisan budget bill for Fiscal Year 2023 provided $75 million in additional funding for UNRWA to address rising food costs for vulnerable Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. I voted in favor of this legislation when it passed the House of Representatives before being signed into law by President Biden on December 29, 2022. Although I am not a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over these issues, I will keep your views in mind when voting on relevant legislation in the full House of Representatives.

     Again, I appreciate hearing your views on this matter. If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,


John Sarbanes

Member of Congress


Pdf Version: Email from Congressman Sarbanes

Monday, January 30, 2023

Preserving Academic Integrity in the AI Writing Age

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) language models in writing has brought about numerous benefits, including improved efficiency and greater inclusivity for writers. However, the use of AI language models also poses significant challenges to academic integrity and the credibility of knowledge. The ease of abuse and the potential for false or misleading information to be generated and spread through AI-generated text can undermine public trust in the education system and the validity of the information being communicated. To address these challenges, it is important to prioritize originality, authenticity, and critical evaluation in the use of AI language models in writing.

On the one hand, allowing authors to use AI language models can increase their productivity and make writing more accessible. For example, AI language models can generate draft text in seconds, freeing up time for authors to focus on more important tasks. Additionally, AI language models can help writers who struggle with language barriers or disabilities to communicate their ideas effectively.

On the other hand, the use of AI language models can also lead to a lowering of academic standards and a decrease in the quality of written material. As AI language models become more advanced, it is easier for people to rely on them to create written material without putting in much effort themselves. This leads to a decrease in originality and authenticity, which are key components of academic integrity. Furthermore, AI language models can also generate false or misleading information, further eroding the credibility of knowledge.

To combat these challenges, it is important to emphasize the importance of originality, authenticity, and critical evaluation in the use of AI language models. This could include incorporating guidelines for using AI language models into academic writing policies and encouraging students and authors to think critically about the sources of information they use. By taking these steps, we can ensure that the use of AI language models in writing supports academic integrity, rather than undermines it.

In conclusion, while AI language models bring about many benefits for writers, they also pose significant challenges to academic integrity. By prioritizing originality, authenticity, and critical evaluation, we can ensure that the use of AI language models supports, rather than undermines, academic standards and the credibility of knowledge.

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Notes on Peer Reviewed Firearm Research

This morning I encountered a note on Facebook:
Just remember the same people complaining about those ignoring experts currently are the same ones that preach gun control and have zero education or experience on the matter.
The hypocrisy is real in the current political climate.
This prompted me to think about the situation and wonder: what is considered to be relevant education or experience on the matter.

I recall having a conversation when I was running for Congress in 2014 was with my daughter's doctor. His response: "I am a children's trauma surgeon in Baltimore. You can probably guess how I feel about gun control."

Does the voice of someone who works to save lives of gunshot victims count as valid education or experience when discussing the legal standing of machines entirely designed to kill?

This note did prompt me to look into peer reviewed articles on firearms. I read three this morning:
  • Simonetti JA, Dorsey Holliman B, Holiday R, Brenner LA, Monteith LL (2020) Firearm-related experiences and perceptions among United States male veterans: A qualitative interview study. PLoS ONE 15(3): e0230135. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230135
  • Bailey HM, Zuo Y, Li F, Min J, Vaddiparti K, Prosperi M, et al. (2019) Changes in patterns of mortality rates and years of life lost due to firearms in the United States, 1999 to 2016: A joinpoint analysis. PLoS ONE 14(11): e0225223. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0225223
  • Bilukha, O., Briss, P. A., Corso, P. S., Crosby, A., Fullilove, M. T., Hahn, R. A., ... & Tuma, F. (2003). First reports evaluating the effectiveness of stragegies for preventing violence; early childhood home visitation and firearms laws: findings from the Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5214a2.htm
And I had three up that I ran out of time to read:

Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Wait for them to count all of the votes

 No matter how the results fall out we can be sure of one thing.

White supremacy and fascism was on the ballot: at least 67 million Americans said Yes to it.

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Leveraging HCPSS Guidance for Children's Education

Howard County Public School System has been a valuable source of information since at least February 27. In fact the oldest email that I have the “COVID-19” phrase is that email: Coronavirus Prevention and Response Measures. The hcpss.org/health/coronavirus page is a wonderful resource.

Multi Language Overview Sheets



Links back to previous Coronavirus Updates

This page caused me to check my email and see that “Coronavirus” was a better search term. That turned up with my oldest emails being from County Executive Ball providing information from the Health Department (Jan 27), HCPSS News - 1/29/20 (Jan 29), and then Coronavirus Update from the Superintendent on Feb 3.

HCPSS has been keeping us informed long before extreme social distancing was being advocated.

Please check out the whole page for sections like FAQs, RESOURCES FOR PARENTS, and GENERAL INFORMATION AND RESOURCES.

What I am finding most useful are the age appropriate assistance for SUPPORTING STUDENTS AT HOME

Elementary



Middle School



High School



My own daughter was quick to notice that documentaries online were on her grade recommendation and has been watching Empire Games on Netflix.