I don't like to spend my post for the day talking about the site itself, which sort of misses the point. But privacy is exceedingly important, and today I spoke cavalierly about it in a way that rebounded on me. As well it should have.

Other sites have been through some nasty issues around privacy lately. I am not bulletproof and need to take it at least as seriously. Especially with an audience of people who take it very seriously.

So what happened today? Nothing to do with the code or the privacy of your posts, I'm relieved to say. Just a dumb, dumb personal screwup in which I casually warned a friend (hopefully still a friend) that they had posted publicly. Because I wasn't paying enough attention to see that they hadn't.

"Tom that is totally ridiculous, you built this site! You know how it works, you coded it!" Yes it is totally ridiculous and I have no adequate explanation for my behavior. My inadequate explanation, if you care to hear it, is that I was rushing around doing way too damn much this evening and didn't think through what I was doing. I was not in programmer mode, I was in friend mode, and I was doing a crappy job of it.

However, learning from my dipshit mistakes— and owning my own frailties— is important. I'm thinking it's not enough to show a "this post is public" warning only when someone clicks reply.

I think there should be a lock icon visible to everyone who can read the post. If it ain't there, it's public. No ambiguity.

Although, obviously, it should not offer any details about exactly who is allowed to read it (except to the author), everyone reading a post should be able to tell instantly if it is public or not.

I will be working on this promptly. I will also be reviewing the steps I'm taking to secure the server against attack. If the server itself is compromised, everything else is a moot point. We do not actually know if this has ever happened to other social networks. We can only take their word for it.

This experience brought me up short and made me realize that while we haven't had an actual security breach yet, we will if I don't treat privacy as job one. I will be giving it an appropriate level of attention in future.

REDACTED PENDING CONFIRMATION ABOUT SECURITY.

DO NOT TRUST LOCKS ON THIS SITE TO KEEP INFORMATION PRIVATE.

So, let me tell you something about long term chronic pain. I haven't been cleared to speak for anyone else, although I bet I get some agreement, so anyway this my own POV, okay?

You feel reduced or even devoid of value. A lot. You know you aren't able to do everything you once could, and you know people can't see the cause but they surely can see that effect. And so you -- like everyone else -- hopefully do all you can, and find ways in which you can contribute, but you don't fail to notice how it doesn't fit what other people do and you wonder about expectations. And by wonder, I mean you beat yourself up and then get defensive.

I do what I can. I do it when I can and to the extent I can. I think I'm pretty damn helpful. If you don't, that's your thing, not mine. Or that's what I'm going to be telling myself. And if you're held back by a physical condition that's joined the opposition, please know that doing your best, whatever it may be, is pretty damn good, too.

So today's trial did not happen.  Trials get continued for so many technical, mundane, not-worth-explaining reasons...  The stars really have to align for a trial to happen in Boston.  Meanwhile, the cops show up & get their union-negotiated four hours of overtime ($75-100/hr?  I'm guessing).  Everyone who runs the courthouse gets paid.  I get paid. So does the judge.  Maybe we'll have a trial in January.  It will be hard for the government to prove my client did the rinky-dink druggy thing of which he is accused.  If we win it will have been a waste of time and money--a windfall for the police witnesses who will rake it in without regard to the outcome.  If I am wrong and my client is convicted, he'll get a disproportionate two-or-so years in county prison (~$50K/year).  Waste, waste, waste....

This past weekend I was vending for Utilikilts at the New Hampshire Highland games. I've been working with them for nearly 5 years, and sadly, this was the worst weekend I've had doing it. Scotland lost the bid for independance, which left a damper on things to start with. I've heard attendence was down considerably, which would match with sales. Now, sales are not the primary reason I do these events - but knowing I'm making the money I'm spending has a big mood impact. Normally - and this is the case for any weekend event, Saturday is your busiest day, and the bulk of your customers come through then. It was COLD. No - high 30's with mist and wind, bringing the apparent tem down around freezing. Sold all my socks, but not a lot of kilts, and we were reduced to hanging out in the Portable Bathrooms for heat. 

The only saving grace was my crew. 

What a fitting suggested post, thanks 1PW.. as the last time I went swimming was in the ocean, and a big wave snuck from behind and swiped my glasses into the sea.​

THANK YOU, Past Karen, for putting an iced coffee in the fridge last week. Future Karen, please buy more granola bars.

My wallclock with the fake little swinging pendulum died at exactly midnight. Or at noon, I'm not sure. I thought these things only happened in movies.

Also, pink toebeans are a good treatment for a bad cold. Pick up said owner of toebeans (feline or canine) and apply front paws, toebean-out, directly to face, cheeks and forehead. Is toebean owner wriggling? Good. Wriggling only makes it better. *evil laugh*

I think the pseudoephedrine has kicked in. Yes?

[twelve hours later...]

I am sneaking in a post-pseudoephedrine edit (yes, twelve hours later) to let you know that I have found the bottom of the internet. And on the bottom of the internet is this: "Bagel-Heading"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagel_head

First off: Hello world!  This is my first OPW post and I'm excited to have finally made it over here. I haven't figured out the nuances yet, like if I can tag people or not... but if I could I'd love to tag Boutell and thank him for making this whole thing happen, and Sean (Catbear of LJ fame) for designing the UI-- it's very purty and pleasant.

Anyway: Past Tense Jill wrote Future Forgetful Jill a note on my calendar that says "Cancel your 'Protect My ID' membership today," because it stops having its bill footed by Adobe (remember their little security breach a while back?).  So one of my to-dos today was to cancel my membership to this identity-theft monitoring service.  However, conveniently, just this morning I got a love-letter from Home Depot saying that they had a giant security breach recently and lucky for me I get a free year of ID monitoring through Protect My ID starting today.

So convenient! I wonder if these hackers actually work for Protect My ID and their goal is to get giant companies to buy a zillion memberships for people. :-)

Curious to see if I will have to create a new account or if I can apply the credit to my existing account.

Anyway... thanks, hackers!

We are in NYC this weekend.  No, not for the climate march; we didn't know that was happening when we planned the trip.  No, we are mostly here to see theatre, though we did see an excellent concert last night with some friends who live in Boston.

The two people in front of us as we went into "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" had gotten rush tickets for $35. I remember, when I was their age, getting the $5 tickets through the MIT Council for the Arts, which got me the chance to see the first production of "Angels in America" in Boston, and to see a couple of plays at the Huntington Theatre Company, and (most importantly) to come to NYC just before graduation, to see the Bang on a Can marathon at Lincoln Center.

Now, I come to the City with a pile of pre-purchased, full-price tickets, and "spontaneity" is taking the East River ferry, instead of the subway, to cross over from Queens to Manhattan.

That said, it's still an awesome place to visit, and it's a great trip.