#digitizatio

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Netflix wants to chop down your family tree

Netflix has unveiled the details of its new anti-password-sharing policy, detailing a suite of complex gymnastics that customers will be expected to undergo if their living arrangements trigger Netflix’s automated enforcement mechanisms:

https://thestreamable.com/news/confirmed-netflix-unveils-first-details-of-new-anti-password-sharing-measures

If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/02/nonbinary-families/#red-envelopes

Netflix says that its new policy allows members of the same “household” to share an account. This policy comes with an assumption: that there is a commonly understood, universal meaning of “household,” and that software can determine who is and is not a member of your household.

This is a very old corporate delusion in the world of technology. In the early 2000s, I spent years trying to bring some balance to an effort at DVB, whose digital television standards are used in most of the world (but not the USA) when they rolled out CPCM, a DRM system that was supposed to limit video-sharing to a single household.

Their term of art for this was the “authorized domain”: a software-defined family unit whose borders were privately negotiated by corporate executives from media companies, broadcasters, tech and consumer electronics companies in closed-door sessions all around the world, with no public minutes or proceedings.

https://onezero.medium.com/the-internet-heist-part-iii-8561f6d5a4dc

These guys (they were nearly all guys) were proud of how much “flexibility” they’d built into their definition of “household.” For example, if you owned a houseboat, or a luxury car with seatback displays, or a summer villa in another country, the Authorized Domain would be able to figure out how to get the video onto all those screens.

But what about other kinds of families? I suggested that one of our test cases should be a family based in Manila: where the dad travels to remote provinces to do agricultural labor; the daughter is a nanny in California; and the son is doing construction work in the UAE. This suggestion was roundly rejected as an “edge case.”

Of course, this isn’t an edge case. There are orders of magnitude more people whose family looks like this than there are people whose family owns a villa in another country. Owning a houseboat or a luxury car makes you an outlier. Having an itinerant agricultural breadwinner in your family does not.

But everyone who is in the room when a cartel draws up a standard definition of what constitutes a household is almost certainly drawn from a pool that is more likely to have a summer villa than a child doing domestic work or construction labor half a world away. These weirdos, so dissimilar from the global majority, get to define the boxes that computers will shove the rest of the world into. If your family doesn’t look like their family, that’s tough: “Computer says no.”

One day at a CPCM meeting, we got to talking about the problem of “content laundering” and how the way to prevent it would be to put limits on how often someone could leave a household and join another one. No one, they argued, would ever have to change households every week.

I put my hand up and said, “What about a child whose divorced parents share custody of her? She’s absolutely going to change households every week.” They thought about it for a moment, then the rep from a giant IT company that had recently been convicted of criminal antitrust violations said, “Oh, we can solve that: we’ll give her a toll-free number to call when she gets locked out of her account.”

That was the solution they went with. If you are a child coping with the dissolution of your parents’ marriage, you will have the obligation to call up a media company every month — or more often — and explain that Mummy and Daddy don’t love each other any more, but can I please have my TV back?

I never forgot that day. I even wrote a science fiction story about it called (what else?) “Authorized Domain”:

https://craphound.com/news/2011/10/31/authorised-domain/

I think everyone understood that this was an absurd “solution,” but they had already decided that they were going to complete the seemingly straightforward business of defining a category like “household” using software, and once that train left the station, nothing was going to stop it.

This is a recurring form of techno-hubris: the idea that baseline concepts like “family” have crisp definitions and that any exceptions are outliers that would never swallow the rule. It’s such a common misstep that there’s a whole enre* called “Falsehoods Programmers Believe About ______”:

https://github.com/kdeldycke/awesome-falsehood

In that list: names, time, currency, birthdays, timezones, email addresses, national borders, nations, biometrics, gender, language, alphabets, phone numbers, addresses, systems of measurement, and, of course, families. These categories are touchstones in our everyday life, and we think we know what they mean — but then we try to define them, and the list of exceptions spirals out into a hairy, fractal infinity.

Historically, these fuzzy categorical edges didn’t matter so much, because they were usually interpreted by humans using common sense. My grandfather was born “Avrom Doctorovitch” (or at least, that’s one way to transliterate his name, which was spelled in a different alphabet, but which was also transliterating his first name from yet another alphabet). When he came to Canada as a refugee, his surname was anglicized to “Doctorow.” Other cousins are “Doctorov,” “Doctoroff,” and “Doktorovitch.”

Naturally, his first name could have been “Abraham” or “Abe,” but his first employer (a fellow Eastern European emigre) decided that was too ethnic and in sincere effort to help him fit in, he called my grandfather “Bill.” When my grandfather attained citizenship, his papers read “Abraham William Doctorow.” He went by “Abe,” “Billy,” “Bill,” “William,” “Abraham” and “Avrom.”

Practically, it didn’t matter that variations on all of these appeared on various forms of ID, contracts, and paperwork. His reparations check from the German government had a different variation from the name on the papers he used to open his bank account, but the bank still let him deposit it.

All of my relatives from his generation have more than one name. Another grandfather of mine was born “Aleksander,” and called “Sasha” by friends, but had his name changed to “Seymour” when he got to Canada. His ID was also a mismatched grab-bag of variations on that theme.

None of this mattered to him, either. Airlines would sell him tickets and border guards would stamp his passport and rental agencies would let him drive away in cars despite the minor variations on all his ID.

But after 9/11, all that changed, for everyone who had blithely trundled along with semi-matching names across their official papers and database entries. Suddenly, it was “computer says no” everywhere you turned, unless everything matched perfectly. There was a global rush for legal name-changes after 9/11 — not because people changed their names, but because people needed to perform the bureaucratic ritual necessary to have the name they’d used all along be recognized in these new, brittle, ambiguity-incinerating machines.

For important categories, ambiguity is a feature, not a bug. The fact that you can write anything on an envelope (including a direction to deliver the letter to the granny flat over the garage, not the front door) means that we don’t have to define “address” — we can leave it usefully hairy around the edges.

Once the database schema is formalized, then “address” gets defined too — the number of lines it can have, the number of characters each line can have, the kinds of characters and even words (woe betide anyone who lives in Scunthorpe).

If you have a “real” address, a “real” name, a “real” date of birth, all of this might seem distant to you. These “edge” cases — seasonal agricultural workers, refugees with randomly assigned “English” names — are very far from your experience.

That’s true — for now (but not forever). The “Shitty Technology Adoption Curve” describes the process by which abusive technologies work their way up the privilege gradient. Every bad technological idea is first rolled out on poor people, refugees, prisoners, kids, mental patients and other people who can’t push back.

Their bodies are used to sand the rough edges and sharp corners off the technology, to normalize it so that it can climb up through the social ranks, imposed on people with more and more power and influence. 20 years ago, if you ate your dinner under an always-on #CCTV, it was because you were in a supermax prison. Today, it’s because you bought a premium home surveillance system from Google, Amazon or Apple.

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/29/impunity-corrodes/#arise-ye-prisoners

The Netflix anti-sharing tools are designed for rich people. If you travel for business and stay in the kind of hotel where the TV has its own Netflix client that you can plug your username and password into, Netflix will give you a seven-day temporary code to use.

But for the most hardcore road-warriors, Netflix has thin gruel. Unless you connect to your home wifi network every 31 days and stream a show, Netflix will lock out your devices. Once blocked, you have to “contact Netflix” (laughs in Big Tech customer service).

Why is Netflix putting the screws to its customers? It’s part of the enshittification cycle, where platform companies first allocate surpluses to their customers, luring them in and using them as bait for business customers. Once they turn up, the companies reallocate surpluses to businesses, lavishing them with low commissions and lots of revenue opportunities. And once they’re locked in, the company starts to claw back the surpluses for itself.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/#hey-guys

Remember when Netflix was in the business of mailing red envelopes full of DVDs around the country? That was allocating surpluses to users. The movie companies hated this, viewed it as theft — a proposition that was at least as valid as Netflix’s complaints about password sharing, but every pirate wants to be an admiral, and when Netflix did it to the studios, that was “progress,” but when you do it to Netflix, that’s theft.

Then, once Netflix had users locked in and migrated to the web (and later, apps), it shifted surpluses to studios, paying fat licensing fees to stream their movies and connect them to a huge audience.

Finally, once the studios were locked in, Netflix started to harvest the surplus for its shareholders: raising prices, lowering streaming rates, knocking off other studios’ best performing shows with in-house clones, etc. Users’ surpluses are also on the menu: the password “sharing” that let you define a household according to your family’s own idiosyncratic contours is unilaterally abolished in a quest to punish feckless Gen Z kids for buying avocado toast instead of their own Netflix subscriptions.

Netflix was able to ignore the studios’ outraged howls when it built a business by nonconsenually distributing their products in red envelopes. But now that Netflix has come for your family, don’t even think about giving Netfix some of what it gave to the MPAA.

As a technical matter, it’s not really that hard to modify Netflix’s app so that every stream you pull seems to come from your house, no matter where you are. But doing so would require reverse-engineering Netflix’s app, and that would violate Section 1201 of the DMCA, the CFAA, and eleventy-seven other horrible laws. Netflix’s lawyers would nuke you until the rubble bounced.

When Netflix was getting started, it could freely interoperate with the DVDs that the studios had put on the market. It could repurpose those DVDs in ways that the studios strenuously objected to. In other words, Netfix used adversarial interoperability (AKA Competitive Compatibility or ComCom) to launch its business:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/10/adversarial-interoperability

Today, Netflix is on the vanguard of the war to abolish adversarial interop. They helped lead the charge to pervert W3C web-standards, creating a DRM video standard called EME that made it a crime to build a full-featured browser without getting permission from media companies and restricting its functionality to their specifications:

https://blog.samuelmaddock.com/posts/the-end-of-indie-web-browsers/

When they used adversarial interoperability to build a multi-billion-dollar global company using the movie studios’ products in ways the studios hated, that was progress. When you define “family” in ways that makes Netflix less money, that’s felony contempt of business model.

[Image ID: A Victorian family tree template populated by tintypes of old-timey people. In the foreground stands a menacing, chainsaw-wielding figure, his face obscured by a hoodie. The blade of the chainsaw is poised to chop down the family tree. A Netflix 'N' logo has been superimposed over the man's face.]

[microcomsys]

Preserving the Past: Antique Book Scanning Digitization Services in Vancouver

In the culturally rich city of Vancouver, where history and innovation converge, there is a growing need to preserve and digitize antique books, ensuring that the wealth of knowledge they contain remains accessible to future generations. Antique book scanning and digitization services play a pivotal role in this process, seamlessly blending the charm of historical literature with the advancements of modern technology. This blog delves into the significance and benefits of antique book scanning digitization services in Vancouver.

Preservation of Cultural Heritage

Vancouver, with its diverse cultural heritage, is home to numerous rare and antique books that hold historical, cultural, and academic significance. Antique book scanning digitization services help preserve these invaluable literary treasures by creating high-quality digital copies. This not only safeguards the physical condition of the originals but also ensures that the content remains accessible even as the original copies age.

Accessibility and Outreach

Digitizing antique books opens up new avenues for accessibility and outreach. Digital copies can be made available online, allowing researchers, scholars, and the general public to explore these historical texts without compromising the fragile nature of the physical originals. This increased accessibility fosters a broader understanding and appreciation of Vancouver's rich literary heritage.

Enhanced Research Capabilities

For academic institutions and researchers in Vancouver, antique book scanning digitization services offer a boon in terms of research capabilities. Digital copies allow for advanced search functionalities, annotations, and the ability to easily navigate through extensive collections. This accelerates the research process and facilitates the discovery of valuable insights within these historical texts.

Preservation of Fragile Materials

Antique books often suffer from the effects of aging, including brittle pages and fading ink. Scanning and digitization help preserve the content of these fragile materials by reducing the need for physical handling. This delicate approach ensures that the unique characteristics of each antique book are retained while minimizing the risk of further deterioration.

Customized Digitization Solutions

Vancouver's diverse collection of antique books includes various sizes, bindings, and materials. Antique book scanning digitization services offer customized solutions to accommodate the unique characteristics of each book. Whether dealing with delicate parchment, oversized volumes, or rare bindings, these services tailor their approach to ensure the safe and accurate digitization of each antique book.

Metadata Enrichment for Cataloging

Digitization goes beyond creating a mere replica of the physical book. Antique book scanning services often include metadata enrichment, providing detailed cataloging information for each digital copy. This metadata helps create organized and searchable digital libraries, aiding librarians, historians, and archivists in managing and curating extensive collections.

Collaboration with Cultural Institutions

Vancouver boasts a vibrant community of cultural institutions, museums, and libraries. Antique book scanning digitization services offer the opportunity for collaborative initiatives between these institutions to collectively digitize and share their unique collections. This collaborative approach promotes a sense of community engagement and ensures a more comprehensive preservation effort.

Adherence to Preservation Standards

Professional antique book scanning services in Vancouver adhere to preservation standards to ensure the highest quality digitization while safeguarding the physical integrity of the original books. This includes using non-invasive scanning techniques and employing conservation-minded practices to protect the antique books during the digitization process.

In the picturesque city of Vancouver, where the past intertwines with the present, antique book scanning digitization services emerge as crucial custodians of cultural heritage. These services not only preserve the physical integrity of rare and fragile books but also propel Vancouver's rich history into the digital age. As the city continues to evolve, the digitization of antique books becomes a vital bridge between the past and the future, fostering a deeper appreciation for the literary treasures that define Vancouver's unique cultural identity.

[seasiainfotechusa]

Apart from Web app development, Seasia is pioneer in Mobile app development, Blockchain app development & Software Development services.

[unitforcetech]

Unitforce Technologies Consulting Pvt Ltd

Unlisted private firm Unitforce Technologies Consulting Pvt Ltd was established on April 13, 2005. It is based in Bangalore, Karnataka, and is categorised as a private limited business. The amount of its paid-up capital is INR 30.09 lac, and its authorised share capital is INR 70.50 lakh. Unitforce Technologies Consulting Private Limited is now in the state of Active.

According to our records, Unitforce Technologies Consulting Private Limited's most recent AGM (Annual General Meeting) took place on December 27, 2021. The two directors of Unitforce Technologies Consulting Private Limited are Purushanahalli Lingappa Somashekar and Nayakarahalli Swamygowda Natesh.

There are 6 significant services listed below:

applications services

Services in Engineering

Services for Talent Acquisition

Embedded Service

ITS Services

Services for Civil Engineering

Unitforce Technologies Consulting Private Limited's directors

There are two directors for the company, but no important managerial figures are known.

The two directors who have been on the board the longest are Nayakarahalli Swamygowda Natesh & Purushanahalli Lingappa Somashekar, both of whom were hired on April 13, 2005. For more than 18 years, they have served on the board. The most additional directorships are held by Nayakarahalli Swamygowda Natesh, who holds a position at five different companies. Through its directors, the company has connections to a total of 5 additional businesses.

How to use Unitforce Technologies Consulting Private Limited's Company Network

A strong feature of this network enables you to investigate and identify shared directorships across businesses. It assists you in learning about an Indian director's additional directorships and other commercial activities. The Company360 platform offers limitless access to the function. Here is a video demonstrating how to investigate company networks to unearth unspoken connections between businesses.

Petroleum Engineering

For upstream operations of oil and gas engineering firms, UFT offers services and solutions. The objective of our adaptable engineering and design solutions is to give the client the ability to continuously achieve their business objectives. Our team of engineering professionals will provide the customer with technical solutions at the lowest possible cost with the quickest turnaround time possible, all while boosting operational safety, productivity, and environmental effect.

Automotive engineering

Leading supplier of automotive engineering services and solutions is Automotive Engineering UFT. The client can develop, share, and work together on complex engineering projects with the help of the solution we were looking for automotive engineering services. Our solution methods are intended to increase client productivity and give clients access to improved management visibility, which spurs innovation.

Financial Services and Insurance

In this service for more than 10 years, UFT has more positive supportive partners in the BFSI sector with a new broad range of communication services designed by using an top of that exclusively for that sector. We give you the unveiled freedom to concentrate on this technology including enhancing security, enhancing customer service, and enhancing business agility and efficiency, helping you to stay ahead of your rivals in the digital transformation age.

Retail

Some of the huge retailers manage to maintain with increasing the customer expectations, a competitive market share the  environment that is constantly changing, and a technological system of environment that is rapidly advancing in today's digital world where technology driven by consumer demand is fundamentally altering the retail industry. At UFT, we recognise that modernising processes, advancing data and analytics, and building customer relationships with your brand are the cornerstones of successful retail in our technologically advanced world. Technology, digitization, and efficient supply chains can be used to do this and produce new and distinctive client experiences.

Aerospace

The global aerospace industry is facing more and more difficult circumstances. They face ongoing pressure to manage expenses and create novel solutions while addressing other issues including fiercer market rivalry and stricter regulatory compliance. In order to overcome these obstacles, the aerospace sector needs to swiftly integrate more recent and sophisticated technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), big data analytics, and on the internet of things (IoT), to create new business models and stimulate ecosystem innovation.

[gauridesai]

COVID-19 Is Positive and Negative Impact on Digital Pathology

Digital Pathology is on show but the pathologies are still huge. The automation of laboratories is now under way. Burges in the field of imagery technologies, such as entire diaphragm imaging (WSI), software applications, LIS and LIMS (in routine workflows) in lab information and management systems and networking advances have enabled pathology digitization.

[aurelius-insourcing-multiplier]

Oil & Gas Insourcing Projects Catalogue:-Petroleum Data Management

The ever-growing and ever-demanding Oil and Gas sector has been undergoing a significant change with the rising technologies and digitization of the global industry. Aurelius Corporate Solution in the capacity of being problem-solvers and in-sourcing solution providers has been supporting this change and growth of the Oil and Gas industry by providing highly comprehensive and L-3 customized consultative in-sourcing solutions & trainings. This solutions are available in any and every vertical of the Oil and Gas industry and are delivered through the highly experienced professionals of the industry itself. We structure these in-sourcing solutions to empower the workforce of the client organization and target the specific goals and needs of the client. Providing results in tangible and measurable forms, we make sure that the clients gain a high ROI from the solutions. Aurelius Corporate Solutions has delivered a number of such in-sourcing solutions in Oil and Gas industry, and can provide the same or different as per the requirements of the industry.

Alternatively drop us a mail on requirements@aurelius.in and we will get in touch with you at the earliest.    READ MORE.......

[supertheoristking]

Assistant Manager

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