The Mooninites Strike Again!

Another state agency fails to comprehend how to operate in the age of the internet and technologically-savvy new generations.

On Friday, the MBTA sued MIT and three MIT students, claiming that the students planned to present a paper at the DEFCON hacker's conference explaining how to circumvent the security on the T's Charlie Cards and thus create counterfeit cards. At a hearing held on Saturday (!), Judge Douglas Woodlock of the U.S. District Court in Boston granted the T a temporary restraining order forbidding the students to provide any information that would assist someone else to circumvent the T's security system.

Here was my main comment in the thread - and I'm sticking to it.

The MBTA's Choices

In regards to the publicity of these 'security' problems.

1. MIT kids make presentation to some hacker convention no one pays attention to. Analysis: Not interesting, not covered by the media, almost know one reads the kids' report.

2. MBTA takes kids to court. Analysis: A little bit more interesting, but still not a story. More people will read report.

3. MBTA tries to prevent kids from having the freedom of speech, paints them out to be hackers who'd give free Charlie Cards to everyone, ignores the fact that these kids were actually trying to help eliminate the system's vulnerabilities - making this look like Boston's newest attack of the Mooninites. Analysis: The story's now far more interesting, with plenty of intrigue for everyone. Newspapers will cover it - potential to grow into major story. Suddenly, everyone wants to read report on how to bust a Charlie Card. The very nature of today's internet means this report will be widely available due to the MBTA's incompetence.

Good job, MBTA! Seriously, though, can we have one state agency that's prepared to deal with today's internet and younger generations in ways that actually, well, make sense? I'd be happy to host some sort of a conference to train them... my rules for success for the state's agencies will mainly be built around the primary rule in the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy: don't panic.

Note to readers: Mooninites is from now on my term for whenever a Massachusetts State Agency acts with ineptitude in dealing with either internet technology, today's youngest generations, or completely missing things that are wildly popular in various subcultures. Given the fact that these stories are happening every few months, it looks to be a growing tag.

BMG Comments: the New Godwin's Law

Is Marriage Equality the new Godwin's Law on BMG?

If so, I'm claiming the namesake. Ryan's Law:

As a Bluemassgroup discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving gay rights or same-sex marriage approaches one.

Hold the Presses!!

Another unsavory, former Mass employee has a state pension. Rewrite the page-one headline!

Is it just me, or has state pensions joined anti-immigration hate speech as the third rail of Massachusetts politics? Former state employees of 20 years or more who have a pension shouldn't be a front-page story in the Boston Globe. There are soldiers dying in Iraq for a war the President lied about. Let's get a grip.