Another WordPress weblog by Enno ter Keurst
So somebody opened up a smart card, what is the big deal? This was to be expected. Any security measure is a balance between the cost of making a system 100% secure and how often en what the costs are when somebody breaches your security measures.
DutchNews.nl – Hackers break into transport smart card
During the Olympics in 2008 the athletes will have to tell the anti-doping organisation were they are every two hours. Not only during the games but also in the weeks leading to it (link).
I agree with the fact that we have to check atletes on the use of doping but forcing somebody to tell you where you are every two is over the top. I think we have to take a step back and look how we can do this without invading the privacy of the athlete.
In the past couple of weeks the Dutch government, lead by Balkenende, has made some blunders. First they let the Dutch princess Maxima make an highly controversial remark about the absence of a Dutch identity. Secondly, the moment that Hirsi Ali shows her face in the Netherlands she is being told that she could better go back to the US because she could have handled the issue around her protection from there.
Two mistakes that show that the Dutch government has no idea what the feelings and ideas are within the Dutch society.
Does anybody understand the value-add or the business plan of Twitter?
I don’t, I think I’ll give it another 12 months before desolves into thin or something else.
The WRR (Scientific Council for Government Policy) recently presented the result of a study about the Dutch Identity. The report, entitled “Identification with the Netherlands”, was presented to the public by princess Maxima, the wife of the Dutch crown prince. Central point in her speech was the conclusion that “the typical Dutch identity” does not exist and cannot be captured in one dimensional characterizations.
Unfortunately, the report also made a connection between Dutch Identity and having more than one passport, something which I think is not related.
What is an Identity? Is it the common habits of a group of people, the language, the food they eat, the history they share, their religion? Yes and No. Identity is something you feel part off or you feel related to.
Just make the suggestion to a Dutchman that the Netherlands should be disbanded and made a province of Germany. Then you will see what the Dutch identity is.