Reality
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vta;4558144 said:
Actually, I am not referring to popups at all. If you visit a site I run, I can easily put any image on your computer that I want without you ever knowing it and that does not require a well skilled developer either.
Most people, even many computer/tech savvy people do not understand the underneath process of the web. For example, when you visit a typical site, your browser actually makes several connections to the web server, not just one. If the browser is trying to view a page, let's say home page, it first requests that page from the server. The server receives the request and determines what type of file it is. In the case of most home pages, the file will be a "text/html" file. Once the browser has that file, it then parses it and loads any additional items it needs. Typically this will be at least one or more CSS (.css) files, likely javascript framework and/or script (.js) files, a logo image (.jpg/.png/.gif) file, advertisements and possibly a few button images.
Each of those items including the original html page request are all separate requests that are treated the exact same by the browser and web server. From a connection and download standpoint, the type of file does not matter at all to the web server and your browser. Once your browser has downloaded the file, it then processes the file based on the type of file it is, but the download process treated the .html, .css, .js, .png, etc. files as generic requests and transfers.
The reason the web concept is so powerful and has grown so popular is that it truly acts like a web. You can make a page on one site with a logo image from another site, a javascript framework from google's hosting service, and button from yet another hosting service. In other words, everything on a web page can be hosted on the same server or spread out through the internet.
For example, let's say I was mad at you or wanted to have fun with you. I could go register a domain called "vta-loves-porn.com" and then put all of the images from CZ on that domain. That site may be on the CZ servers or I could host the images on servers in another country. It would not matter. To you and everyone else, they would never know unless they checked their browser history or browser cache. I could also leave all of the images where they are but simply rename them to something like "vta-loves-porn.jpg" and anyone visiting the site would have images with that kind of filename in their browser cache.
In this case, the judge ruled that the browser cache does not meet the requirements of "possession" as defined by current laws. From what I read, he did not state that the browser cache could not be used as evidence against the defendant with regards to proof that he viewed the content. Only that it could not be used to constitute possession. Now if the guy had saved any of the images, that would constitute possession. Browser caching is a byproduct of browser technologies used to improve web surfing speed and performance. Just viewing the content though I would assume carries very harsh punishments so the guy is still very guilty.
I worry more about how vulnerable everyone will be if the laws are not better adapted and defined with the technology available today and in the future.
#reality
