Cory Doctorow refutes the damaging myth that defenders of computing freedom are naive and foolish cyber-utopians.

DC activists have identified an undercover thug infiltrator who arranged for other thugs to sabotage nonviolent protests.

These protests were aimed at pressuring retailers to support safer working conditions in Bangladesh. In other words, aimed at retailers that put people's lives at risk. Why would the thugs help them? Thugs have a general practice of helping the rich (including these companies) against the non-rich.

Prosecutor Heymann compared Aaron Swartz to a rapist, condemning him for dragging MIT through the ordeal of appearing in court by not making a plea bargain.

Fresh leaks say that major UK telecom companies have actively developed spy software for GCHQ.

A legal campaign has been launched against UK telecom that cooperate with GCHQ surveillance.

A lawsuit was launched against Dubya's illegal warrantless wiretapping, but Congress passed the FISA Amendments Act which made it legal.

Now there are plans to try to reverse that.

Richard Dawkins tweeted to criticize Islam because there are not very many Muslim Nobelists.

I don't think his point is cogent. Most have neither the talent nor the interest in doing the sort of work that might win a Nobel prize. If Islam diminishes one's chances of winning a Nobel prize, which has not been proven, that would at worst be marginally unfortunate, not wrong.

What is really wrong about Islam is its disrespect for human rights. For instance, its ban on conversion away from Islam. In general, Muslim countries prohibit this and punish those who try — in some places, with execution.