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User: dpastern

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  1. Re:Things I look for on Things To Look For In a Web Hosting Company? · · Score: 1

    As someone who works in the industry (local ISP in Brisbane), I can't agree more with your last paragraph. Quality service costs money. Go cheap, get cheap. Don't bitch about it when you get shit support. You won't get my sympathy. My ISP does Linux and Windows hosting, unless you need to use .asp/.aspx or .net technologies, we'll happily put you on Linux hosting. We run Debian on our servers, and offer both an older apache 1.3/php4.2 server, and a newer apache 2/php5 server for those that want the latest.

    Dave

    PS I actually do all the windows/linux hosting setup, as well as hosted exchange, ms sql 2000/2005 administration and I see it all. Many customers want it all for cheap. There's no such thing as a free lunch.

  2. Re:Radical Fucking Concept on New Riddick Movie Made Possible By Games? · · Score: 1

    I'm still trying to figure out why people hated the sequel so much. Plenty of action, lush looking film, good score, good SFX, far better than the original movie imho. It's one of my faves.

    Dave

  3. Re:Will be interesting, but... on Operation Titstorm Hits the Streets · · Score: 1

    Most Aussies are both lazy and stupid. They'll eat any BS that the government feeds to them. Sad, but true. The time is approaching where more drastic needs are required to shove it down our idiotic politicians throats that they do not support what the public wants. So many politicians, so few bullets.

    Dave

  4. Just my suggestions on What Objects To Focus On For School Astronomy? · · Score: 1

    Sun (with an appropriate full aperture solar filter that fits on the front of the scope securely - NEVER use a solar filter that is screwed into the eyepiece)

    The moon

    Jupiter

    Saturn

    Mars

    Venus

    M42 - great Orion nebula - good from binoculars, nice view in a 4" scope

    M8 - Lagoon nebula - prefer use a 6" scope from dark skies and a UHC filter for best display

    M13 - globular cluster - medium size fuzzy oval sized patch, need at least 6" scope to resolve stars

    NGC2070 - Tarantula nebula (only really available from the southern hemisphere) - needs 6" scope or better and preferably dark skies and uhc filter

    NGC 5139 - Omega Centauri - globular cluster - larger, brighter than M13. Need 6" or greater to resolve stars

    M31 - Great Andromeda galaxy - 6" scope and dark skies will show the dark dust lane that runs through this magnificent galaxy

    M45 - pleaides (aka seven sisters) - naked eye, binoculars and small telescopes will show this as a treat even from suburban skies

    Milky way - naked eye and dark skies

    Just my suggestions.

    Dave

  5. Re:About Want... on AU Gov't Still Wants ISPs To Solve Illegal Downloads · · Score: 1

    The guy's a grade A fuckwit. In fact, our current government is as useless as tits on a bull*

    Dave

    *in fact, I'd prefer to grapple with the tits on a bull rather than listen to Krudd and Co.

  6. Re:Australian citizens, PLEASE do the right thing. on South Australia Outlaws Anonymous Political Speech · · Score: 1

    Atkinson is a fucking wanker. This is the same asshole that is vetoing re-classification of the gaming system in Australia (we have M15+, that's it). He's a rightwing religious Christian nutter and is an example of the reason why religion should *NEVER* be allowed to interfere with politics. No future government will repeal this law, they'll play on the fact that the average Australian will forget about it and the small minority that don't forget about it will be either politically bullied, arrested and beaten (yes, it does happen, ask some of our indigenous populiation), or simply silenced by no media play, since the media is in bed with the government. The average person is apathetic I'm afraid. I'm not being negative, I'm being realistic. The average person has been so brainwashed into rolling over and doing what they're told, and not standing up for their rights, it isn't funny. No wonder governments can get away with bullshit leglisation like this. Note that the US has done similar things - I believe a recent 9th circuit court decision about journalists having the right of anonymity etc. It's happening the world over. Federally funded web firewall on a national level - that's going ahead. It's all bullshit when they talk about stopping child porn etc. That shit doesn't stop (unfortunately), it just goes underground. This type of firewall is simply a method of censoring public speech, and monitoring what the ordinary person does. Germany's doing it now too. The US won't be far behind. Neither wil lthe UK. Let's talk about the UK - where the government recently passed legislation to legalise DNA sampling of all British citizens.

    The only way this will cease is the destruction of modern society. I'm a firm believer that mankind was NEVER meant to co-exist in such large and complex social groups. The fact that there are hundreds of incidents of so called "primitives" living in small tribal based colonies the world over, all with lower crime rates than modern society, all with far better social interaction between members too.

    I could go on and on, but unfortunately, people get a bit funny when you say tha the human species sucks beyond belief. Mother nature would be doing a good thing by exterminating us from this wonderful planet.

    Dave

  7. Re:Stunning; but compare on Space Photos Taken From Shed Stun Astronomers · · Score: 1

    Not really. A lot of his shots are HaRGB, that's *not* what the eyes see. Try some of Russell Croman's images:

    http://www.rc-astro.com/

    Peter's images are very good. Comparable to Hubble? No.

    Dave

  8. Re:Nokia has a good history when it comes to paten on Apple Seeks To Ban Nokia Imports To US · · Score: 1

    That's because Apple is a CUNT of a company. The sooner they go bust, the better. Litiguous bastards, I HATE Apple.

    Dave

  9. fuck it on Ireland's Blasphemy Law Goes Into Effect · · Score: 1

    What a silly law. This law is in breach of the human right to the freedom of speech (and religious choice as well I might add).

    Dave

  10. Re:If they do this.. on Preventing My Hosting Provider From Rooting My Server? · · Score: 1

    ahh. Well, that's different.

    Dave

  11. Re:If they do this.. on Preventing My Hosting Provider From Rooting My Server? · · Score: 1

    Umm isn't hacking into his server *illegal*? Irrespective of the hosters needs.

    I also work for an ISP and we'd *never* do this. The only time we access a box is if:

    1) the customer has provided us with the password and asked us to do some maintenance for them. This is usually reserved for special customers who've been with us for a long time. Ordinary customers don't get this sort of treatment.

    2) their server is compromised (trojan/virus/worm/email server etc etc). In these cases, we'll contact the customer and ask them to fix. In the interim, we'll block the traffic via iptables and either our netscreen or redback router. As a very *last* resort, we'll power the machine off, but I've not seen that happen (yet) in 2 years of service.

    There is NO need for the colo hoster to even touch their machine. If I was the OP, if I have logs of what they're doing, I'd be taking legal action and putting them out of business. I'm a firm believer in that if you're not going to treat your customer right, then you don't deserve to be in business.

    Dave

  12. Re:This must mean... on Martian Methane May Be Created By Lifeforms · · Score: 1

    Let's just face it:

    martians love farting

    Dave

  13. Re:Why wouldn't they? on EFF Wants To Know If the Feds Are Cyberstalking · · Score: 1

    Yep. Unfortunately, the US and several other countries (the axis of evil - US, UK and Australia) are all exorcising their non rights to probe anywhere and everything, and illegally I might add. The only way of stopping this is to overthrow the current governments. They do not serve the people. They have no intentions of serving the people. EVER. We're just fodder to them.

    Dave

  14. Re:Well, then... on Should You Be Paid For Being On Call? · · Score: 1

    hahaha unions, what are they? No such thing in the IT industry in Australia. Worse, most IT employers make you sign a contract saying that you're on a salary, and can work any hours needed to do the job. And they don't have to pay you overtime. Very few IT employers offer wages. No such thing as an award, and the unions that deal with non IT related employment are as useless as tits on a bull...

    I've found that unions are like a bull with no horns and no balls:

    he can't buck, he can't fuck, he just sits there and bullshits :-) welcome to a bit of Aussie humour.

    What's worse, if you try and stick up for your rights, your employer puts your name in that little black book and you're considered a troublemaker. What's even worse is when your co-workers are bludgers or just plain slow as when dealing with heavy workloads, and you have to take on more work because of their slackness. When you complain about it, you get nowhere, and the slackers don't get told off. Yeah, I know, I'm in the wrong job, I'm looking elsewhere, preferably non IT. Had a gutful of it.

    Dave

  15. Re:Well, then... on Should You Be Paid For Being On Call? · · Score: 1

    Amen! That's the way to do it.

    Unfortunately, the ordinary customers think us techies are here, at their beck and call...as an example of unreasonable customer expectations...

    I work for an ISP (level 1/2/3 tech support). Customer rings. They recently took the free upgrade from Vista to Windows 7. During the upgrade process, they apparently lose Windows Mail. Yes, you are correct. No free EMail client...apparently, that's all our fault and we're expected to help her. Not Microsoft. Not the laptop manufacturer (who's technically responsible for all OEM software support issues). She was nice enough, but my initial instinct was to ask her to contact the Laptop manufacturer and/or Microsoft. I didn't bother, cos it's a small ISP, and she would have just complained to my boss and they'd have told me to help her...I'm not paid by Microsoft of the laptop manufacturer to fix their fuckups...yet I'm expected to by customers who are stupid and don't give a shit.

    Our ISP's customers (even residential) can ring at any time and things will be dropped to help them. I've heard stories of my bosses answering their mobiles for after hour calls at 3 or 4am...idiotic if you ask me.

    Dave

  16. Re:Clarity? on KDE Rebrands, Introduces KDE Plasma Desktop · · Score: 1

    Sorry, but I don't see the desktop environment changing like you're imagining.

    I don't also see the Linux desktop growing by leaps and bounds. I don't really like KDE 4 to be honest - looks nice, but not what *I* consider user friendly. And whilst I'm a "power user" so to speak, I rarely, if ever, tinker with my desktop.

    Dave

  17. Re:I am shocked! on Obama Wants Computer Privacy Ruling Overturned · · Score: 1

    Of course it doesn't. Obama hasn't been any better than George W Bush Jr. Still threatening North Korea, a soverign country that has every legal right to have thermonuclear devices. Who made the US government the world police? Who gave the US government the right to dictate who can, and can't have nukes? The US doesn't even stick to international treaties that it signs, so maybe it should start worrying about that before having a go at other countries (Kyoto protocal anyone?). The US is sitll threatening Iran. Same deal as with North Korea. The US is still supporting those terrorist Israelis. The US is still spying on its people. Increasing troops to Afghanisatan, another sovereign country. Politically interfering with the supposedly democratically elected government of Afghanisatan (remember, the current leader was placed their by the US). I could go on and on and on. The US has not changed under the Obama administration, it's just become smarter on how to cover it's ass.

    Dave

  18. Re:Clarity? on KDE Rebrands, Introduces KDE Plasma Desktop · · Score: 1

    And one size fits all from the ordinary user, which makes up 99% plus of users. The vast majority of people do not tinker. They use the computer as they got it originally. All of this choice that Linux users mention is really just intimidation and confusion for the average user.

    If you spent some time working in support, supporting ordinary users, you'd realise that my words are *on the money*.

    Windows & OS X might be monolithic, but they're just as good as KDE. In fact, OS X is clearly better by a mile. There's a reason why Linux adoption numbers are dropping, and people are leaving Windows, but people are *flocking* to OS X.

    Dave

    PS and no, I'm no Apple fanboy, I hate the company.

  19. Re:The world needs this.... on Scientists Build a Smarter Rat · · Score: 1

    I hate to tell you, but rats are far smarter than cats. Rats are one of the few species apart from humans that have cognitive thought processes. They are already doing experiments with rats moving objects with the power of their thought alone. Consider domestic rats - they are far happier to intermix with their owners than cats are. Cats aren't bad pets, rats just make better pets :-)

    Dave

  20. Re:The world needs this.... on Scientists Build a Smarter Rat · · Score: 1

    I hate to break it to you, but a domestic rat doesn't stand a chance in the wild. Easy pickings for predators.

    Dave

  21. Re:Is it time.... on Brazilian Court Bans P2P Software · · Score: 1

    Can we extend this to politicians as well please?

    Dave

  22. Re:He's A Jerk on Austin Police Want Identities of Online Critics · · Score: 1

    Judging by what this particular police chief has made possible for the police to do, he deserves criticism and then some. It's really starting to look like a lot of places are setting up police states these days.

    Dave

  23. fuck that on Church of Scientology Proposes Net Censorship In Australia · · Score: 1

    They can go and get fucked as far as I'm concerned. I'm not letting some rabid brain washing, minority religious cult make political decisions. No sir. They're a cult. A cult. Nothing more and nothing less. They just don't want the truth getting out about their friggen illegal activities.

    Dave

  24. Re:great on Lori Drew Cyberbullying Case Dismissed · · Score: 1

    Yeah well, if this was the RIAA or MPAA...when are people going to learn that the courts are NOT for the people. They do not dispense justice. They are there to keep the weak, and powerless in check, to stop them, in any way, means or shape from moving upwards in the social world and threatening the rich and the powerful.

    The bitch should have been found guilty, lock, stock & barrel and locked up for a VERY long time.

    Dave

  25. Re:Purpose on Slackware 13.0 Released · · Score: 1

    I'd really beg to differ. Those that use Debian usually know just as much about GNU/Linux as Slackware users do. Neither are particularly user friendly distributions, hence most people gravitating towards Ubuntu, Fedora or Suse/Opensuse. Since most ordinary people DON'T want to learn about the guts of an operating system, but instead, want to USE it productively, they tend to go for the less troublesome distributions. Can't say I blame them.

    Dave