If the geek can't accept an open and frank discussion of gender issues in tech, then Slashdot has no future.
An open and frank discussion is very very welcome.
Where do we get one?
Because the framework of teh discussion, the one we are presented with, is me in IT are sexist pigs.
It's the equivalent of going up to someonje and calling them a vile name, and then when they get angry, saying "See? See? All the proof you need that I am right!"
There is no frank and open discussion because the problem is already "solved" no other possibility is allowed.
So here is the problem as I have read it.
Young girls have the eexact same passion for STEM careers as young boys.
But society forces young girls into other careers by abusing them with things like Barbie dolls, Dongle jokes, fat shaming, and using a playmate model's face as a subject for image processing. Now re-read that and see if it makes any sense to you. If it wasn't given as exact examples of why women don't go into STEM.
And the men are terrible sexist, harassing pigs.
Okay - there is the framework Those are what chase women who have a passion for STEM away from it. And it is the fault of males 100 percent.
Now if we were having an open and frank discussion, I would be allowed to ask questions.
Here they are.
Does none of these issues exist outside of STEM?
Many young women go into business. If those issues I stated keep women out of STEM - how does the fact that many business employ escorts, women whose job it is to entertain out of town guests. And when I mean entertain, I mean go to dinner, have a nice evening and then hop between the sheets, for some in-depth entertainment.
Having worked in IT, I know of no women who are employed to have sex with men. I know if I was female, I'd go apeshit crazy over that. I know my wife who worked in the business world, encountered some very personal and very intensively real sexual harassment. Oddly enough, instead of running away, she ended up destroying the guy in question.
Next question is - have these career choices that women are not chased away from not ever have any situation in which the woman or young lady was made uncomfortable? That would be a pretty charmed existence indeed. If the worst thing I ever had to listen to was two women telling dongle jokes, well first I'd laughh - I cannot imagine I would ever try to get them fired.
Now I would like to ask a positive question - Why now are fields such as veterinarian rapidly becoming the sole province of women? Is there something that can be learned from the overwhelming success the field has had in attracting women that can be learned?
Next in this discussion, I wouldn't even be considered competent to address these issues, but I have a long history of working to recruit young ladies into STEM careers. We did a lot of recruiting, and a lot of work with young ladies to try to get them interested. The results? almost zero. Most young ladies wanted to be lawyers, next up was vets. More girls wanted to be pop singers than STEM workers.
In addition We were doing as much as we could to hire and retain women. We even fast tracked them for promotions. I gave up several promotions for that purpose.
And experience wise, when I started there in the mid-70's, there were more women working in the STEM positions. Some retired, some left over time, some switched careers.
In the end, I developed an opinion that runs contrary to what we are told is the problem.
Young ladies as a demographic are simply not interested in STEM. The first wave of women who graduated college in the early 70's tried out many careers. After the initial experimentation, they settled on careers they liked. Business, medical, financial (for careers considered professional.
That being said, there are also women who are interested in STEM. I've worked with a number of them, and tthey do
When I was originally invited to join Linkedin, it was through an invite from a colleague. I went through the steps, then figuratively shit myself. They just outright asked for the password. The putative reason was to let them data mine my address file.
But I kinda wanted to keep my job at the time. Ethical? Hell no.
There are a few interesting and useful applications for IoT. Home security systems
One thing I always wondered about. Xfinity has ads about their home security systems. Mommy is sitting at work, and is so pleased to see the children getting home from school. Now of course, just like facebook, the addicted will end up constantly checking to make certain everything is okay. But that isn't my question.
If I remember correctly from my teenage years, a lot of us run around not highly clothed at times. So now when Xfinity send out some onlne video of 15 year old Tiffany traipsing around al fresco, who's going to take the rap?
and remote medical devices, for example.
Greetings! And Salutations! We notice you are using the XYZ Internet connected implant insulin pump. We understand that they sometimes malfunction and pump out so much insulin that they kill you. Such would be a terrible tragedy. However, if you do not want this malfunction to occur, simply send XXX bitcoin to us, and it won't happen. Thank you for your discretion in this matter as well.
Then again, no doubt the IoT folks will bring out a ransomware app to streamline the process.
Frankly, I'd be happier if the internet could work as expected, *before* they start adding more crap.
You sir, have completely owed the entire discussion.
Because the IoT cannot ever be any safer or more secure than the rest of the internet. Which is not at all.
Ever wonder if we're going to get Ransomware during cold snaps threatening to turn off our heat if we don't pay them some amount of bitcoin? Easy Peasy.
I'm really confused why most commenters here have such a negative viewpoint on IoT.
Many comments about "security is terrible", "I don't need internet connected devices, my X device works just fine."
OK, then --don't-- buy it. But you have to realize that the market going through development of products to find consumer desire is a GOOD thing.
So was Thalidomide at one point.
Branding people who complain about the IoT as luddites is the wrong approach. Yes, there are plenty og "get off my lawn!" types here, but a lot of us aren't, and merely see a very bad situation in the offings here.
It isn't that programmable devices haven't been around before. I tried a few, and they just were not practical.
Nww between you and me, anyone who is too goddamned stupid to know how to use a jar ( but apparenlt smart enough to fiddle around with an app to program it, or can't remember to drink some water, or for crissakes cannot figue out that doodad that keeps his pant up and his pecker in, should not ever be the determining element in the future direction of the internet. A waste of time and money, and the stupid people who use that shit should get an app reminding them to never ever reproduce.
That isn't progress. Progress is allowing us to get shit done faster, better, and smarter.
That shit surely isn't, It's "Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo" for smartphones.
For most consumers, IoT seems to be 99% rebranded home automation, which has always fallen flat on its face.
My Favorite IoT device, I saw on a commercial the other day. Woman is sitting on a couch in a room with windows. She pulls out her smartphone opens an app, and shuts a curtain with it. That in a nutshell, encompasses the entire internet of things.
Making something you used to simply get off yer ass to do, take a nationwide infrastructure of servers data transmission and apps to acomplish, and eventually some guy in China as well.
Reading comprehension is not your strong suit, apparently. Why keep the thermostat turned up to daytime temperatures at night? Or when you're not home? You like wasting money?
I've always wondered how much money you save. It isn't like the furnace doesn't run for a long time when you heat the place up again.
I do know that when we replaced our old hot tub that used a programmed thermostat that supposedly saved electricity, with a new tub twice as big, that kept temperatures constant, and we saved a lot of money on our electric bill. That's what people here call "One Data Point so as to say it's wrong, but the old tub took most of the afternoon heating up to temperature. That constant running after cooling down takes money as well.
So, yeah, if you don't care about savings or efficiency, an old-fashioned thermostat works just fine.
A couple comments. If you really care
about saving energy - put on extra clothing and keep the damned thermostat at the lowest level you can. No internet of things needed!
Maybe, just maybe if you have an extremely OC lifestyle, where you are always at home at the same time, always leave at the same time, always sleep at the same time, and never deviate, you might find, as I did, that there isn't any programming that will help. It is like turning programming of heat or AC into an encompassing hobby.
So what do we do? At least concerning heating, bought and installed one of the gas furnaces that are super efficient, so much so that the "chimney" is a pvc pipe. Temperature control consists of walking over to the digital thermostat, and if we will both be gone, which is known by consultation, we turn it down a little bit, or otherwise, just leave it alone. It's efficiency warms the place up pronto, so wasting time programming, or even thinking about it when we're not there, is pointless. Much expense and time spent to eliminate the 5 seconds a day we spend now.
People should really try linux before talking about it. And they also should try reinstalling a windows and a linux and compare which one was easier, and on which one they had fun manually hunting for and installing all the drivers.
My next comment for the Linux haters, is that if they insist on comparing contemporary versions of Linux to those of 15 -20 years ago, we need to define Windows by the capabilities of Windows 1, so whne they talk about how hard it is to install and use, I get to complain about Windows 1 not actually working.
I'll be the first to note that years ago, it was kinda a nuisance, and compiling programs isn't for grannmy unless she's into geek
And the peripheral/driver support on Linux is actually better than Windows, because they don't abandon perfectly good equipment just because of - hell I don't know. My favorite example of that is I was setting up a dual boot Vista and Mint machine a few years ago that used a USB-RS232 adapter on both sides. Setting up Linux first, everything worked fine. Move to the Vista side - adapter didn't work. Research showed that it was an older driver, and no support was availble, and none would be. Turned out that the freaking adapter was for a Palm Pilot! But worked 100 percent on the Linux side.
Oh, and one more for the Winders boyz and girlz, when you install windows and spend days getting it updated? Certainly the versions of Linux I''ve installed in the last few years install the latest software the first time I install it.
I do think that in today's world, if a person has trouble with Linux, it's because they try to force Windows on a Unix system. Either that, or they are just regurgitating ancient memes from the 90's.
That launch was almost a week ago. Interesting? You bet. I was pissed that I made it down to Florida on the day after the launch - although the KSC is still a must see and well worth the admission price anyhow. Anyone who misses the Atlantis shuttle exhibit should turn in their geek card. You could tell who the engineers were in the audience - they were either trying to keep from crying, or like me, rendered completely speechless at the intro. Do not miss. I'm such a rocket slut.
But I digress. Week old news, isn't news. Maybe a little faster story selection process?
I wish! I was trying to optimize a route recently with Google Maps. Spent a few hours mapping out the route, then it has a feature to send it to the iPhone. Yeah - a freaking pdf file. Completely useless. So I went online to expose my derpishness. Well, Google no longer offers their classic maps - which were excellent. And the new ones just don't work very well, limited waypoints, and pdf or print output only. Their phone app allows no waypoints at all. FTW? not for me.
So inaccurate alarmist hysteria is truthful reporting, but the healthily sceptical follow-up is part of a conspiracy to hide the truth?
Right.
So everyone is wrong but this guy?
In the end, I am comfortable to take Microsoft at their word regarding the telemetry. That is enough. In addition, Microsoft has already ignored my requests to delay updates, and reset my privacy settings in several updates, downloaded Windows 10 without permission on a imac I have control of that is running Windows 7, but won't even run the Bootcamp version needed for W10.
Yes, no FUD at all. Merely a users opinion that I believe them when they say they are watching that Windows ten machine, and since they already do things they were not given permission to to, It's not outlandish to decide they are are doing it all.
No, GPS is not making people stupid, or destroying their inner mapping.
What GPS is doing is allowing idiots who are already pretty stupid to have access to technology that they cannot comprehend.
They started out stupid, and remain that way.
I use GPS daily, and I also have old school paper maps in the car. If something doesn't seem right, I refer to the paper maps as a sanity check. So I seldom end up 250 miles out of my way, or driving into a desert and ending up nearly dead http://www.sacbee.com/entertai...
Not one of these fates was the fault of the GPS. It was the fault of the stupid stupid owners, who were stupid enough to end up near the Arctic circle, or stupid enough to ever ever go into the desert without provisions, then coupled with not having a paper map in their car and checking it the first second something didn't seem right.
One of the best was the case of Iftikhar Hussain, who last year followed his GPS off a demolished bridge in Indiana. Sad, but according to the Lake County Police:
a sheriff's office spokeswoman told the Times of Munster: "The Cline Avenue bridge is marked with numerous barricades including orange barrels and cones, large wood signs stating ROAD CLOSED with orange striped markings. There are concrete barricades across the road to further indicate the road is closed."
So if you are going to assume that the GPS is correct, as you drive around barricades and barrels and "Road Closed" signs and concrete barricades, It isn't the machine that is stupid, it is you.
GPS navigation is simply mapreading enhanced by GPS coordinates. The Mapreader doesn't always plot what it thinks is your exact position, it often assigns you to a nearby road. It doesn't always know the exact condition of the road it's trying to send you on, and if you choose "shortest route" it will often send you off on some interesting but time consuming shortcuts. It doesn't always know if a route is closed.
But if you are stupid, it will allow you to kill yourself.
I'm pretty sure if you recorded to connections from your MAC or Linux desktop, and didn't filter out normal expected traffic, you'd be APPALLED at the tracking taking place.
connections do not equal tracking.
Install Wireshark. and see. I have it on all my machines OSX, Linux and PC. There are connections you would expect, like update checks, connection requests, and of course data submitted that you want submitted, but no keylogging has been seen as of yet.
And do you deny what Microsoft says they do this? Why are they telling us they are collecting all the data that they say they are connecting, but really aren't collecting that data? Given what they have done with Skype, it is not unreasonable to assume that they have done the same thing with W10.
"Panic"? Really? Why would one "panic", even if it were somehow true that MS decided to collect all of the information about everybody on the planet? That doesn't seem like a response of a mentally stable person.
Never worked on COMSEC eh? If you knew windows 10 was doing this, and had your attitude, you'd probably end up working at the drivethru windows at Burger King.
Fair enough, but most Linux distros out of the box don't do much of anything (which is fine) and most aren't very user friendly either (relatively speaking). Linux is a fine OS for computer enthusiast that are willing to go through every configuration detail manually, but it's generally not well received by the typical user.
Christ AC, 1999 was over a long time ago. Especially for typical users it is install and go. Immensely easier than installing Windows, and the only tweaking is the same thing you have to do with any install.
Software repositories are in the web, you Choose what you want, and it asks you if you want to install the dependencies, you click yes, and it installs it. About as seamless as you can get.
Heck, even if you compile your programs yourself, it has come a long way from the cursesware Linux used to be.
You might give it a try sometime. Linux Mint is preferred by Grandmas everywhere.
Therefore, it makes sense that most Linux distros don't make a lot of background network connections out of the box, while more consumer oriented OSes like Windows, OSX, iOS, and Android would be more likely to have "automagic" maintenance and user features enabled. System time sync, OS updates, app updates, synching browser favorites across devices, "am I connected to the internet?" checks, error reporting, etc.
Good heavens - you know very little about modern Linux.
You're just adding more FUD. There's no proof that Windows sends info about visiting websites, persons e-mailed, listened songs or watched movies.
Have you ever bother to read Microsoft privacy statement? Especially regarding Cortana or input personalization?
No they don't. They are living in a bubble, and cannot accept the truth.
A couple key points:
As you note, Microsoft upfront tells you that they are performing surveillance on you.
furthermore, does it make any sens at all to reject what Microsoft is telling you they do, or if accepting that they do, insisting its just unimportant stuff? They installed the surveillance to collect useless information?
I always wondered who does the "scrubbing" they do to the personally identifiable information your computer sends them. Hint, Microsoft bubbleshills they have to have your personal info to remove it.
Slashdot Mirror
If the geek can't accept an open and frank discussion of gender issues in tech, then Slashdot has no future.
An open and frank discussion is very very welcome.
Where do we get one?
Because the framework of teh discussion, the one we are presented with, is me in IT are sexist pigs.
It's the equivalent of going up to someonje and calling them a vile name, and then when they get angry, saying "See? See? All the proof you need that I am right!"
There is no frank and open discussion because the problem is already "solved" no other possibility is allowed.
So here is the problem as I have read it.
Young girls have the eexact same passion for STEM careers as young boys.
But society forces young girls into other careers by abusing them with things like Barbie dolls, Dongle jokes, fat shaming, and using a playmate model's face as a subject for image processing. Now re-read that and see if it makes any sense to you. If it wasn't given as exact examples of why women don't go into STEM.
And the men are terrible sexist, harassing pigs.
Okay - there is the framework Those are what chase women who have a passion for STEM away from it. And it is the fault of males 100 percent.
Now if we were having an open and frank discussion, I would be allowed to ask questions.
Here they are.
Does none of these issues exist outside of STEM?
Many young women go into business. If those issues I stated keep women out of STEM - how does the fact that many business employ escorts, women whose job it is to entertain out of town guests. And when I mean entertain, I mean go to dinner, have a nice evening and then hop between the sheets, for some in-depth entertainment.
Having worked in IT, I know of no women who are employed to have sex with men. I know if I was female, I'd go apeshit crazy over that. I know my wife who worked in the business world, encountered some very personal and very intensively real sexual harassment. Oddly enough, instead of running away, she ended up destroying the guy in question.
Next question is - have these career choices that women are not chased away from not ever have any situation in which the woman or young lady was made uncomfortable? That would be a pretty charmed existence indeed. If the worst thing I ever had to listen to was two women telling dongle jokes, well first I'd laughh - I cannot imagine I would ever try to get them fired.
Now I would like to ask a positive question - Why now are fields such as veterinarian rapidly becoming the sole province of women? Is there something that can be learned from the overwhelming success the field has had in attracting women that can be learned?
Next in this discussion, I wouldn't even be considered competent to address these issues, but I have a long history of working to recruit young ladies into STEM careers. We did a lot of recruiting, and a lot of work with young ladies to try to get them interested. The results? almost zero. Most young ladies wanted to be lawyers, next up was vets. More girls wanted to be pop singers than STEM workers.
In addition We were doing as much as we could to hire and retain women. We even fast tracked them for promotions. I gave up several promotions for that purpose.
And experience wise, when I started there in the mid-70's, there were more women working in the STEM positions. Some retired, some left over time, some switched careers.
In the end, I developed an opinion that runs contrary to what we are told is the problem.
Young ladies as a demographic are simply not interested in STEM. The first wave of women who graduated college in the early 70's tried out many careers. After the initial experimentation, they settled on careers they liked. Business, medical, financial (for careers considered professional.
That being said, there are also women who are interested in STEM. I've worked with a number of them, and tthey do
There are some aspects to sex robots that are interesting:
No Sexually transmitted diseases
No child support because you don't have children.
No splitting your wealth upon divorce or a vindictive ex coming after you.
Now of course, the human race might disappear.
Combined with their hubris, impossible.
Their Spam framework.
Trying to make a "six degrees of LinkedIn."
hmmm... did ethics testing get automated here?
{ assert true : "Danger Will Robinson, Danger! Unethical program."; }
When I was originally invited to join Linkedin, it was through an invite from a colleague. I went through the steps, then figuratively shit myself. They just outright asked for the password. The putative reason was to let them data mine my address file.
But I kinda wanted to keep my job at the time. Ethical? Hell no.
What is amazing is how many people do just that.
There are a few interesting and useful applications for IoT. Home security systems
One thing I always wondered about. Xfinity has ads about their home security systems. Mommy is sitting at work, and is so pleased to see the children getting home from school. Now of course, just like facebook, the addicted will end up constantly checking to make certain everything is okay. But that isn't my question.
If I remember correctly from my teenage years, a lot of us run around not highly clothed at times. So now when Xfinity send out some onlne video of 15 year old Tiffany traipsing around al fresco, who's going to take the rap?
and remote medical devices, for example.
Greetings! And Salutations! We notice you are using the XYZ Internet connected implant insulin pump. We understand that they sometimes malfunction and pump out so much insulin that they kill you. Such would be a terrible tragedy. However, if you do not want this malfunction to occur, simply send XXX bitcoin to us, and it won't happen. Thank you for your discretion in this matter as well.
Then again, no doubt the IoT folks will bring out a ransomware app to streamline the process.
Frankly, I'd be happier if the internet could work as expected, *before* they start adding more crap.
You sir, have completely owed the entire discussion.
Because the IoT cannot ever be any safer or more secure than the rest of the internet. Which is not at all.
Ever wonder if we're going to get Ransomware during cold snaps threatening to turn off our heat if we don't pay them some amount of bitcoin? Easy Peasy.
I'm really confused why most commenters here have such a negative viewpoint on IoT.
Many comments about "security is terrible", "I don't need internet connected devices, my X device works just fine."
OK, then --don't-- buy it. But you have to realize that the market going through development of products to find consumer desire is a GOOD thing.
So was Thalidomide at one point.
Branding people who complain about the IoT as luddites is the wrong approach. Yes, there are plenty og "get off my lawn!" types here, but a lot of us aren't, and merely see a very bad situation in the offings here.
It isn't that programmable devices haven't been around before. I tried a few, and they just were not practical.
Now, we need a Internet connected jar? http://skelabs.com/
An internet connected bottle? http://www.hidratespark.com/
A belt. A fucking belt that you need a fucking app to use. http://www.wearbelty.com/
Nww between you and me, anyone who is too goddamned stupid to know how to use a jar ( but apparenlt smart enough to fiddle around with an app to program it, or can't remember to drink some water, or for crissakes cannot figue out that doodad that keeps his pant up and his pecker in, should not ever be the determining element in the future direction of the internet. A waste of time and money, and the stupid people who use that shit should get an app reminding them to never ever reproduce.
That isn't progress. Progress is allowing us to get shit done faster, better, and smarter.
That shit surely isn't, It's "Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo" for smartphones.
For most consumers, IoT seems to be 99% rebranded home automation, which has always fallen flat on its face.
My Favorite IoT device, I saw on a commercial the other day. Woman is sitting on a couch in a room with windows. She pulls out her smartphone opens an app, and shuts a curtain with it. That in a nutshell, encompasses the entire internet of things.
Making something you used to simply get off yer ass to do, take a nationwide infrastructure of servers data transmission and apps to acomplish, and eventually some guy in China as well.
Finding a "dumb" TV is harder and harder,
Too bad finding smart TV shows is all but impossible.
Reading comprehension is not your strong suit, apparently. Why keep the thermostat turned up to daytime temperatures at night? Or when you're not home? You like wasting money?
I've always wondered how much money you save. It isn't like the furnace doesn't run for a long time when you heat the place up again.
I do know that when we replaced our old hot tub that used a programmed thermostat that supposedly saved electricity, with a new tub twice as big, that kept temperatures constant, and we saved a lot of money on our electric bill. That's what people here call "One Data Point so as to say it's wrong, but the old tub took most of the afternoon heating up to temperature. That constant running after cooling down takes money as well.
So, yeah, if you don't care about savings or efficiency, an old-fashioned thermostat works just fine.
A couple comments. If you really care
about saving energy - put on extra clothing and keep the damned thermostat at the lowest level you can. No internet of things needed!
Maybe, just maybe if you have an extremely OC lifestyle, where you are always at home at the same time, always leave at the same time, always sleep at the same time, and never deviate, you might find, as I did, that there isn't any programming that will help. It is like turning programming of heat or AC into an encompassing hobby.
So what do we do? At least concerning heating, bought and installed one of the gas furnaces that are super efficient, so much so that the "chimney" is a pvc pipe. Temperature control consists of walking over to the digital thermostat, and if we will both be gone, which is known by consultation, we turn it down a little bit, or otherwise, just leave it alone. It's efficiency warms the place up pronto, so wasting time programming, or even thinking about it when we're not there, is pointless. Much expense and time spent to eliminate the 5 seconds a day we spend now.
I was coming here to say that. Thanks.
People should really try linux before talking about it. And they also should try reinstalling a windows and a linux and compare which one was easier, and on which one they had fun manually hunting for and installing all the drivers.
My next comment for the Linux haters, is that if they insist on comparing contemporary versions of Linux to those of 15 -20 years ago, we need to define Windows by the capabilities of Windows 1, so whne they talk about how hard it is to install and use, I get to complain about Windows 1 not actually working.
I'll be the first to note that years ago, it was kinda a nuisance, and compiling programs isn't for grannmy unless she's into geek
And the peripheral/driver support on Linux is actually better than Windows, because they don't abandon perfectly good equipment just because of - hell I don't know. My favorite example of that is I was setting up a dual boot Vista and Mint machine a few years ago that used a USB-RS232 adapter on both sides. Setting up Linux first, everything worked fine. Move to the Vista side - adapter didn't work. Research showed that it was an older driver, and no support was availble, and none would be. Turned out that the freaking adapter was for a Palm Pilot! But worked 100 percent on the Linux side.
Oh, and one more for the Winders boyz and girlz, when you install windows and spend days getting it updated? Certainly the versions of Linux I''ve installed in the last few years install the latest software the first time I install it.
I do think that in today's world, if a person has trouble with Linux, it's because they try to force Windows on a Unix system. Either that, or they are just regurgitating ancient memes from the 90's.
But I digress. Week old news, isn't news. Maybe a little faster story selection process?
Yeah right, sarcasm is lower than puns. Absolutely.
A good pun is it's own reword.
I had no idea he was gay.
Is your Gaydar offline today?
FTW....
I wish! I was trying to optimize a route recently with Google Maps. Spent a few hours mapping out the route, then it has a feature to send it to the iPhone. Yeah - a freaking pdf file. Completely useless. So I went online to expose my derpishness. Well, Google no longer offers their classic maps - which were excellent. And the new ones just don't work very well, limited waypoints, and pdf or print output only. Their phone app allows no waypoints at all. FTW? not for me.
So inaccurate alarmist hysteria is truthful reporting, but the healthily sceptical follow-up is part of a conspiracy to hide the truth?
Right.
So everyone is wrong but this guy?
In the end, I am comfortable to take Microsoft at their word regarding the telemetry. That is enough. In addition, Microsoft has already ignored my requests to delay updates, and reset my privacy settings in several updates, downloaded Windows 10 without permission on a imac I have control of that is running Windows 7, but won't even run the Bootcamp version needed for W10.
Yes, no FUD at all. Merely a users opinion that I believe them when they say they are watching that Windows ten machine, and since they already do things they were not given permission to to, It's not outlandish to decide they are are doing it all.
No, GPS is not making people stupid, or destroying their inner mapping.
What GPS is doing is allowing idiots who are already pretty stupid to have access to technology that they cannot comprehend.
They started out stupid, and remain that way.
I use GPS daily, and I also have old school paper maps in the car. If something doesn't seem right, I refer to the paper maps as a sanity check. So I seldom end up 250 miles out of my way, or driving into a desert and ending up nearly dead http://www.sacbee.com/entertai...
http://abcnews.go.com/Technolo...
Not one of these fates was the fault of the GPS. It was the fault of the stupid stupid owners, who were stupid enough to end up near the Arctic circle, or stupid enough to ever ever go into the desert without provisions, then coupled with not having a paper map in their car and checking it the first second something didn't seem right.
One of the best was the case of Iftikhar Hussain, who last year followed his GPS off a demolished bridge in Indiana. Sad, but according to the Lake County Police:
a sheriff's office spokeswoman told the Times of Munster: "The Cline Avenue bridge is marked with numerous barricades including orange barrels and cones, large wood signs stating ROAD CLOSED with orange striped markings. There are concrete barricades across the road to further indicate the road is closed."
So if you are going to assume that the GPS is correct, as you drive around barricades and barrels and "Road Closed" signs and concrete barricades, It isn't the machine that is stupid, it is you.
GPS navigation is simply mapreading enhanced by GPS coordinates. The Mapreader doesn't always plot what it thinks is your exact position, it often assigns you to a nearby road. It doesn't always know the exact condition of the road it's trying to send you on, and if you choose "shortest route" it will often send you off on some interesting but time consuming shortcuts. It doesn't always know if a route is closed.
But if you are stupid, it will allow you to kill yourself.
I'm pretty sure if you recorded to connections from your MAC or Linux desktop, and didn't filter out normal expected traffic, you'd be APPALLED at the tracking taking place. connections do not equal tracking.
Install Wireshark. and see. I have it on all my machines OSX, Linux and PC. There are connections you would expect, like update checks, connection requests, and of course data submitted that you want submitted, but no keylogging has been seen as of yet.
And do you deny what Microsoft says they do this? Why are they telling us they are collecting all the data that they say they are connecting, but really aren't collecting that data? Given what they have done with Skype, it is not unreasonable to assume that they have done the same thing with W10.
"Panic"? Really? Why would one "panic", even if it were somehow true that MS decided to collect all of the information about everybody on the planet? That doesn't seem like a response of a mentally stable person.
Never worked on COMSEC eh? If you knew windows 10 was doing this, and had your attitude, you'd probably end up working at the drivethru windows at Burger King.
The true measure would be to allow it and packet dump/trace it.
That might not give the results the ZDnet writer was told to get.
Fair enough, but most Linux distros out of the box don't do much of anything (which is fine) and most aren't very user friendly either (relatively speaking). Linux is a fine OS for computer enthusiast that are willing to go through every configuration detail manually, but it's generally not well received by the typical user.
Christ AC, 1999 was over a long time ago. Especially for typical users it is install and go. Immensely easier than installing Windows, and the only tweaking is the same thing you have to do with any install.
Software repositories are in the web, you Choose what you want, and it asks you if you want to install the dependencies, you click yes, and it installs it. About as seamless as you can get.
Heck, even if you compile your programs yourself, it has come a long way from the cursesware Linux used to be.
You might give it a try sometime. Linux Mint is preferred by Grandmas everywhere.
Therefore, it makes sense that most Linux distros don't make a lot of background network connections out of the box, while more consumer oriented OSes like Windows, OSX, iOS, and Android would be more likely to have "automagic" maintenance and user features enabled. System time sync, OS updates, app updates, synching browser favorites across devices, "am I connected to the internet?" checks, error reporting, etc.
Good heavens - you know very little about modern Linux.
You're just adding more FUD. There's no proof that Windows sends info about visiting websites, persons e-mailed, listened songs or watched movies.
Have you ever bother to read Microsoft privacy statement? Especially regarding Cortana or input personalization?
No they don't. They are living in a bubble, and cannot accept the truth.
A couple key points:
As you note, Microsoft upfront tells you that they are performing surveillance on you.
furthermore, does it make any sens at all to reject what Microsoft is telling you they do, or if accepting that they do, insisting its just unimportant stuff? They installed the surveillance to collect useless information?
I always wondered who does the "scrubbing" they do to the personally identifiable information your computer sends them. Hint, Microsoft bubbleshills they have to have your personal info to remove it.