It is the NSA's job to collect data and analyze data. That's it. Not to go on 60 Minutes for disinformation prop.
Notorious in spy novels. Really, lay off the fiction and conspiracy websites.
Returning to the POINT, the CIA formed a VC firm to capture the dynamism of the private sector technology industry in developing tech. We'll leave off your (totally off point) speculations on what I'm not quite sure.
Besides, the black project places are working on equipment that makes the declassified stuff released to the public today look like Fisher Price kiddie toys.
And you know this... how, exactly?
The issue isn't whether the NSA has the machines to crunch the numbers to crack an encrypt scheme. Big deal. My desktop can do that, given enough time. The problem is in information analysis and communication systems. Sure the NSA collects terrabytes of data daily, but as the NSA itself has admitted, it simply can't make heads or tails of that data. Our intelligence agencies are great at collecting data, but are lost when it comes to PROCESSING that data into actionable and meaningful INFORMATION.
You're right. I looked it up to verify my memory, but I was mistaken. It was the phone system Clinton was bitching about. But the computer network in the WH in 93 was composed of an old mainframe and terminals. Not exactly cutting edge.
How much do you want to bet that 45 percent gap is freeware and/or open source?"
That would be, by any standard, quite a leap of speculative faith.
It has been my experience that people, myself included, simply steal their software and music. Unapologetically. Hell, I know at least one POLICE DEPARTMENT that is a hell-bent software and music "pirate den." I always hear the argument about music downloads that people who download music invariably buy more music. I have never seen that argument proved in practice, quite the opposite. They are the same people who invariably criticize when someone remarks that they have bought a CD. "Why did you buy the CD when you can get it for free?" I have never heard someone say that they downloaded this really rad song or program and they like it so much they're gonna rush out to Fry's and buy a retail copy in the morning. Never.
This is the sort of ignorance that should have been completely destroyed by 9/11. Why do you not believe that the FBI has severely outdated machines? Because the typical Slashdotter has an extremely distorted perception of the scope and extent of governmental power and efficacy. When the CIA starts up a venture capital firm to fund technology ideas to jump start itself in playing catch-up with the private sector, that says something. When the NSA goes on 60 Minutes and says "we're friggin way behind," that speaks volumes. The government USED to have the biggest and the best. Today, the private sector, as far as information technology goes, is WAY ahead of the agencies.
Remember, when Clinton entered office in 93, there WERE NO COMPUTERS in the White House! They still USED TELETYPES. In 93!
Dogfighting? Not much dogfighting going on when you fire a Sidewinder at your opponent 10 miles away. And the Sidewinder is classed as a short range weapon.
I won't bother rehashing the "its Doom I, stupid" point.
Derek
Re:Its all about $$$$$
on
Disconnecting
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· Score: 2
It's called "retention" - getting the customer to keep patronizing your business. Not a big deal, regular business practice and understandable. But when the company HIDES its contact information, and BURIES the department ten levels deep in its phone system, in order to make it as hard as possible to cancel... that's messed up.
Hey, if yer blowing through more than $2500 a month in real expenses, and you haven't SAVED any of those big bucks, you deserve what you get. Stupidity is sort of its own reward.
And MS profits aren't what they are touted. The first half of 2000 was a disaster for them - the only reason they made a profit was the selling of investments. I haven't bothered to keep up on the story. But there have been others that have noted that MS has become more an investment banker than a company making its profits from working production.
A little side note: as a kid I used to crash both web servers and browsers by implementing this as a CGI script!:p
I would say this statement indicates you are STILL a kid. When I was a kid, computers took up whole buildings, and you handed a computer operator a stack of punch cards and breathlessly waited the next morning (if lucky) for the results of your program. You showed your age, in other words.
I don't really know how much tobacco or gun companies care about their customers..not much I guess..but I suspect when a gun doesn't work, which is probably rare, you can get somebody on the fone pretty quick to help you out
And you can't when your computer 'breaks?' Come on! Not only can you get someone on the phone that is the equivalent of a gun smith for this example, but you can get in touch with someone by phone, by mail, chatroom, and while you're waiting, you can also peruse the online support pages on the company web site, and poke around your computer for the appropriate README or whatever. And THAT is setting people adrift??!!
And what, exactly, is different about the tech industry than any other?
The arrogant and elitist tech industry? Do you get personalized instruction from the dealership on operation of your new vehicle purchase? How about with your VCR, or can opener for that matter? What manufacturer gives anything more than a flimsy manual and MAYBE a customer service number with their product? How is the tech industry arrogant and elitist for not holding people's hands about their technology purchases?
Perhaps its an arrogant and elitist industry because the "tech knowledge gap" between techies and non-techies is large? Well, duh. That's stating the complete and utter obvious. That's like calling the automotive repair industry arrogant and elitist because of the knowledge gap between mechanics and the average schmuck. It's true by DEFINITION. They're *specialists* Jon. They're the people who have actually cracked open the buttload metric tonnage of manuals, specs, and self-education material out there and learned, so the average person can go on not bothering.
Young people have less trouble with technology because they grew up with it, Jon.
NASA has already gotten this point. The MIP program (Mars In-situ Propellant) is aimed at exploring and developing the technology to produce fuel on Mars for the return journey.
Zubrin of the Mars Society has been a long proponent of the idea, amongst others.
First of all, I didn't state any preference value one way or another in my comment, so stop reading any preference into it.
I stated the facts. That's it.
And if you think the notion of the courts forcing MS to sell a stripped down Windows is "laughable" you had better not hold your breath. MS has already been found guilty. The deliberation is only over the punishment. The punishment is up to the court. Nothing would surprise me.
The States pushed for viewing the code to prove or disprove the MS allegation that IE and other middleware can not be "unmingled" from the OS without fundamentally damaging the OS. The States want to undo the MS trend of bundling MS middleware products with the OS to the detriment of its competitors. ie. - address the original fundamental anti-trust problem and make MS sell a stripped down Windows, no doubt.
Those of you saying this article is misleading and the layoffs aren't "techies" obviously have not been reading the news or the financials. The tech sector is IMPLODING.
I got the axe March 2nd from UUNET, where I was working as a Network Analyst in the Houston DC. A week or two before I got my walking papers, I was commenting to my coworkers that I was glad I was in the money making part of MCIWorldcom. I didn't think I was going to get hosed like the onsite MCI telecom guys did. ALL OF THEM. A buddy of mine worked in the MCI call center in Houston, doing help desk, he got layed off March 2nd too. 15% of MCIWorldcom got layed off. Those are techies that got it, telecom guys and network engineers.
We're hurting here in Houston, we got hit hard. Compaq layed off a couple thousand, Dell layed off a couple thousand, Nortel layed off, Enron melted down, Cable and Wireless and TXU **shut down** their call centers. IT shops all over town have gone into the crapper. There are so many techies out of work in Houston that its nearly impossible to get a CALL BACK, because there are dozens of applicants for each open position.
This isn't just the administrative assistants being layed off.
First of all, these people went about it all wrong. They were good, but not good enough. They used cashiers checks and money orders. Easy. Your bank can tell you who and where and with whom your check was cashed, and there is a number to call on the stub of all money orders you can use to obtain the same information. Boom. You got him at the source of his pain - his wallet. Contact the bank and the local police and FBI offices. Tell your bank to stop payment on the check (which just means your bank will make a claim for that check back onto his bank). If you can't find him, do what's more important: FIND HIS MONEY.
I've completed many transactions on Ebay, and only got one slimeball. I got his contact information from ebay, and emailed him his home address and telephone number, and the date my money order was cashed, and told him he coughs up my book or he's in deep doo doo. I got a PHONE CALL from the guy begging my forgiveness. I got my book, express mail.:)
If it bothers you so much, why not refuse to buy anything from either of them... if you can?
You just made my point. I can EASILY NOT buy something made by Microsoft. I can not say the same about AOLTimeWarner. Microsoft more viscious? How so? AOL has been much more aggressive in buying key strategic positions and exponentially more aggressive in buying into every facet of every market remotely touching on its own. While Microsoft made only halfhearted attempts at tangential markets (Salon, MSN) AOL has dived right in: TimeWarner with its attendant telecom facilities, major TV NETWORKS, movie studios, print magazines and papers, and much more. I can easily avoid Microsoft. AOLTimeWarner PERMEATES America. Just because you don't like Microsoft and think its the big bad evil monster, doesn't mean you should ignore the implications of the OTHER, nastier monster just because it shares your distaste.
Slashdot Mirror
Huh?
It is the NSA's job to collect data and analyze data. That's it. Not to go on 60 Minutes for disinformation prop.
Notorious in spy novels. Really, lay off the fiction and conspiracy websites.
Returning to the POINT, the CIA formed a VC firm to capture the dynamism of the private sector technology industry in developing tech. We'll leave off your (totally off point) speculations on what I'm not quite sure.
Derek
Besides, the black project places are working on equipment that makes the declassified stuff released to the public today look like Fisher Price kiddie toys.
And you know this... how, exactly?
The issue isn't whether the NSA has the machines to crunch the numbers to crack an encrypt scheme. Big deal. My desktop can do that, given enough time. The problem is in information analysis and communication systems. Sure the NSA collects terrabytes of data daily, but as the NSA itself has admitted, it simply can't make heads or tails of that data. Our intelligence agencies are great at collecting data, but are lost when it comes to PROCESSING that data into actionable and meaningful INFORMATION.
Derek
As I said, on 60 Minutes.
o ve rnment/policy/story/0,10801,58331,00.html
The DIRECTOR of the NSA, said so, to be exact.
http://www.computerworld.com/governmenttopics/g
Derek
You're right. I looked it up to verify my memory, but I was mistaken. It was the phone system Clinton was bitching about. But the computer network in the WH in 93 was composed of an old mainframe and terminals. Not exactly cutting edge.
Derek
You can't expect me to take you seriously if you are that uninformed. The CIAs VC firm is common knowledge. Hell, even WIRED wrote about it.
, 00 . tml
o ve rnment/policy/story/0,10801,58331,00.html
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,39468
As to the NSA, don't take my word on it. Here's the damn Director of the NSA saying they're lagging behind the private sector:
http://www.computerworld.com/governmenttopics/g
Really, don't you read?
Derek
How much do you want to bet that 45 percent gap is freeware and/or open source?"
That would be, by any standard, quite a leap of speculative faith.
It has been my experience that people, myself included, simply steal their software and music. Unapologetically. Hell, I know at least one POLICE DEPARTMENT that is a hell-bent software and music "pirate den." I always hear the argument about music downloads that people who download music invariably buy more music. I have never seen that argument proved in practice, quite the opposite. They are the same people who invariably criticize when someone remarks that they have bought a CD. "Why did you buy the CD when you can get it for free?" I have never heard someone say that they downloaded this really rad song or program and they like it so much they're gonna rush out to Fry's and buy a retail copy in the morning. Never.
Derek
Now, the first Unix I ever knew is about to be no more.
And I say good riddence! SCO was a miserable little Unix.
Derek
Who modded this up as interesting?
This is the sort of ignorance that should have been completely destroyed by 9/11. Why do you not believe that the FBI has severely outdated machines? Because the typical Slashdotter has an extremely distorted perception of the scope and extent of governmental power and efficacy. When the CIA starts up a venture capital firm to fund technology ideas to jump start itself in playing catch-up with the private sector, that says something. When the NSA goes on 60 Minutes and says "we're friggin way behind," that speaks volumes. The government USED to have the biggest and the best. Today, the private sector, as far as information technology goes, is WAY ahead of the agencies.
Remember, when Clinton entered office in 93, there WERE NO COMPUTERS in the White House! They still USED TELETYPES. In 93!
Derek
Dogfighting? Not much dogfighting going on when you fire a Sidewinder at your opponent 10 miles away. And the Sidewinder is classed as a short range weapon.
Derek
Some people are going to think you're a Troll.
I just think you're realling fucking stupid.
I won't bother rehashing the "its Doom I, stupid" point.
Derek
It's called "retention" - getting the customer to keep patronizing your business. Not a big deal, regular business practice and understandable. But when the company HIDES its contact information, and BURIES the department ten levels deep in its phone system, in order to make it as hard as possible to cancel... that's messed up.
Derek
Hey genius...
Lucas IS CORPORATE AMERICA.
Woof.
Derek
Hey, if yer blowing through more than $2500 a month in real expenses, and you haven't SAVED any of those big bucks, you deserve what you get. Stupidity is sort of its own reward.
Derek
And MS profits aren't what they are touted. The first half of 2000 was a disaster for them - the only reason they made a profit was the selling of investments. I haven't bothered to keep up on the story. But there have been others that have noted that MS has become more an investment banker than a company making its profits from working production.
A little side note: as a kid I used to crash both web servers and browsers by implementing this as a CGI script! :p
I would say this statement indicates you are STILL a kid. When I was a kid, computers took up whole buildings, and you handed a computer operator a stack of punch cards and breathlessly waited the next morning (if lucky) for the results of your program. You showed your age, in other words.
:P
Derek
And you can't when your computer 'breaks?' Come on! Not only can you get someone on the phone that is the equivalent of a gun smith for this example, but you can get in touch with someone by phone, by mail, chatroom, and while you're waiting, you can also peruse the online support pages on the company web site, and poke around your computer for the appropriate README or whatever. And THAT is setting people adrift??!!
Derek
And what, exactly, is different about the tech industry than any other?
The arrogant and elitist tech industry? Do you get personalized instruction from the dealership on operation of your new vehicle purchase? How about with your VCR, or can opener for that matter? What manufacturer gives anything more than a flimsy manual and MAYBE a customer service number with their product? How is the tech industry arrogant and elitist for not holding people's hands about their technology purchases?
Perhaps its an arrogant and elitist industry because the "tech knowledge gap" between techies and non-techies is large? Well, duh. That's stating the complete and utter obvious. That's like calling the automotive repair industry arrogant and elitist because of the knowledge gap between mechanics and the average schmuck. It's true by DEFINITION. They're *specialists* Jon. They're the people who have actually cracked open the buttload metric tonnage of manuals, specs, and self-education material out there and learned, so the average person can go on not bothering.
Young people have less trouble with technology because they grew up with it, Jon.
The whole article is nonsense.
Derek
Not likely, we let you Canucks win. Gotta throw ya a bone once in a while, keep ya quiet. :P
Derek
Real easy to come by, and cheap to! Word of advice tho - don't call the manufacturer for ANY reason, ok? They're, umm, special OEM deals.
Here's the link:
www.igotmylaptopoffthebackofatruck.com
Enjoy!
Derek
NASA has already gotten this point. The MIP program (Mars In-situ Propellant) is aimed at exploring and developing the technology to produce fuel on Mars for the return journey.
Zubrin of the Mars Society has been a long proponent of the idea, amongst others.
Derek
First of all, I didn't state any preference value one way or another in my comment, so stop reading any preference into it.
I stated the facts. That's it.
And if you think the notion of the courts forcing MS to sell a stripped down Windows is "laughable" you had better not hold your breath. MS has already been found guilty. The deliberation is only over the punishment. The punishment is up to the court. Nothing would surprise me.
Derek
The States pushed for viewing the code to prove or disprove the MS allegation that IE and other middleware can not be "unmingled" from the OS without fundamentally damaging the OS. The States want to undo the MS trend of bundling MS middleware products with the OS to the detriment of its competitors. ie. - address the original fundamental anti-trust problem and make MS sell a stripped down Windows, no doubt.
Derek
Those of you saying this article is misleading and the layoffs aren't "techies" obviously have not been reading the news or the financials. The tech sector is IMPLODING.
I got the axe March 2nd from UUNET, where I was working as a Network Analyst in the Houston DC. A week or two before I got my walking papers, I was commenting to my coworkers that I was glad I was in the money making part of MCIWorldcom. I didn't think I was going to get hosed like the onsite MCI telecom guys did. ALL OF THEM. A buddy of mine worked in the MCI call center in Houston, doing help desk, he got layed off March 2nd too. 15% of MCIWorldcom got layed off. Those are techies that got it, telecom guys and network engineers.
We're hurting here in Houston, we got hit hard. Compaq layed off a couple thousand, Dell layed off a couple thousand, Nortel layed off, Enron melted down, Cable and Wireless and TXU **shut down** their call centers. IT shops all over town have gone into the crapper. There are so many techies out of work in Houston that its nearly impossible to get a CALL BACK, because there are dozens of applicants for each open position.
This isn't just the administrative assistants being layed off.
First of all, these people went about it all wrong. They were good, but not good enough. They used cashiers checks and money orders. Easy. Your bank can tell you who and where and with whom your check was cashed, and there is a number to call on the stub of all money orders you can use to obtain the same information. Boom. You got him at the source of his pain - his wallet. Contact the bank and the local police and FBI offices. Tell your bank to stop payment on the check (which just means your bank will make a claim for that check back onto his bank). If you can't find him, do what's more important: FIND HIS MONEY.
:)
I've completed many transactions on Ebay, and only got one slimeball. I got his contact information from ebay, and emailed him his home address and telephone number, and the date my money order was cashed, and told him he coughs up my book or he's in deep doo doo. I got a PHONE CALL from the guy begging my forgiveness. I got my book, express mail.
Derek
You just made my point. I can EASILY NOT buy something made by Microsoft. I can not say the same about AOLTimeWarner. Microsoft more viscious? How so? AOL has been much more aggressive in buying key strategic positions and exponentially more aggressive in buying into every facet of every market remotely touching on its own. While Microsoft made only halfhearted attempts at tangential markets (Salon, MSN) AOL has dived right in: TimeWarner with its attendant telecom facilities, major TV NETWORKS, movie studios, print magazines and papers, and much more. I can easily avoid Microsoft. AOLTimeWarner PERMEATES America. Just because you don't like Microsoft and think its the big bad evil monster, doesn't mean you should ignore the implications of the OTHER, nastier monster just because it shares your distaste.
Derek