Our "privacy" is "violated" in many ways that have nothing to do with what OS we're running or on what hardware we're running it.
Anyone been to their ATM machine for cash lately? Notice that little surveillance camera? Been to the local convenience store? Another surveillance camera. The grocery store? Another camera. Did you pay for your groceries with a check? Probably had to show ID which included or was tied to your SSN, phone number, address, and other "personal" information. Did you use your ATM card with the Visa logo to pay for *anything* lately? What about your library card? Have you noticed surveillance cameras in the shopping mall? In some cities they're at intersections watching for cars that run red lights. In England I understand they're using surveillance cameras in heavily trafficked downtown areas. Have you used your health insurance or car insurance lately?
And the list goes on and on. It's not just about MAC addresses and CPU IDs. We're under surveillance "for our safety" many hours of the day. At least here in the good old US of A
Does anyone remember a story where the gov't of China jailed some guy for "spamming" other civil rights workers and organizers and their friends and family about civil rights? Or did I just completely lose it?
Does anyone remember a story where the gov't of China jailed some guy for "spamming" other civil rights workers and organizers and their friends and family about civil rights? Or did I just completely lose it?
Every time I read that IBM does something having to do with Linux or any other product I like, I get a queasy feeling in my stomach which I can't quite explain. And then I remember . . .
It was many years ago and I worked in a small retail shop which sold and serviced portable microcomputers -- that's what they were called back then, microcomputers -- and the software that was usually bundled with them, Dbase, Wordstar, Lotus123 or SuperCalc. We specialized in "luggables", Compaq, Kaypro, Osborne. And they all used C/PM as their OS.
Then one day we got this new fangled thingy in the shop. It was by IBM. It had a 10MB hard drive. 10MB?! Geez, what the heck would anyone every need 10MB for? It had no software written for it as this IBM microcomputer (soon to be known as "personal computer") had as its OS this thing called DOS. Who the heck had ever heard of DOS, MS or otherwise? Geez, the only thing you could run on it was King's Quest.
But, this was IBM, ole Big Blue. They had name recognition. They knew how to market. Heck, they even passed on their expertise in marketing to the little upstart who had provided them with an OS for their little jaunt into the microcompter world. And that was how IBM treated those of us who had to deal with their choice of OS and their systems over the years. Those of you who have ever had problems with Microsoft tech support should know that it is an IBM model of tech support. Microsoft learned their lesson from IBM well, indeed.
Years later the little Microsoft upstart bit the IBM hand that had fed him so much market share and name recognition over the years. So eventually, IBM paid the piper for their ways. But not before leaving us with the IBM/Microsoft legacy of poor and expensive tech support, total disregard for quality product in favor of market share and profit, and marketing techniques which are questionable at best.
Oh yeah, now I remember why IBM involvement makes me queasy.
Slashdot Mirror
like the internet, you mean?
but perhaps you get my meaning?
Our "privacy" is "violated" in many ways that have nothing to do with what OS we're running or on what hardware we're running it.
Anyone been to their ATM machine for cash lately? Notice that little surveillance camera? Been to the local convenience store? Another surveillance camera. The grocery store? Another camera. Did you pay for your groceries with a check? Probably had to show ID which included or was tied to your SSN, phone number, address, and other "personal" information. Did you use your ATM card with the Visa logo to pay for *anything* lately? What about your library card? Have you noticed surveillance cameras in the shopping mall? In some cities they're at intersections watching for cars that run red lights. In England I understand they're using surveillance cameras in heavily trafficked downtown areas. Have you used your health insurance or car insurance lately?
And the list goes on and on. It's not just about MAC addresses and CPU IDs. We're under surveillance "for our safety" many hours of the day. At least here in the good old US of A
Does anyone remember a story where the gov't of China jailed some guy for "spamming" other civil rights workers and organizers and their friends and family about civil rights? Or did I just completely lose it?
h tml
Nope, I didn't lose it. Here it is:
http://slashdot.org/articles/98/12/04/1132244.s
Does anyone remember a story where the gov't of China jailed some guy for "spamming" other civil rights workers and organizers and their friends and family about civil rights? Or did I just completely lose it?
Every time I read that IBM does something having to do with Linux or any other product I like, I get a queasy feeling in my stomach which I can't quite explain. And then I remember . . .
It was many years ago and I worked in a small retail shop which sold and serviced portable microcomputers -- that's what they were called back then, microcomputers -- and the software that was usually bundled with them, Dbase, Wordstar, Lotus123 or SuperCalc. We specialized in "luggables", Compaq, Kaypro, Osborne. And they all used C/PM as their OS.
Then one day we got this new fangled thingy in the shop. It was by IBM. It had a 10MB hard drive. 10MB?! Geez, what the heck would anyone every need 10MB for? It had no software written for it as this IBM microcomputer (soon to be known as "personal computer") had as its OS this thing called DOS. Who the heck had ever heard of DOS, MS or otherwise? Geez, the only thing you could run on it was King's Quest.
But, this was IBM, ole Big Blue. They had name recognition. They knew how to market. Heck, they even passed on their expertise in marketing to the little upstart who had provided them with an OS for their little jaunt into the microcompter world. And that was how IBM treated those of us who had to deal with their choice of OS and their systems over the years. Those of you who have ever had problems with Microsoft tech support should know that it is an IBM model of tech support. Microsoft learned their lesson from IBM well, indeed.
Years later the little Microsoft upstart bit the IBM hand that had fed him so much market share and name recognition over the years. So eventually, IBM paid the piper for their ways. But not before leaving us with the IBM/Microsoft legacy of poor and expensive tech support, total disregard for quality product in favor of market share and profit, and marketing techniques which are questionable at best.
Oh yeah, now I remember why IBM involvement makes me queasy.
Argh! I can't get to the site. Must be /.ed
Anyone know how much it costs to attend the conference?
http://cnn.com/TECH/science/9811/27/t_t/welfare.y2 k/
What do you think these "more likely to be loyal" and "grateful" women will require as far as pay and benefits?