The "NEW" here is the Specific Use of 2 and the Use of simple Add-Shift-Compare binary operations to find X.
Now, I'm not really a math wizard, but even I know this is what we used to refer to as a "fast multiply" back in the Z-80 days. I believe simply using the MUL and DIV instructions on most modern CPUs is faster than using an algorithm to multiply.
I am reminded of that old proverb "Tis better to be a fool and remain silent than to speak and remove any doubt"
I really detest these kinds of motherfuckers that prey on their customers. Typically, in a short-sighted attempt to gain revenue, many consultants fail to provide documentation, put time-bombs in code, or otherwise create a false need for their client to depend on them. This is a blatant attempt to extort future revenue from the clients, or should I say, their "mark". When I encounter one of these types, I usually ask the client to obtain certain answers in writing from the other consultants to help reveal their activity.
But here is my jewel... I live to solve problems. I get out of bed every day, excited at the thought of the new problems that I might encounter today. I do not thrive living in reruns of the same old shit I solved yesterday. My attitude toward my work is that my clients need to be able to use it without me being around to help them. I am happy to hand over well-documented, reusable solutions.
Not only does this attitude guarantee more interesting problems for me to solve, it creates a trusting relationship with my clients, they crave my services for the new places we go, and they provide the best word-of-mouth advertising I could ask for.
This strategy has worked for me for going on 12 years now, before the 'net became the Internet, and during the industry slump about 7 years ago, when many programmers considered themselves lucky to have a $35K/year job in California. I got to live a higher standard during those times, although not a millionaire today. And I am not concerned one bit about the thousands of dot-com'ers facing layoffs right now moving in on my turf.
Bottom line, the air-gap is a fail-safe mechanism. Removing it decreases the depth of the defense. Anyone is free to choose to ignore the basic principles of computer security, usually there is some type of price attached to such ignorance.
Or some type of boot sector virus. Lock the host copy of Linux into it's own VM (plex86, anyone?)and then you've got all the cards. Granted, somthing like this is definitely not your average 600 line assembler program.
I am absolutely speechless. Perhaps certain affiliations of individuals really can overcome corporate hegemony. Sure puts a dent in my cynicism. Thanks Mr. O'Reilly for a great idea, and a truly heartwarming experience. As for that Bezos guy, well, we're not finished with you yet... =) Prior art on 1-click has to be lurking around here somewhere. BTW here's my implementation of a technology that innovates way past 1-click, I call it 0-click shopping: <img href="buyme.jpg" onMouseOver="document.basket.submit(); ">
I agree with the design considerations DJB (qmail author) puts forth. Mail for that user is totally hosed if system goes down while writing their mbox... The only objection I can see the Linux camp having is qmail is released under a "non-free" (as in freedom) license. The author sez only release patches to qmail.
Despite that, I'm cutting my teeth on qmail, well, because that O'Reilly's Sendmail book is just too fucking big for me to spend my valuable time reading. I may be getting a bit O/T here - qmail seems to be more like a "real" unix program than sendmail. Small discrete modules that pipe output to other small discrete modules, each mutually untrusting, instead of one all-inclusive behemoth of a program. There are also some easy to use tools for it like vpopmail, makes virtual domains a cinch. Some of the "big boys" are using it too, so it seems to be proven. Of course, qmail does not enjoy the what, 80-85% market penetration that sendmail does.
The $20 laptop is the same one Dilbert gave to his PHB. To refresh your memory (if needed), the PHB computer is rebooted by turning it upside down and shaking it in a lateral motion. =)
How about just upstaging Pillsbury by calling these engineer pow-wows a Bake-o-Rama[tm] instead? That ought to piss them off more than this pisses us off. hehehehe
Sometimes the best way to win is to be a better asshole than the assholes.
I'm sorry I have to totally disagree with you. There are way too many examples of prior art utilizing the word "off" after a verb to create a noun with an exclamatory or sensational sound to it.
Here's a couple: run off - when the snow melts on the mountains, or a way to settle a closely disputed race. show off - a person in extreme need of external validation. fuck off - a person who spends more time playing at the office than working.
Bake off is nothing like terms such as xerox, kleenex, etc. because it is two commonly used words.
Which decision feels right in your gut? Not that I am a mind reader, I think you are tilting toward the "leave" option or you would not be asking/., you would just hang out until the wheels fell off your current gig.
You have some good opportunities ahead of you. Your loyalty to your friends is a good quality, and I hope they appreciate it no matter what you do.
Thing is, by choosing to stay, you may believe that you have some control over the fate of your friends. And to a limited extent, this is true. What you do not know is what kinds of opportunities they might miss out on by staying with this firm. They cannot take advantage of those opportunities unless they are available.
From my own personal experience as one of the "top dogs on a sinking ship": Things didn't turn around for that sinking ship. The staff was pared down in several 3-6 month cycles, until it was just me, another engineer, my mentor and a couple of others that counted money and attempted to make sales. We got to pack the company up and put it in storage, and jockey for position over "who gets the good soldering iron" and stuff like that. Well, that's a true story. I don't regret hanging out to the bitter ends, but you know something, all my "friends" at that company are people that I've not spoken with for quite some time. I know most of these people are still friends, they just aren't part of my life any more...
Seems like they're perpetrating the 'net equivalent of a Dirty Harry here. Dude should be glad they didn't park one of their old mainframes on his chest as part of the interrogation. =)
What disturbs me more is Barney Miller and the gang are on the heroes page too. I mean Abe Vigoda is one of my heroes too, but not for his shining example of police work...
I can only imagine surviving a near-death experience like this causes a great change in perspective. What are a few of the things you used to take for granted that you are really grateful for now?
Another credit card security issue I have observed is where the ecommerce site puts the CC expiration date on the "receipt" page that a lot of people print out as a record because it usually contains the order number.
Most people may miss this security feature. Since it is common to write your account number on the check when making a payment, the credit card companies came up with the guideline of asking for the expiration date, because (unless you're a dork or using ecommerce software written by dorks) the expiration date is printed only on the credit card itself. Not a foolproof defense against fraud, but a reasonable stop-gap measure that is now being compromised by some of the "larger" ecommerce sites.
synchronously while the customer waits (ick!!!!!),
Personally, the wait is never that long and I prefer the knowledge that my card was processed while placing the order rather than having to wait for an email to come whenever it does (like the next day).
I like ecommerce sites that require me to re-enter my card (or give me the option to not store CC#) because I am confident that when (not if) their security measures are compromised, my CC# will not be given away. Additionally, it protects me from a different kind of fraud, the kind where someone I work with accesses my computer while I dash out for a cup of coffee or discovers my password to an ecommerce site and buys stuff they want.
You're idea of a secondary ID code with the CC processor and processor keeps credit card number is a good balance between convenience and security, but still doesn't protect against someone masquerading as the buyer and simply redirecting shipments.
I like the idea (haven't tried it) of AMEX's disposable credit card numbers.
and had to call one of the techs out to do it, who then overreacted (told the brass, called cops) because the school doesn't have enough help and it was just ANOTHER thing added to the never-ending todo list.
I did not see the teacher quoted in the article, but he certainly should be saying something more like "um I was kidding, but I did suggest that the kid hack in" and take responsibility for his own actions. It really is absurd that the school administration has chosen such an immature stance as to say "just kidding!". Fine example for the kids. Who needs accountability when you can distract and manipulate?
Nope I don't believe he's kidding...
Consumers are the product (a paradox yes, but think about it) that advertisers are buying. Not too many of us know this, but once we become aware, the realization that we actually have a choice in whether we can be bought and sold in this fashion follows naturally.
This choice is exactly why an alternative to banner ads is being sought. They don't work because people choose to ignore them.
Slashdot Mirror
Good point. Thanks.
The "NEW" here is the Specific Use of 2 and the Use of simple Add-Shift-Compare binary operations to find X.
Now, I'm not really a math wizard, but even I know this is what we used to refer to as a "fast multiply" back in the Z-80 days. I believe simply using the MUL and DIV instructions on most modern CPUs is faster than using an algorithm to multiply.
I am reminded of that old proverb "Tis better to be a fool and remain silent than to speak and remove any doubt"
But here is my jewel... I live to solve problems. I get out of bed every day, excited at the thought of the new problems that I might encounter today. I do not thrive living in reruns of the same old shit I solved yesterday. My attitude toward my work is that my clients need to be able to use it without me being around to help them. I am happy to hand over well-documented, reusable solutions.
Not only does this attitude guarantee more interesting problems for me to solve, it creates a trusting relationship with my clients, they crave my services for the new places we go, and they provide the best word-of-mouth advertising I could ask for.
This strategy has worked for me for going on 12 years now, before the 'net became the Internet, and during the industry slump about 7 years ago, when many programmers considered themselves lucky to have a $35K/year job in California. I got to live a higher standard during those times, although not a millionaire today. And I am not concerned one bit about the thousands of dot-com'ers facing layoffs right now moving in on my turf.
Bottom line, the air-gap is a fail-safe mechanism. Removing it decreases the depth of the defense. Anyone is free to choose to ignore the basic principles of computer security, usually there is some type of price attached to such ignorance.
I believe he is talking about issuing the command in the host copy of Linux, that VMWare is running under.
Or some type of boot sector virus. Lock the host copy of Linux into it's own VM (plex86, anyone?)and then you've got all the cards. Granted, somthing like this is definitely not your average 600 line assembler program.
Because it takes more bandwidth and the same thing can be accomplished with a little javascript.
I am absolutely speechless. Perhaps certain affiliations of individuals really can overcome corporate hegemony. Sure puts a dent in my cynicism. Thanks Mr. O'Reilly for a great idea, and a truly heartwarming experience. As for that Bezos guy, well, we're not finished with you yet... =) Prior art on 1-click has to be lurking around here somewhere. BTW here's my implementation of a technology that innovates way past 1-click, I call it 0-click shopping: <img href="buyme.jpg" onMouseOver="document.basket.submit(); ">
Despite that, I'm cutting my teeth on qmail, well, because that O'Reilly's Sendmail book is just too fucking big for me to spend my valuable time reading. I may be getting a bit O/T here - qmail seems to be more like a "real" unix program than sendmail. Small discrete modules that pipe output to other small discrete modules, each mutually untrusting, instead of one all-inclusive behemoth of a program. There are also some easy to use tools for it like vpopmail, makes virtual domains a cinch. Some of the "big boys" are using it too, so it seems to be proven. Of course, qmail does not enjoy the what, 80-85% market penetration that sendmail does.
The $20 laptop is the same one Dilbert gave to his PHB. To refresh your memory (if needed), the PHB computer is rebooted by turning it upside down and shaking it in a lateral motion. =)
I mean it gots to be more stylish than one of them punk ass paper phones.
Sometimes the best way to win is to be a better asshole than the assholes.
Here's a couple:
run off - when the snow melts on the mountains, or a way to settle a closely disputed race.
show off - a person in extreme need of external validation.
fuck off - a person who spends more time playing at the office than working.
Bake off is nothing like terms such as xerox, kleenex, etc. because it is two commonly used words.
You have some good opportunities ahead of you. Your loyalty to your friends is a good quality, and I hope they appreciate it no matter what you do.
Thing is, by choosing to stay, you may believe that you have some control over the fate of your friends. And to a limited extent, this is true. What you do not know is what kinds of opportunities they might miss out on by staying with this firm. They cannot take advantage of those opportunities unless they are available.
From my own personal experience as one of the "top dogs on a sinking ship": Things didn't turn around for that sinking ship. The staff was pared down in several 3-6 month cycles, until it was just me, another engineer, my mentor and a couple of others that counted money and attempted to make sales. We got to pack the company up and put it in storage, and jockey for position over "who gets the good soldering iron" and stuff like that. Well, that's a true story. I don't regret hanging out to the bitter ends, but you know something, all my "friends" at that company are people that I've not spoken with for quite some time. I know most of these people are still friends, they just aren't part of my life any more...
What disturbs me more is Barney Miller and the gang are on the heroes page too. I mean Abe Vigoda is one of my heroes too, but not for his shining example of police work...
I can only imagine surviving a near-death experience like this causes a great change in perspective. What are a few of the things you used to take for granted that you are really grateful for now?
c'mon, the Army chose Mac for obscurity, not security.
shit! i must owe those guys a ton of back royalties.
Ok boys, let's get to work on those Windows 2000 Sucks Pages.
Most people may miss this security feature. Since it is common to write your account number on the check when making a payment, the credit card companies came up with the guideline of asking for the expiration date, because (unless you're a dork or using ecommerce software written by dorks) the expiration date is printed only on the credit card itself. Not a foolproof defense against fraud, but a reasonable stop-gap measure that is now being compromised by some of the "larger" ecommerce sites.
Personally, the wait is never that long and I prefer the knowledge that my card was processed while placing the order rather than having to wait for an email to come whenever it does (like the next day).
I like ecommerce sites that require me to re-enter my card (or give me the option to not store CC#) because I am confident that when (not if) their security measures are compromised, my CC# will not be given away. Additionally, it protects me from a different kind of fraud, the kind where someone I work with accesses my computer while I dash out for a cup of coffee or discovers my password to an ecommerce site and buys stuff they want.
You're idea of a secondary ID code with the CC processor and processor keeps credit card number is a good balance between convenience and security, but still doesn't protect against someone masquerading as the buyer and simply redirecting shipments.
I like the idea (haven't tried it) of AMEX's disposable credit card numbers.
OK then, why not ship the CC#'s out a serial port or USB to a computer that is not connected to any of your networks and store them there?
I did not see the teacher quoted in the article, but he certainly should be saying something more like "um I was kidding, but I did suggest that the kid hack in" and take responsibility for his own actions. It really is absurd that the school administration has chosen such an immature stance as to say "just kidding!". Fine example for the kids. Who needs accountability when you can distract and manipulate?
Nope I don't believe he's kidding... Consumers are the product (a paradox yes, but think about it) that advertisers are buying. Not too many of us know this, but once we become aware, the realization that we actually have a choice in whether we can be bought and sold in this fashion follows naturally. This choice is exactly why an alternative to banner ads is being sought. They don't work because people choose to ignore them.
Yeah, or hack the firewall at your house.