If MS all the sudden said "400K each for these 3,000 programmers!" you are still talking 1.2 billion. Add in benifits, and you're still below 1.5. (Hell, at that rate why not just make it 1M/each and double the # of hires?)
If that kills off serious development for a couple years or 'taints' the developers so that they can not return to the old projects, MS would do serious dammage. Just give them a very little to do so that they do not become productive and return even better. IBM and others would have to react fast and actually have them do somthing positive.
Encrypted data to be legitimately useful has to be decoded. Once the first part of a system decodes it, the content is in the clear and the function of the decoder can be debugged.
While it may be the intent of the designers of this system to have a chain from drive to display that keeps encryption intact, there will be a need to decode earlier...and that is likely where it will break.
Look at how DVDs were decoded; an OEM's software was debugged and there were the keys! Once the general mechanism was known, the keys could be generated on the fly without the original keys...and that's what makes it possible for Linux users to play DVDs today.
Side note: For Linux, I haven't been able to buy a 'licenced' version of a DVD decoder (thought they exist...somewhere). I will have to point to my DVD player apps that came with the drive (but run under Windows) as proof of payment if anyone calls me on it.
McAfee virus scan update on Win 2K server. Requested a reboot. Dammaged System file and Windows won't boot. Known problem in MS's knowledge base; looks like McAfee's fault.
I could have fixed it, but didn't as I'm on other projects my boss would have my head if any of those slipped. Instead, it was (and still is) down and won't be repaired till sometime today when the admin (who I've been coaching -- while restraining the impulse to yell at him for some really bad decisions and no concept of security) comes in and fixes it.
At the same time, the Linux server keeps plugging along. (Unfortunately, admined by the same guy who keeps wanting to open ports instead of using tunnels.)
[pulls pipe from mouth, points to clean cut Billy with the tip]
...it is a law of nature that certian races are different.
In the case of com-pu-ter vid-e-o games, the caucasians -- or whitie as people like we are often called -- are more likely to be aclamated to dark climates. Thus, long hours spent looking at com-pu-ters and playing games indoors is more likely.
The darker races are used to well-lit climates, thus they are less likely to accell at either the creation or playing of these darkened pastimes and prefer brighter pastimes like Football, Baseball, and Jogging. Basketball, by contrast, being an indoor sport, will always be dominated by caucasians. That's just nature at work!
Billy, let that be a lesson to you!"
Billy: "Gee, thanks mister! That explains a whole lot!"
I don't do the hiring. If you get by the HR guy -- a total moron; just some guy stuck in the HR position who goes exclusively by key word -- you get me.
If your resume is sloppy, it gets tossed. Of the remaining resumes, I look for someone who has specific experience with a tool or language. Keep in mind that many standard tools are OSS, so mention them even if you are not on that project and simply use them.
Next, I look for someone who has similar project experience.
Then...it's who I think I can sell to the project lead and who I want to work with. If they work cheap, that's a plus. If they are not cheap, but can do the work in a superior manner, that's also a plus. Depends on the job.
The tie breaker (before the interview) is often how much passion the person has for the work we will do.
Being on an OSS project of any sort, especially if the lead, is a definate plus. If it is high profile -- if I've heard of it or find that it is well respected by the community -- I move the person up in the list.
Is OSS the only thing I'm looking for? Nope. It helps, though, because it shows interest not just "I'm in it as a job".
Does it come with support? If not, it's a ripoff. Because you can get other Linux distros and BSD systems for *FREE*! That's "free" as in however you want to define "free". Just download and use.
"As for not running scripts in the current directory, Monad follows a policy similar to that of Unix shells: we do not run them, unless you explicitly ask us to. This prevents malicious scripts (with names such as dir.msh, or get-childitem.msh) from intercepting your otherwise innocent attempt to list the files in that directory."
As time goes on, they keep reinventing bits and pieces of Unix.
Hell, I wrote a batch file way back when called reboot.bat. Guess what it did?:)
It only used a few lines; a set of echo commands to create a.com file followed by a line to run that.com file.
Now, it won't work because the reboot sequence -- jumping to the end of the bios and poking in the string 123 -- is now trapped by any protected mode OS. That, and I don't even know if headerless.com files are valid anymore under XP's CMD.EXE.
The only reason someone would put company information on a data key is so that they could move that information to a computer somewhere outside the company network.
Nope. The main reason they do is to avoid the network and sneakernet it around.
I've pointed people to network resources many many times...only to be told within minutes that 'Bob has the latest copy of that on his computer...ask him and he will make a copy for you'.
When Bob's computer dies...the admins should be able to restore all data. When Bob decides it's better to leave it on a USB key and the key dies or gets lost, it's gone!
I've worked at a CMM-3 company before. It looks like the CMM has actually been superseded by something else
CMMI.
so Its not easy to get the list of qualities for each level, but they are something like 1) random monkeys writing code 2) random monkeys writing more than one program 3) random monkeys writing code "repeatedly" with a content management system (CVS or similar) 4 and 5 I don't remember, but its not anything remarkable beyond what you like about quality software.
Yep; they aren't even training people in CMM anymore. CMMI can be seen as CMM v.2. The main differences are that CMM was focused on software. CMMI is company-wide.
While it is true that CMM and CMMI don't necessarily lead to quality software, they do lead to a formalized process.
To put it into perspective;
* Perfection is inconsistant. Like a perfect peach, it is short lived and depends on the moment.
* Perfect processes schedule events but not perfection. Consistancy is the enemy of perfection.
Note that I am using 'perfect' as the most ideal and satisfying results over a short period of time. Grinding everyone down to fill out forms isn't a sign of perfection. It is a sign of necessity and consistancy.
I'm a big advocate for process, though anyone who follows process without any clue of perfection is missing the point of things like CMM and CMMI.
Really? Wouldn't have thought that would work. You must be a good player. (I'm not...just good at tactics.)
That said, I've gotten quite a bit of good feedback by pirating the pirates in space combat games.
The tactic is first give them a little warning, if they persist, silently let them go...and then stalk them. Get enough heavy weappons to totally obliterate them, and carefully pick the most embarasing and public way of doing it. Picking a time when they would not expect an attack is also important...especially when they are talking trash or just after they have pirated someone else.
Having a wimpy avatar name and using cute words tends to heighten the humiliation. After all, getting blown away by 'Deathmaniac' is one thing, but by 'Snuggles the Wonder Kitten' who acts the part is entirely another level of humility.
I've found that nobody ever comes back for revenge and the pirates stay very clear of me. Hmmmm...wonder why?:]
When I'm on live and somebody makes a homophobic comment I respond with "How old are you? twelve?".
I've responded "Only for you sweet cheeks."
This usually results in either;
1. Silence. They cut out acting like an ass.
2. Insanity. They totally loose it and start to make mistakes.
In the case of #2, I just ramp it up. At some point they can't offend me as much as I can offend them...and they usually stop or change the subject.
One time a commander was abusive to his team. Really nasty beyond just calling them fags, etc.. To deal with that, I sabotaged a few of his efforts. By the time he figured it out, it was too late. Rightfully, I was kicked from the game.
15 minutes later after the ban expired, I came back and he was humbled; no more acting like a jerk.
Let's say the latest bit of speculation comes to pass. Let's say it happens this Monday shortly after Bill Gates and Steve Balmer both suffer from a concussion after knocking heads accidentially.
Two practical problems for Microsoft come to mind;
1. Time.
2. Trust.
I've left out the details on each of these since they should be obvious problems.
The teaser trailer seems to say that the discovery the of last 10 percent of the human genome is what makes the creatures into what they are. No mention of hell or portals at all. Hmmf.
Yep, those people in the future will find the last 10 percent. Yep. Future men. On Mars.
Are all the people involved with this movie morons?
I'm intentionally not putting this link in the proper format to protect the site from mindless click-through hounds. If you want to hear a bunch of good and original stories that might be true but probably aren't, check the archives here;
thepeanutgallery.info
They have a RSS feed for podcast clients, and if you are really good writer yourself...drop them a line. They may actually let you join them. Best to have a story first.
Slashdot Mirror
Using the GUI is brain dead...
This is a viewpoint I've always found kinda interesting.
You took the quote about GUIs entirely out of context.
He was referring to the tools Microsoft provided -- NOT GUIs in general. Specifically....
"Unfortunately the security tab of the NT4 explorer is completely unable to deal with access denied ACEs while the explorer of W2K rearranges the order of the ACEs before you can read them. Thank God, the sort order remains unchanged if one presses the Cancel button. ...
Again: This works for both, NT4 and W2K. Only the GUIs aren't able to deal with that order."
That's what he ment.
If MS all the sudden said "400K each for these 3,000 programmers!" you are still talking 1.2 billion. Add in benifits, and you're still below 1.5. (Hell, at that rate why not just make it 1M/each and double the # of hires?)
If that kills off serious development for a couple years or 'taints' the developers so that they can not return to the old projects, MS would do serious dammage. Just give them a very little to do so that they do not become productive and return even better. IBM and others would have to react fast and actually have them do somthing positive.
(Looks at user ID for jrockway (229604))
(Looks at user ID for Spoing (152917))
Nope. I didn't miss anything.
If you don't like it, just read BoingBoing and comment there. The Slashdot community can probably live without your complaining.
I do, though, have no clue what you're talking about.
While the rest come from BoingBoing and other similar sites.
While it may be the intent of the designers of this system to have a chain from drive to display that keeps encryption intact, there will be a need to decode earlier...and that is likely where it will break.
Look at how DVDs were decoded; an OEM's software was debugged and there were the keys! Once the general mechanism was known, the keys could be generated on the fly without the original keys...and that's what makes it possible for Linux users to play DVDs today.
Side note: For Linux, I haven't been able to buy a 'licenced' version of a DVD decoder (thought they exist...somewhere). I will have to point to my DVD player apps that came with the drive (but run under Windows) as proof of payment if anyone calls me on it.
(Graduated high school in 1984 from a top public school in a top 5 county nationally.)
If you don't physically control the hardware and environment, don't expect them to stay secure.
All this should be no surprise to folks following security issues. It's an axiom; why be shocked and surprised when ignoring this rule fails?
Remote administration, project files, print server, ... gone.
I could have fixed it, but didn't as I'm on other projects my boss would have my head if any of those slipped. Instead, it was (and still is) down and won't be repaired till sometime today when the admin (who I've been coaching -- while restraining the impulse to yell at him for some really bad decisions and no concept of security) comes in and fixes it.
At the same time, the Linux server keeps plugging along. (Unfortunately, admined by the same guy who keeps wanting to open ports instead of using tunnels.)
...it is a law of nature that certian races are different.
In the case of com-pu-ter vid-e-o games, the caucasians -- or whitie as people like we are often called -- are more likely to be aclamated to dark climates. Thus, long hours spent looking at com-pu-ters and playing games indoors is more likely.
The darker races are used to well-lit climates, thus they are less likely to accell at either the creation or playing of these darkened pastimes and prefer brighter pastimes like Football, Baseball, and Jogging. Basketball, by contrast, being an indoor sport, will always be dominated by caucasians. That's just nature at work!
Billy, let that be a lesson to you!"
Billy: "Gee, thanks mister! That explains a whole lot!"
[We now return you to the current dimension.]
If your resume is sloppy, it gets tossed. Of the remaining resumes, I look for someone who has specific experience with a tool or language. Keep in mind that many standard tools are OSS, so mention them even if you are not on that project and simply use them.
Next, I look for someone who has similar project experience.
Then...it's who I think I can sell to the project lead and who I want to work with. If they work cheap, that's a plus. If they are not cheap, but can do the work in a superior manner, that's also a plus. Depends on the job.
The tie breaker (before the interview) is often how much passion the person has for the work we will do.
Being on an OSS project of any sort, especially if the lead, is a definate plus. If it is high profile -- if I've heard of it or find that it is well respected by the community -- I move the person up in the list.
Is OSS the only thing I'm looking for? Nope. It helps, though, because it shows interest not just "I'm in it as a job".
According to the fine link in the summary...well, why spoil it for you?
Not a bad deal, overall ... just not a computer on every desk for $500 or a single laptop.
As time goes on, they keep reinventing bits and pieces of Unix.
It only used a few lines; a set of echo commands to create a .com file followed by a line to run that .com file.
Now, it won't work because the reboot sequence -- jumping to the end of the bios and poking in the string 123 -- is now trapped by any protected mode OS. That, and I don't even know if headerless .com files are valid anymore under XP's CMD.EXE.
While I don't have any now, I'm constantly getting mod points. 1-2x a week, usually.
Nice choice of icons :/
s tamp&thumbnails_per_page=1000&view=list&order=DESC
= 0
http://www.dashpc.com/show_picture.php?id=2285
Personally, I would have gone with one of these sets;
http://art.gnome.org/themes/icon?sort_by=add_time
http://kde-look.org/index.php?xsortmode=high&page
Nope. The main reason they do is to avoid the network and sneakernet it around.
I've pointed people to network resources many many times...only to be told within minutes that 'Bob has the latest copy of that on his computer...ask him and he will make a copy for you'.
When Bob's computer dies...the admins should be able to restore all data. When Bob decides it's better to leave it on a USB key and the key dies or gets lost, it's gone!
CMMI.
so Its not easy to get the list of qualities for each level, but they are something like 1) random monkeys writing code 2) random monkeys writing more than one program 3) random monkeys writing code "repeatedly" with a content management system (CVS or similar) 4 and 5 I don't remember, but its not anything remarkable beyond what you like about quality software.
Yep; they aren't even training people in CMM anymore. CMMI can be seen as CMM v.2. The main differences are that CMM was focused on software. CMMI is company-wide.
While it is true that CMM and CMMI don't necessarily lead to quality software, they do lead to a formalized process.
To put it into perspective;
* Perfection is inconsistant. Like a perfect peach, it is short lived and depends on the moment.
* Perfect processes schedule events but not perfection. Consistancy is the enemy of perfection.
Note that I am using 'perfect' as the most ideal and satisfying results over a short period of time. Grinding everyone down to fill out forms isn't a sign of perfection. It is a sign of necessity and consistancy.
I'm a big advocate for process, though anyone who follows process without any clue of perfection is missing the point of things like CMM and CMMI.
Really? Wouldn't have thought that would work. You must be a good player. (I'm not...just good at tactics.)
That said, I've gotten quite a bit of good feedback by pirating the pirates in space combat games.
The tactic is first give them a little warning, if they persist, silently let them go...and then stalk them. Get enough heavy weappons to totally obliterate them, and carefully pick the most embarasing and public way of doing it. Picking a time when they would not expect an attack is also important...especially when they are talking trash or just after they have pirated someone else.
Having a wimpy avatar name and using cute words tends to heighten the humiliation. After all, getting blown away by 'Deathmaniac' is one thing, but by 'Snuggles the Wonder Kitten' who acts the part is entirely another level of humility.
I've found that nobody ever comes back for revenge and the pirates stay very clear of me. Hmmmm...wonder why? :]
I've responded "Only for you sweet cheeks."
This usually results in either;
1. Silence. They cut out acting like an ass.
2. Insanity. They totally loose it and start to make mistakes.
In the case of #2, I just ramp it up. At some point they can't offend me as much as I can offend them...and they usually stop or change the subject.
One time a commander was abusive to his team. Really nasty beyond just calling them fags, etc.. To deal with that, I sabotaged a few of his efforts. By the time he figured it out, it was too late. Rightfully, I was kicked from the game.
15 minutes later after the ban expired, I came back and he was humbled; no more acting like a jerk.
If it's only language you're most interested in, why not just implement that and be done with the fool?
If it's other behavior, you're dealing with a totally different level of problem.
Two practical problems for Microsoft come to mind;
1. Time.
2. Trust.
I've left out the details on each of these since they should be obvious problems.
Yep, those people in the future will find the last 10 percent. Yep. Future men. On Mars.
Are all the people involved with this movie morons?
OSS is the basis of many commercial projects -- both private and public. Commercial interests drive and support many OSS projects.
Can has nothing to do with it.
I'm intentionally not putting this link in the proper format to protect the site from mindless click-through hounds. If you want to hear a bunch of good and original stories that might be true but probably aren't, check the archives here;
thepeanutgallery.info
They have a RSS feed for podcast clients, and if you are really good writer yourself...drop them a line. They may actually let you join them. Best to have a story first.