The site-cloners are now using my old email addresses to gain access to old third-party web services accounts (invoicing tools, etc.) and are fraudulently billing my clients for years of services.
Assuming your domain's e-mail has been bouncing for *years*, how in the hell did perfect strangers a world away(?) dig up your data? This sounds like something that happens after an unshredded trash rummage. 1. How do they know what all your internal e-mail addresses were? 2. How do they know what your web services were? 3. How do they know who your clients were? 4. How do your clients believe you're still doing work for them after years of silence? 5. How are these web services still holding your account data after years of inactivity? Invoice tools ain't free.
Hard to believe we're getting the whole story here. I think Ask Slashdot just got phished.
Casual debit card fraud in Canada is pretty limited. Credit cards have better protection *after* a complaint has been logged. I've heard co-workers in nearby cubicles spout out all the information on their credit card, and I may already know their home address. Within a half hour I could ship a dozen toilet seats to their house, or go on an iTunes shopping spree for myself, with only a Hotmail and an IP address log to find me. If the whole office shares an external IP, good luck tracing it to the department laptop I borrowed during coffee break. (Note: risk-management is part of my job)
These days convincing credit companies NOT to raise my credit limit is hard. If I want to limit my debit liability, I simply don't put excess cash or overdraft into the accounts linked to my card. No money, no cry.
The newsworthy cases of debit fraud involve compromised card readers or fake fronted ATMs. That is serious effort. To use debit, you have to have a card in hand. If I have your debit card number and your PIN written down, that won't even buy me a pizza. You can't use them over the phone, so a fraudster has to be well equipped by recreating fake cards, or tapping into financial networks. This is why they're adding chips to debit cards now.
For all the millions that Interac reimburses to fraud victims, it's a tiny drop in the bucket for the total amount of transactions every year in Canada. For one, banks can set daily AND transactional withdrawal limits with Interac, just as they can for their ATMs. Hard to steal 5,000 if it takes a week. Why don't we mind? Canada isn't Japan, it's unlikely the average person walking around has over a grand in cash on them. We love debit.
Businesses love debit too. Less fees than Visa in many cases. Same-as-cash, so grocery stores will gladly give you cash back. No issues with charge backs. There are much fewer Canada-wide banks, so Interac-by-email is a viable option. Think Paypal but with actual bank protections for the buyer.
I'm really not sure who decided that giving Visa the ability to create debit cards was a good idea.
Quite so. Adding bullshit to Acrobat is the only feasible way to: 1. Make users upgrade to the newest version with an arbitrary interface change 2. Make ACEs upgrade to the newest version with threat of blacklisting (grumbles about impending re-test fee)
PDF as a format has not moved beyond the usefulness of the ISO specs, and why should it? It's pretty good. But commerce loves a better mousetrap. Almost all of the changes to Acrobat.exe since version 6 have involved collab tools and form functionality that can typically be done better on the web. And in the case of Acrobat, much like their half-hearted attempt at FlashPaper (best name evar), the functionality is limited on non-Windows machines. Exporting Word docs to PDF in Word 2007 is an entirely different affair than Word 2008.
The best software will be useless without QA and/or RM/DC personnel that can enforce its use. This is because 9001 is a matter of quality processes, and the software can only implement those processes and policies that are already in place. An auditor wants to see that you can do what you say you'll do, whether that's one person with a key to a filing cabinet of contracts, or electronic file access tracking (knowing who has even looked at a document). There are businesses that can do that without software at all, I've worked with several. It really depends on the size of the employee base and their acceptance of a new tool. I don't believe it's possible for software to be certified for something that it can't accomplish, and it can't without complete buy-in from all employees. Good luck with that.
And just so you know, don't let your boss think you can get this done in six months, even if you pour your entire work week into it. The average mid-large corporation spends tens of thousands in hard and soft costs testing and implementing a new Content Management System in phases over years, which doesn't even include the vendor costs of licensing and supporting the thing. Unless you have categorical authority to pick a program and implement it, you will run in to a LOT of roadblocks, and even picking what to buy may not be something that you can put on your "completed tasks" list a year from now.
Lastly, if you are in fact part of your IT department, do check with your organization's org chart to find out if there are Quality/Document/Records people your choice will be impacting. The fact that you are asking Slashdot for software help instead of ARMA or a Quality organization for records procedure help, belies the possibility that your company is not mature enough to separate Information Science from Information Technology.
That portrait is..... unfortunate. 8-o Dude needs a publicist. Though with such a heavily referenced wiki page.. maybe he already does? Anyway, I bet he's either a multi-millionaire or a minimum-security inmate by 25, and then the other one by 30.;) One to watch, that's for sure. Keep on keepin' on brother.
We are heading into an interesting phase of history where more wealth and commodities are held by corporations instead of the state and the church. But I think the last five years have taught everyone that giants of industry can and (inevitably) do crumble, slower because of obsolescence or outstripping resources, or faster when resulting from wrong decisions. They then turn to the governments for reparation, since governments normally can't crumble, unless it's from the right decisions.
I know this is not the best place to say good things about Bill Gates, but ask yourself if anything else can change the world better and faster than the efficiency and financial resources of industry, mixed with the philanthropy of good government. Wealth has to come from somewhere, just as it has to go somewhere. It's worth taking note when it goes to the right places, even if it didn't seem like it at the time.
Pimp My Blog: 15 Years of Reminding People About Microsoft Bob
But seriously, even on the net this kind of history gets forgotten to time. So I say good job and it's comforting that there are enough hands to catch what falls off the edge of the web.
(Also I nominate pimpmyblog as a recurring tag for any story where the submitter references his or her own site in any way. How else will we get a sweet leopard fur hat icon up there?)
Agreed. Unfortunately it sounds like Geoffrey Levand -- "PS3-Linux maintainer" cited in updated TFA link -- is soon to be reallocated. (pun not inten.. well maybe a little) If true, obviously a decision was made within the last 4 weeks to close this particular back door. There are cases in the past where the Sony rep for one region (EU oftentimes) contradicts official word from another. I suspect this is just a more recent decision.
Will see how things shake down this week. I honestly believe it's too early for April Fools, and the 1st is just the last day of the work week, because of Good Friday. They won't do a firmware patch on an overtime day. Very unfortunate timing, but the comment threads and wild speculation are more interesting than just blind rage.
I think that if you call Customer Support, they will be happy to tell you that you can purchase a new, cheaper(!) PS3 Slim, and leave your older model's firmware unpatched. And I suspect that's how they will get around any threat of lawsuits. It is not a forced change, just like you are not forced to be searched in an airport if you choose not to board a plane. As a long time PSP owner, I have been denying firmware updates for years, and I did indeed buy another recently to make use of PSN. Having both options is more "valuable" to me than choosing one or the other.
Even if it's bug free, that doesn't mean the software is designed to be easy or intuitive to use. There is often more money to be made from deliberate obfuscation. Every piece of Enterprise software I've used (particularly SAP) seems to follow this principle. And the huge aftermarket of expert consultants charging $150/hr for training and troubleshooting, seems to affirm it. Keep in mind those consultants are usually teaching the corporate experts, I'm not even touching the surface of end user training, which I'm experienced at being responsible for.
The real money comes from support packages and direct-line support levels (ie: silver, gold, platinum and such to maintain a 24h call centre). Let's ask a simple hypothetical: what if Windows was bulletproof and bug free? How would Microsoft make any money? If nobody had reason to fix a problem within 30 minutes like their job depends on it? Or even not upgrade to the next version because the last one works better? With XP and Vista we already know the answer to that.
Wikipedia just reminded us that what's basic isn't always what's remembered.
TFA quote did say it was a standard procedure. Seems like an accurate description leading to the common SNAFU, or "Administrivia" if you prefer. It's the weird shit you're always checking on. Building maintenance is an interesting comparison to use. Every year I see plenty of elevator licenses and fire extinguisher tags in many, many buildings that are expired.
For those of us brought up that its sacrilegious to damage a book, realize that many books were printed on acid paper; yellowing, decaying, brittle, and will soon be dust regardless of what you do, so may as well preserve the content and properly recycle the pulp.
Ah, the Tim Taylor method. Any ideas for how to do the same thing with books that are 100-600 years old without causing damage? That's kinda my field, so pardon me if I prefer we correspond via e-mail instead of putting you within 50 feet of our illuminated manuscripts.;-)
The thing that makes me laugh most about this slice of history is the footer link to/MISC/CPYRIGHT.HTM I bet they still have some of those 8.3s kicking around.
How about this... What if Starcraft 2 had all three campaigns on one disc (size of the disc being irrelevant), and you had to buy a $60 key to unlock each one? Let's assume it's actually $60 worth of content, but you still have to wait 3 months before playing each campaign. Doesn't that feel just a bit shady? And if so, why does it feel less shady if it's just $5?
I wasn't too fussed about buying BS2, and now I'm in no hurry at all. Last time I checked, renting wasn't pirating, so I'll probably give the DiscExperience^TM a go when I've got time.
If these buggers want to go episodic... just go episodic.
The fact that its on the game disk is irrelevant though. For example, when I buy Windows 7 Home Premium, that disk also contains Windows 7 Ultimate. I'm not given a key to unlock Ultimate, but I can buy a key from Microsoft to upgrade to it if I want to.
And you are okay with the fact that they have 3 SKUs and 3 feature sets for one operating system? Let's try to ignore the ethics of forking an OS, and tell me: what if Starcraft 2 had all three campaigns on one disc (size of the disc being irrelevant), and you had to buy a $60 key to unlock each one? Let's assume it's actually $60 worth of content. Doesn't that feel just a bit dirty? And if so, why does it feel less dirty if it's just $5?
"...could be used to post fabricated information; to post misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda; or to conduct perception management and influence operations designed to convey a negative message to those who view or retrieve information from the Web site."
Excuse me, isn't that the de facto definition of the term Wiki? I'm not naming names, but it seems to be the trend.
The libraries here post signs saying that they'll strictly protect your privacy, but if there's a law enforcement person who cites the PATRIOT Act, they have to give it all away.
That is precisely why good library circulation software does not preserve that information indefinitely. If you need to be reminded that you already read a book or rented a movie 3 years ago, you could probably stand to see it again. The convenience factor is minimal compared to the (almost) worst case scenario of a federal investigation. (The worst case is of course when they decide to skip the investigation.)
For the record, it's away from the wall, you savages.
We have a kitten. Towards the wall is the only way to keep her from unrolling an entire spool. Unless you'd argue that forcibly restraining a kitten is the less-savage option.:) Other than TP, it's the safest and sunniest room in the house to leave her alone in. But maybe we're just paranoid.
Slashdot Mirror
The site-cloners are now using my old email addresses to gain access to old third-party web services accounts (invoicing tools, etc.) and are fraudulently billing my clients for years of services.
Assuming your domain's e-mail has been bouncing for *years*, how in the hell did perfect strangers a world away(?) dig up your data? This sounds like something that happens after an unshredded trash rummage.
1. How do they know what all your internal e-mail addresses were?
2. How do they know what your web services were?
3. How do they know who your clients were?
4. How do your clients believe you're still doing work for them after years of silence?
5. How are these web services still holding your account data after years of inactivity? Invoice tools ain't free.
Hard to believe we're getting the whole story here. I think Ask Slashdot just got phished.
Casual debit card fraud in Canada is pretty limited. Credit cards have better protection *after* a complaint has been logged. I've heard co-workers in nearby cubicles spout out all the information on their credit card, and I may already know their home address. Within a half hour I could ship a dozen toilet seats to their house, or go on an iTunes shopping spree for myself, with only a Hotmail and an IP address log to find me. If the whole office shares an external IP, good luck tracing it to the department laptop I borrowed during coffee break. (Note: risk-management is part of my job)
These days convincing credit companies NOT to raise my credit limit is hard. If I want to limit my debit liability, I simply don't put excess cash or overdraft into the accounts linked to my card. No money, no cry.
The newsworthy cases of debit fraud involve compromised card readers or fake fronted ATMs. That is serious effort. To use debit, you have to have a card in hand. If I have your debit card number and your PIN written down, that won't even buy me a pizza. You can't use them over the phone, so a fraudster has to be well equipped by recreating fake cards, or tapping into financial networks. This is why they're adding chips to debit cards now.
For all the millions that Interac reimburses to fraud victims, it's a tiny drop in the bucket for the total amount of transactions every year in Canada. For one, banks can set daily AND transactional withdrawal limits with Interac, just as they can for their ATMs. Hard to steal 5,000 if it takes a week. Why don't we mind? Canada isn't Japan, it's unlikely the average person walking around has over a grand in cash on them. We love debit.
Businesses love debit too. Less fees than Visa in many cases. Same-as-cash, so grocery stores will gladly give you cash back. No issues with charge backs. There are much fewer Canada-wide banks, so Interac-by-email is a viable option. Think Paypal but with actual bank protections for the buyer.
I'm really not sure who decided that giving Visa the ability to create debit cards was a good idea.
Quite so. Adding bullshit to Acrobat is the only feasible way to:
1. Make users upgrade to the newest version with an arbitrary interface change
2. Make ACEs upgrade to the newest version with threat of blacklisting (grumbles about impending re-test fee)
PDF as a format has not moved beyond the usefulness of the ISO specs, and why should it? It's pretty good. But commerce loves a better mousetrap. Almost all of the changes to Acrobat.exe since version 6 have involved collab tools and form functionality that can typically be done better on the web. And in the case of Acrobat, much like their half-hearted attempt at FlashPaper (best name evar), the functionality is limited on non-Windows machines. Exporting Word docs to PDF in Word 2007 is an entirely different affair than Word 2008.
The best software will be useless without QA and/or RM/DC personnel that can enforce its use. This is because 9001 is a matter of quality processes, and the software can only implement those processes and policies that are already in place. An auditor wants to see that you can do what you say you'll do, whether that's one person with a key to a filing cabinet of contracts, or electronic file access tracking (knowing who has even looked at a document). There are businesses that can do that without software at all, I've worked with several. It really depends on the size of the employee base and their acceptance of a new tool. I don't believe it's possible for software to be certified for something that it can't accomplish, and it can't without complete buy-in from all employees. Good luck with that.
And just so you know, don't let your boss think you can get this done in six months, even if you pour your entire work week into it. The average mid-large corporation spends tens of thousands in hard and soft costs testing and implementing a new Content Management System in phases over years, which doesn't even include the vendor costs of licensing and supporting the thing. Unless you have categorical authority to pick a program and implement it, you will run in to a LOT of roadblocks, and even picking what to buy may not be something that you can put on your "completed tasks" list a year from now.
Lastly, if you are in fact part of your IT department, do check with your organization's org chart to find out if there are Quality/Document/Records people your choice will be impacting. The fact that you are asking Slashdot for software help instead of ARMA or a Quality organization for records procedure help, belies the possibility that your company is not mature enough to separate Information Science from Information Technology.
Here read more about him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hotz
That portrait is..... unfortunate. 8-o ;) One to watch, that's for sure. Keep on keepin' on brother.
Dude needs a publicist. Though with such a heavily referenced wiki page.. maybe he already does?
Anyway, I bet he's either a multi-millionaire or a minimum-security inmate by 25, and then the other one by 30.
They've obvious chosen the Michael Bay approach.
I'll pay extra to watch people's Scrabble boards explode when they get a triple word score.
c..e..i..l..i..n..g..c..a..t**BOOM**
you have zero voice in any corporation, no matter whether you work for it or not.
Isn't that why God created Shareholders?
And CEOs do get fired.
We are heading into an interesting phase of history where more wealth and commodities are held by corporations instead of the state and the church. But I think the last five years have taught everyone that giants of industry can and (inevitably) do crumble, slower because of obsolescence or outstripping resources, or faster when resulting from wrong decisions. They then turn to the governments for reparation, since governments normally can't crumble, unless it's from the right decisions.
I know this is not the best place to say good things about Bill Gates, but ask yourself if anything else can change the world better and faster than the efficiency and financial resources of industry, mixed with the philanthropy of good government. Wealth has to come from somewhere, just as it has to go somewhere. It's worth taking note when it goes to the right places, even if it didn't seem like it at the time.
This is precisely why more forums are using catpchas.
2) when do they start going after the usenet providers themselves?
Hard to say, but they'll probably stop once they find government servers that have a Usenet feed.
alt.iron.margaret.thatcher.fist.fist.fist
Pimp My Blog: 15 Years of Reminding People About Microsoft Bob
But seriously, even on the net this kind of history gets forgotten to time. So I say good job and it's comforting that there are enough hands to catch what falls off the edge of the web.
(Also I nominate pimpmyblog as a recurring tag for any story where the submitter references his or her own site in any way. How else will we get a sweet leopard fur hat icon up there?)
Agreed. Unfortunately it sounds like Geoffrey Levand -- "PS3-Linux maintainer" cited in updated TFA link -- is soon to be reallocated. (pun not inten.. well maybe a little)
If true, obviously a decision was made within the last 4 weeks to close this particular back door. There are cases in the past where the Sony rep for one region (EU oftentimes) contradicts official word from another. I suspect this is just a more recent decision.
Will see how things shake down this week. I honestly believe it's too early for April Fools, and the 1st is just the last day of the work week, because of Good Friday. They won't do a firmware patch on an overtime day. Very unfortunate timing, but the comment threads and wild speculation are more interesting than just blind rage.
I think that if you call Customer Support, they will be happy to tell you that you can purchase a new, cheaper(!) PS3 Slim, and leave your older model's firmware unpatched. And I suspect that's how they will get around any threat of lawsuits. It is not a forced change, just like you are not forced to be searched in an airport if you choose not to board a plane. As a long time PSP owner, I have been denying firmware updates for years, and I did indeed buy another recently to make use of PSN. Having both options is more "valuable" to me than choosing one or the other.
Even if it's bug free, that doesn't mean the software is designed to be easy or intuitive to use. There is often more money to be made from deliberate obfuscation. Every piece of Enterprise software I've used (particularly SAP) seems to follow this principle. And the huge aftermarket of expert consultants charging $150/hr for training and troubleshooting, seems to affirm it. Keep in mind those consultants are usually teaching the corporate experts, I'm not even touching the surface of end user training, which I'm experienced at being responsible for.
The real money comes from support packages and direct-line support levels (ie: silver, gold, platinum and such to maintain a 24h call centre). Let's ask a simple hypothetical: what if Windows was bulletproof and bug free? How would Microsoft make any money? If nobody had reason to fix a problem within 30 minutes like their job depends on it? Or even not upgrade to the next version because the last one works better? With XP and Vista we already know the answer to that.
It should be Microsoft Twilight because now it Sparkles.
Wikipedia just reminded us that what's basic isn't always what's remembered.
TFA quote did say it was a standard procedure. Seems like an accurate description leading to the common SNAFU, or "Administrivia" if you prefer. It's the weird shit you're always checking on.
Building maintenance is an interesting comparison to use. Every year I see plenty of elevator licenses and fire extinguisher tags in many, many buildings that are expired.
The down side is that you have to rad the piece of shit comic.
Better radding that, than radding your comment.
Now that they're doing this for mp3 players (and I'm sure, PMPs in general),
This isn't new at all, they're just trying harder to legalize it. I paid a levy on my iPod Mini in 2004. It was later refunded when the levy was overturned.
http://news.cnet.com/No-iPod-tax-for-Canada/2100-1041_3-5809117.html
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12/17/canada_ipod_tax_illegal/
Then they tried again in 2007.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2007/07/copyright-board-of-canada-gives-thumbs-up-to-ipod-tax.ars
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2008/01/ipod-tax-smacked-down-in-canada.ars
So it's on about a three year cycle.
(good, encyclopedia style videos only!).
Odds on how many Mythbusters citations per page? I'll bet 3.
For those of us brought up that its sacrilegious to damage a book, realize that many books were printed on acid paper; yellowing, decaying, brittle, and will soon be dust regardless of what you do, so may as well preserve the content and properly recycle the pulp.
Ah, the Tim Taylor method. Any ideas for how to do the same thing with books that are 100-600 years old without causing damage? ;-)
That's kinda my field, so pardon me if I prefer we correspond via e-mail instead of putting you within 50 feet of our illuminated manuscripts.
Earliest WayBack Machine entry for MS:
http://web.archive.org/web/19961020014044/http://www.microsoft.com/
The thing that makes me laugh most about this slice of history is the footer link to /MISC/CPYRIGHT.HTM
I bet they still have some of those 8.3s kicking around.
How about this...
What if Starcraft 2 had all three campaigns on one disc (size of the disc being irrelevant), and you had to buy a $60 key to unlock each one? Let's assume it's actually $60 worth of content, but you still have to wait 3 months before playing each campaign. Doesn't that feel just a bit shady? And if so, why does it feel less shady if it's just $5?
I wasn't too fussed about buying BS2, and now I'm in no hurry at all. Last time I checked, renting wasn't pirating, so I'll probably give the DiscExperience^TM a go when I've got time.
If these buggers want to go episodic... just go episodic.
The fact that its on the game disk is irrelevant though. For example, when I buy Windows 7 Home Premium, that disk also contains Windows 7 Ultimate. I'm not given a key to unlock Ultimate, but I can buy a key from Microsoft to upgrade to it if I want to.
And you are okay with the fact that they have 3 SKUs and 3 feature sets for one operating system?
Let's try to ignore the ethics of forking an OS, and tell me: what if Starcraft 2 had all three campaigns on one disc (size of the disc being irrelevant), and you had to buy a $60 key to unlock each one? Let's assume it's actually $60 worth of content. Doesn't that feel just a bit dirty? And if so, why does it feel less dirty if it's just $5?
"...could be used to post fabricated information; to post misinformation, disinformation,
and propaganda; or to conduct perception management and influence operations designed to
convey a negative message to those who view or retrieve information from the Web site."
Excuse me, isn't that the de facto definition of the term Wiki? I'm not naming names, but it seems to be the trend.
Awesome job. Now, finally, can there never be another "girl gamers don't exist" joke? Can we please turn that corner in 2010?
The libraries here post signs saying that they'll strictly protect your privacy, but if there's a law enforcement person who cites the PATRIOT Act, they have to give it all away.
That is precisely why good library circulation software does not preserve that information indefinitely.
If you need to be reminded that you already read a book or rented a movie 3 years ago, you could probably stand to see it again. The convenience factor is minimal compared to the (almost) worst case scenario of a federal investigation. (The worst case is of course when they decide to skip the investigation.)
For the record, it's away from the wall, you savages.
We have a kitten. Towards the wall is the only way to keep her from unrolling an entire spool. :) Other than TP, it's the safest and sunniest room in the house to leave her alone in.
Unless you'd argue that forcibly restraining a kitten is the less-savage option.
But maybe we're just paranoid.