You really should've read TFA in this case. Apparently, heating up the box causes fluctuations in system time which this chap claims to be able to detect in a meaningful way. There's more to it - interesting read.
If only certain corporations would realise that its often not so much their predictable actions of self-interest which disgust people, but their wilful dishonesty.
If they'd just say, "We brought this action to ensure that us and only us get to squeeze every last penny-worth of value out of our product and we don't have to share with anyone"... perhaps not a flowers-and-rainbows kinda sentiment but sheesh at least it'd be honest!
So I guess we can take these rules as a fairly good indicator of what interface features the next version of Office will NOT follow. It's been my impression that whatever interface guidelines MS publish, they always seem to very rapidly diverge from them in the own applications.
It may not be force-feeding as such, but many users - much like my dogs - will eat up anything you put infront of them. Optional or not, being part of the Windows Update process means that a great many average Joe users will click "yes, next, next, finish, whatever" until it goes away and end up, as pointed out, with an unexpected and potentially baffling browser change.
While Windows might certainly benefit from some similar support, Bastille provides a great service for Linux. With the popularity of Linux continuing to rise and rise, there are plenty of sysadmins in previously all-Windows shops who, while trying to learn all they can, are still nowhere near expert and can benefit from pre-packaged expertise like this.
In the early days of my shop trying some Linux servers, we were hit more than once by hackers and worms targetting known exploits in common Linux elements such as Bind. Didn't understand the OS well enough at the time to anticipate the holes. Wasn't familiar enough with the 'net-based sources of information of Linux expertise to always get the heads-up on new things to watch out for.
After bringing in Bastille, we never suffered another similar attack.
The project is a great boon for new Linux adopters and while long-time Linux experts might be quite comfortable in their ability to secure their own machines without products like this, for the sys-admin new to Linux, Bastille helps to provide that assurance of safety needed to help shops continue running the OS while their admins trek the long road toward a high enough level of Linux experience to be able to do it for themselves.
Firefox isn't to blame here, its presented a very large, very clear, very threatening warning message.
Java isn't to blame here, its honored the unrestricted access permission given to the applet by the user.
IE isn't even to blame here (!), its just a target. Once the applet is running without restrictions, it can do anything any other executable could do.
This "exploit" could be delivered via some other JavaPlugin-enabled browser and modify any other peice of software installed on your box.
The blame here, at least in the case of the original article on Vital Security would appear to be the author experiencing a profound "curiosity killed the cat" moment.
Mind you, the Chronicles of Riddick game (referring to PC version here, can't comment on consoles) was quite a corker. Rather than just trying to sloppily re-create "cool" moments from the film into a stereotypical chopped-together movie->game transfer - some elements of the Riddick story are told only in the movies, while others are told only in the game, and the two media support eachother quite well IMHO.
Add to this a fair bunch of DVD-movie-a-like "extras" on the game disk, including a sometimes fascinating in-game developer commentary, shots of early development versions, concept artwork and such. I think what you end up with in "Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay (Developers Cut)" is a movie-game tie-in that merits a small footnote in the history of the development of these kind of cross-media entertainment franchises.
In the distant future, when Trek-a-like transporter technology is commonplace, companies will modify your DNA while you're in-transit so that you *do* have a colorful pigmented banner-ad on your forehead, with content targetted to the demographic of the average citizen in the area you transported to.;)
I think, businesses are natively greedy. Not necessarily a malicious greed; it's only natural for a business to seek to make money for it's own growth and for the profit of it's shareholders. Of course this can be taken too far, but in a competetive marketplace, consumers will avoid you if they feel they're being exploited (unfair monopolies and industry cartels aside, anyway).
What, do you think, would drive a business with a profitable for-cost product, to start giving it away for free, source an' all?
Slashdot Mirror
You really should've read TFA in this case. Apparently, heating up the box causes fluctuations in system time which this chap claims to be able to detect in a meaningful way. There's more to it - interesting read.
Alli
If only certain corporations would realise that its often not so much their predictable actions of self-interest which disgust people, but their wilful dishonesty.
If they'd just say, "We brought this action to ensure that us and only us get to squeeze every last penny-worth of value out of our product and we don't have to share with anyone"... perhaps not a flowers-and-rainbows kinda sentiment but sheesh at least it'd be honest!
So I guess we can take these rules as a fairly good indicator of what interface features the next version of Office will NOT follow. It's been my impression that whatever interface guidelines MS publish, they always seem to very rapidly diverge from them in the own applications.
It may not be force-feeding as such, but many users - much like my dogs - will eat up anything you put infront of them. Optional or not, being part of the Windows Update process means that a great many average Joe users will click "yes, next, next, finish, whatever" until it goes away and end up, as pointed out, with an unexpected and potentially baffling browser change.
Alli
Dude, pretty soon they'll be charging you a license fee for the "copy" of the song that resides in your own memory.
And don't even think about whistling a tune while you walk down the street!
Alli
You're kidding right? That's an awful idea. What sort of nut-job would use that for a tagline? :-/
Alli
While Windows might certainly benefit from some similar support, Bastille provides a great service for Linux. With the popularity of Linux continuing to rise and rise, there are plenty of sysadmins in previously all-Windows shops who, while trying to learn all they can, are still nowhere near expert and can benefit from pre-packaged expertise like this.
In the early days of my shop trying some Linux servers, we were hit more than once by hackers and worms targetting known exploits in common Linux elements such as Bind. Didn't understand the OS well enough at the time to anticipate the holes. Wasn't familiar enough with the 'net-based sources of information of Linux expertise to always get the heads-up on new things to watch out for.
After bringing in Bastille, we never suffered another similar attack.
The project is a great boon for new Linux adopters and while long-time Linux experts might be quite comfortable in their ability to secure their own machines without products like this, for the sys-admin new to Linux, Bastille helps to provide that assurance of safety needed to help shops continue running the OS while their admins trek the long road toward a high enough level of Linux experience to be able to do it for themselves.
Firefox isn't to blame here, its presented a very large, very clear, very threatening warning message.
Java isn't to blame here, its honored the unrestricted access permission given to the applet by the user.
IE isn't even to blame here (!), its just a target. Once the applet is running without restrictions, it can do anything any other executable could do.
This "exploit" could be delivered via some other JavaPlugin-enabled browser and modify any other peice of software installed on your box.
The blame here, at least in the case of the original article on Vital Security would appear to be the author experiencing a profound "curiosity killed the cat" moment.
Mind you, the Chronicles of Riddick game (referring to PC version here, can't comment on consoles) was quite a corker. Rather than just trying to sloppily re-create "cool" moments from the film into a stereotypical chopped-together movie->game transfer - some elements of the Riddick story are told only in the movies, while others are told only in the game, and the two media support eachother quite well IMHO.
Add to this a fair bunch of DVD-movie-a-like "extras" on the game disk, including a sometimes fascinating in-game developer commentary, shots of early development versions, concept artwork and such. I think what you end up with in "Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay (Developers Cut)" is a movie-game tie-in that merits a small footnote in the history of the development of these kind of cross-media entertainment franchises.
Alli
Whoohoo, at last. If anyone can finally drag ol' Miggy back up from the depths of obscurity it'll be Fleecy and co'.
Qbasic isn't bundled anymore, but a quick FTP search will soon find you a copy of QBasic 4.5 and... *shock*... it has a compiler ;)
In the distant future, when Trek-a-like transporter technology is commonplace, companies will modify your DNA while you're in-transit so that you *do* have a colorful pigmented banner-ad on your forehead, with content targetted to the demographic of the average citizen in the area you transported to. ;)
I think, businesses are natively greedy. Not necessarily a malicious greed; it's only natural for a business to seek to make money for it's own growth and for the profit of it's shareholders. Of course this can be taken too far, but in a competetive marketplace, consumers will avoid you if they feel they're being exploited (unfair monopolies and industry cartels aside, anyway).
What, do you think, would drive a business with a profitable for-cost product, to start giving it away for free, source an' all?
Allicorn Cauce