Our favorite villain corporation wants a settlement whereby they would be allowed to continue their illegal business practices against their most dangerous competitor, namely Open Source.
From what I understand, it's got something to do with Open Source not "being a business". They seem to acknowledge that a business has the right to compete freely with them, but Open Source does not.
What every American kid learns in grade school is the phrase "free enterprise", not "free business". MS's business model is wonderfully broken in today's world, and good old Darwinian selection should be allowed to decide which is the fittest type of software enterprise.
Look up the word "enterprise" at dict.org.
Most of the entries use words like "activity", "courage", "boldness", "energy". Great name for a spaceship:-)
Ironically, it is only a recent entry from "The Free Online Dictionary of Computing" which equates "enterprise" with "business".
(you have to download the attachment and then load it up with whatever tool you use to view it)
For anyone considering switching from Win to Lin, the above statement hasn't been true for a long time. Kde and Gnome network apps such as web browsers and mail programs handle attachments with a click. jpg's open in your favorite viewer, mp3's in your favorite player,.xls in staroffice, etc.
Unix desktops have had this functionality for well over a decade. I haven't seen XP yet, but a default Mandrake 8.1 config is way ahead of what Win98 was in terms of basic gui desktop convenience.
But, out-of-the-box at least, the only options for executables are "save to disk" and "open in text editor".
It's as trivial to enable execution of attachments, as it would be for MS to disable it in Windows, but it's not generally done because the user would be made too vulnerable.
It's just dumb for MS to have made it so easy, and sometimes unavoidable to execute untrusted, potentially malicious code.
The first graphical desktop for Unix I ever used was OpenLook. I liked it enough that when newer, 'better' desktops came along I continued to use OL. I wasn't forced to switch just because M$ needed to increase their revenues.
I didn't stop using OL until I saw that KDE offered enough goodness to "retrain".
With Unix (especially the libre flavors) you get to do things YOUR WAY.
With M$, it's THEIR WAY (yes your honor, the browser is an integral part of the OS).
The only innovations by M$ are new ways to rape the public.
They don't support their own network very well, never mind the user's OS config. I was recently down for >24 hours and spent about 2 hours waiting on fsking hold. The problem had nothing to do with my hw/sw.
Their gateway router and/or dhcp server were down and as soon as i mentioned the word 'router', the service rep went into a big spiel about how they didn't support routers;-{ I finally got it thru her thick skull that i wasn't talking about any kind of home router. I asked her to see if she could ping the router and she told me she didn't have the tools to do that.
The worst part of it was that the rep wasn't aware that there was an outage in my area. I would have been spared much of the hold time if she could have assured me that they were aware of, and working on the problem. The next day the service was back. No explanation, apology, just a bill in the mail.
I agree with Microsoft (probably a first) that handing exploit code to script kiddies is counter-productive. OTOH, MS cannot be trusted to own up to the bugs and fix them in a timely manner.
So maybe it should work like this:
Vulnerability discovered
Vendor, Cert, etc. supplied with exploit details
Public notified of existence of vulnerability
Vendor given 2 days to confirm or deny vulnerability.
If they deny it, release exploit to public. It won't hurt anything because the vulnerability doesn't exists. Right Bill?
If they confirm it, wait two weeks, then release exploit to public. Vendor/customer have 2 weeks to create/install patch before script kiddies get hold of it.
...23 channels worth, and later 40. CB radio was a fad to be sure, but for a while it was really happening.
Anyone else remember what i'm talking about?
In the smallish town where i grew up, there were probably about 50 kids roughly my age (early teens) who would pick up the mic on any given night. We'll never know how many were just lurking. It was a fantastic party line. Jokes, stories, and sometimes endless guitar battles (Stairway to Heaven).
Stay off the emergency channel, and don't piss off the truckers too much, and don't aim your beam antenna with 100 watt linear amp at your neighbor. Don't ask me how i know!
A beam antenna, a sideband radio and the right sky made for some interesting transcontinental conversations.
We weren't as 31337 as hams, but we didn't care. They were mostly pipe-smoking oldtimers with whom we'd have had nothing to talk about. Any slob could get ahold of a CB if he/she wanted. It was an open place. A few had modified radios with extra channels, some had better antennae, some had really cool sounding amplified mics.
Alright, i'm just rambling now. If the moderators read this far then i guess it wasn't completely off topic. I wasn't into the BBS scene, but i can relate. Thanks to everyone else for sharing their memories.
Wasn't it about 30 yrs ago Python first did the SPAM sketch? I smell a conspiracy.
Re:It all seemed so clear the first time through..
on
Brian West Update
·
· Score: 0
I know nohting about this particular case , but i can tell ythat you are a typical pointy haired, log doesn't matter, type of moron.
The reason for having it could be this, and therefore not be intent to do anything criminal:
The fact that i obtained your password list proves that you are not worthy of holding information belonging to others.
I'd rather have someont break into my house and leave a note that the window was open than the walk into an empty living room. All i would have lost is my illusion of security.
Slashdot Mirror
bingo
And it's probably no innocent coincidence that MS is now selling a box that has a DVD drive and hooks to your tv.
Our favorite villain corporation wants a settlement whereby they would be allowed to continue their illegal business practices against their most dangerous competitor, namely Open Source.
:-)
From what I understand, it's got something to do with Open Source not "being a business". They seem to acknowledge that a business has the right to compete freely with them, but Open Source does not.
What every American kid learns in grade school is the phrase "free enterprise", not "free business". MS's business model is wonderfully broken in today's world, and good old Darwinian selection should be allowed to decide which is the fittest type of software enterprise.
Look up the word "enterprise" at dict.org.
Most of the entries use words like "activity", "courage", "boldness", "energy". Great name for a spaceship
Ironically, it is only a recent entry from "The Free Online Dictionary of Computing" which equates "enterprise" with "business".
At the specified time, regardless of the time remaining on the movie, the media will be PREMATURELY EJECTED.
For anyone considering switching from Win to Lin, the above statement hasn't been true for a long time. Kde and Gnome network apps such as web browsers and mail programs handle attachments with a click. jpg's open in your favorite viewer, mp3's in your favorite player,
Unix desktops have had this functionality for well over a decade. I haven't seen XP yet, but a default Mandrake 8.1 config is way ahead of what Win98 was in terms of basic gui desktop convenience.
But, out-of-the-box at least, the only options for executables are "save to disk" and "open in text editor".
It's as trivial to enable execution of attachments, as it would be for MS to disable it in Windows, but it's not generally done because the user would be made too vulnerable.
It's just dumb for MS to have made it so easy, and sometimes unavoidable to execute untrusted, potentially malicious code.
toggles in the window menu for...
never on top
always on top
translucent
UPDATE world
SET all_your_base = "are belong to us"
WHERE do_you_want_to_go = "today"
The first graphical desktop for Unix I ever used was OpenLook. I liked it enough that when newer, 'better' desktops came along I continued to use OL. I wasn't forced to switch just because M$ needed to increase their revenues.
I didn't stop using OL until I saw that KDE offered enough goodness to "retrain".
With Unix (especially the libre flavors) you get to do things YOUR WAY.
With M$, it's THEIR WAY (yes your honor, the browser is an integral part of the OS).
The only innovations by M$ are new ways to rape the public.
For sale, by U.S. congress/FCC:
TV broadcast priviledge
Price: how much you got?
Contact: Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe
They don't support their own network very well, never mind the user's OS config. I was recently down for >24 hours and spent about 2 hours waiting on fsking hold. The problem had nothing to do with my hw/sw.
;-{ I finally got it thru her thick skull that i wasn't talking about any kind of home router. I asked her to see if she could ping the router and she told me she didn't have the tools to do that.
Their gateway router and/or dhcp server were down and as soon as i mentioned the word 'router', the service rep went into a big spiel about how they didn't support routers
The worst part of it was that the rep wasn't aware that there was an outage in my area. I would have been spared much of the hold time if she could have assured me that they were aware of, and working on the problem. The next day the service was back. No explanation, apology, just a bill in the mail.
Yet another monopoly at its finest.
As long as they're checking the user-agent string, why not set it to something interesting like "100% M$-free browser. Bill is a greedy evil prick"
So maybe it should work like this:
Vulnerability discovered
Vendor given 2 days to confirm or deny vulnerability.
What if nobody is around to hear it?
Solaris workstations are still used with a lot of bigbuck capital equipment. A modern desktop would help Sun protect their piece of that market.
Another thing to consider is thin client computing. An E10k could serve up lots of GNOME or KDE desktops.
Anyone else remember what i'm talking about?
In the smallish town where i grew up, there were probably about 50 kids roughly my age (early teens) who would pick up the mic on any given night. We'll never know how many were just lurking. It was a fantastic party line. Jokes, stories, and sometimes endless guitar battles (Stairway to Heaven).
Stay off the emergency channel, and don't piss off the truckers too much, and don't aim your beam antenna with 100 watt linear amp at your neighbor. Don't ask me how i know!
A beam antenna, a sideband radio and the right sky made for some interesting transcontinental conversations.
We weren't as 31337 as hams, but we didn't care. They were mostly pipe-smoking oldtimers with whom we'd have had nothing to talk about. Any slob could get ahold of a CB if he/she wanted. It was an open place. A few had modified radios with extra channels, some had better antennae, some had really cool sounding amplified mics.
Alright, i'm just rambling now. If the moderators read this far then i guess it wasn't completely off topic. I wasn't into the BBS scene, but i can relate. Thanks to everyone else for sharing their memories.
we need a good mainstreamable term to describe this type of overly restrictive licensing. How about 'rapeware'?
Wasn't it about 30 yrs ago Python first did the SPAM sketch? I smell a conspiracy.
I know nohting about this particular case , but i can tell ythat you are a typical pointy haired, log doesn't matter, type of moron.
The reason for having it could be this, and therefore not be intent to do anything criminal:
The fact that i obtained your password list proves that you are not worthy of holding information belonging to others.
I'd rather have someont break into my house and leave a note that the window was open than the walk into an empty living room. All i would have lost is my illusion of security.
You are a dickehad.
Read between the lines ( steganography? ).
They want citizens to spy on their neighbors. Seems like the U.S. is using all the classic techniques of the old U.S.S.R.
We're more likely to survive Bin Laden than Bin Ashcroft.
Live Free of Die
X.I
one of them: Why is the game all jittery? This isn't supposed to happen, not with windows 98. Lets all reboot.
me: click start->programs->dos prompt
Where would he/she be today if Latoya had copyrighted her face?
30% of this market, 50% of that one, etc.
Add up the billions and send them a bill.
Disburse the money to ripped-off end users, stockholders of ripped-off competitors, funds for all levels of computer education.
Oh yeah, some of the money can be used for prison cells to house the MS criminals who knew exactly what they were doing the whole time.
If there's a valid patent to be granted, it belongs to Mother Nature.
Fuck 'em. They are constantly proving that they are ONE STEP BEHIND. Where was it you wanted to be yesterday?