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User: DERoss

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  1. Re:What I wonder is... on AdBlock Plus Defends Ad Blocking, Applauds Marco Arment · · Score: 1

    Complaints about "acceptable ads" are merely hot air. I have Adblock Plus installed. I do not subscribe to any black lists or white lists. Instead, I create my own filters. Anyone who is intelligent enough to install AdBlock Plus is intelligent enough to create filters.

  2. Old News on Windows Telemetry Rolls Out · · Score: 1

    The updates for the cited KB numbers appeared some time ago. I did not install them.

    The best practice now is to set Microsoft Update to check for updates and alert you but not to download or install any updates. Note however that this is NOT an option with Windows 10, which is a good reason to avoid Windows 10. .

    Then review the details of why each update should be installed. In Windows Update (Windows 7), select an update. At the right will be a link "More information". Select that link and read the Web page. If the information presented there does not tell you how the update will benefit you, the user, do not install it. In that case, the update most likely benefits only Microsoft.

  3. Age Discrimination is Real on Do Old Programmers Need To Keep Leaping Through New Hoops? · · Score: 2

    For almost 14 years, there has been a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court who used to chair the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). While heading the EEOC he held up some 20,000 age-discrimination complaints until the statute of limitations for filing lawsuits expired.

    Yet there are ways to hide your age until you actually sign-on as an employee. Never discuss any part of your career that ended more than 10 years ago. Touch up your gray hair; Clairol (or some other brand) is your friend. Men should touch up their mustaches and beards, too. (But DO NOT resort to comb-overs, toupees, or other ways to hide your baldness.) You can readily claim your college degrees, but do not mention when you earned them.

    Another area for caution is your salary history. Avoid discussing this. Take the position that you prefer to consider total compensation, including fringe benefits. Also indicate that past compensation might have been earned for an effort different from the one you are being considered. If you need the job and are willing to work for less than you used to make, do not allow your prospective employer use your past salary to disqualify you.

    Also, remember that old dogs do indeed learn new tricks. If you are experienced in three computer languages and three operating systems, the next one will be very easy to learn. In any case, the old tricks are sometimes very valuable.

    See my http://www.rossde.com/unemploy.... This might be somewhat dated, but the overall content could prove useful.

  4. Columbia Pictures' claim of some form of intellectual property rights to the term "Pixels" must be invalid on the basis of prior use. Over 10 years ago, one of my copyrighted Web pages used the term "pixels". The Internet Archive contains a copy of that page dated 10 February 2005; that copy contains the notice "Copyright © 2003-2004 by David E. Ross".

    The current page is http://www.rossde.com/internet....

  5. Re:"NO" to Any Automatic Updates on Windows 10's Automatic Updates For NVidia Drivers Causing Trouble · · Score: 2

    By the way, Microsoft does own the Windows and Office software on my PC. Thus, Microsoft might have the right to alter that software. But Acronis owns the Acronis True Image application; I am not sure what permissions Microsoft has from Acronis for altering that application. Did Microsoft have permission to alter NVida's driver?

    In any case, I own my PC. It did not come from Microsoft. And I have the right to control what signals enter it, including electronic transmissions of software updates. I will not yield that control to Microsoft.

  6. "NO" to Any Automatic Updates on Windows 10's Automatic Updates For NVidia Drivers Causing Trouble · · Score: 2

    Currently running Windows 7, I allow Microsoft to notify me about updates; but I block them from downloading or installing. But that is how I handle all software. The only automatic updates that I allow are virus definitions for my anti-virus application, and updates to that application itself are also blocked until I am ready to download and install them.

    For Microsoft updates, I wait at least a week after they are released. I read news reports and the alt.windows7.general newsgroup to see what others have experienced with those updates. I try to read Microsoft's "details" about its updates, but those are generally so vague that I cannot tell whether an update benefits me or benefits Microsoft. I reject any Microsoft updates for applications that I never use (e.g., Outlook, Silverlight) and any updates that facilitate installing Windows 10. I also reject Microsoft updates for non-Microsoft products. (Because I bought Acronis True Image, I get notices about updates directly from Acronis. I rejected Microsoft's recently released Acronis updates.)

    In all cases, I want to delay any updates to any software on my PC until I know the process will not interfere with other tasks to which I have assigned a higher priority. Microsoft might release its updates on its own schedule, but I will install them on my own schedule.

    All this means I certainly will not be updating Windows 7 to Windows 10. Another reason is that I have applications that run on Windows 7 -- some that I originally ran with Windows 95 -- that (1) are no longer being developed or even available but still serve my purposes and (2) Microsoft admits will not run with Windows 10.

    Windows 10 (or even a later Windows) might be in my future only when I need a new application that will not run on any earlier version of Windows. Given that I am already 74 years old, my Windows 7 configuration might last longer than I will.

  7. "Over-Fishing" in Advertising on Is Advertising Morally Justifiable? The Importance of Protecting Our Attention · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Television in the U.S. gives us strong evidence that advertisers are "over-fishing" their audience.

    Many years ago, shows on TV would be longer; and commercial breaks would be fewer and shorter. Some shows had only one sponsor: the "Colgate Comedy Hour", the "U.S. Steel Hour" (drama), "Milton Berl" (comedy sponsored by Texaco), "Armstrong Theater" (drama sponsored by Armstrong Floors and Carpets), "The Voice of Firestone" (both popular and classical vocal music sponsored by Firestone Tires), and "I Love Lucy" (comedy sponsored by Phillip Morris Tobacco).

    Today, TV shows are shorter so that commercial breaks can be longer and more frequent. Furthermore, more commercials are packed into each break. I have counted advertisements for four different automobile manufacturers in a single break. I also notice the constant selling of health-care products -- both over-the-counter and prescription -- one right after another. And then there are the same commercials repeated during a single break. We are so saturated with TV advertising that few commercials create any lasting impression on consumers.

    If I were the CEO of an automobile or pharmaceutical manufacturer, I would order my marketing department to insist that any TV commercial from my company must not appear during the same commercial break as a product from a competing company. Nor would I allow my commercials to appear within 15 minutes of another commercial break advertising products from a competing company. Yes, such restrictions would cost my company more than the current saturation placement of commercials; but the lasting impression of isolating my advertisements from my competitors would be worth the cost.

  8. Re:Keep it simple. on Ask Slashdot: Dealing With Ongoing Suspected Identity Theft? · · Score: 1

    Do not send the letter merely to the cable company. Do some research and send it to the company's CEO or president.

    Also, save all the E-mails from the cable company and any E-mails you send them. Someday, you might need to use them as evidence in a lawsuit.

  9. Re:Check Current Credit Report And Go From There on Ask Slashdot: Dealing With Ongoing Suspected Identity Theft? · · Score: 2

    You can get one free credit report a year.

    Check your credit report from only ONE agency (one of Experian, Equifax, or Transunion). Four months later, check it with another agency. Four months later, check it with the third agency. Four months later, it will be a year since you checked with the first one; now you can get another free report from them. This way, you can get a free report every four months.

  10. Clearing Cache Often, History Daily on US Prosecutors Say Clearing Browser Data Can Be Obstruction of Justice · · Score: 1

    My browser cache is cleared automatically every time I terminate the browser. Sometimes when I am having a problem viewing a particular Web site, I change some of my browser settings and manually clear the cache. Daily, I manually clear all browser history that is more than 30 days old.

    Some of my computer files are encrypted using PGP. The passphrase -- more than merely a password -- exists only in my head. When I decrypt such a file to view or use it, I use a military-strength, multiple-pass file eraser on the decrypted file. I also use that eraser on old backup files before doing a new backup.

  11. Re:Why drill? on Jason Scott of Textfiles.com Wants Your AOL & Shovelware CDs · · Score: 1

    Using the large hole in the middle will not allow the disc to hang vertically and twirl in the breeze. I drill a small hole -- about the diameter of a pencil lead -- about 1/8 inch from the edge.

  12. Re:Cannot Have Mine on Jason Scott of Textfiles.com Wants Your AOL & Shovelware CDs · · Score: 1

    I hung six from my loquat tree (Eriobotrya japonica). Later this year, I will leave those that are towards my peach tree, hang about five from the peach itself, and one or two from the Australian tea tree near the peach tree. The grape vines will get their own, two or three on each vine.

    Remember, timing is important. You do not want the birds to become accustomed to the flashing before the fruit is ripe.

  13. Re:Cannot Have Mine on Jason Scott of Textfiles.com Wants Your AOL & Shovelware CDs · · Score: 1

    I save them so that I will have enough as the ones I already used start to deteriorate.

  14. Cannot Have Mine on Jason Scott of Textfiles.com Wants Your AOL & Shovelware CDs · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I save old CDs and DVDs. About this time of year, I take several and drill a small hole near the edge of each disc. Using kite twine, I then hang them from my fruit trees and grape vines to scare birds away. I have to do that shortly before the fruit ripens so that I can harvest the ripe fruit before the birds get used to the flashing of the discs as they rotate in the sun. I need a supply of discs because the silvering eventually deteriorates hanging outdoors.

  15. Good Keyboards Under $100 on Mechanical 'Clicky' Keyboards Still Have Followers (Video) · · Score: 1

    I am generally a "touch typist", having learned keyboarding on a manual typewriting more than 60 years ago.

    When I bought a new PC from Dell, it came with a Dell keyboard with a USB connection. The keys were nearly flat on top with straight sides and little space between, which meant I had constant problems with positioning my fingers without looking down on the keyboard. Since the keyboard was black with white lettering (very poor ergonomics), I had to keep the lights on in my home office to see where I was placing my fingers; bright indirect daylight through the adjacent window was insufficient. The spacing between groups of function keys at the top was too little, which meant that I often hit the wrong function key.

    I quickly replaced the keyboard with a beige Microsoft keyboard, again with a USB connection. This was purchased through Amazon.com. The keys were tapered and concave on top. There was sufficient spacing between groups of function keys. Its design indeed met my needs. However, certain character keys were defective; quickly repeated strokes did not register. If I typed "11", for example, it would give me only "1". At first, this was merely an annoyance. Paying my bills via the Web through my credit union, however, I once paid a bill requesting $110.00 by sending only $10.00. Microsoft, the manufacturer of the keyboard, referred me to Amazon.com. Amazon.com indicated they no longer stock that keyboard and refunded my purchase price and even said to keep the keyboard.

    My wife's PC is several years old and has a KeyTronic keyboard that is even older, from a prior PC. I found KeyTronic on the Web at https://keyboards.keytronic.co.... The most pricy item in their list of keyboards was under $100 unless you wanted a package of 10 keyboards. They have wired and wireless. The have PS2 and USB. They have black, light gray, and beige. They guarantee a keyboard for as long as you own it (as long as they remain in business). My KeyTronic keyboard is wonderfully noisy, letting me know when a key-touch actually registered.

    By the way, I much prefer wired keyboard and mouse. I really do not want to deal with batteries. Too often, I have had a battery leak and destroy the device that used it. I now have two extra keyboards for anyone who want them.

  16. A Problem and Its Solutions on Microsoft Blacklists Fake Finnish Certificate · · Score: 1

    It took quite a bit of searching before I could identify the specific root certificate involved. It turns out that root was already marked as "untrusted", which means I would not have been affected by this problem.

    Also, the subscriber certificate involved is apparently marked as revoked in OCSP (Online Certificate Status Protocol) messages. Those who set their browsers to always confirm the validity of subscriber certificates via an OCSP server and who also set their browsers to assume a subscriber certificate is invalid if an OCSP response cannot be obtained are well protected from this problem.

    Of course, for this solutions to be implemented, users must have browsers that allow root certificates to be marked "untrusted", that have an option to check certificates against OCSP servers, and that have an option to assume that a certificate is invalid if an OCSP response cannot be obtained. Mozilla-based browsers -- Firefox and SeaMonkey -- have all of those capabilities.

  17. FUDD on California Looking To Make All Bitcoin Businesses Illegal · · Score: 1

    (FUDD = fear, uncertainty, doubt, and disinformation)

    Money-transfer businesses are already regulated in California as the result of several such businesses failing. The proposed law merely adds bitcoin-transfer businesses to that category. This is a consumer-protection proposal in an attempt to prevent another Mt. Gox.

  18. World of Warcraft Not Affected on California Looking To Make All Bitcoin Businesses Illegal · · Score: 1

    The proposed law specifically exempts gaming pseudo-money. Section 26000 of AB 1326 states: "Virtual currency shall not be construed to include digital
    units that are used solely within online gaming platforms with no market or application outside of those gaming platforms."

  19. Re:As stupid as bitcoin is on California Looking To Make All Bitcoin Businesses Illegal · · Score: 1

    I believe PayPal is already registered. Any company in the business of transferring money must register. Existing California laws require this in response to a number of cases where money-transfer businesses received payments but failed to transfer them, either because they went bankrupt or were just plain frauds. The new law merely proposes to include bitcoin transfer businesses within that same regulatory framework. This is NOT blocking bitcoin transfers; this is protecting consumers who want to transfer bitcoins.

  20. Take Immediate and Thorough Action on How Do You Handle the Discovery of a Web Site Disclosing Private Data? · · Score: 2

    Send a postal letter to the CEO of the financial institution. Explain the problem. Give the institution a deadline for action. Since I found no actual disclosure of information in my case, I gave the institution a month. In your case, a week should be the maximum.

    If you do not hear back in a week, send a postal letter to the government agency that supervises the institution (e.g., SEC, Controller of the Currency, FDIC). Send a copy to the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Postal addresses are available online for such agencies.

    It helps if the institution's privacy policy indicates such disclosures are not permitted. In that case, insist that the government agency enforce the institution's privacy policy.

  21. Speed OK. What About Reliability? on Samsung's Portable SSD T1 Tested · · Score: 1

    The HotHardware evaluation focused entirely on speed. What about reliability? Early SSDs were plagued with a limited number of writes, after which no further writes were possible. While recent SSDs seemed to have improved, evaluations should still address reliability.

  22. Wireless Disabled on Flaw In Netgear Wi-Fi Routers Exposes Admin Password, WLAN Details · · Score: 1

    I have a Netgear N300 Wireless Router Model WNR2000v2. I have no WiFi devices.

    In the router manager Web pages, I unchecked the checkboxes for "Enable Wireless Router Radio" and "Turn Remote Management On". I also unchecked all of the checkboxes under "Guest Network Settings", "Wireless Settings", and "Wireless Repeating Function". The wireless LED indicator on the router is not lighted.

    Therefore, I expect this is not a problem for me.

  23. Postal Letter to the CEO on Ask Slashdot: Dealing With Companies With Poor SSL Practices? · · Score: 1

    When I have a problem dealing with a U.S. company over the Internet, I go to http://finance.yahoo.com/looku.... This site will tell me the names of the top executives and the corporate postal address of a company whose stock is publicly traded, even on the most obscure exchanges. If the company's stock is not publicly traded, I then resort to Google. Sooner or later -- yes, with some effort -- I find out who is in charge and where to mail a letter.

    I compose a non-threatening, literate letter to the CEO or president of the company. I explain in layman's terms what is wrong and why I won't do business with them until the problem is fixed. While the executive likely does not even see my letter, someone in his or her office will see it -- someone who has authority to correct the situation. Occasionally, the situation is indeed fixed.

    After sending the letter via the U.S. Postal Service, I wait about a week. Then, I create a Web page re-creating my letter. Yes, I name names. The situation might not be fixed, but the problem and the company are now public. I carry a significant level of liability insurance.

  24. Frankfurt Second Worst on My List on Major Security Vulnerabilities Uncovered At Frankfurt Airport · · Score: 1

    I have flown to and from or changed planes in 26 airports. Frankfurt Airport (Rhein-Main-Flughafen, FRA) was the second-worst next to the armpit of airports, which is Kona International (KOA) in Hawai'i. Flying from Los Angeles (LAX) to Budapest (BUD) my wife and I had to change planes in FRA. With 12 security stations, only four were open. It took us over 30 minutes in line to reach a security station. Some passengers booked on our plane to BUD missed the flight because they were still stuck in line at security. No, they did not arrive at the FRA airport late; they too were merely changing planes. If you already passed through security at a prior airport, you remain within the security "shell" when changing planes in a well-designed airport and are not subject to another security check.

    See my "Avoid Kona and Frankfurt Airports" at http://www.rossde.com/editoria....

  25. Firefox Only on AdNauseam Browser Extension Quietly Clicks On Blocked Ads · · Score: 1

    The extension will not install in SeaMonkey even though its core modules are the same as those used by Firefox.