"People are already gagging as they leave the theater, after having paid $$ to watch the latest JLo POS."
The first day I saw one of the big signs for the "Gigli" movie with Jennifer Lopez on the street, I thought the name was pronounced "Jiggly" and it was in reference to the unbelievably puffed up chest she sported in the picture.
Thankfully they've mostly been replaced with signs for some sort of brand of backpack now that the school year is approaching again.
"Nope. Some government is behind this, either U.S. or China is my guess. The goal is to sharpen cyber warfare skills. Neither country wants to cause significant harm on the other unless there is a real war, in light of the fact that we are dependent on each other economically."
And I thought *I* was a paranoid conspiracy theorist... you have taken my paranoia to a whole new level.
"Not a single first (or third person) fantasy game has beaten Ultima Underworld, from 1991 I think."
Well that is debatable: I like Underworld 2 more than I like the original UW. The story and subplots were a lot more involved. There were more secrets (at least the ones I found anyway.) The overall feeling was more 'epic.'
As to modern games that compare with UW, take a look at some of the other ones (also associated with Warren Spector btw that I mentioned earlier) like Arx Fatalis, Deus Ex, Thief The Dark Project and System Shock 2. I literally had nightmares about SS2 back during the time I was playing through it.
So I'm basically saying that yes, UW1 is a standard to live up to, but there are others that come close and perhaps surpass it.
"However, I often times find that today's games are simply breath-taking in a graphical sense but really lack in the gameplay. Am I just spoiled or does anyone else feel this way?"
Play Thief: The Dark Project (and sequels,) System Shock 2 and Deus Ex. Then report back to us;-)
I find that finding good games is more about following the creative teams that make them than the studios or companies. The common denominator in the 3 titles I mentioned above are Warren Spector. I can't think of the words to describe how enthralling these things are, so just play them and see for yourself;-)
"In other areas though, Mail is the best email client I've ever used (beats out KMail, Outlook Express, Entourage, Eudora, Claris, Mozilla, webmail and ssh+pine)"
I do think Mail is pretty good, but frankly I find it is not as good as Pegasus Mail which is a win32 mail client. Compared to Mail, PMail is much better at handling multiple identities, sets of conditions for handling mail from different inboxes and handling lots of folders and automatic filing of mail. I think it's still better than Mail.
"I want a computer that is QUIET!!! and turns off and on INSTANTLY!!!"
Uh, get a mac?;-)
Aside from the wind-tunnel G4s which were fixed for free, macs tend to be very quiet compared to PCs and the sleep mode engages within 1-2 seconds of the click.
(Admittedly, sleep != poweroff but for desktops there really isn't a reason to totally power it off unless you're not going to be using it for weeks. And of course my iBook comes out of sleep mode in 3 seconds which isn't exactly slow.)
"Everyone, please get broadband, if you can, and dump your landline. The baby bells need to suffer."
In 10 years I would hope that broadband is actually available in all places. I'm still stuck on 28.8 in rural Canada, and I know people who can only get 21.6.
"I bought my Model M at a thrift store for $2 Canadian. It weighs 6 pounds and was produced in 1984. No crummy Windows key of course. It takes a licking and keeps on ticking. I'll never go back to another keyboard."
I second that notion. I've got a good ol' model M on my desk at home and I wouldn't switch to something else. The only downside is that if you type very 'hard' you'll wake up people on different floors because they will hear the sounds of the keys and feel the vibrations through the floor.
But man, that keyboard is built like a tank. You could knock someone out cold with it.
" my expectations:
- a system which comes on and turns off immediately"
Didn't BeOS have this?
"Imagine: a chat room in which you see the people (at least a 3d model) and they can not only talk but also move.. and a bot on irc can be an object in that 3D room, i.e. a jukebox or vending machine or whatever.. (guess on #carding it'll be an atm)"
"It is possible to get on a 'winning streak' where lady luck seems to be helping you out, and when that happens the smart thing to do is ride that streak until it ends and you lose a hand or two and then take your winnings and leave."
" Theory on how to win at Roulette :
Choose a colour and stick to it.
Start by betting 1 chip on that colour. If you win, make another 1 chip bet. Do that until you have won loads of money.
If you lose, double your bet for the next go, if you lose double it again, do that continuosley until you do win, then go back to one chip betting."
In practice, this theory will not make you rich;-) Your strategy will probably leave you broke. Casinos have known about this kind of thing for a long time and it's why they have an upper limit on the bet. That way you'll eventually hit a ceiling and you can't double your bet anymore.
"Just wondering... Why are viruses programmed to deactivate?"
Built in obsolescence? Maybe the writer always wants you to have the latest version or something. This also reminds me of the recent musings of a software company we love to hate;-)
Sobig.A appeared on 2003 Jan 09 and was programmed to deactivate on ??.
Sobig.B appeared on 2003 May 19 and was programmed to deactivate on May 31.
Sobig.C appeared on 2003 June 01 and was programmed to deactivate on June 08.
Sobig.D appeared on 2003 June 18 and was programmed to deactivate on July 02.
Sobig.E appeared on 2003 June 09 and was programmed to deactivate on July 14.
Sobig.F appeared on 2003 Aug 19 and was programmed to deactivate on Sept 10.
It seems like the Sobig release schedule is more consistent and on-time than... well... the software release schedules of a major company we love to hate;-)
PhDs are more likely than others to have careers in Academia. So if a statistically larger number of them, compared to Master's or Bachelor's degree holders go into academia, then there would obviously be a smaller percentage of the total number of PhDs in industry compared to the others.
And since the number of people with PhDs is relatively small to begin with compared to the other groups, the perception that they don't get indistry jobs as often is easy to understand.
I'd say you should go for it and get the degree. I don't see why it would decrease your chances of getting a job in industry, and in the case of a tech downturn (again,) you could probably still turn to a job in academia.
"I've NEVER installed a driver from MS on my computer and every time a customer of ours does it, it seems to totally screw up everything."
Sounds right. I stopped installing drivers from windows update because I've *never* had a case where the "new" driver actually worked properly. Every single time, it broke something or had reduced functionality compared to the one it replaced.
"I wonder how well this would work on dialup though? It seems like the world is really leaving dialup folks behind. I have cable myself but know a lot of people on dialup either because high speed is not available to them or because they really don't need a fulltime connection, and are getting by just fine on a $5/month dialup plan."
True. The only reason the windows boxes at home don't get updated all the time is because we have 6 machines on a home LAN connected to the internet over 28.8 dialup. There is no broadband of even 56K where I live due to POS phone loops.
The thing about this is that it affects all operating systems. I can't get big updates for linux or MacOS X any more or less easily than I can get windows updates.
Eventually, it comes to the point where I just go into the university computer lab with a CD-Rw, download all the windows updates and bring them home. If I was a clueless luser running an auto-update-installing version of windows on several machines on a dialup connection... well let's just say I would be very very annoyed.
"How is this any different then the scheme they're using now? By default, automatic update is enabled for Windows. "
The current scheme requires users to still click OK on the update.
Keep in mind that 99% of users just want to use the computer and not worry about having to keep everything patched up and secure. They just want some sort of 'fire and forget' type solution that they just install and forget about it. This is why crap like Norton CrashGuard and such sells so well.
I think that the automatic updates that don't require any confirmation is actually a good thing for typical end users.
"I didn't see anything anywhere in the article that said business users or technically savvy home users would be given the option of disabling the forced update."
And as to being able to turn it off:
"The company is "looking very seriously" at requiring future versions of Windows to accept automatic software fixes unless the user specifically refuses to receive them, said Mike Nash, corporate vice president of Microsoft's security business unit." (emphasis mine)
Any user who knows anything will turn it off by some setting in the control panel. But since 99% of users will use the default settings for everything, all the masses will get patched whether they know what that means or not and people like you and me can still turn the cranks manually and remain in control. I have no problem with that. (But I will laugh if some spyware hijacks the auto-updater to download more spyware or spambots or something.)
"You'd be amazed at how much mail has your social security number on it: payroll/benefits information, tax forms, many bank statements (I lobbied my banks to remove the SSN number from statements), investment statements/retirement account statements and health insurance information to name a few."
Just got my pay stub today... it has my name, address, job title, company name, company address, employee number, but NO bank account number or SIN (the Canadian equivalent of SSN) on it, and this is basically a receipt for direct deposit.* I'm a little more secure in that respect. It's actually illegal in Canada to use the SIN for any purpose except for ones related to reporting taxation information to the government, so it doesn't show up in a stupidly large number of places.
*(My pay stub is actually a deterrent to identity theft because it shows that I don't have enough money to be worth it;-)
"Having someone's social security number is one thing. Having their current address and an account number or two is much worse."
Actually I have worked at a big bank (as a coder) and received actual anti-fraud training. The two most prized pieces of information by fraudsters are the SIN/SSN and date of birth. Using only those two things they can usually get government, postal service, credit bureau, etc. officials to 'confirm' tax information and then get your name, address and employer. Using that your identity is basically 0wnz0r3d.
So the moral of the story is that you should protect your SSN/SIN more strongly than your bank account number(s) because it can be used as a 'root-cause' for a whole lot devious actions where any stupid government official can set it in motion, where a name and bank number requires your bank and nobody else to be stupid enough to set it in motion.
"Many cases of identity theft are roomates, sometimes even family, intercepting mail and using their knowledge of your Social Security number or where to find it."
One other snail-mail related protection you can set up is a 'secure' mail box. Anyone can go up to your mailbox at the front of the house and grab the contents. In my area of Canada, people were at one point ripping off the passcards that people in rural areas get to allow then to take stuff to the landfill without paying extra (since it is included in the taxes.)
You should spend the $10/month of whatever it is at Mail Boxes Etc. and get yourself a P.O. Box that requires key to open. (Note: The actual address is Suite #xyz so you don't have problems with companies who don't ship to P.O. Boxes.) This means that only people who work at Mail Boxes can steal your mail, as opposed to anyone who drives by.
Just make a lovely menu-driven win32 binary that a script kiddie could use that exploits the problems and release it on kazaa, gnutella, etc. Thousands of students will start using it and you can bet that the software manufacturer will fix it DAMN fast or the universities will switch to a different grading solution.
Slashdot Mirror
The first day I saw one of the big signs for the "Gigli" movie with Jennifer Lopez on the street, I thought the name was pronounced "Jiggly" and it was in reference to the unbelievably puffed up chest she sported in the picture.
Thankfully they've mostly been replaced with signs for some sort of brand of backpack now that the school year is approaching again.
And I thought *I* was a paranoid conspiracy theorist ... you have taken my paranoia to a whole new level.
Just a correction: I'm not sure if Warren Spector was associated with Arx Fatalis.
Well that is debatable: I like Underworld 2 more than I like the original UW. The story and subplots were a lot more involved. There were more secrets (at least the ones I found anyway.) The overall feeling was more 'epic.'
As to modern games that compare with UW, take a look at some of the other ones (also associated with Warren Spector btw that I mentioned earlier) like Arx Fatalis, Deus Ex, Thief The Dark Project and System Shock 2. I literally had nightmares about SS2 back during the time I was playing through it.
So I'm basically saying that yes, UW1 is a standard to live up to, but there are others that come close and perhaps surpass it.
Play Thief: The Dark Project (and sequels,) System Shock 2 and Deus Ex. Then report back to us ;-)
I find that finding good games is more about following the creative teams that make them than the studios or companies. The common denominator in the 3 titles I mentioned above are Warren Spector. I can't think of the words to describe how enthralling these things are, so just play them and see for yourself ;-)
I do think Mail is pretty good, but frankly I find it is not as good as Pegasus Mail which is a win32 mail client. Compared to Mail, PMail is much better at handling multiple identities, sets of conditions for handling mail from different inboxes and handling lots of folders and automatic filing of mail. I think it's still better than Mail.
Uh, get a mac? ;-)
Aside from the wind-tunnel G4s which were fixed for free, macs tend to be very quiet compared to PCs and the sleep mode engages within 1-2 seconds of the click.
(Admittedly, sleep != poweroff but for desktops there really isn't a reason to totally power it off unless you're not going to be using it for weeks. And of course my iBook comes out of sleep mode in 3 seconds which isn't exactly slow.)
In 10 years I would hope that broadband is actually available in all places. I'm still stuck on 28.8 in rural Canada, and I know people who can only get 21.6.
You're looking for the Happy Hacking Keyboard. ;-)
I second that notion. I've got a good ol' model M on my desk at home and I wouldn't switch to something else. The only downside is that if you type very 'hard' you'll wake up people on different floors because they will hear the sounds of the keys and feel the vibrations through the floor.
But man, that keyboard is built like a tank. You could knock someone out cold with it.
Didn't BeOS have this?
"Imagine: a chat room in which you see the people (at least a 3d model) and they can not only talk but also move.. and a bot on irc can be an object in that 3D room, i.e. a jukebox or vending machine or whatever.. (guess on #carding it'll be an atm)"
I'll let the others have fun with this one ;-)
I'm riding a winning streak right now!
Interesting Thing about Sobig... (Score:5, Funny) ... forgive me please ... (Score:5, Funny)
a biased opinion (from an undergrad) (Score:5, Insightful)
strangely enough (Score:5, Funny)
zealot vs. fanatic (Score:5, Funny)
someone had to say it
I reckon I should pop down to a casino after work... this could be my lucky day!
In practice, this theory will not make you rich ;-) Your strategy will probably leave you broke. Casinos have known about this kind of thing for a long time and it's why they have an upper limit on the bet. That way you'll eventually hit a ceiling and you can't double your bet anymore.
Built in obsolescence? Maybe the writer always wants you to have the latest version or something. This also reminds me of the recent musings of a software company we love to hate ;-)
Sobig.B appeared on 2003 May 19 and was programmed to deactivate on May 31.
Sobig.C appeared on 2003 June 01 and was programmed to deactivate on June 08.
Sobig.D appeared on 2003 June 18 and was programmed to deactivate on July 02.
Sobig.E appeared on 2003 June 09 and was programmed to deactivate on July 14.
Sobig.F appeared on 2003 Aug 19 and was programmed to deactivate on Sept 10.
It seems like the Sobig release schedule is more consistent and on-time than ... well ... the software release schedules of a major company we love to hate ;-)
And since the number of people with PhDs is relatively small to begin with compared to the other groups, the perception that they don't get indistry jobs as often is easy to understand.
I'd say you should go for it and get the degree. I don't see why it would decrease your chances of getting a job in industry, and in the case of a tech downturn (again,) you could probably still turn to a job in academia.
Sounds right. I stopped installing drivers from windows update because I've *never* had a case where the "new" driver actually worked properly. Every single time, it broke something or had reduced functionality compared to the one it replaced.
True. The only reason the windows boxes at home don't get updated all the time is because we have 6 machines on a home LAN connected to the internet over 28.8 dialup. There is no broadband of even 56K where I live due to POS phone loops.
The thing about this is that it affects all operating systems. I can't get big updates for linux or MacOS X any more or less easily than I can get windows updates.
Eventually, it comes to the point where I just go into the university computer lab with a CD-Rw, download all the windows updates and bring them home. If I was a clueless luser running an auto-update-installing version of windows on several machines on a dialup connection ... well let's just say I would be very very annoyed.
The current scheme requires users to still click OK on the update.
Keep in mind that 99% of users just want to use the computer and not worry about having to keep everything patched up and secure. They just want some sort of 'fire and forget' type solution that they just install and forget about it. This is why crap like Norton CrashGuard and such sells so well.
I think that the automatic updates that don't require any confirmation is actually a good thing for typical end users.
"I didn't see anything anywhere in the article that said business users or technically savvy home users would be given the option of disabling the forced update."
And as to being able to turn it off:
"The company is "looking very seriously" at requiring future versions of Windows to accept automatic software fixes unless the user specifically refuses to receive them, said Mike Nash, corporate vice president of Microsoft's security business unit." (emphasis mine)
Any user who knows anything will turn it off by some setting in the control panel. But since 99% of users will use the default settings for everything, all the masses will get patched whether they know what that means or not and people like you and me can still turn the cranks manually and remain in control. I have no problem with that. (But I will laugh if some spyware hijacks the auto-updater to download more spyware or spambots or something.)
IN SOVIET RUSSIA, worm fixes YOU! (I am not laughing, are you?)
Just got my pay stub today ... it has my name, address, job title, company name, company address, employee number, but NO bank account number or SIN (the Canadian equivalent of SSN) on it, and this is basically a receipt for direct deposit.* I'm a little more secure in that respect. It's actually illegal in Canada to use the SIN for any purpose except for ones related to reporting taxation information to the government, so it doesn't show up in a stupidly large number of places.
*(My pay stub is actually a deterrent to identity theft because it shows that I don't have enough money to be worth it ;-)
"Having someone's social security number is one thing. Having their current address and an account number or two is much worse."
Actually I have worked at a big bank (as a coder) and received actual anti-fraud training. The two most prized pieces of information by fraudsters are the SIN/SSN and date of birth. Using only those two things they can usually get government, postal service, credit bureau, etc. officials to 'confirm' tax information and then get your name, address and employer. Using that your identity is basically 0wnz0r3d.
So the moral of the story is that you should protect your SSN/SIN more strongly than your bank account number(s) because it can be used as a 'root-cause' for a whole lot devious actions where any stupid government official can set it in motion, where a name and bank number requires your bank and nobody else to be stupid enough to set it in motion.
Not that I know of. But the cost of setting this up is probably greater than the cost of a crosscut shredder so it's probably a moot point.
One other snail-mail related protection you can set up is a 'secure' mail box. Anyone can go up to your mailbox at the front of the house and grab the contents. In my area of Canada, people were at one point ripping off the passcards that people in rural areas get to allow then to take stuff to the landfill without paying extra (since it is included in the taxes.)
You should spend the $10/month of whatever it is at Mail Boxes Etc. and get yourself a P.O. Box that requires key to open. (Note: The actual address is Suite #xyz so you don't have problems with companies who don't ship to P.O. Boxes.) This means that only people who work at Mail Boxes can steal your mail, as opposed to anyone who drives by.
Just make a lovely menu-driven win32 binary that a script kiddie could use that exploits the problems and release it on kazaa, gnutella, etc. Thousands of students will start using it and you can bet that the software manufacturer will fix it DAMN fast or the universities will switch to a different grading solution.
And all this time I was under the impression that the execs thought they were the Czars of Soviet Russia. I guess I was mistaken.