Sheri McLeish, suggests that businesses may still be using Word because it is familiar to users or because they have a legacy investment in the application, not because it is the best option."
Well yeah...
How much do these people charge to provide such pearls of wisdom? And who'se paying?
the mere suggestion that your email is no longer private would serve to kill the UK population's relish for new media stone dead
I only wish that were true, but sadly I feel your statement is something you dragged out of your ass. Most people's behaviour so far in using the likes of Facebook have shown that they're not likely to worry.
We buy ex-corporate desktop computers from a couple of years ago second-hand for our clients. They always have a 40GB hard disk in them. Information Workers require nothing more. Thus I'd speculate most computers have a 40GB hard disk in them; maybe bumped up to 80GB if the computer were brand new, but there'd be no need of that extra 40GB when data is saved on the server.
It's only environmentally unsound if people dispose of the parts improperly.
No it's not, because recycling something is usually environmentally more destructive than reusing it.
The computer industry could do more to educate people about recycling old machines, monitors, etc... Focus your indignation in that direction.
Here in Europe it's illegal _not_ to recycle. See the WEEE directive. My indignation centres around the fact that smashing a hard disk prevents it from being reused.
As it's been pointed out, Grandma and Grandpa don't understand disk utilities. They do understand "smash".
Yes. But it's also been pointed out that smashing a hard disk leaves its data potentially recoverable, and can result in injury.
I like this idea of just removing the disk and storing it away on a shelf. This is what I've done with my hard disks for the last fifteen years. It gives you an extra backup, on a different kind of medium, to floppy disk / CD / DVD / etcetera. And a secure feeling that no matter how you took a backup you've at least probably got access to the original in a form that so far remains accessible if other formats were to fail (and they all do - I can't read old floppy discs, and CD/DVD by Ritek in theory can fail in five years)
Maybe for the writing and booting, but if you think you need a manual for Darik's Boot n Nuke once it's up and running, you should check it out - boot with the CD, press a key and everything attached to the computer is automatically nuked. (at least, that's the way it used to be, I haven't used it in years)
"The average user is more than willing to pay more money for hobbled music because of user interface, ease of use"
Why should it be surprising that people are willing to pay for ease of use? it can mean the difference between actually being able to use something and not being able to. Most people can't use most of most software.
This is a dent in the growing assumption we have where you think you can install Linux on anyone's computer with a bit of research of their peripherals. And even then you can often replace incompatible peripherals but you're not as likely to replace a motherboard.
Why should we help your business do better? if you're destined to fail because of poor ethical and legal practices then why should we slow your demise?
"All fixes retain the same exact version, only patching the hole (i.e.: firefox 2.0.0.1 isn't upgraded to firefox 2.0.0.6. Instead it's iceweasel 2.0.0.1-1 that is patched to 2.0.0.1-2"
In general you're correct but in this specific example you're entirely wrong. The Firefox and Thunderbird updates from mozilla.com don;t have their security fixes broken out and well explained in any kind of clear manner, so I read, making it too difficult for the Debian security team to apply individual security fixes to Debian's Iceweasel and Icedove so they take the whole new update - current version of Iceweasel in Debian is 2.0.0.6 and Icedove is 1.5.0.12.
This is what Eric S. Raymond was on about at Christmas, that this is what was needed to be the desktop of the future in a 64bit world. Remember ESR's Desktop Linux 2008 Deadline?
"there does not appear to be a clear, simple to follow outline cooperative for companies to design for the open source operating system."
Is this no what the Linux Standard Base (LSB) addreses?
> I'm continually opening Office 2000 and Office XP documents in Office 97.
Thats because either those documents are saved from within Office 2000 and XP in _Office 97 format_, or your Office 97 has installed the patch that allows it to read Office 2000 documents.
I realise its better to deal with the cause and not only the symptoms, but when I get that tingly feeling and numbness I slap on a 'Tokuhon medical plaster' I got from a chinese doctor in china town. It really is miraculous, makes all the pain and numbness go away. This sounds like a viagra advert but really, its true. Here's the ingredients: - ?-Menthol - Methyl Salicylate - ??-Camphor - Tocopherol Acetate - Glycol Salicylate
Made by 'TOKUHON Corporation, 4-1-2,Nihonbashi-Honcho, Chu-ku, Tokyo, Japan'
I have guides to setting up Debian desktop systems that describe which packages to choose for various desktop tasks and how to configure them, for Debian 3.1 Sarge and for Debian Testing.
If you know your problem is fixed with 2.6 then use 2.6 from the installer: instead of pressing 'Enter' or 'typing 'linux' at the installation prompt, type 'linux26'.
Slashdot Mirror
You know when your comrades are using very very small monitors when three screenfulls of yours takes up 12 of theirs.
Sheri McLeish, suggests that businesses may still be using Word because it is familiar to users or because they have a legacy investment in the application, not because it is the best option."
Well yeah...
How much do these people charge to provide such pearls of wisdom? And who'se paying?
Pete Boyd
XTree?
the mere suggestion that your email is no longer private would serve to kill the UK population's relish for new media stone dead
I only wish that were true, but sadly I feel your statement is something you dragged out of your ass. Most people's behaviour so far in using the likes of Facebook have shown that they're not likely to worry.
Pete Boyd
We buy ex-corporate desktop computers from a couple of years ago second-hand for our clients. They always have a 40GB hard disk in them. Information Workers require nothing more. Thus I'd speculate most computers have a 40GB hard disk in them; maybe bumped up to 80GB if the computer were brand new, but there'd be no need of that extra 40GB when data is saved on the server.
Pete Boyd
It's only environmentally unsound if people dispose of the parts improperly.
No it's not, because recycling something is usually environmentally more destructive than reusing it.
The computer industry could do more to educate people about recycling old machines, monitors, etc... Focus your indignation in that direction.
Here in Europe it's illegal _not_ to recycle. See the WEEE directive.
My indignation centres around the fact that smashing a hard disk prevents it from being reused.
As it's been pointed out, Grandma and Grandpa don't understand disk utilities. They do understand "smash".
Yes. But it's also been pointed out that smashing a hard disk leaves its data potentially recoverable, and can result in injury.
Pete Boyd
I like this idea of just removing the disk and storing it away on a shelf. This is what I've done with my hard disks for the last fifteen years. It gives you an extra backup, on a different kind of medium, to floppy disk / CD / DVD / etcetera. And a secure feeling that no matter how you took a backup you've at least probably got access to the original in a form that so far remains accessible if other formats were to fail (and they all do - I can't read old floppy discs, and CD/DVD by Ritek in theory can fail in five years)
Pete Boyd
Maybe for the writing and booting, but if you think you need a manual for Darik's Boot n Nuke once it's up and running, you should check it out - boot with the CD, press a key and everything attached to the computer is automatically nuked.
(at least, that's the way it used to be, I haven't used it in years)
Pete Boyd
Nice. I've not come across anyone transferring platters before. Presumably you use an identical drive with the same controller board?
This is what I meant that disk wiping software will be more thorough than a hammer.
But yeah, people aren't able to download an ISO and burn it to disc, then set their BIOS to boot from CD.
This recommendation from Which? magazine has incensed me today. They're reported as saying "It sounds extreme, but the only way to be 100% safe is to smash your hard drive into smithereens.". There's no need to do this if you use disk wiping software, which is probably even better than a hammer; as the BBC article points out. Darik's Boot And Nuke is perfect for this. It's environmentally criminal to be suggesting the best way to wipe a disk is to smash it.
Pete Boyd
"The average user is more than willing to pay more money for hobbled music because of user interface, ease of use"
Why should it be surprising that people are willing to pay for ease of use? it can mean the difference between actually being able to use something and not being able to.
Most people can't use most of most software.
This is a dent in the growing assumption we have where you think you can install Linux on anyone's computer with a bit of research of their peripherals. And even then you can often replace incompatible peripherals but you're not as likely to replace a motherboard.
Pete Boyd
"My ISP is at a loss as to how to fix this but it is causing me a lot of grief. Many of the ads I get shown on Yahoo! for instance are in French!"
That sounds really tough.
Why should we help your business do better? if you're destined to fail because of poor ethical and legal practices then why should we slow your demise?
"All fixes retain the same exact version, only patching the hole (i.e.: firefox 2.0.0.1 isn't upgraded to firefox 2.0.0.6. Instead it's iceweasel 2.0.0.1-1 that is patched to 2.0.0.1-2"
In general you're correct but in this specific example you're entirely wrong. The Firefox and Thunderbird updates from mozilla.com don;t have their security fixes broken out and well explained in any kind of clear manner, so I read, making it too difficult for the Debian security team to apply individual security fixes to Debian's Iceweasel and Icedove so they take the whole new update - current version of Iceweasel in Debian is 2.0.0.6 and Icedove is 1.5.0.12.
For an explanation of volatile (and volatile-sloppy) see this:
Desktop System Setup with Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 'Etch' - Package Repositories, Updates & Upgrades
http://thegoldenear.org/toolbox/unices/desktop-system-setup-debian-etch.html#repositories
Some day, this will be a movie, featuring us discussing this.
This is what Eric S. Raymond was on about at Christmas, that this is what was needed to be the desktop of the future in a 64bit world. Remember ESR's Desktop Linux 2008 Deadline?
"there does not appear to be a clear, simple to follow outline cooperative for companies to design for the open source operating system." Is this no what the Linux Standard Base (LSB) addreses?
> I'm continually opening Office 2000 and Office XP documents in Office 97.
Thats because either those documents are saved from within Office 2000 and XP in _Office 97 format_, or your Office 97 has installed the patch that allows it to read Office 2000 documents.
I realise its better to deal with the cause and not only the symptoms, but when I get that tingly feeling and numbness I slap on a 'Tokuhon medical plaster' I got from a chinese doctor in china town. It really is miraculous, makes all the pain and numbness go away. This sounds like a viagra advert but really, its true. Here's the ingredients:
- ?-Menthol
- Methyl Salicylate
- ??-Camphor
- Tocopherol Acetate
- Glycol Salicylate
Made by 'TOKUHON Corporation, 4-1-2,Nihonbashi-Honcho, Chu-ku, Tokyo, Japan'
I have guides to setting up Debian desktop systems that describe which packages to choose for various desktop tasks and how to configure them, for Debian 3.1 Sarge and for Debian Testing.
And a similar guide for a Debian server.
If you know your problem is fixed with 2.6 then use 2.6 from the installer: instead of pressing 'Enter' or 'typing 'linux' at the installation prompt, type 'linux26'.
linux26
Is that all the hackers you can come up with?