The entire point of my post was to highlight the difference between the perceived issues with running Tor, and the fact that most home networks are quite equally at risk of the same exposure.
The fundamental problem stems from a justice system that comes down heavily on very tenuous evidence. So whether you're running a Tor exit relay, or your home network is compromised, neither scenario justifies a SWAT raid at 6am.
"Plus the fact you may be unwittingly be aiding illegal activity as a middle man node."
If your home network is compromised, or any of your home computers are compromised, then you are most likely being used as a relay for nefarious purposes.
It's actually easier to crack your neighbor's WiFi password, then use a disposable WiFi dongle with a random rotating MAC to connect to their network. Bonus points for compromising their PC and routing through that, but it's not strictly necessary. The true danger is not knowing when the game is up. To do this reliably and consistently you need to monitor the neighbor's coms and also put some trip wires in place to ensure you aren't caught out unawares. This is unwise to do locally for those reasons, but it's trivial to park up on a random street, find the weakest WiFi network, breach it, and either use it immediately, or leave a payload on local PCs so they can act as relays later on.
If you are reading this, go and change your passwords right now...that is, unless I'm already in your network and waiting for you to change your password so I can intercept the new value...social engineering for the win!!!!
Sure, so the cops rock up at the front door: "sir, do you own a black chevy impala", "yes sir I do", "were you driving it last night", "no sir, I lent it to a friend of mine", "can you tell us their name and contact details", "do I have to?", "by law, yes you do" [questionable, of course], "OK then sir, here they are, are we done?", "yes sir, have a nice evening", "you too".
Why would any of this require an armed response is absolutely insane. The entire scenario fabricated above can be applied equally to internet access.
You are right. A bricked device is unrecoverable and no longer works.
However, I see many use the term in a lighter sense, when they mean that the device was functioning but after action XXX it no longer works. Thus, to them, the device is now "bricked". Of course in most cases it is then possible to reinstall the OS, or restore from a backup, or rollback the upgrade.
One can truly "brick" devices via a failed firmware upgrade or bios update, rendering the motherboard useless. Another problem I read about recently, was caused by systemd loading the bios firmware/filesystem as r/w on Linux. If the user then executed "rm -rf/" on the filesystem (and either didn't have the "nopreserveroot" feature or for some reason set the flag, etc...) then this would delete the bios firmware and brick the motherboard. Here is a dodgy source, but there are many comments there questioning the veracity of the claim.
Yes, but my understanding is that in the US "truth" is a defense against a slander suit. Other countries, am looking at you Australia, do not offer that defense by itself, and in addition to truth you have to prove that your statement was also in the public interest.
- delete all of my files from the HDD.
- uninstall all the software I need to use.
- delete/corrupt system files and render the system unable to boot.
- format the primary disk.
- hit the computer repeatedly with a hammer until it fails to operate.
- throw the fucking computer out the window, walk down stairs, and set fire to it.
I'm perfectly capable of replacing such a battery myself. However, I can only do so if I can purchase the part (or similar) for a reasonable price.
My experience with after market parts has been highly variable. I've had laptop screens that I could buy OEM for peanuts, while after-market computer-phone LCDs have been worth _almost_ as much as an entire second-hand handset.
Based on that experience, I'm not willing to roll the dice on whether or not I will be able to secure a "service only" replacement battery at some date 4-6 years from now.
"I've never liked how American stadiums are all named after corporations. It ruins the aura for me."
Do what I do: refuse to use corporate names for anything. And the plus side, I've never had a problem communicating with those around me.
Here in England I have called the Millenium Dome the "Millenium Dome" ever since it was built. I don't give a flying fuck about the corporate sponsorship from some telecommunications company. Everyone I've ever spoken to knows exactly what I mean.
I suggest you find the original name for your venues, or allocate something entirely appropriate and non-ambiguous.
Just ignore the corporate branding. It doesn't matter.
The only aspect that is difficult to assess is the value of the opportunity to watch whatever you like.
If I sold you a service that allowed you to watch any movie ever made, and you signed up for a year and watched a movie each Friday night then you'll have only watched 52 movies out of how many million? That doesn't mean having the other titles in the catalog were a waste, it's important they are there, since you signed up for access to "every movie ever made".
It's like Apple removing all the buttons and options that people don't click on very often. Sure, I may only use the "shutdown button" once a fortnight (compared to start/menu which is used a 100 times a day) but when I want it: that fucking button had best be there!!!!!
PPS: Shit, sorry, ignore that suggestion. Dell has this to say about the battery:
---- Battery 56WHr battery (built-in)* *Battery is built-in to the laptop and is not replaceable by the customer. ----
Screw that. Everyone knows that the battery is typically the first component to wear out, and being able to buy a new fresh battery at the 4-6 year mark is a great way to keep an older laptop on the road. This was a terrible design choice and a real disappointment:(
PS: Sorry, I should have stated, that's a Dell laptop that ships with Ubuntu. While Ubuntu is not my cup of tea, the native Linux support is something I am more than happy to endorse and support, even if I install a different Linux distro on it.
I have a Lenovo T430 that's worked very well for almost 4 years now. I'm in no rush to replace it, but I am extremely tempted to upgrade to this XPS 13 from Dell. The high definition screen and small form factor are a winning combination for me as I typically end up having to work on long-haul flights. Any thoughts on it?
The less an option is used the easier it needs to be to find.
There's nothing worse than having to do something every 1-2 years and not being able to remember the command or see the option.
Hiding options is just plain ridiculous. I think Apple's reputation for smart, intuitive, and clever UI design has well and truly disappeared.
Computer controls must be *discoverable* to be useful. Go read some of the UI research papers. You'll be surprised that many were written in the 60s and 70s when human-computer interfaces were very new and a lot of effort went into understanding how best to design them.
"We are at the point where money has never been cheaper and STILL people won't take out loans because, well, there simply isn't anything to invest in."
Slashdot Mirror
Jesus Christ that's crazy talk.
The entire point of my post was to highlight the difference between the perceived issues with running Tor, and the fact that most home networks are quite equally at risk of the same exposure.
The fundamental problem stems from a justice system that comes down heavily on very tenuous evidence. So whether you're running a Tor exit relay, or your home network is compromised, neither scenario justifies a SWAT raid at 6am.
That's the point. Make of it what you will.
"Plus the fact you may be unwittingly be aiding illegal activity as a middle man node."
If your home network is compromised, or any of your home computers are compromised, then you are most likely being used as a relay for nefarious purposes.
It's actually easier to crack your neighbor's WiFi password, then use a disposable WiFi dongle with a random rotating MAC to connect to their network. Bonus points for compromising their PC and routing through that, but it's not strictly necessary. The true danger is not knowing when the game is up. To do this reliably and consistently you need to monitor the neighbor's coms and also put some trip wires in place to ensure you aren't caught out unawares. This is unwise to do locally for those reasons, but it's trivial to park up on a random street, find the weakest WiFi network, breach it, and either use it immediately, or leave a payload on local PCs so they can act as relays later on.
If you are reading this, go and change your passwords right now...that is, unless I'm already in your network and waiting for you to change your password so I can intercept the new value...social engineering for the win!!!!
Sure, so the cops rock up at the front door: "sir, do you own a black chevy impala", "yes sir I do", "were you driving it last night", "no sir, I lent it to a friend of mine", "can you tell us their name and contact details", "do I have to?", "by law, yes you do" [questionable, of course], "OK then sir, here they are, are we done?", "yes sir, have a nice evening", "you too".
Why would any of this require an armed response is absolutely insane. The entire scenario fabricated above can be applied equally to internet access.
Is this finally a legitimate car analogy?
You are right. A bricked device is unrecoverable and no longer works.
However, I see many use the term in a lighter sense, when they mean that the device was functioning but after action XXX it no longer works. Thus, to them, the device is now "bricked". Of course in most cases it is then possible to reinstall the OS, or restore from a backup, or rollback the upgrade.
One can truly "brick" devices via a failed firmware upgrade or bios update, rendering the motherboard useless. Another problem I read about recently, was caused by systemd loading the bios firmware/filesystem as r/w on Linux. If the user then executed "rm -rf /" on the filesystem (and either didn't have the "nopreserveroot" feature or for some reason set the flag, etc...) then this would delete the bios firmware and brick the motherboard. Here is a dodgy source, but there are many comments there questioning the veracity of the claim.
"so the fresh installation comes with none of the bloatware"
Let me fix that for you:
"so the fresh installation comes with none of the spyware"
Yes, but my understanding is that in the US "truth" is a defense against a slander suit. Other countries, am looking at you Australia, do not offer that defense by itself, and in addition to truth you have to prove that your statement was also in the public interest.
Isn't it obvious?
The US just wants to drop bombs! Gotta keep cranking the handle on the old war machine don't you know!
Agreed.
Big fan btw.
"Intel has invested a lot of lab time into making sure their products are very stable."
Correction:
"Intel has invested a lot of time telling everyone that their products are very stable."
"Android is not Linux"
AINL
I can only pronounce this as "ANAL".
Love it.
Doesn't make sense when I can still:
- delete all of my files from the HDD.
- uninstall all the software I need to use.
- delete/corrupt system files and render the system unable to boot.
- format the primary disk.
- hit the computer repeatedly with a hammer until it fails to operate.
- throw the fucking computer out the window, walk down stairs, and set fire to it.
That is a stupid name. Why don't you just call it "Market Square"?
I repeat my tenet: corporate branding does not matter and you simply do not have to use it. Ever.
BTW: How's the weather in Oregon this time of year? Started raining yet?
I'm perfectly capable of replacing such a battery myself. However, I can only do so if I can purchase the part (or similar) for a reasonable price.
My experience with after market parts has been highly variable. I've had laptop screens that I could buy OEM for peanuts, while after-market computer-phone LCDs have been worth _almost_ as much as an entire second-hand handset.
Based on that experience, I'm not willing to roll the dice on whether or not I will be able to secure a "service only" replacement battery at some date 4-6 years from now.
"And yet iPhone 7 by all accounts is shattering sales records globally."
According to whom? And by what metric?
"I've never liked how American stadiums are all named after corporations. It ruins the aura for me."
Do what I do: refuse to use corporate names for anything. And the plus side, I've never had a problem communicating with those around me.
Here in England I have called the Millenium Dome the "Millenium Dome" ever since it was built. I don't give a flying fuck about the corporate sponsorship from some telecommunications company. Everyone I've ever spoken to knows exactly what I mean.
I suggest you find the original name for your venues, or allocate something entirely appropriate and non-ambiguous.
Just ignore the corporate branding. It doesn't matter.
iPhone 7 USD$649
iPhone 7 Plus USD$769
"I went to the bank for a loan"
Which of course makes no sense when the true situation is:
"I went to the bank to negotiate an opportunity for me to pay them 1-4% p.a. of the price of a home over 20-40 years"
The only aspect that is difficult to assess is the value of the opportunity to watch whatever you like.
If I sold you a service that allowed you to watch any movie ever made, and you signed up for a year and watched a movie each Friday night then you'll have only watched 52 movies out of how many million? That doesn't mean having the other titles in the catalog were a waste, it's important they are there, since you signed up for access to "every movie ever made".
It's like Apple removing all the buttons and options that people don't click on very often. Sure, I may only use the "shutdown button" once a fortnight (compared to start/menu which is used a 100 times a day) but when I want it: that fucking button had best be there!!!!!
PPS: Shit, sorry, ignore that suggestion. Dell has this to say about the battery:
----
Battery
56WHr battery (built-in)*
*Battery is built-in to the laptop and is not replaceable by the customer.
----
Screw that. Everyone knows that the battery is typically the first component to wear out, and being able to buy a new fresh battery at the 4-6 year mark is a great way to keep an older laptop on the road. This was a terrible design choice and a real disappointment :(
PS: Sorry, I should have stated, that's a Dell laptop that ships with Ubuntu. While Ubuntu is not my cup of tea, the native Linux support is something I am more than happy to endorse and support, even if I install a different Linux distro on it.
I have a Lenovo T430 that's worked very well for almost 4 years now. I'm in no rush to replace it, but I am extremely tempted to upgrade to this XPS 13 from Dell. The high definition screen and small form factor are a winning combination for me as I typically end up having to work on long-haul flights. Any thoughts on it?
"take it back with an restocking fee."
Such fees are completely unacceptable in most civilised countries.
The fact you put up with this in the US is a disgrace.
But why has the option to always allow non-signed applications been removed/hidden from the settings?
The other posters here are referring to a command line "fix" to allow them.
You do realise that you're being slow-boiled like the apocryphal frog do you not?
The less an option is used the easier it needs to be to find.
There's nothing worse than having to do something every 1-2 years and not being able to remember the command or see the option.
Hiding options is just plain ridiculous. I think Apple's reputation for smart, intuitive, and clever UI design has well and truly disappeared.
Computer controls must be *discoverable* to be useful. Go read some of the UI research papers. You'll be surprised that many were written in the 60s and 70s when human-computer interfaces were very new and a lot of effort went into understanding how best to design them.
"We are at the point where money has never been cheaper and STILL people won't take out loans because, well, there simply isn't anything to invest in."
And there's nothing wrong with that.
We live on a finite planet.
Exponential growth on a finite planet is doomed.
This is well worth watching and understanding.