to a point in the not-so-distant future where your ID will be *everything*. Forgot your wallet today? Too bad; suddenly you practically cease to exist.
We're already required to present ID to write checks, buy movie tickets (rated "R" or above), and a horde of other daily tasks. How long before we'll required to present our DigID to ride the subway (just "swipe and go") or buy dinner at a restaraunt?
I don't mean to downplay the positive aspects of such a system, as it could be integrated into financial systems to make a lot of things involving purchases easier. However, even those benefits are overshadowed by serious privacy issues. Think browser cookies are evil? Wait 'till McDonald's knows what kind of car you drive, what your taste in lingerie is (sure it was for your wife.. right...;-] ), and other fun "pieces of you."
Sorry Mr. McNeally, I think I'll pay cash when possible and use my good ol' state ID for the rest.
those impromptu van parties! Gotta have sound? No problem... you're at the beach anyhow, blowing up rafts and such, why not just toss in the speakers with 'em?
Of course, you may run into trouble with those knife-wielding locals who stop by to "ask you nicely to turn it down"... oops, we lost another one, better get the pump out again. Anybody got a tire patch?
Today must be silly invention day; first we've got those funky cell phones, then the uber-watch that runs Linux, now inflatable speakers to go with it all... I'd better stock up on my geek t-shirts now:-)
but I'm having a hard time seeing the true market appeal of this. I mean, we already have access to Linux PDAs that do a LOT of useful things, and a notebook PC loaded with Linux is even better.
A nifty concept all right, but I stack it up there along with the earlier story about the uber-cellphone. Cool? Yes. Would I buy one (or anybody I know for that matter)? No.
Sometimes, just because something runs Linux doesn't mean it's a fantastic idea. On the other hand, I *do* love my PC:).
WOW!:) As far as the technical portion of the blurb on encryption in my first response, this is the stuff I should've mentioned, but was too brain-dead to do so at the time:).
Thank you for the thoughtful reply. This adds backing to the fact that truly "uncrackable" DRM systems are all but impossible in reality. Of course, that *does* leave the "nasty legislation" avenue of attack on freedom, but I've already ranted about that in another reply;).
All right, this *is* cool. Although now I'm faced with a somewhat difficult problem... those danged Legos are so lightweight, my erector set components are just too outdated to fly into space:).
Oh well, I suppose my Super-Erector-TVStationChaging-FloorSweeping-Bathr oomScrubbing-TeethBrushing autonomous PC 6300 8086-driven bot will just have to stay earth-bound for now...
Yes, the spectre of doing with legislation what you can't get done with your customers does seem to be very popular with some groups lately.
To this end, it's *extremely* important that we all continue to write, call, email, etc our representatives and make our voices heard. Contributions to the FSF's legal defense fund are probably a good idea as well.
The key here is setting precedents. Just because a piece of legislation goes into law doesn't make it constitutionally valid. The second a precedent is set invalidating a law as unconstitutional, all the work of the parties that lobbied for its approval are rendered null. We need to be proactive in our efforts to weed this junk out before John Q. Public starts taking it for granted as "Well, it is the law after all."
Liberty comes only with vigilance (sorry to be so cliche there).
, so to speak. IMO, most of what we're currently seeing in the realm of DRM won't stand the test of time.
Why? Okay, let's start with the idea that in order to have a truly "strong" DRM system, you have to tack on strong encryption. Thus far, most systems proposed have failed this critical test. Please, no flames about the DMCA, because let's be realistic: the vast majority of people (meaning aside from a few "example cases") will never be "found out" for copying songs over networks, etc.
Second, all it takes is a little oppression for a lot of people (mainstream folks, not just geeks) to get really angry. We're already used to voting with our dollars anyhow; this will probably severely curtail heinous attempts at nasty DRM in the future. As long as a freer, easier (or just as easy) solution exists, the company or group providing it will win out.
I'm a little groggy at the moment (sorry, coding too long), so this may not be my most intelligent and coherent post ever. But I'm sure you get the idea. Thanks.
Ok, I've gotta say *something* here. It's not "all on Linus" to do QA for new kernels.
We're a community here. That's what makes OSS/FS such a Good Thing to begin with. We all pitch in (yes, me too) to test new stuff out as soon as it comes down the chute.
Compare this to "traditional" software development models, and you'll see that the advantages far outweigh the "risks". Plus, you and I both know (or should know) that using the newest, hottest kernels in production the day they're released is a bad idea anyhow. Personally, I usually lag behind at least a few tenths of a version for stability's sake; for some applications, I may be behind a full version for this reason.
I've seen a number of comments with a slant on blaming Linux for "releasing crap code." This isn't fair; I can't recall exactly how many lines of C code go into the kernel, but it's a LOT of code to audit and test.
Sorry if I seem overly annoyed, it's just that I hear this sort of thing a lot, and it kinda gets under my skin.
mostly regarding the concept of competition in this whole thing. There's an inherent difference in the way, say, Microsoft and major Linux vendors get new ideas for new features and improvements. (note: just using MS and Linux here for the sake of example).
The Microsoft method (like the methods of most large corporations) is to assemble a series of testing and focus groups, maybe paid (maybe not), to run through their systems and report back with ideas. The Linux (all right, Open Source / Free Software) approach in general is far broader. Typically, with OSS projects, the newest verion is cast out to the masses for review, and for popular projects a *lot* of web sites and discussion forums pop up to keep the idea engine running hot.
I *do not* want to appear too much the stereotypical Linux/BSD fan here (heck, I win32 development too), but I have to say the second approach seems to be working much better these days. I do admire Torvalds for his statement about not worrying too much about the competition; however, it seems to me that not having to worry about this stuff is kind of an inherent benefit of the development model itself.
Feel free to flame, comment, throw eggs, etc...:)
You think that's bad?
on
Bert Is Evil
·
· Score: 1
Man, you ain't seen nothing yet... Bert may be naughty, but Ernie puts him to shame.
You see, Ernie was instrumental in several recent hostile foreign government attempts. He's an old friend of Castro as well, and has tea with Billy Gates every third Sunday.
Don't even get me started on that miscreant Big Bird...
I think you've got a very good point there. Battery life is a precious thing on cell phones; since the provider's primary source of revenue is people using airtime (and buying more), it would make sense to be sure the phones stay live as long as possible per charge.
Alrighty, I reverse my original opinion... I guess it's logic over paranoia this go round:)
is that tracking is turned on by default. Why do I think this?
I'm sure I'm NOT the only one (by far) who thinks this way, but here goes anyhow: They have a huge opportunity to collect detailed market data if they leave it on by default. For now, this probably isn't a huge deal, but you can bet they'll get very good very quickly at mining the data.
Next thing you know, you wake up one morning to a mailbox full of pizza coupons (sent by various partners to your cell provider), due to the fact that you skipped into a Pizza Hut the night before to say hi to a few friends.
Just FYI, I'm not trying to be truly extreme here. I personally love the possibilities opened up by this technology (gotta get me one of those). I'm just typically a bit wary of the marketing implications of anything like this. Thoughts? Flames? Please send on, I'm looking for other perspectives here.
First off, this is very good. I've actually been waiting a long time for this sort of thing to occur (no M.I.T. for me, at least not yet).
Maybe a good way to really make this useful would be to establish online volunteer groups (community people, not necessarily M.I.T. folks) who truly grok this stuff. As anyone knows, the coursework is pretty heavy stuff. Anybody got any ideas how to possibly get this ball rolling?
What's mySQL AB doing right that others are missing? I may be mistaken here, but it would appear that mySQL (and some others) have thus far weathered our current economical storms fairly well.
Anyone have any idea what's inherently different about mySQL's business model? Or is it simply that they've got the advantage of public opinion already on their side?
IANAA (I am not an astronomer), so I'm curious about the precise definition of terms such as "minor planet". The article takes the position that the discovery of this new, rather large asteroid somehow supports the position that Pluto is not a "minor planet", not a "regular planet".
In most things related to the sciences, terminology is used only when a precise (or relatively so) measure is attached to it. What's the defition of a minor planet after all?
I'm still waiting for the Laser Tag infrared mod for my Palm.:) Fun for the whole office; you could have "Accounting Beanheads vs. Executive D00ds" at your local ISP...
I seem to recall another/. article a while back related to problems with data centers; this really hits the spot.
Going subterranean is, IMHO, one of the best options we've got right now. You get (1) better/cheaper cooling (unless you decide to dig around geothermal vents;), (2) better security (fewer potential points of entry), etc.
Now, what really surprised me was the statement that they'd be offered base level colocation for around $100 a month for 1U. Needless to say, this is pretty decent, especially given the bandwidth they appear to be wielding (up to OC-192?!?!?! nice:)). Seems like a very good solution all in all, but here's the catch: how many sites exist that are this ideal? In their case, the "hole" was already there (no digging costs), and all they've really had to worry about is bandwidth provisioning and erecting lots of basic walls. Anyone know of more sites that meet these conditions?
Now, I know I'm responding to an AC post, which is admittedly not terribly bright since it's obviously a troll anyhow, but I feel I need to pop my 2 cents in here...
Back at my old "full time" job, we used MS SQL databases in production at a Windows NT-based NOC. Incidentally, this was for the BOA telephone banking system itself (yep, I was a coder on that team, it's mostly written in VB6). Anyhow, I used mySQL for personal purposes, and eventually got around to (of course) reproducing some of the system logic in C/Perl and mySQL. Guess what? On limited stress tests, my system held up fine. Of course, I wasn't about to try to evangelize my job away, but the point remains valid that it could have worked in production.
Fast forward to the present, where I run a small web hosting and web application design company (see sig fo mo). All our clients use mySQL and Perl for their solutions, most of which are quite robust and flexible. Not to mention fast; we run a pure Linux shop for that stuff and haven't had any competition anxiety with Windows shops.
The progess with things like stored procedures in mySQL and such may have been a bit slow, but it's getting there. Hey, last I checked/. ran on mySQL, not to mention the ever-popular time waster HotOrNot.com. Just my perspective, of course...
While I'm not all-out against this philosophically, I *do* have certain reservations, namely privacy concerns (duh).
With banner ads, I at least know the code doesn't have local access to my box. With client software such as Gator (and the look-alikes that will undoubtedly appear soon), local access is inherent by design.
Now, people like us (the average/.er) know enough to find these programs and remove them, or at least monitor their actions. Unfortunately, there isn't a whole lot to stop the private information of mom and pop from being spirited away over the net, and a lot more information is available to be snooped on when local access is involved.
With regard to the kernel itself, what are the ramifications of this structure security-wise? While I know this particular kernel has been around awhile (hell, SCO is ancient), it makes me curious.
To me, one of the primary advantages of using a Linux kernel is the "many eyes" approach to security. While I appreciate the fact that the distribution using a full suite of GNU/Linux utilities and such, I'd be somewhat apprehensive about the kernel itself (stability through age aside).
Anyone who has any insight into this, please reply!
The main theme I can't help but latch onto here is the simple fact that, in my book (and many others) software patents are BAD BAD BAD. Yes, there is a certain measure of sick irony in the fact that Microsoft looks to be in the clear with this, but let's think about it.
This would seem to affect QuickTime, ShockWave, Flash, and generic java applets pretty much equally (read: as nastily). Had software patents not been figured into this mix, we wouldn't even be reading about this.
Ok, so now we have the test: where's the Evil here? Is it Microsoft for "making lemonade" (maybe in part, since they'll be happily screwing a great many customers and coders over), or Eolas (darn that pesky patent for making such a mess)? Maybe a bit of both?
Maybe the answer to the "test" doesn't really matter anyhow (in the long run at least), and maybe what WILL be implemented, namely.NET is the issue to watch at this point. The open source/free software community (yeah, I count myself in your numbers) seems fairly divided over concepts like Mono, which would at least serve to offer a competing way of implementing similar technology.
Yes, Microsoft has "told their customers where they'll be going today", but where do WE go from here? Maybe I *should* start teaching my grandmother Linux (not a joke, she's a smart lady)...
In other news, reports from previously undisclosed FBI documents reveal the stunning truth that the Unibomber used a number of components from early IBM motherboards in the construction of several lethal mail bombs...
"It was easy, you see... all's I had to do was ring up those nice guys at IBM, and their friendly engineers immediately mailed me complete schematics for turning an 8088 motherboard into a high-speed shockwave simulation device. You wouldn't believe the money those sims saved me on pencils and paper!"
In a related press conference, The Attorney General was quoted as saying, "No, really, they had the best intentions at heart..."
Slashdot Mirror
to a point in the not-so-distant future where your ID will be *everything*. Forgot your wallet today? Too bad; suddenly you practically cease to exist.
We're already required to present ID to write checks, buy movie tickets (rated "R" or above), and a horde of other daily tasks. How long before we'll required to present our DigID to ride the subway (just "swipe and go") or buy dinner at a restaraunt?
I don't mean to downplay the positive aspects of such a system, as it could be integrated into financial systems to make a lot of things involving purchases easier. However, even those benefits are overshadowed by serious privacy issues. Think browser cookies are evil? Wait 'till McDonald's knows what kind of car you drive, what your taste in lingerie is (sure it was for your wife.. right...
Sorry Mr. McNeally, I think I'll pay cash when possible and use my good ol' state ID for the rest.
those impromptu van parties! Gotta have sound? No problem... you're at the beach anyhow, blowing up rafts and such, why not just toss in the speakers with 'em?
Of course, you may run into trouble with those knife-wielding locals who stop by to "ask you nicely to turn it down"... oops, we lost another one, better get the pump out again. Anybody got a tire patch?
Today must be silly invention day; first we've got those funky cell phones, then the uber-watch that runs Linux, now inflatable speakers to go with it all... I'd better stock up on my geek t-shirts now
but I'm having a hard time seeing the true market appeal of this. I mean, we already have access to Linux PDAs that do a LOT of useful things, and a notebook PC loaded with Linux is even better.
A nifty concept all right, but I stack it up there along with the earlier story about the uber-cellphone. Cool? Yes. Would I buy one (or anybody I know for that matter)? No.
Sometimes, just because something runs Linux doesn't mean it's a fantastic idea. On the other hand, I *do* love my PC
WOW!
Thank you for the thoughtful reply. This adds backing to the fact that truly "uncrackable" DRM systems are all but impossible in reality. Of course, that *does* leave the "nasty legislation" avenue of attack on freedom, but I've already ranted about that in another reply
All right, this *is* cool. Although now I'm faced with a somewhat difficult problem... those danged Legos are so lightweight, my erector set components are just too outdated to fly into space
Oh well, I suppose my Super-Erector-TVStationChaging-FloorSweeping-Bath
Yes, the spectre of doing with legislation what you can't get done with your customers does seem to be very popular with some groups lately.
To this end, it's *extremely* important that we all continue to write, call, email, etc our representatives and make our voices heard. Contributions to the FSF's legal defense fund are probably a good idea as well.
The key here is setting precedents. Just because a piece of legislation goes into law doesn't make it constitutionally valid. The second a precedent is set invalidating a law as unconstitutional, all the work of the parties that lobbied for its approval are rendered null. We need to be proactive in our efforts to weed this junk out before John Q. Public starts taking it for granted as "Well, it is the law after all."
Liberty comes only with vigilance (sorry to be so cliche there).
, so to speak. IMO, most of what we're currently seeing in the realm of DRM won't stand the test of time.
Why? Okay, let's start with the idea that in order to have a truly "strong" DRM system, you have to tack on strong encryption. Thus far, most systems proposed have failed this critical test. Please, no flames about the DMCA, because let's be realistic: the vast majority of people (meaning aside from a few "example cases") will never be "found out" for copying songs over networks, etc.
Second, all it takes is a little oppression for a lot of people (mainstream folks, not just geeks) to get really angry. We're already used to voting with our dollars anyhow; this will probably severely curtail heinous attempts at nasty DRM in the future. As long as a freer, easier (or just as easy) solution exists, the company or group providing it will win out.
I'm a little groggy at the moment (sorry, coding too long), so this may not be my most intelligent and coherent post ever. But I'm sure you get the idea. Thanks.
Ok, I've gotta say *something* here. It's not "all on Linus" to do QA for new kernels.
We're a community here. That's what makes OSS/FS such a Good Thing to begin with. We all pitch in (yes, me too) to test new stuff out as soon as it comes down the chute.
Compare this to "traditional" software development models, and you'll see that the advantages far outweigh the "risks". Plus, you and I both know (or should know) that using the newest, hottest kernels in production the day they're released is a bad idea anyhow. Personally, I usually lag behind at least a few tenths of a version for stability's sake; for some applications, I may be behind a full version for this reason.
I've seen a number of comments with a slant on blaming Linux for "releasing crap code." This isn't fair; I can't recall exactly how many lines of C code go into the kernel, but it's a LOT of code to audit and test.
Sorry if I seem overly annoyed, it's just that I hear this sort of thing a lot, and it kinda gets under my skin.
mostly regarding the concept of competition in this whole thing. There's an inherent difference in the way, say, Microsoft and major Linux vendors get new ideas for new features and improvements. (note: just using MS and Linux here for the sake of example).
The Microsoft method (like the methods of most large corporations) is to assemble a series of testing and focus groups, maybe paid (maybe not), to run through their systems and report back with ideas. The Linux (all right, Open Source / Free Software) approach in general is far broader. Typically, with OSS projects, the newest verion is cast out to the masses for review, and for popular projects a *lot* of web sites and discussion forums pop up to keep the idea engine running hot.
I *do not* want to appear too much the stereotypical Linux/BSD fan here (heck, I win32 development too), but I have to say the second approach seems to be working much better these days. I do admire Torvalds for his statement about not worrying too much about the competition; however, it seems to me that not having to worry about this stuff is kind of an inherent benefit of the development model itself.
Feel free to flame, comment, throw eggs, etc...
Man, you ain't seen nothing yet... Bert may be naughty, but Ernie puts him to shame.
You see, Ernie was instrumental in several recent hostile foreign government attempts. He's an old friend of Castro as well, and has tea with Billy Gates every third Sunday.
Don't even get me started on that miscreant Big Bird...
I think you've got a very good point there. Battery life is a precious thing on cell phones; since the provider's primary source of revenue is people using airtime (and buying more), it would make sense to be sure the phones stay live as long as possible per charge.
Alrighty, I reverse my original opinion... I guess it's logic over paranoia this go round
is that tracking is turned on by default. Why do I think this?
I'm sure I'm NOT the only one (by far) who thinks this way, but here goes anyhow: They have a huge opportunity to collect detailed market data if they leave it on by default. For now, this probably isn't a huge deal, but you can bet they'll get very good very quickly at mining the data.
Next thing you know, you wake up one morning to a mailbox full of pizza coupons (sent by various partners to your cell provider), due to the fact that you skipped into a Pizza Hut the night before to say hi to a few friends.
Just FYI, I'm not trying to be truly extreme here. I personally love the possibilities opened up by this technology (gotta get me one of those). I'm just typically a bit wary of the marketing implications of anything like this. Thoughts? Flames? Please send on, I'm looking for other perspectives here.
First off, this is very good. I've actually been waiting a long time for this sort of thing to occur (no M.I.T. for me, at least not yet).
Maybe a good way to really make this useful would be to establish online volunteer groups (community people, not necessarily M.I.T. folks) who truly grok this stuff. As anyone knows, the coursework is pretty heavy stuff. Anybody got any ideas how to possibly get this ball rolling?
FreeMIT.org is available
All right, you've got me there
What's mySQL AB doing right that others are missing? I may be mistaken here, but it would appear that mySQL (and some others) have thus far weathered our current economical storms fairly well.
Anyone have any idea what's inherently different about mySQL's business model? Or is it simply that they've got the advantage of public opinion already on their side?
Karma be danged, here it is:
"Main browser turn on."
"What?!?!"
"How are you proxies?"
"All your images are belong to us."
"You have no chance to sue, fire your lawyer."
"Someone set up us the
Sorry. Couldn't resist
IANAA (I am not an astronomer), so I'm curious about the precise definition of terms such as "minor planet". The article takes the position that the discovery of this new, rather large asteroid somehow supports the position that Pluto is not a "minor planet", not a "regular planet".
In most things related to the sciences, terminology is used only when a precise (or relatively so) measure is attached to it. What's the defition of a minor planet after all?
I'm still waiting for the Laser Tag infrared mod for my Palm.
Gives new meaning to "Geeks In Space". Where do I sign up for broadcast rights
I seem to recall another
Going subterranean is, IMHO, one of the best options we've got right now. You get (1) better/cheaper cooling (unless you decide to dig around geothermal vents
Now, what really surprised me was the statement that they'd be offered base level colocation for around $100 a month for 1U. Needless to say, this is pretty decent, especially given the bandwidth they appear to be wielding (up to OC-192?!?!?! nice
Now, I know I'm responding to an AC post, which is admittedly not terribly bright since it's obviously a troll anyhow, but I feel I need to pop my 2 cents in here...
Back at my old "full time" job, we used MS SQL databases in production at a Windows NT-based NOC. Incidentally, this was for the BOA telephone banking system itself (yep, I was a coder on that team, it's mostly written in VB6). Anyhow, I used mySQL for personal purposes, and eventually got around to (of course) reproducing some of the system logic in C/Perl and mySQL. Guess what? On limited stress tests, my system held up fine. Of course, I wasn't about to try to evangelize my job away, but the point remains valid that it could have worked in production.
Fast forward to the present, where I run a small web hosting and web application design company (see sig fo mo). All our clients use mySQL and Perl for their solutions, most of which are quite robust and flexible. Not to mention fast; we run a pure Linux shop for that stuff and haven't had any competition anxiety with Windows shops.
The progess with things like stored procedures in mySQL and such may have been a bit slow, but it's getting there. Hey, last I checked
While I'm not all-out against this philosophically, I *do* have certain reservations, namely privacy concerns (duh).
With banner ads, I at least know the code doesn't have local access to my box. With client software such as Gator (and the look-alikes that will undoubtedly appear soon), local access is inherent by design.
Now, people like us (the average
Thoughts?
With regard to the kernel itself, what are the ramifications of this structure security-wise? While I know this particular kernel has been around awhile (hell, SCO is ancient), it makes me curious.
To me, one of the primary advantages of using a Linux kernel is the "many eyes" approach to security. While I appreciate the fact that the distribution using a full suite of GNU/Linux utilities and such, I'd be somewhat apprehensive about the kernel itself (stability through age aside).
Anyone who has any insight into this, please reply!
The main theme I can't help but latch onto here is the simple fact that, in my book (and many others) software patents are BAD BAD BAD. Yes, there is a certain measure of sick irony in the fact that Microsoft looks to be in the clear with this, but let's think about it.
This would seem to affect QuickTime, ShockWave, Flash, and generic java applets pretty much equally (read: as nastily). Had software patents not been figured into this mix, we wouldn't even be reading about this.
Ok, so now we have the test: where's the Evil here? Is it Microsoft for "making lemonade" (maybe in part, since they'll be happily screwing a great many customers and coders over), or Eolas (darn that pesky patent for making such a mess)? Maybe a bit of both?
Maybe the answer to the "test" doesn't really matter anyhow (in the long run at least), and maybe what WILL be implemented, namely
Yes, Microsoft has "told their customers where they'll be going today", but where do WE go from here? Maybe I *should* start teaching my grandmother Linux (not a joke, she's a smart lady)...
In other news, reports from previously undisclosed FBI documents reveal the stunning truth that the Unibomber used a number of components from early IBM motherboards in the construction of several lethal mail bombs...
"It was easy, you see... all's I had to do was ring up those nice guys at IBM, and their friendly engineers immediately mailed me complete schematics for turning an 8088 motherboard into a high-speed shockwave simulation device. You wouldn't believe the money those sims saved me on pencils and paper!"
In a related press conference, The Attorney General was quoted as saying, "No, really, they had the best intentions at heart..."
(Disclaimer: it's a joke. laugh