Justice will never be served as long as there are powerful lobbies who buy politicians to channel their expensive and always-redundant products and services to public schools. There is incredible amount of pork flowing through the system as I type this message, and god knows when it will be brought into limelight, if ever.
I guess I missed the part of the article where NEC bought a politician. My guess would be every other reader of the story did, too, because it simply wasn't there to be read.
I did see where one person ( one as in 1, one more than zero, one less than two ) had been caught taking a bribe, and the money wasn't even from NEC, but from another company involved.
The wire fraud count appears to be NEC taking the hit for what the employee did. Of course, there are no further detailsto clarify the story, so I get to assume a lot of things (sorta like what you did in posting your reply), since the NY Times is typically trying to advance an agenda.
The Bill Z. Bubb Road Maintenance Company is working hard to clear things out after hell freezes over and a slashdot editor comes out in favor of content filtering.
But you have to also consider other factors that do not appear to be as clear in your supply/demand curve: substitutions.
It is a well know factor in price theory that once the price of a product becomes too high consumers will begin to look for alternatives, or substitutes. That point in server software was reached long, long ago, inasmuch as MS may be fighting to gain market share by slashing prices ( lower prices are okay with slasdot leftists, right? ) on their server software, their products have been routinely shown to be relentlessly vulnerable to exploits, worms and virses.
Note, to slashdot leftists: I am talking abour price not profit. Consumers utlimately care little for MS's bottom line: they only care about the costs to access the internet, do documents, (do 'lilly3427' on the irc channel ), etc.
Only government cares about profit because in doing things like sueing over profits and price, they not only not hurt the target corporation, they get to hurt their own constitutents, drain them of more money and blame the corporation footing the bill.
the company should pay the price of the fines, it should not be turned back to the customers. maybe a price increase is just what's needed to get those thinking about other options to just go out and implement them sooner. sounds like a pretty pathetic plan to me.
You all still don't get it, do you? The prevailing sentiment that the government is the sole bulwark against evil corporations (TM) like MS is a favorite politician's scam.
Politician sues Evil Corporation and wins: They collect money from Evil Corporation, they get elected to another term. Evil Corporation raises prices, donates to Politician. They both walk away with more of YOUR money, because you subscribe to the notion that:
A) The politician has your interests at heart and
B) Greedy Evil Corporations are evil and greedy and must be sued.
Actually, no, they do not. This is yet another example of them abusing their monopoly position within the marketplace. That's what all of the legal action has been about.
Actually, they do have the right. They are not regulated by any entity in the world, and there are no laws constricting them as to pricing their product.
They have every right, indeed, to raise their prices to reflect an increase in costs.
Why would you support a company that forces you to pay for its mistakes?
It's called Windowsitis: that persisent pathology, that sitting in from of the console, you know everything about computers and there is nothing you don't know.
It is more than just a cost of business. Microsoft is saying that they can shift their cost curve, customers will pay, and there is little repercussion for the company. The only times that a company can get away with this is if it is either a monopoly or sells addictive products.
I defy you to show me the US statute that says a business even if it is a monopoly can't pass costs on to customers.
You can't because such a law doesn't exist.
MS is doing what every company in God's creation would do in response to any spike in costs. If anything, they should be applauded for looking after the own company, their employees and their very csutomers.
Interesting sentiment about poor nations gaining use of the Internet through Linux.
Of course, poor nations will have to meet everyone else halfway by sobering up and leaving the Eurostan-inspired socialist/Marxist philosophies, that has billions enslaved.
Unless by a popular vote they would prefer UN mandates, adminstration and refugee camps (think Nazi concentration camps without guards for non-jewish folks) and UN sposored 'Food for whatever Kofi can take you for' programs, Eurostan sponsored food relief ( with this program you get strong praise from Eurostan socialists about how wonderful the Maximum Leader is, inasmuch as he may be murdering hundreds of thousands to the beat and tune of UN hand-wringing, while holding a seat on the UN Human Rights Commission).
Yeah, sure. Let them have access to one of the most advanced computer operating systems on the planet.
A user (unless they've done something stupid like running as root, or a "chown -R :/" will really only be able to affect their own directories.
Absolutely incredible.
EVERY linux/unix installation I have ever encountered forbids chowning ANYTHING if you are not root, even in your own user directory, unless the user itself has saved the file. Then usually whatever program will have the file with the users ownership tags and 0755.
That user can type chown whatever all day long and the Linux/Unix machie will complain and not lift a finger for you.
Wouldn't it be easier to not give a user you suspect will do something stoopid the root password and to further constrict their user status in the network to only their own user space, leave them off of groups that have broad file system and executable privildges.
Also, am I the only person who logs on to slashot whose jaw hits the floor everytime I read remarks from our far more knowlegible Windows administering comrades about Unix/Linux?
For eaxmple, one of the saddest/funniest remarks I have ever seen about Linux versus Widnows was the complaint by a Windows wizard remarking how stoopid it is to be able to run a script from a simple text file. The funny part of the remark was the reply suggesting the user save the following command as test.bat and double click the icon:
Trying to apply demographics to Linux's inherent security makes about as much sense as using Windows for critical systems.
I don't know which is worse. The apparent worsening of Windows spawned worms, or the apologists who continually maintain that Linux is being left alone in the virus department because it isn't as popular as Windows.
Learn a tiny bit about Linux/Unix shell scripting and then a tiny more about downloading, configuring compiling, testing and installing a Linux/Unix executable as a user then try to maintain with a straight face telling the world that Linux is vulnerable to the same hilly shit, the same sloppy ass programming failues Windows is vulnerable to.
You people who continually maintain that Windows is a victim of its own success are waaay behind the power curve in computer operating systems.
You have zero knowledge of the kind of hoops you have to jump through as a user to get a script to run, let alone trying to compile and install an executable.
Okie... I have jerked off enough on Windows people. Strangely, I feel loads better.
Bill Gates never claimed that Windows would be invulnerable to viruses and other security holes. It's not the OS's "job" (according to MS) and it's not what the customers expect. It's sorta like suing Levis because your jeans don't stop bullets. They never claimed they would.
Then Gates' marketing department will cease forthwith claiming their products are secure.
and Microsoft have just started offering a free software incentive to people who take a Server 2003 related class-A free! copy of Server 2003 Enterprise PLUS 25 Client Access Licenses. A $2600 value. Obviously an attempt to get people to use their product and see how "good" it really is
When are you Eurostanis gonna GAIN the right to bear arms?
1) Mozilla
2) Trillian
3) Pueblo moo client
4) Lotus SmartSuite
5) Steel Panthers
6) East Front II
7) Open Office
8) Perl/Win32
9) E-Trust EZ Virus
10) More Games
I don't think our lawmakers and governing folk have the right to sign away our rights via international treaty like that
They don't and they won't. The entire idea behind signing this treaty is create a globally uniform cybercrime law.
The very idea that a US DOJ under any adminsistration could allow extradition of anyone from this country who publishes the wrong things, or or does soemthing not considered illegal in the US is ridiculous.
I don't know which is worse. The outrageous characterization by the submitting editor of this law as something it is clearly not in order to feed slashdotters inclined to hystercal reactions, or folks like you who continually run with such absurdities.
Maybe the cry to go to encryption is the wrong way. If it is in fact the intention of trade organizations to scan networks and invade privacy to enforce their rights, maybe it would be better to create a standard that could not encode an audio file but transform it into plain text.
The wargame company that makes Combat Mission does this to their save game files. The files are encoded not encrypted and the data read in/out into the file is true plain text, but unreadable. You cannot tell this is an encoded file by any means I am aware, but the file loads up smoothly and quickly.
Seems to me iffin you wanted to defeat this new drive to invade privacy, making a software module that will allow you to store and transport music (and many other kinds of files as well ) files as plain text would be a tremendous blow to those efforts.
who would decide what is allowable or not? RMS? Eben Moglen? Linus? Even your non-elected imbecilic non-president?
Oh, how great thou art! Such a revealing and insightful remark!
I would actually prefer BSD for this sort of thing (I am about to return to the defence industry, designing safety systems, not weapons) because the development model is more suitable (fewer releases, more closely controlled).
Oh praise be to you! Such brilliance! How INSIGHTFUL! Lemme translate: I work for a defense agency but I pretend I don't. Pretensions sorta like your political views.
Another article at Kottke.org says that Google is building a a huge computer with a custom operating system that everyone on earth can have an account on. Some people predicts that, after Gmail, Google could start a new instant message service or even its own electronic currency."
That 'squishy' sound you hear is MS sh*tting its pants.
This Green Sumfiun fella said all this because he can get away with saying it even if there is nothing of substance.
The idea that code is being introduced as though no one is minding the store is fatuous.
The very idea that an open source project is less secure precisely because it is open source is equally fatuous, but I suspect the speaker already knew that. To borrow a phrase from Chris Rock, ain't nothing in the world worse than someone who knows you won't sue them.
What is the most absurd part of the remarks, implicit in them is the idea that someone from Russia or China has no desire that the Linux kernel be secure for their own national defense interests as well, and that no one other than the US is interested in helping the DoD maintain a strong defense.
Remember: The United States of America is the sole remaining bulwark against the barbarity represented by terrorists, their supporters, nation-states who provide funding and enablers. The United States wants to preserve civilization, not knock it down
Saying that folks who live under different flags do not share the same goals as the US is as goofy as the speaker's assertions
It's a nasty disease characterized by this nagging, persistent feeling you know everything about computers and there is nothing you do not know.
It's called Windowsitis.
Public Service Announcement:
Little Girl to her Mom: Mommy what's wrong with daddy?
Mom (choking back tears): Nothing, dear. Daddy is... having problems.
Little Girl: But why does he look that way?
Announcer: Millions of Americans are suffering with a devastating, deblilitating disease. Spilled drinks, sitting in potato chip crumbs, eyes wide open, goofy smile on their face as they point and click for hours on end.
You see what it is doing to him, but can you see what it is doing to your family?
Through the American Windowsitis Association, millions of Americans are getting help. Through therapy and bans on purchases of crackers and coffee, training to use the off button, those Americans are leading useful, productive lives.
So give. And give generously to the AWA.
Little girl, huging her Dad, napping on the couch with a baseball game blaring on the TV: I am so glad I have you back, Daddy.
It's a good deal more complex than that.
If I download a compiled unix executable as root, set it as executable and it contains destructive stuff, I'm hosed.
However as a plain jane user, were I to download the same execuable, with the most liberal permissions, I could still not gain root access to inflict damage without the root password. The program simply will not work, depending on the permissions set and what I have access to. Even were I to set a bad program as executable, the damage will be contained to my user space and, depending on what I set, to my group, but only those users space.
Like it or not that isn't a 'feature.' That is a fundamental part of the unix/Linux system, and it is the work of some very smart and dedicated folks. We are lucky to have Unix/Linux, even iffin Bill doesn't think so.
I have spent maybe 20 minutes on an XP console in my long life, so I do not know how things are in that OS, but from what I understand, there are protections against running executables, but I also understand your best protection is not to run your computer with root permissions in the first place. And given the open paradigm of Windows, users like to run things as root, it makes things easier. Sorta like knowing where the safety on a firearm is and knowing it is always off.
Scripting and tarballs are another thing altogether. Those things you have to set it as an executable even as root. As I said, I dont know that much about WinXP, but as I understand it, that constriction is not available with VB and with some MS-Officemacros, considered to be scripting, presumably to make things easier on the user, which happens to include bad guys with agendas.
Slashdot Mirror
I guess I missed the part of the article where NEC bought a politician. My guess would be every other reader of the story did, too, because it simply wasn't there to be read.
I did see where one person ( one as in 1, one more than zero, one less than two ) had been caught taking a bribe, and the money wasn't even from NEC, but from another company involved.
The wire fraud count appears to be NEC taking the hit for what the employee did. Of course, there are no further detailsto clarify the story, so I get to assume a lot of things (sorta like what you did in posting your reply), since the NY Times is typically trying to advance an agenda.
The Bill Z. Bubb Road Maintenance Company is working hard to clear things out after hell freezes over and a slashdot editor comes out in favor of content filtering.
But you have to also consider other factors that do not appear to be as clear in your supply/demand curve: substitutions.
It is a well know factor in price theory that once the price of a product becomes too high consumers will begin to look for alternatives, or substitutes. That point in server software was reached long, long ago, inasmuch as MS may be fighting to gain market share by slashing prices ( lower prices are okay with slasdot leftists, right? ) on their server software, their products have been routinely shown to be relentlessly vulnerable to exploits, worms and virses.
Note, to slashdot leftists: I am talking abour price not profit. Consumers utlimately care little for MS's bottom line: they only care about the costs to access the internet, do documents, (do 'lilly3427' on the irc channel ), etc.
Only government cares about profit because in doing things like sueing over profits and price, they not only not hurt the target corporation, they get to hurt their own constitutents, drain them of more money and blame the corporation footing the bill.
Helluva scam.
You all still don't get it, do you? The prevailing sentiment that the government is the sole bulwark against evil corporations (TM) like MS is a favorite politician's scam.
Politician sues Evil Corporation and wins: They collect money from Evil Corporation, they get elected to another term. Evil Corporation raises prices, donates to Politician. They both walk away with more of YOUR money, because you subscribe to the notion that:
A) The politician has your interests at heart and
B) Greedy Evil Corporations are evil and greedy and must be sued.
Actually, they do have the right. They are not regulated by any entity in the world, and there are no laws constricting them as to pricing their product.
They have every right, indeed, to raise their prices to reflect an increase in costs.
It's called Windowsitis: that persisent pathology, that sitting in from of the console, you know everything about computers and there is nothing you don't know.
It is more than just a cost of business. Microsoft is saying that they can shift their cost curve, customers will pay, and there is little repercussion for the company. The only times that a company can get away with this is if it is either a monopoly or sells addictive products. I defy you to show me the US statute that says a business even if it is a monopoly can't pass costs on to customers. You can't because such a law doesn't exist. MS is doing what every company in God's creation would do in response to any spike in costs. If anything, they should be applauded for looking after the own company, their employees and their very csutomers.
Of course, poor nations will have to meet everyone else halfway by sobering up and leaving the Eurostan-inspired socialist/Marxist philosophies, that has billions enslaved.
Unless by a popular vote they would prefer UN mandates, adminstration and refugee camps (think Nazi concentration camps without guards for non-jewish folks) and UN sposored 'Food for whatever Kofi can take you for' programs, Eurostan sponsored food relief ( with this program you get strong praise from Eurostan socialists about how wonderful the Maximum Leader is, inasmuch as he may be murdering hundreds of thousands to the beat and tune of UN hand-wringing, while holding a seat on the UN Human Rights Commission).
Yeah, sure. Let them have access to one of the most advanced computer operating systems on the planet.
The quality of slashdot readers must really be down. 300+ comments and not one about a Beowolf cluster.
Absolutely incredible.
EVERY linux/unix installation I have ever encountered forbids chowning ANYTHING if you are not root, even in your own user directory, unless the user itself has saved the file. Then usually whatever program will have the file with the users ownership tags and 0755.
That user can type chown whatever all day long and the Linux/Unix machie will complain and not lift a finger for you.
Unbelievable.
Also, am I the only person who logs on to slashot whose jaw hits the floor everytime I read remarks from our far more knowlegible Windows administering comrades about Unix/Linux?
For eaxmple, one of the saddest/funniest remarks I have ever seen about Linux versus Widnows was the complaint by a Windows wizard remarking how stoopid it is to be able to run a script from a simple text file. The funny part of the remark was the reply suggesting the user save the following command as test.bat and double click the icon:
deltree c:\windows Y OK
Or something like that.
5... 4... 3... 2... 1...
I don't know which is worse. The apparent worsening of Windows spawned worms, or the apologists who continually maintain that Linux is being left alone in the virus department because it isn't as popular as Windows.
Learn a tiny bit about Linux/Unix shell scripting and then a tiny more about downloading, configuring compiling, testing and installing a Linux/Unix executable as a user then try to maintain with a straight face telling the world that Linux is vulnerable to the same hilly shit, the same sloppy ass programming failues Windows is vulnerable to.
You people who continually maintain that Windows is a victim of its own success are waaay behind the power curve in computer operating systems.
You have zero knowledge of the kind of hoops you have to jump through as a user to get a script to run, let alone trying to compile and install an executable.
Okie... I have jerked off enough on Windows people. Strangely, I feel loads better.
Then Gates' marketing department will cease forthwith claiming their products are secure.
I didnt think they would either...
When are you Eurostanis gonna GAIN the right to bear arms?
Wait a minute.
I drove somewheres else.
Nevermind.
Keep hyperventilating.
2) Trillian
3) Pueblo moo client
4) Lotus SmartSuite
5) Steel Panthers
6) East Front II
7) Open Office
8) Perl/Win32
9) E-Trust EZ Virus
10) More Games
They don't and they won't. The entire idea behind signing this treaty is create a globally uniform cybercrime law.
The very idea that a US DOJ under any adminsistration could allow extradition of anyone from this country who publishes the wrong things, or or does soemthing not considered illegal in the US is ridiculous.
I don't know which is worse. The outrageous characterization by the submitting editor of this law as something it is clearly not in order to feed slashdotters inclined to hystercal reactions, or folks like you who continually run with such absurdities.
The wargame company that makes Combat Mission does this to their save game files. The files are encoded not encrypted and the data read in/out into the file is true plain text, but unreadable. You cannot tell this is an encoded file by any means I am aware, but the file loads up smoothly and quickly.
Seems to me iffin you wanted to defeat this new drive to invade privacy, making a software module that will allow you to store and transport music (and many other kinds of files as well ) files as plain text would be a tremendous blow to those efforts.
Oh, how great thou art! Such a revealing and insightful remark!
I would actually prefer BSD for this sort of thing (I am about to return to the defence industry, designing safety systems, not weapons) because the development model is more suitable (fewer releases, more closely controlled).
Oh praise be to you! Such brilliance! How INSIGHTFUL! Lemme translate: I work for a defense agency but I pretend I don't. Pretensions sorta like your political views.
Now, if we could only get Bill to do the same thing...
That 'squishy' sound you hear is MS sh*tting its pants.
This Green Sumfiun fella said all this because he can get away with saying it even if there is nothing of substance.
The idea that code is being introduced as though no one is minding the store is fatuous.
The very idea that an open source project is less secure precisely because it is open source is equally fatuous, but I suspect the speaker already knew that. To borrow a phrase from Chris Rock, ain't nothing in the world worse than someone who knows you won't sue them.
What is the most absurd part of the remarks, implicit in them is the idea that someone from Russia or China has no desire that the Linux kernel be secure for their own national defense interests as well, and that no one other than the US is interested in helping the DoD maintain a strong defense.
Remember: The United States of America is the sole remaining bulwark against the barbarity represented by terrorists, their supporters, nation-states who provide funding and enablers. The United States wants to preserve civilization, not knock it down
Saying that folks who live under different flags do not share the same goals as the US is as goofy as the speaker's assertions
It's a nasty disease characterized by this nagging, persistent feeling you know everything about computers and there is nothing you do not know.
It's called Windowsitis.
Public Service Announcement:
Little Girl to her Mom: Mommy what's wrong with daddy?
Mom (choking back tears): Nothing, dear. Daddy is... having problems.
Little Girl: But why does he look that way?
Announcer: Millions of Americans are suffering with a devastating, deblilitating disease. Spilled drinks, sitting in potato chip crumbs, eyes wide open, goofy smile on their face as they point and click for hours on end.
You see what it is doing to him, but can you see what it is doing to your family?
Through the American Windowsitis Association, millions of Americans are getting help. Through therapy and bans on purchases of crackers and coffee, training to use the off button, those Americans are leading useful, productive lives.
So give. And give generously to the AWA.
Little girl, huging her Dad, napping on the couch with a baseball game blaring on the TV: I am so glad I have you back, Daddy.
However as a plain jane user, were I to download the same execuable, with the most liberal permissions, I could still not gain root access to inflict damage without the root password. The program simply will not work, depending on the permissions set and what I have access to. Even were I to set a bad program as executable, the damage will be contained to my user space and, depending on what I set, to my group, but only those users space.
Like it or not that isn't a 'feature.' That is a fundamental part of the unix/Linux system, and it is the work of some very smart and dedicated folks. We are lucky to have Unix/Linux, even iffin Bill doesn't think so.
I have spent maybe 20 minutes on an XP console in my long life, so I do not know how things are in that OS, but from what I understand, there are protections against running executables, but I also understand your best protection is not to run your computer with root permissions in the first place. And given the open paradigm of Windows, users like to run things as root, it makes things easier. Sorta like knowing where the safety on a firearm is and knowing it is always off.
Scripting and tarballs are another thing altogether. Those things you have to set it as an executable even as root. As I said, I dont know that much about WinXP, but as I understand it, that constriction is not available with VB and with some MS-Officemacros, considered to be scripting, presumably to make things easier on the user, which happens to include bad guys with agendas.