That's funny, I'm typing this on a Windows 2000 machine, and I've yet to get infected with the virus/worm/trojan of the week. Maybe its because i use a mail client that isn't riddled with security holes and an anti-virus program. Might I also add that I encrypt/sign all of my email, and I don't open attachments unless I've confirmed the veracity of the email (either by decrypting it (if the sender is clueful) or by talking to the person that "sent" the email (if they aren't)).
I've said this before, SWITCHING FROM WINDOWS TO LINUX WILL NOT ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM. If a user does not know how to run a windows machine (keeping up to date on patches, running antivirus software, etc) then please explain to me how they'll be able to admin a linux machine. The truth of the matter is, they can't and they won't. The ranting of *nix fanbois aside, the problem exists between chair and keyboard. The email viruses that require you to open a password-protected.zip file prove that.
I'm certainly not trying to hold up windows as the platform of choice, because it sure as hell isn't mine; but regardless of your operating system of choice, if you're clueless you're clueless; and unless you fix that first, you're not going to fix the overall problem.
god, the thought of setting up thin clients/dumb terminals for our users here makes me wet... and maybe someday the tech gods will smile upon me and grant my request. i totally agree with you.
If we want to see Linux on the desktop for less technically clued-in users, why not make the *BSD/OS X (Solaris too maybe) move of having a priveledged administrator account, and leaving root disabled by default?
If Joe User needs to use the privileged administrator account to do things like installing software, changing system settings, etc etc; they'll simply use the privileged administrator account as their normal account. Though they may not have full access to everything root can do, I can still see this leading to the same problems you'll find when Joe User uses the Administrator account on his Windows box as a normal user account. As the grandparent said, the Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard. Regardless of the operating system, put an idiot at the keyboard and they'll wreak havoc with it (intentionally or unintentionally). What makes you think that the same sort of people who STILL haven't patched for things like Codered and NIMDA would patch for things like Lion/Ramen? Changing the operating system fixes nothing if the person who uses it is still bereft of any sort of competency.
Many gamers who buy the latest NVidias to squeeze a few more FPS or pixels might still be satisfied using motherboard audio output, or a $2.50 PCI soundcard. Bullshit, you obviously don't know any hardcore gamers. If you're willing to drop $300+ on a video card, there is no way in hell you would settle for onboard sound (not having a dedicated soundcard means your CPU deals with it, which means a framerate drop) or a cheap soundcard. Most gamers who are willing to shell out a lot of money for hardware realize that you get exactly what you pay for; and buy accordingly.
As an interesting side note, The subject of my post was initally "Score: -1, Talking Out of Ass" however/. seems to strip out the string "Score:" and anything following it.
Maybe I'm dumb but what on earth would have motivated you to go to the store and buy the game after you'd already completed it?
Replay value. Often, I'll play through the game on 'easy' then work my way up through the levels of difficulty (good way to find easter eggs/etc), its also a good way to catch stuff you miss the first time around.
I've heard this argument again and again that 'if it's really good I'll buy a copy just to put on the shelf to reward the developers.'. It's bullshit.
Actually, it's far from bullshit. Recently I downloaded Call of Duty, played it through, and liked it to much I went out and bought a copy, because it was worth the money. The same thing I did with Battlefield 1942, UT2003, UT, Quake 3 Arena, C&C Generals, and Half-Life (and hopefully Half-Life 2 sometime soon!) All of these games impressed me enough that I decided that they were worth the $40-$50, and went out and actually paid for a legit copy. The reason I usually download, play, then buy is because I once made the mistake of falling for the hype behind Black & White. I read the glowing reviews, interviews, etc; and ran off to the store to shell out $50 of my hard-earned money ($50 is a lot when you're a highschool student with a fast-food job). I installed the game, played it for a bit, and realized that it completely failed to deliver. $50 down the drain. Never again, I vowed. So now I download first, and the software developers can prove to me that their game is worth my money. Yes, when I download a game that have no intention of paying for, it is stealing. I don't deny that. But more often than not, if its good, I'll buy a legit copy.
Around sometime last year, I downloaded a copy of The Thing soon after it came out (I try before I buy) so anyhow- I play through the game, get to the end, kill the end boss monster thing of DOOM, and right as it dies.....*POW* the game crashes. I'm glad that I can download games and try them before paying, if I had paid $50 for The Thing, and it had crashed on me just as I was beating the game, I would have been VERY upset. (Note that this was a very common bug that was soon patched.) Patch or no, failing to catch bugs like that is simply unacceptable. I pay for games that are worth my money.
You need all that spyware removed and windows reinstalled? Yeah, well I need some vodka. amen, the whole alcohol for tech support thing has kept my booze budget wonderfully low. as a college kid who's expected to spend money on things like "food" and "books" and "classes"; this has been a lifesaver
whereas spam domains are a bit slower Actually, if you have a look at the Spamcop inprogress stats you'll notice that the spamvertised domains change pretty quickly. I use this exact type of filtering at work and I have to stay on my toes to harvest the newest domains. On the other hand, it seems to have VASTLY cut down on the amount of spam my users receive.
Then simply use a sheet with several "bubbles" to fill and read them with that optical scanning device.
Unfortunately, some people have a very difficult time grasping concepts such as "fill in the bubbles completely" or "punch the "chad" all the way out" which leads to more drama &etc. As I recall, this was part of the whole election debacle in Florida.
I believe those pictures are from the computer rooms under the math building (curse the lack of perl skills that kept me from getting a job there). I recall seeing a linux cluster on the lowest floor of the undergrad library, as well.
They're all identical because they're the old computers from the ITaP Computer labs. As a Purdue Student (McCutcheon North REPRESENT!) I can't say I'm too broken up about seeing them replaced with the newer (and faster!) Dells.
This is most likely going to get modded into oblivion, seeing as how I'm not going to follow the rest of the Slashbots, but what the hell, I've got plenty of karma to burn.
I personally feel that the DNC list is a Good Idea(tm). I dislike telemarketing calls as much as any other slashdotter, and I feel that a national DNC list is a step in the right direction. What bothers me, however, is the amount of knee-jerk screamings coming from slashdotters. A good number of posters like to cry foul when they feel that the checks and balances that are so important to a proper government have been ignored; however in this case, when a federal court has checked the power of the FTC (by ruling that they had overstepped their bounds) the vast majority of posters seem to be ready to lynch this judge. Which is it going to be, people? Either checks and balances are important ALL THE TIME (not just when the RIAA comes after your ISP because you leave KaZaA on 24/7) or they're not important AT ALL. This ruling has not killed the National DNC registry, it has simply stated that the FTC does not have the necessary authority to implement such a thing. This isn't about jobs, this isn't about free speech, this is about our government working as it should. Why such an uproar? If the FTC does not have the authority to implement an DNC list, then surely another government agency does. If it turns out that the FTC does in fact have the authority to implement a National DNC List, then I'm certain they will do so, and do so quickly. In the meantime, can we all maybe take a DEEP BREATH here, and calm the fuck down? Instead of posting your demands that this judge be hanged, drawn, and quartered; why not post what you feel are the relavent portions of law that give the FTC the authority to do this? Why not begin an intelligent debate, where you actually cite facts to back up your statements, instead of spouting off your idiocy for all to see?
For the love of Mike, most Slashdot readers here are geeks; they build their own machines, not buy machines bundled with Windows. All jokes/flames aside, just how many of you out there are actually using a machine that came with Windows, but you never used that copy?
I have neither the time nor the inclination to build my own laptop, so I went out and bought one from Best Buy. It came with Windows XP pre-installed. I took the laptop out of the box, put in my Red Hat CD, booted it, wiped the drive, and installed linux. Not once did the laptop use the OS that came preinstalled. I wish i had done the same thing Steve did, that's a couple hundred dollars that would have come in handy...
If your gaming center has a strict "no installing software" policy, I highly recommend you back that up with something like Jungsoft's HDD Sheriff. The school district I work for has it deployed on all public computers, and it works wonderfully. You simply set the computer up the way you like, then install HDD Sheriff, and leave it at that. People can install whatever they life, you simply reboot the computer and it all goes back to the original, "clean" state. Weatherbug? Reboot. GAIN? Reboot. It's that simple.
Had anybody bothered following the link to the geocities page before posting the story, they would have seen that the file was "removed for the time being, until further testing on Fizzer's update routine can be done." There has been a great deal of argument in #fizzer as to the legality of such things, and I do not believe that the Fizzer Task Force as a whole decided to do anything of that sort.
Slashdot Mirror
i lied, here's some text
Older versions of DivX don't have the spyware!
might I also add that closing off the bold tag is usually a good thing too :-\
I've said this before, SWITCHING FROM WINDOWS TO LINUX WILL NOT ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM. .zip file prove that.
If a user does not know how to run a windows machine (keeping up to date on patches, running antivirus software, etc) then please explain to me how they'll be able to admin a linux machine. The truth of the matter is, they can't and they won't. The ranting of *nix fanbois aside, the problem exists between chair and keyboard. The email viruses that require you to open a password-protected
I'm certainly not trying to hold up windows as the platform of choice, because it sure as hell isn't mine; but regardless of your operating system of choice, if you're clueless you're clueless; and unless you fix that first, you're not going to fix the overall problem.
god, the thought of setting up thin clients/dumb terminals for our users here makes me wet... and maybe someday the tech gods will smile upon me and grant my request. i totally agree with you.
If Joe User needs to use the privileged administrator account to do things like installing software, changing system settings, etc etc; they'll simply use the privileged administrator account as their normal account. Though they may not have full access to everything root can do, I can still see this leading to the same problems you'll find when Joe User uses the Administrator account on his Windows box as a normal user account. As the grandparent said, the Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard. Regardless of the operating system, put an idiot at the keyboard and they'll wreak havoc with it (intentionally or unintentionally). What makes you think that the same sort of people who STILL haven't patched for things like Codered and NIMDA would patch for things like Lion/Ramen? Changing the operating system fixes nothing if the person who uses it is still bereft of any sort of competency.
Bullshit, you obviously don't know any hardcore gamers. If you're willing to drop $300+ on a video card, there is no way in hell you would settle for onboard sound (not having a dedicated soundcard means your CPU deals with it, which means a framerate drop) or a cheap soundcard. Most gamers who are willing to shell out a lot of money for hardware realize that you get exactly what you pay for; and buy accordingly.
As an interesting side note, The subject of my post was initally "Score: -1, Talking Out of Ass" however /. seems to strip out the string "Score:" and anything following it.
Replay value. Often, I'll play through the game on 'easy' then work my way up through the levels of difficulty (good way to find easter eggs/etc), its also a good way to catch stuff you miss the first time around.
I've heard this argument again and again that 'if it's really good I'll buy a copy just to put on the shelf to reward the developers.'. It's bullshit.
Actually, it's far from bullshit. Recently I downloaded Call of Duty, played it through, and liked it to much I went out and bought a copy, because it was worth the money. The same thing I did with Battlefield 1942, UT2003, UT, Quake 3 Arena, C&C Generals, and Half-Life (and hopefully Half-Life 2 sometime soon!) All of these games impressed me enough that I decided that they were worth the $40-$50, and went out and actually paid for a legit copy.
The reason I usually download, play, then buy is because I once made the mistake of falling for the hype behind Black & White. I read the glowing reviews, interviews, etc; and ran off to the store to shell out $50 of my hard-earned money ($50 is a lot when you're a highschool student with a fast-food job). I installed the game, played it for a bit, and realized that it completely failed to deliver. $50 down the drain. Never again, I vowed. So now I download first, and the software developers can prove to me that their game is worth my money. Yes, when I download a game that have no intention of paying for, it is stealing. I don't deny that. But more often than not, if its good, I'll buy a legit copy.
Around sometime last year, I downloaded a copy of The Thing soon after it came out (I try before I buy) so anyhow- I play through the game, get to the end, kill the end boss monster thing of DOOM, and right as it dies.....*POW* the game crashes. I'm glad that I can download games and try them before paying, if I had paid $50 for The Thing, and it had crashed on me just as I was beating the game, I would have been VERY upset. (Note that this was a very common bug that was soon patched.)
Patch or no, failing to catch bugs like that is simply unacceptable. I pay for games that are worth my money.
I used to visit that WAY back in the day....so much good reading
i miss those days, sometimes
You need all that spyware removed and windows reinstalled? Yeah, well I need some vodka.
amen, the whole alcohol for tech support thing has kept my booze budget wonderfully low. as a college kid who's expected to spend money on things like "food" and "books" and "classes"; this has been a lifesaver
In the 'Sims' games, the sims have a spoken language of gibberishness.
whereas spam domains are a bit slower
Actually, if you have a look at the Spamcop inprogress stats you'll notice that the spamvertised domains change pretty quickly. I use this exact type of filtering at work and I have to stay on my toes to harvest the newest domains. On the other hand, it seems to have VASTLY cut down on the amount of spam my users receive.
do you have any obscure Sisters of Mercy tracks? contact me at slashdot@gur[NOSPAM]ney.co[NOSPAM]tse.net if you're feeling generous :-D
Unfortunately, some people have a very difficult time grasping concepts such as "fill in the bubbles completely" or "punch the "chad" all the way out" which leads to more drama &etc. As I recall, this was part of the whole election debacle in Florida.
but thanks for saving me $8. what a shitty ending.
I believe those pictures are from the computer rooms under the math building (curse the lack of perl skills that kept me from getting a job there). I recall seeing a linux cluster on the lowest floor of the undergrad library, as well.
They're all identical because they're the old computers from the ITaP Computer labs. As a Purdue Student (McCutcheon North REPRESENT!) I can't say I'm too broken up about seeing them replaced with the newer (and faster!) Dells.
This is most likely going to get modded into oblivion, seeing as how I'm not going to follow the rest of the Slashbots, but what the hell, I've got plenty of karma to burn.
I personally feel that the DNC list is a Good Idea(tm). I dislike telemarketing calls as much as any other slashdotter, and I feel that a national DNC list is a step in the right direction. What bothers me, however, is the amount of knee-jerk screamings coming from slashdotters. A good number of posters like to cry foul when they feel that the checks and balances that are so important to a proper government have been ignored; however in this case, when a federal court has checked the power of the FTC (by ruling that they had overstepped their bounds) the vast majority of posters seem to be ready to lynch this judge. Which is it going to be, people? Either checks and balances are important ALL THE TIME (not just when the RIAA comes after your ISP because you leave KaZaA on 24/7) or they're not important AT ALL. This ruling has not killed the National DNC registry, it has simply stated that the FTC does not have the necessary authority to implement such a thing. This isn't about jobs, this isn't about free speech, this is about our government working as it should. Why such an uproar? If the FTC does not have the authority to implement an DNC list, then surely another government agency does. If it turns out that the FTC does in fact have the authority to implement a National DNC List, then I'm certain they will do so, and do so quickly. In the meantime, can we all maybe take a DEEP BREATH here, and calm the fuck down? Instead of posting your demands that this judge be hanged, drawn, and quartered; why not post what you feel are the relavent portions of law that give the FTC the authority to do this? Why not begin an intelligent debate, where you actually cite facts to back up your statements, instead of spouting off your idiocy for all to see?
Oh, wait. This is slashdot...For the love of Mike, most Slashdot readers here are geeks; they build their own machines, not buy machines bundled with Windows. All jokes/flames aside, just how many of you out there are actually using a machine that came with Windows, but you never used that copy?
I have neither the time nor the inclination to build my own laptop, so I went out and bought one from Best Buy. It came with Windows XP pre-installed. I took the laptop out of the box, put in my Red Hat CD, booted it, wiped the drive, and installed linux. Not once did the laptop use the OS that came preinstalled. I wish i had done the same thing Steve did, that's a couple hundred dollars that would have come in handy...Except when the smart asses like you run right into the software-based sheriffs, which cannot be removed.
If your gaming center has a strict "no installing software" policy, I highly recommend you back that up with something like Jungsoft's HDD Sheriff. The school district I work for has it deployed on all public computers, and it works wonderfully. You simply set the computer up the way you like, then install HDD Sheriff, and leave it at that. People can install whatever they life, you simply reboot the computer and it all goes back to the original, "clean" state. Weatherbug? Reboot. GAIN? Reboot. It's that simple.
I would recommend the Ars Technica OpenForum
Had anybody bothered following the link to the geocities page before posting the story, they would have seen that the file was "removed for the time being, until further testing on Fizzer's update routine can be done." There has been a great deal of argument in #fizzer as to the legality of such things, and I do not believe that the Fizzer Task Force as a whole decided to do anything of that sort.
well put. and i gotta tell you, this summer i'm going to be trying real hard to fuckin touch your 12mb dsl ;)