For crying out loud - how about we stop demanding that the victims be punished (ie: cut off from the net) and try to figure out how to detect and kill these Bot-nets on the infected computer. What are you guys? The RIAA? People with Bot-net infected PCs are victims just as much as those who receive the deluge of spam they produce. Maybe more-so since most spam gets caught by the ISPs these days. I got hit by a bot-net infection recently that stole 15GB of traffic off me before I had a chance to spot the problem.
I'm astounded that after all this time the so-called leaders in anti-malware software still seem to be unable to prevent, detect, or remove Bot-net infections (and maybe I'm just under-informed about the nature of the problem). But since they don't seem to have a handle on a solution, how about the Slashdot community just stops fantasising about how great it would be if all the noobs got taken off the internet and start realising that the noobs PAY for the services we all enjoy (we couldn't afford this thing on our own). We have to understand that ISPs don't have the luxury of cutting access to huge chunks of their customer base just to stop bot-nets. They'd go broke and we'd lose OUR access (unless of course we had millions from our startup successes to pay for our own private uplinks, but without noobs to buy our new online services there won't BE any more startup sucess stories).
So the real solution to Bot-nets is YOU. Not the ISPs, because they CAN'T solve it. Not simply to "ban the noobs" because we'd suffer too. YOU guys need to spin up the brain-turbines and figure out how to find and kill these day things, because you're the only ones who CAN. We're counting on you. Go for it, and good luck.
My favourite "learning" book is Think Unix by Jon Lasser from Que.
It's not specifically about Linux, but it covers all the things I routinely have to re-learn when things go wrong on my Linux box. Things like file permissions, groups, shell script basics, hard and soft links, and importantly, the reasons these things exist.
It demystifies the command line and provides a new user with the true understanding rather than just a bunch of tutorials on how to install packages like most of the other Linux books I've read.
It also covers some of the history and development of Unix-type systems (including Linux) so the current state of the art makes more sense than it might otherwise make to someone who only recently crawled out of a micro$oft-centric universe and discovered that there really was life on other operating systems (BIG life:-).
She may understand your arguements, but deep down she'll never forgive you for forcing her to explain to her friends why she doesn't have a diamond everytime she shows off her ring (and she will!).
Everything is subjective, and the only thing that *counts* is perception and expectation. And her expectation (probably since she was five) has always been that she'll get married and be able to flaunt a beautiful diamond ring on her finger. And if you think your marriage will survive a beginning that includes destroying the dream that has defined her life to this point you're sadly mistaken:-)
As far as buying the ring is concerned, shop around for a good manufacturing jeweller. They typically do far better work than you'll get at a retailer, and at cheaper rates. You can even get a ring made to a design that she has chosen. (In the unlikely case that you live in New Zealand I can get a friend of mine - a genuine english master jeweler - to make it for you).
I can't comment on the resale value of diamonds, but there's no doubt about the resale value of *rings*. You'd sell the ring rather than the stones, although frankly why you'd be contemplating selling the ring or it's components at all is beyond me. My wifes engagement ring has gone up in value several times.
As far as the ethical side is concerned, if you scratch anything deep enough these days you'll find organised crime or commercial exploiters have some kind of finger in it. With diamonds there is (according to your figures) a 95% chance that yours will be from a nice happy mine with a great health plan. The shoes you're wearing are more likely to have been made by exploited labour. You can't go through life avoiding anything with ethical ambiguities in it because there are too many of them - you'd be dead in a month.
Don't bring ethics anywhere NEAR your wedding. They're hard enough to survive as it is (don't get me started).
If you don't love her enough to do this on a "benefit of the doubt" basis you shouldn't be getting married anyway.
Pick your battles, and know that this is one you can't win. Buy the diamond. Buy the biggest one you can afford. And give it to her *on your knees* in the most romantic place you can find (somewhere expensive). This is the one thing she will NEVER forget. Given time, she'll forget the details of the birth of your first child, she'll forget the first car you buy together, she'll forget your first apartment, but she'll NEVER forget how you proposed and what her wedding was like. And one day, when you're in deep do-do for some stupid mistake or comment you made, you'll be saying "Please honey - I'm sorry - forgive me" and she'll think back to her wedding and the guy she married THAT DAY and she'll look at her finger and make her decision. A diamond ring she's really proud of is the best investment you can make.
Slashdot Mirror
For crying out loud - how about we stop demanding that the victims be punished (ie: cut off from the net) and try to figure out how to detect and kill these Bot-nets on the infected computer. What are you guys? The RIAA? People with Bot-net infected PCs are victims just as much as those who receive the deluge of spam they produce. Maybe more-so since most spam gets caught by the ISPs these days. I got hit by a bot-net infection recently that stole 15GB of traffic off me before I had a chance to spot the problem. I'm astounded that after all this time the so-called leaders in anti-malware software still seem to be unable to prevent, detect, or remove Bot-net infections (and maybe I'm just under-informed about the nature of the problem). But since they don't seem to have a handle on a solution, how about the Slashdot community just stops fantasising about how great it would be if all the noobs got taken off the internet and start realising that the noobs PAY for the services we all enjoy (we couldn't afford this thing on our own). We have to understand that ISPs don't have the luxury of cutting access to huge chunks of their customer base just to stop bot-nets. They'd go broke and we'd lose OUR access (unless of course we had millions from our startup successes to pay for our own private uplinks, but without noobs to buy our new online services there won't BE any more startup sucess stories). So the real solution to Bot-nets is YOU. Not the ISPs, because they CAN'T solve it. Not simply to "ban the noobs" because we'd suffer too. YOU guys need to spin up the brain-turbines and figure out how to find and kill these day things, because you're the only ones who CAN. We're counting on you. Go for it, and good luck.
My favourite "learning" book is Think Unix by Jon Lasser from Que.
:-).
It's not specifically about Linux, but it covers all the things I routinely have to re-learn when things go wrong on my Linux box. Things like file permissions, groups, shell script basics, hard and soft links, and importantly, the reasons these things exist.
It demystifies the command line and provides a new user with the true understanding rather than just a bunch of tutorials on how to install packages like most of the other Linux books I've read.
It also covers some of the history and development of Unix-type systems (including Linux) so the current state of the art makes more sense than it might otherwise make to someone who only recently crawled out of a micro$oft-centric universe and discovered that there really was life on other operating systems (BIG life
Regards, Simon
She may understand your arguements, but deep down she'll never forgive you for forcing her to explain to her friends why she doesn't have a diamond everytime she shows off her ring (and she will!).
:-)
Everything is subjective, and the only thing that *counts* is perception and expectation. And her expectation (probably since she was five) has always been that she'll get married and be able to flaunt a beautiful diamond ring on her finger. And if you think your marriage will survive a beginning that includes destroying the dream that has defined her life to this point you're sadly mistaken
As far as buying the ring is concerned, shop around for a good manufacturing jeweller. They typically do far better work than you'll get at a retailer, and at cheaper rates. You can even get a ring made to a design that she has chosen. (In the unlikely case that you live in New Zealand I can get a friend of mine - a genuine english master jeweler - to make it for you).
I can't comment on the resale value of diamonds, but there's no doubt about the resale value of *rings*. You'd sell the ring rather than the stones, although frankly why you'd be contemplating selling the ring or it's components at all is beyond me. My wifes engagement ring has gone up in value several times.
As far as the ethical side is concerned, if you scratch anything deep enough these days you'll find organised crime or commercial exploiters have some kind of finger in it. With diamonds there is (according to your figures) a 95% chance that yours will be from a nice happy mine with a great health plan. The shoes you're wearing are more likely to have been made by exploited labour. You can't go through life avoiding anything with ethical ambiguities in it because there are too many of them - you'd be dead in a month.
Don't bring ethics anywhere NEAR your wedding. They're hard enough to survive as it is (don't get me started).
If you don't love her enough to do this on a "benefit of the doubt" basis you shouldn't be getting married anyway.
Pick your battles, and know that this is one you can't win. Buy the diamond. Buy the biggest one you can afford. And give it to her *on your knees* in the most romantic place you can find (somewhere expensive). This is the one thing she will NEVER forget. Given time, she'll forget the details of the birth of your first child, she'll forget the first car you buy together, she'll forget your first apartment, but she'll NEVER forget how you proposed and what her wedding was like. And one day, when you're in deep do-do for some stupid mistake or comment you made, you'll be saying "Please honey - I'm sorry - forgive me" and she'll think back to her wedding and the guy she married THAT DAY and she'll look at her finger and make her decision. A diamond ring she's really proud of is the best investment you can make.
Have a great life.
Simon
simon.mahony at thorndancer.com