This was on a university PC, running Windows 98 SE.
Using Ad-Aware, it found, and I kid you not: 22,485 units of spyware.
The machine was so infested, it couldn't connect to the Internet (throough the university T-1 lines) because of all the pop-ups, redirects and what not.
In defense of the machine, 11 users had profiles on it, which under Win98, merely copied everything (spyware and all) to the new user. But it was astounding all the same.
part Two
Same university, brand spanking new P4 3.0 Ghz Dell for a big-shot professor.
8,000 units. The professor would click "yes" to every pop-up that came her way, not knowing/caring/reading, what it did. Then complained why the brand new machine was slow and needed a new one.
After removing the spyware, and explaining what had occured, she nodded sagely, and went about her business.
Next day I get a call from her...same issue, tons of popups.
She hadn't listened after all.
It's times like these I wish people like that would be given a Mac or BeOS machine.
Gramda doesn't work, remember? She's retired. And if you google for that lexmark printer and linux..it comes up zilch...zero...nada.
So I ask again, she buys the printer, not knowing any better, or maybe some sales person says it's a nice printer (and that guy assumes she's running Windows)..takes it home........and then what?
>>...then it just needs a button starting a script which mounts the camera, copys [sic] the images to a well defined location, umounts the camera and opens the file manager containing the folder....
And she's going to figure out how to do this.....how??
OPen Source, almost by its very definition, won't create standards, it'll just fork. So yes, you are spot on, but the solution to that vexing problem is almost impossible to implement.
I've been advocating this for years, unfortuantely it'll never happen. Those who make the (tax) laws are the ones who stand to lose the most by having those laws re-written.
I seem to recall that MS (for example) paid *zero* in taxes last year, because of write-offs, etc. While you and I paid a pretty penny.
With a flat-tax system, based on the *gross* profits (not the net) the system would be much more balanced, as those who make the most, bear the most burden, but by having it flat- all are taxed *fairly*. You could even set it up so those making less than X$ per year pay no taxes whatsoever.
There are numerous ways to fix the IRS, easily, and quickly, but none will ever be implemented in this country.
Re:I've set up a GNU/Linux machine for my kids too
on
A Babe in Tuxland
·
· Score: 1
What about the GUI? Mandrake's latest, even on 256 MB RAM, stutter steps on everything, sorry, I'm not buying it. I find BeOS runs much better on "modest" PCs.
Re:I've set up a GNU/Linux machine for my kids too
on
A Babe in Tuxland
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
I don't know what kind of P1 you have, but it's been my experience that modern linux distros (Mandrake, SuSE, RedHat) run like crap on anything less than a p2-333.
And the Made In China labels are there because Unions drove up the cost of manufacturing so high, it made more economic sense to move off-shore than to stay within the US. U.S. Steel ring a bell?
Case in point: I am a typical computer user. I use a computer to get things done, what I want done, when I want them done.
I don't want to fight with the computer to do things, I don't want to fight with the computer to add hardware, I just want it to work.
I am a non-typical computer user in that I have tried other operating systems.
Useability in Linux-land was (and continues to be) an utter nightmare, unless all your hardware is supported out of the box, and all the software you need is readily available from the install cds.
So I switched, away from Windows, into BeOS. *They* (for all their other faults) have always nailed the GUI and useability right the first time out.
Many window managers attempt to clone the look, but they can't clone the useability.
Sometimes, it's even the fault of the gov't itself. I oversaw a "time and materials" job once. Basically, a T&M job means however long it takes and whatever materials are used, are charged to the gov't. It's a gravy contract and most bidders would kill themselves to have that job, because it means you have carte blanche to bill what you want.
>>That's why I recommend "second lowest bidder" -- the job goes to the company that has the second-lowest bid. Crazy? I don't think so. Companies have a genuine interest in getting the bid down, because an outrageously high bid won't win. But they no longer have an incentive to shave every corner and substitute shoddy work, because if they do that too well, they don't get the contract, either.
I have often thought about that as well, that the gov't could take the "middle" bidder, which would (sort of) force the bidders to be more honest in their bids, but once they got the contract, there isn't anything in that to prevent them from reverting to their old ways, so it's not a complete solution.
>>I have some friends at defense contractors and from what they say, these unforeseen delays and cost overruns are commonplace, but the government just lets that slide.
And therein lies the problem, the gov't gets lazy (after all, it's not their money they are spending) and overlooks it (or bribes are made), and pretty soon, everyone is doing it. I spent 8 years watching this sort of stuff take place.
Slashdot Mirror
Fair enough, but I'm willing to wager the *average* person on the street had no clue about this.
And seeing as how I'm neither a forensic scientist, crime scene investigator or police officer, it was news to me.
In one of his cop films? And here I thought it was just Hollywood being typical (i.e. getting science and technology incorrect)
Who knew, all these years, that super glue *does* pick up fingerprints?!
>>...unions have gotten a bad name due to all the corruption, mainly in the 1950s to 1980s. But the idea is valid.
Yes, the *idea* was good, the *implementation* of said idea was seriously borked. And in the end, it destroyed a lot of good companies.
I know, I'm from Denmark, now sadly transplanted to the USA.
But with small countries like that and Iceland, it pays to have more efficient means of heating/cooling a house. Just not so in the USA.
I recall seeing "the house of the future" once, built by Nasa engineers. Solar-powered, thermally efficient, geo-thermal power, yada yada yada yada.
All protected by a security system, whose password was "1978".
The year the house was designed, built and shown to the public. The same year I saw it.
I'm still waiting for all this great technology to hit mass market.
And you know why it won't? It's too damned expensive.
This was on a university PC, running Windows 98 SE.
Using Ad-Aware, it found, and I kid you not: 22,485 units of spyware.
The machine was so infested, it couldn't connect to the Internet (throough the university T-1 lines) because of all the pop-ups, redirects and what not.
In defense of the machine, 11 users had profiles on it, which under Win98, merely copied everything (spyware and all) to the new user. But it was astounding all the same.
part Two
Same university, brand spanking new P4 3.0 Ghz Dell for a big-shot professor.
8,000 units. The professor would click "yes" to every pop-up that came her way, not knowing/caring/reading, what it did. Then complained why the brand new machine was slow and needed a new one.
After removing the spyware, and explaining what had occured, she nodded sagely, and went about her business.
Next day I get a call from her...same issue, tons of popups.
She hadn't listened after all.
It's times like these I wish people like that would be given a Mac or BeOS machine.
Gramda doesn't work, remember? She's retired. And if you google for that lexmark printer and linux..it comes up zilch...zero...nada.
....and then what?
So I ask again, she buys the printer, not knowing any better, or maybe some sales person says it's a nice printer (and that guy assumes she's running Windows)..takes it home....
Look punk-
I made you a friend because you BElieved. If you're backing out on me now....yer gonna BE in big trouble.
Get the picture?
Ditch Mac OS, and give 'em BE!
(posted in jest...maybe)
And what good is a word processor without a printer?
So Grandma goes out and buys a cheapie lexmark colour inkjet printer from Circuit City for $40 (say, the LEX Z705).
And then what?
>>...then it just needs a button starting a script which mounts the camera, copys [sic] the images to a well defined location, umounts the camera and opens the file manager containing the folder....
And she's going to figure out how to do this.....how??
Isn't that what the Mafia says?
OPen Source, almost by its very definition, won't create standards, it'll just fork. So yes, you are spot on, but the solution to that vexing problem is almost impossible to implement.
Guess you didn't read the article either hmmm? The writer is *female*.
And furthermore, I want to see them fix "easily" (your words) the horrible User Interface that is Linux.
I hate to ask a stupid question, but why did you keep trusting Iomega after the first CoD?
What do you mean we're not in the running?
www.nthzine.com is an excellent rag..err..mag. I should know, I write for it!
(I know I know, I'm just grousing)
Beretta 92f
. ht m
http://www.freewebs.com/equilibrium-movie/index
all the info you could ask for on this exceptional film.
I've been advocating this for years, unfortuantely it'll never happen. Those who make the (tax) laws are the ones who stand to lose the most by having those laws re-written.
I seem to recall that MS (for example) paid *zero* in taxes last year, because of write-offs, etc. While you and I paid a pretty penny.
With a flat-tax system, based on the *gross* profits (not the net) the system would be much more balanced, as those who make the most, bear the most burden, but by having it flat- all are taxed *fairly*. You could even set it up so those making less than X$ per year pay no taxes whatsoever.
There are numerous ways to fix the IRS, easily, and quickly, but none will ever be implemented in this country.
What about the GUI? Mandrake's latest, even on 256 MB RAM, stutter steps on everything, sorry, I'm not buying it. I find BeOS runs much better on "modest" PCs.
I don't know what kind of P1 you have, but it's been my experience that modern linux distros (Mandrake, SuSE, RedHat) run like crap on anything less than a p2-333.
>>My fiance left me for another woman -...
Been there, done that, got left with the baggage.
But it didn't stop me, just made me aware
And the Made In China labels are there because Unions drove up the cost of manufacturing so high, it made more economic sense to move off-shore than to stay within the US. U.S. Steel ring a bell?
Shame it's not going to happen.
Case in point: I am a typical computer user. I use a computer to get things done, what I want done, when I want them done.
I don't want to fight with the computer to do things, I don't want to fight with the computer to add hardware, I just want it to work.
I am a non-typical computer user in that I have tried other operating systems.
Useability in Linux-land was (and continues to be) an utter nightmare, unless all your hardware is supported out of the box, and all the software you need is readily available from the install cds.
So I switched, away from Windows, into BeOS. *They* (for all their other faults) have always nailed the GUI and useability right the first time out.
Many window managers attempt to clone the look, but they can't clone the useability.
Agreed, but there is still much waste going on.
Sometimes, it's even the fault of the gov't itself. I oversaw a "time and materials" job once. Basically, a T&M job means however long it takes and whatever materials are used, are charged to the gov't. It's a gravy contract and most bidders would kill themselves to have that job, because it means you have carte blanche to bill what you want.
>>That's why I recommend "second lowest bidder" -- the job goes to the company that has the second-lowest bid. Crazy? I don't think so. Companies have a genuine interest in getting the bid down, because an outrageously high bid won't win. But they no longer have an incentive to shave every corner and substitute shoddy work, because if they do that too well, they don't get the contract, either.
I have often thought about that as well, that the gov't could take the "middle" bidder, which would (sort of) force the bidders to be more honest in their bids, but once they got the contract, there isn't anything in that to prevent them from reverting to their old ways, so it's not a complete solution.
>>I have some friends at defense contractors and from what they say, these unforeseen delays and cost overruns are commonplace, but the government just lets that slide.
And therein lies the problem, the gov't gets lazy (after all, it's not their money they are spending) and overlooks it (or bribes are made), and pretty soon, everyone is doing it. I spent 8 years watching this sort of stuff take place.