Given some of the recent changes in Vista and Windows 7.. this may not be such a bad thing.
Seriously, is Aero really needed by the majority of users? The newly crippled W7 search? W7 ability to nuke partition information? Vista and W7 shutdown problems? (still waiting 5 to 8 minutes for W7 to shutdown.. and when it does you don't know if it will come back up...) Breaking the alt-tab function (it *really* sucks to have all windows minimise every time you alt-tab)
Some functions introduces by W7 can be quite useful.. and others not so much.
I'm all for a 32bit OS which mimics Windows XP, continues comparability (another sore point I've had with W7) and continues on the path forged by XP and now discarded by W8.
My view is that one day in the future a Linux OS will provide everything that XP provides today. That will be the year of the Linux Desktop. Not because it is the latest and greatest, not because it is fast, but because it is reliable, runs your programs, doesn't interfere with you using your computer (microsoft, I'm looking at your with your crippling of vista and W7 on behalf of big media), is stable and provides what all users want: An operating system which runs in the background.
Every time W7 kills someone's partition, W7 search fails, W7 won't boot or Vista, W7 or W8 prevents a user from using their computer.. brings us closer to us all using something else.
Meanwhile, every time I click on those stupid junction folders and have an error thrown I die a little.
I've had several nasty experiences with Java, and while I am onboard with the concept and will support java initiatives in the enterprise.. the stunts they have pulled over the years does not help. Not at all.
And yes, if you are 'in the know' then you are FINE. If you are not, or are not technical.. it's really confusing and does not help when presenting technology options to a bunch of PHBs.
So, I'd mod leenks up.. this is a good point to discuss and is very relevant. Consider this: if you can't talk about it, getting technology into the enterprise and deployed can be extremely difficult.
Case in point: After all of these years, I finally have a server with mediawiki.. and PHP. Problem is, it's now 10 years too late. The main issue with getting PHP.. let alone wiki software? Communication, acceptance and funding. I sorted the funding.. but the other issues remain.
Seeing how this topic is on the table.. let's discuss CA's (computer associates) tendency to rename their software every couple of years..
Meanwhile, it's a pity that Java was meant to be write once, deploy everywhere.. but turned out to be a write once... twice.. three times..
P.S. I am still annoyed by the 'security warnings' that get thrown due to 'wrong version'. At least there is a good solution: adblock plus does a good job at blocking specific java objects:)
Actually, I quite like the idea of there being a tree view on the left hand side, collapsible, showing titles and scores. A float tree, perhaps, so it doesn't muck up the current UI? Perhaps, with an option to dynamic resize, or grown / shrink?
The burning is excessive. After a couple of days of soaking paper in enough water to cover it most paper starts turning to pulp. Stir around with a stick for a while and it solves the problem nicely.
Paper brick maker into blocks if you are feeling excessive. But burning? A step to far in my opinion.
Then again, I have a box with water and a liberal amount of domestos. Every now and then when it gets full I give it a stir, wad what remains into a bucket and trash it. Works fine.
Meanwhile, getting away from security by destruction of documents.. I don't want google, or anyone else, to 'verify' me. Why is this required? I know who I am, as do the people I relate to online and IRL. Yes, I know, this is 'not for the commoners'. How long, though, until it is?
No, I don't have a g+ account. Waiting to see what happens. Can always join later if it turns out to be a better option than FB.
They've just released season 10 of Jag, and we're now halfway through, and the other half was reading about some of the other work the Jag actors have done. She soon finds 'the good witch' series with C. Bell in the lead role.
A short while later, she has found that she quite likes this series - and would like to own the DVD. After a bit of hunting she found that you could get this series on DVD - but only as region 1 and then with limited means to buy it (region "4" here out of interest). After a brief discussion about this problem, and some related issues, she finds the show on youtube and watches it - 8 minutes at a time... on her phone *sigh*
Now she has found where she can buy this online.. which is great.. but I can assure you that the legal owner of this content has nothing to do with the sale..
So.
Here comes the question.
How exactly does this help the industry?
Here is the perfect scenario - we've just purchased one series - Jag Season 10 - on DVD, and to forestall the inevitable "there's nothing on TV.. what are we watching tonight?" we have a new candidate.. which isn't available in Aus legally.
I am really failing to understand how regional locking and limited release of product is helping the industry who are crying foul over "pirates" and threatening to sue anyone who doesn't play by their rules.
Meanwhile, I am hoping that my other half doesn't get a serious crick in her neck from constant youtubing in the bath (amazing how a zip lock bag helps.. best of both worlds really:) )
In other news, it appears that The Doctor was right.. except not just in the centuries ahead... the human race will bonk anything.. anytime.. anywhere..
So... what you are saying is that the whole pirate / somalia coast problem can solved by western countries contracting the russians to police the area?
Good plan!
My back-of-the-envelope calculations show that in less than 2 years there will be less than 2 pirate attackes in any six month period (the rest of them won't be willing to go near the water when they know that their boat will be sunk.. and them along with it... possibly from up to a kilometre away...)
What I asked myself is 'is there *anything* about my *private* life that I'd want my parents, siblings, cousins, or Others to know about'.. The answer was 'very little; some, but not much'.
I locked my FB account down on the first day; posts only visible to Friends; can only be seen my Friends of Friends (pity my mother is now a friend of a friend.. can't be helped).
I like your metric. I will use this in future. It's a good question to ask.
Meanwhile, a friend (yes, someone I see IRL and have lunch with on occasion) invited me to a Group via FB recently.. very.. interesting.. it looks like FB is already responding to this..
Here in Aus they have implemented a new system whereby you do not need to enter a pin or sign if it is a "small" amount (less than $100 at MacD's and less than $35 at Coles / Kmart stores) - Paypass / paywave.
It's been in for a couple of months, and is gradually gaining acceptance. There's a few problems though; one being the marketing material which clearly states that '.. there is no risk..'.
Let's see here. If I get mugged, said mugger can use my CC to their heart's content - so long as it is less than $100 at Macd's or less than $35 at a Coles (chain of stores et al).
The information provided states that any money lost on a stolen card will be refunded *after* the card is reported stolen. So, this opens up two new avenues:
1) Get mugged, and have your credit card joy ridden for a couple of hours
2) Get mugged, and have your credit card chip cloned
or even better, let's go for option 3) Your card information is recorded, and 'mysterious' $35 amounts keep appearing on your bills.. until you cancel the card..
I have asked, repeatedly, as to how to have this functionality disabled. Yes, I am security conscious enough that I want the 'hassle' of putting my pin in Every Single Time. Yes, even for 'small' purchases. Apparently, it can't be done - short of shredding your credit card.
Mainly, I am now concerned with young thugs trying to mug me. The "Zero Liability: If your card is ever lost or stolen, youâ(TM)re protected with Zero Liability for unauthorized purchases." ( Reference: http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/paywave/index.html ) will *not* help with a broken arm or missing teeth.
Now, I have to get back to this lovely situation where my old work PC had a registered (and working!) version of Visio 2003.. and I'm now told I need a new licence for Visio 2007 for this new office PC........ *sigh*.........
Meanwhile, I have replaced Frontpage with NVU - for similar reasons.
I use MS Paint all of the time. When you need to take a screenshot, cut part of it out, and quickly cut that into a new JPG, PNG or into a document it is quite good.
I don't have a graphics program on most of the PCs I use, work or home. I have gimp, but rarely use it.
MS Paint is (was) easy to use, good to use (from a rat-race office documentation perspective) and serves its purpose well.
In comparison, the new windos 7 MS Paint drives me nuts, mostly due to the 'ribbon'.
Actually, while we are on topic, the whole MS Office suite drives me nuts due to the 'ribbon'.
So, you are now forced to upgrade Skype? Well, MS would do the same for MS Office if it could... and appear to have tried very hard to do so.
Meanwhile, this - amongst other serious annoyances (CD music - and nothing else - being disabled, serious issues with DVD software, serious sound issues, annoying system popups) are driving me to install XP over the top of my Laptop Windows 7. Yes, work will move to W7, and yes, I know it's Windows. So, back we go. It's Win98 all over again.
Software upgrades may be a fact of life in IT.. but some of the software I use is over 10 years old now (GMUD is a good example) and works fine. I see no serious reason for the 'improvements' in the W7 MS Paint.. and I'd really like access to the XP version. If worst comes to worst, there is always GIMP.
Sweden is considered advanced in the area of financial management of tax for the benefit of the community. Yes, you may 'pay more' but the result is that Swedish society benefits overall.
One benefit, I suppose, is that the Swedes don't get highly stressed for two to three weeks every year trying to calculate obscure values for their tax return:-)
In Australia it can be less complicated.. the Government offers a program called 'E-Tax' from which you download from the Australia Tax Office, install on your computer, fill in the forms, and submit your tax. If you have only a 'basic' tax return it is very easy, fast, simple and does not require a trip to a tax agent (and the loss of $150 + to have someone review information you collect, to produce a form submission for which you are liable for).
The main problem I can see with the proposition from the article is that much of the 'manual accounting' for which takes place may not be possible to calculate without extensive input. This means that if you have that many laws, with so many permutations then you would need every detail about everyone in the system for the system to calculate the tax for each person. Would Americans allow this? I suspect that they would see it as an invasion of privacy or similar.
I agree that Sweden probably gets the 'better end of the stick'. In the end the money and services flow.. and in the end someone pays. The only question is... Who?
(in relation.. my sig is quite appropriate for this discussion..:-) )
Have a google around. There's a full document of which is the summary.
Read the Book of 5 Rings.
Read the Art of War (alternatively, listen to it..)...
and start applying this to your job.
Requirements management is something everyone tries to avoid because it is 'too hard'.
---
On the darker side, I work with people to whom writing a short (2 to 3 pages) 'technical specification' is a 'waste of time' as the 'code documents itself' and 'it is obvious what the code does from reading it'.
Funny part about this comes when 'simple utilities' need to be updated.. and only the original coder knows how they are meant to function. Yes, it reads from that file. Yes, it writes to that file.. Yes, it does that processing.. But, what is the actually business requirement? No idea, because that coder is gone. The system has changed.. and now we don't know if it should be doing x, y or z. What do we do now? No technical documentation, no business spec, and over 400 people use this (currently broken) utility on a daily basis.
Wait! I know! Let's do some requirements work and determine what it *should* be doing now. No, we can't do that. Too much work. Let's just 'fix' the code.
Hang on. You have just made a code change.. slapped the code back into Prod... how do you know that your change 1) is what users need and 2) actually works?
So, they brought the code down again, and made another change. This went on for several weeks, annoyed users to no end to the point of end users not using the utility... and our reputation goes further down the drain.
All because no one wants to do requirements analysis, change impact analysis, business specifications, technical specifications or actually properly document their code.
That rage you feel when someone says "the code documents itself!". It means it is time to fix the processes, or leave.
Meanwhile, yes, we have a review process. Test plans are required. Testing is 'required'. Why don't these processes work? Well, it's called "rubber stamping".
This is exactly why: 1) Don't use IE as primary browser 2) Always have several browsers handy (Opera, Firefox, Chrome at a minimum) and 3) Have your IE Security settings set to not trust or install automatically.... so you don't get hijacked with activex driveby installs like this.
Preaching to the choir here, I know, I was whacked by activex installs several times before learning how to take the cautious path.
At least has been somewhat address in the latest versions of IE. Too little too late unfortunately with IE6 still looming large in the wild.
Some software can be very useful for identifying and preventing a driveby install. I've found Adaware and comodo to do a decent job.
FYI, In Australia Telstra 'asks' for your licence to connect your home phone. They make it sound like giving your licence is absolutely required.
Last time this occurred for me, the conversation started to wear a little on the operator -
"What is your licence number?" "What licence?" "Car licence" "Why would I have a car licence?" "Err. Oh." "I am requesting for a home phone connection, not registering a car" "Okay then"... and no issues. No licence required to register a home phone.
I called back later to ask why they needed a *licence* number for a home phone connection, but no one could actually say.
Although, the government made the law so that you need to identify yourself to register a mobile phone. I do wonder how people who have a licence (don't drink, don't drive, etc) obtain a mobile connection.
Interestingly, with the recent attempt by google - where they demand a phone number to verify you - is completely thwartable. You can buy sim cards for $2 each - as many as you like.
Knowing someone's phone number (ala scraping it via Android / iphone) can be very useful for identifying individuals.. but phone numbers can be changed easily. It's just a pain to do.
I'm surprised that they haven't suggested using phone numbers to identify people.
Absolutely. Gov't agencies and the like are required to cater for their clients - tax payers / the public.
Google doesn't. There is little financial incentive to go that extra length, and yes, it would be quite costly to do so.
Google has introduced wonderful innovations, and their use of technology is inspiring.. but it does not mean that it is available to all. I expect this of most new things. Perhaps time will change this. In additional, one of the problems is that the sighted may be needed to work to assist the blind.. and this normally involves money.
I've spent some serious time in the web dev world, and I can't see the problem being fixed any time soon.
Not when the itunes software disables the dvd drive. In this day and age it is rude that software disables hardware in the manner that itunes disables dvd rom drives.
Yes, I know, there is an M$ fix to correct some of the problems. That still doesn't give me the hours back of my time trying to unscrew what itunes did.
Worse, Apple still hasn't fixed the basic problems with itunes. It is still as flaky as it was several versions ago. It is a *database*. Why can't it store duplicates? Why does it not remember previous file names? Why does it blat file names? Why can't you look up an existing file name? How on earth can it not use a singular point of reference for files - MD5 sum perhaps?
Worst of all, millions of people are now using itunes.. giving them the platform to say 'our software is great!'.
This is something I've had a hand in for quite some time; and unfortunately the conclusion that I've come to professionally is that it just is not possible to 'enforce' a specific type of behaviour on the current level of technology available used to access the 'net.
It's sad, but true.
Even with good standards there exists means for the standards to be broken. You can't police every site. You can't keelhaul every company and coder that doesn't comply with standards or means to provide for a small percentage of their users.
At best you can promote and support standards which make a service available to all and work towards the majority and the minority enjoying the same services.
Yes, much like the cookie control panel added into Firefox.. and in FF3 kind of hidden.
Firefox has a good start - all (?) of the information available is accessible.
It's only when people realise what this data means and how it is used that they will start to move. Most of my family and friends now use firefox with adblock plus, at a minimum.
Slashdot Mirror
Given some of the recent changes in Vista and Windows 7.. this may not be such a bad thing.
Seriously, is Aero really needed by the majority of users?
The newly crippled W7 search?
W7 ability to nuke partition information?
Vista and W7 shutdown problems? (still waiting 5 to 8 minutes for W7 to shutdown.. and when it does you don't know if it will come back up...)
Breaking the alt-tab function (it *really* sucks to have all windows minimise every time you alt-tab)
Some functions introduces by W7 can be quite useful.. and others not so much.
I'm all for a 32bit OS which mimics Windows XP, continues comparability (another sore point I've had with W7) and continues on the path forged by XP and now discarded by W8.
My view is that one day in the future a Linux OS will provide everything that XP provides today. That will be the year of the Linux Desktop. Not because it is the latest and greatest, not because it is fast, but because it is reliable, runs your programs, doesn't interfere with you using your computer (microsoft, I'm looking at your with your crippling of vista and W7 on behalf of big media), is stable and provides what all users want: An operating system which runs in the background.
Every time W7 kills someone's partition, W7 search fails, W7 won't boot or Vista, W7 or W8 prevents a user from using their computer.. brings us closer to us all using something else.
Meanwhile, every time I click on those stupid junction folders and have an error thrown I die a little.
I respectfully disagree. I care.
I've had several nasty experiences with Java, and while I am onboard with the concept and will support java initiatives in the enterprise.. the stunts they have pulled over the years does not help. Not at all.
And yes, if you are 'in the know' then you are FINE. If you are not, or are not technical.. it's really confusing and does not help when presenting technology options to a bunch of PHBs.
So, I'd mod leenks up .. this is a good point to discuss and is very relevant. Consider this: if you can't talk about it, getting technology into the enterprise and deployed can be extremely difficult.
Case in point: After all of these years, I finally have a server with mediawiki.. and PHP. Problem is, it's now 10 years too late. The main issue with getting PHP.. let alone wiki software? Communication, acceptance and funding. I sorted the funding.. but the other issues remain.
Seeing how this topic is on the table.. let's discuss CA's (computer associates) tendency to rename their software every couple of years..
Meanwhile, it's a pity that Java was meant to be write once, deploy everywhere.. but turned out to be a write once ... twice.. three times ..
P.S. I am still annoyed by the 'security warnings' that get thrown due to 'wrong version'. At least there is a good solution: adblock plus does a good job at blocking specific java objects :)
TomorrowNow will plead guilty to criminal charges of copyright infringement for downloading software from Oracle's servers
Now, if only everyone who downloaded and used Oracle software could be found guilty ... :-)
Yes, I'm a fan of DB2 and dislike what Oracle have done as a corporation recently. Can you tell?
You could write a greasemonkey script for this.. :-)
ie http://neilmcallister.com/2008/12/31/greasemonkey-fix-for-user-page/
Actually, I quite like the idea of there being a tree view on the left hand side, collapsible, showing titles and scores.
A float tree, perhaps, so it doesn't muck up the current UI?
Perhaps, with an option to dynamic resize, or grown / shrink?
Hmm.....
The burning is excessive. After a couple of days of soaking paper in enough water to cover it most paper starts turning to pulp. Stir around with a stick for a while and it solves the problem nicely.
Paper brick maker into blocks if you are feeling excessive. But burning? A step to far in my opinion.
Then again, I have a box with water and a liberal amount of domestos. Every now and then when it gets full I give it a stir, wad what remains into a bucket and trash it. Works fine.
Meanwhile, getting away from security by destruction of documents.. I don't want google, or anyone else, to 'verify' me. Why is this required? I know who I am, as do the people I relate to online and IRL. Yes, I know, this is 'not for the commoners'. How long, though, until it is?
No, I don't have a g+ account. Waiting to see what happens. Can always join later if it turns out to be a better option than FB.
Your PC has a firewall; or Peerguardian2. Or both.
Where is this functionality on Android so that I can confirm that an App on my phone is behaving as per it's claims?
Riddle me this:-
They've just released season 10 of Jag, and we're now halfway through, and the other half was reading about some of the other work the Jag actors have done. She soon finds 'the good witch' series with C. Bell in the lead role.
A short while later, she has found that she quite likes this series - and would like to own the DVD. After a bit of hunting she found that you could get this series on DVD - but only as region 1 and then with limited means to buy it (region "4" here out of interest). After a brief discussion about this problem, and some related issues, she finds the show on youtube and watches it - 8 minutes at a time ... on her phone *sigh*
Now she has found where she can buy this online.. which is great.. but I can assure you that the legal owner of this content has nothing to do with the sale..
So.
Here comes the question.
How exactly does this help the industry?
Here is the perfect scenario - we've just purchased one series - Jag Season 10 - on DVD, and to forestall the inevitable "there's nothing on TV.. what are we watching tonight?" we have a new candidate.. which isn't available in Aus legally.
I am really failing to understand how regional locking and limited release of product is helping the industry who are crying foul over "pirates" and threatening to sue anyone who doesn't play by their rules.
Meanwhile, I am hoping that my other half doesn't get a serious crick in her neck from constant youtubing in the bath (amazing how a zip lock bag helps.. best of both worlds really :) )
Anyone care to weigh in?
I feel so much less alone now..
In other news, it appears that The Doctor was right.. except not just in the centuries ahead... the human race will bonk anything.. anytime.. anywhere..
So... what you are saying is that the whole pirate / somalia coast problem can solved by western countries contracting the russians to police the area?
Good plan!
My back-of-the-envelope calculations show that in less than 2 years there will be less than 2 pirate attackes in any six month period (the rest of them won't be willing to go near the water when they know that their boat will be sunk.. and them along with it... possibly from up to a kilometre away...)
Yeah, try telling that to the major Australian ISPs - Telstra and Optus
Today 'the interpol's list of naught sites' ... tomorrow... ?
and there you have it in a nutshell.
What I asked myself is 'is there *anything* about my *private* life that I'd want my parents, siblings, cousins, or Others to know about'.. The answer was 'very little; some, but not much'.
I locked my FB account down on the first day; posts only visible to Friends; can only be seen my Friends of Friends (pity my mother is now a friend of a friend.. can't be helped).
I like your metric. I will use this in future. It's a good question to ask.
Meanwhile, a friend (yes, someone I see IRL and have lunch with on occasion) invited me to a Group via FB recently.. very.. interesting.. it looks like FB is already responding to this..
Here in Aus they have implemented a new system whereby you do not need to enter a pin or sign if it is a "small" amount (less than $100 at MacD's and less than $35 at Coles / Kmart stores) - Paypass / paywave.
It's been in for a couple of months, and is gradually gaining acceptance. There's a few problems though; one being the marketing material which clearly states that '.. there is no risk..'.
Let's see here. If I get mugged, said mugger can use my CC to their heart's content - so long as it is less than $100 at Macd's or less than $35 at a Coles (chain of stores et al).
The information provided states that any money lost on a stolen card will be refunded *after* the card is reported stolen. So, this opens up two new avenues:
1) Get mugged, and have your credit card joy ridden for a couple of hours
2) Get mugged, and have your credit card chip cloned
or even better, let's go for option
3) Your card information is recorded, and 'mysterious' $35 amounts keep appearing on your bills.. until you cancel the card..
I have asked, repeatedly, as to how to have this functionality disabled. Yes, I am security conscious enough that I want the 'hassle' of putting my pin in Every Single Time. Yes, even for 'small' purchases. Apparently, it can't be done - short of shredding your credit card.
Mainly, I am now concerned with young thugs trying to mug me. The "Zero Liability: If your card is ever lost or stolen, youâ(TM)re protected with Zero Liability for unauthorized purchases." ( Reference: http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/paywave/index.html ) will *not* help with a broken arm or missing teeth.
This.
I've mod you +1 "Depressing and true" if I could.
Now, I have to get back to this lovely situation where my old work PC had a registered (and working!) version of Visio 2003.. and I'm now told I need a new licence for Visio 2007 for this new office PC.. ... ... *sigh* ... ... ...
Meanwhile, I have replaced Frontpage with NVU - for similar reasons.
I use MS Paint all of the time. When you need to take a screenshot, cut part of it out, and quickly cut that into a new JPG, PNG or into a document it is quite good.
I don't have a graphics program on most of the PCs I use, work or home. I have gimp, but rarely use it.
MS Paint is (was) easy to use, good to use (from a rat-race office documentation perspective) and serves its purpose well.
In comparison, the new windos 7 MS Paint drives me nuts, mostly due to the 'ribbon'.
Actually, while we are on topic, the whole MS Office suite drives me nuts due to the 'ribbon'.
So, you are now forced to upgrade Skype? Well, MS would do the same for MS Office if it could... and appear to have tried very hard to do so.
Meanwhile, this - amongst other serious annoyances (CD music - and nothing else - being disabled, serious issues with DVD software, serious sound issues, annoying system popups) are driving me to install XP over the top of my Laptop Windows 7. Yes, work will move to W7, and yes, I know it's Windows. So, back we go. It's Win98 all over again.
Software upgrades may be a fact of life in IT.. but some of the software I use is over 10 years old now (GMUD is a good example) and works fine. I see no serious reason for the 'improvements' in the W7 MS Paint.. and I'd really like access to the XP version. If worst comes to worst, there is always GIMP.
What attack on Sony?
Is there proof that Anonymous was behind the credit card theft? and if so, how have the benefited?
Citation Required... ?
Links would be nice..
Sweden is considered advanced in the area of financial management of tax for the benefit of the community. Yes, you may 'pay more' but the result is that Swedish society benefits overall.
One benefit, I suppose, is that the Swedes don't get highly stressed for two to three weeks every year trying to calculate obscure values for their tax return :-)
In Australia it can be less complicated.. the Government offers a program called 'E-Tax' from which you download from the Australia Tax Office, install on your computer, fill in the forms, and submit your tax. If you have only a 'basic' tax return it is very easy, fast, simple and does not require a trip to a tax agent (and the loss of $150 + to have someone review information you collect, to produce a form submission for which you are liable for).
Australia has a Pay As You Go ( http://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/pathway.aspx?sid=42&pc=001/003/023&mfp=001/002&mnu=44725#001_003_023 ) which means that for most people the tax you owe is taken out of your wage every pay. So, come tax time, the only question is 'what can I claim?'.
The main problem I can see with the proposition from the article is that much of the 'manual accounting' for which takes place may not be possible to calculate without extensive input. This means that if you have that many laws, with so many permutations then you would need every detail about everyone in the system for the system to calculate the tax for each person. Would Americans allow this? I suspect that they would see it as an invasion of privacy or similar.
I agree that Sweden probably gets the 'better end of the stick'. In the end the money and services flow.. and in the end someone pays. The only question is... Who?
(in relation.. my sig is quite appropriate for this discussion.. :-) )
Ok, there's now a few hundred comments here and no one has linked to http://www.processimpact.com/articles/qualreqs.html or similar. Try the PDF version - http://www.processimpact.com/articles/qualreqs.pdf
Have a google around. There's a full document of which is the summary.
Read the Book of 5 Rings.
Read the Art of War (alternatively, listen to it..) ...
and start applying this to your job.
Requirements management is something everyone tries to avoid because it is 'too hard'.
---
On the darker side, I work with people to whom writing a short (2 to 3 pages) 'technical specification' is a 'waste of time' as the 'code documents itself' and 'it is obvious what the code does from reading it'.
Funny part about this comes when 'simple utilities' need to be updated.. and only the original coder knows how they are meant to function.
Yes, it reads from that file.
Yes, it writes to that file..
Yes, it does that processing..
But, what is the actually business requirement?
No idea, because that coder is gone. The system has changed.. and now we don't know if it should be doing x, y or z. What do we do now? No technical documentation, no business spec, and over 400 people use this (currently broken) utility on a daily basis.
Wait! I know! Let's do some requirements work and determine what it *should* be doing now.
No, we can't do that.
Too much work.
Let's just 'fix' the code.
Hang on. You have just made a code change.. slapped the code back into Prod... how do you know that your change 1) is what users need and 2) actually works?
So, they brought the code down again, and made another change. This went on for several weeks, annoyed users to no end to the point of end users not using the utility... and our reputation goes further down the drain.
All because no one wants to do requirements analysis, change impact analysis, business specifications, technical specifications or actually properly document their code.
That rage you feel when someone says "the code documents itself!". It means it is time to fix the processes, or leave.
Meanwhile, yes, we have a review process. Test plans are required. Testing is 'required'. Why don't these processes work? Well, it's called "rubber stamping".
If you can't beat them, join them or leave.
Good to see you tried with another browser first.
This is exactly why: ... so you don't get hijacked with activex driveby installs like this.
1) Don't use IE as primary browser
2) Always have several browsers handy (Opera, Firefox, Chrome at a minimum)
and
3) Have your IE Security settings set to not trust or install automatically.
Preaching to the choir here, I know, I was whacked by activex installs several times before learning how to take the cautious path.
At least has been somewhat address in the latest versions of IE. Too little too late unfortunately with IE6 still looming large in the wild.
Some software can be very useful for identifying and preventing a driveby install. I've found Adaware and comodo to do a decent job.
FYI, In Australia Telstra 'asks' for your licence to connect your home phone. They make it sound like giving your licence is absolutely required.
Last time this occurred for me, the conversation started to wear a little on the operator -
"What is your licence number?" ... and no issues. No licence required to register a home phone.
"What licence?"
"Car licence"
"Why would I have a car licence?"
"Err. Oh."
"I am requesting for a home phone connection, not registering a car"
"Okay then"
I called back later to ask why they needed a *licence* number for a home phone connection, but no one could actually say.
Although, the government made the law so that you need to identify yourself to register a mobile phone. I do wonder how people who have a licence (don't drink, don't drive, etc) obtain a mobile connection.
Interestingly, with the recent attempt by google - where they demand a phone number to verify you - is completely thwartable. You can buy sim cards for $2 each - as many as you like.
Knowing someone's phone number (ala scraping it via Android / iphone) can be very useful for identifying individuals.. but phone numbers can be changed easily. It's just a pain to do.
I'm surprised that they haven't suggested using phone numbers to identify people.
Absolutely. Gov't agencies and the like are required to cater for their clients - tax payers / the public.
Google doesn't. There is little financial incentive to go that extra length, and yes, it would be quite costly to do so.
Google has introduced wonderful innovations, and their use of technology is inspiring.. but it does not mean that it is available to all. I expect this of most new things. Perhaps time will change this. In additional, one of the problems is that the sighted may be needed to work to assist the blind .. and this normally involves money.
I've spent some serious time in the web dev world, and I can't see the problem being fixed any time soon.
Not when the itunes software disables the dvd drive. In this day and age it is rude that software disables hardware in the manner that itunes disables dvd rom drives.
Yes, I know, there is an M$ fix to correct some of the problems. That still doesn't give me the hours back of my time trying to unscrew what itunes did.
Worse, Apple still hasn't fixed the basic problems with itunes. It is still as flaky as it was several versions ago. It is a *database*. Why can't it store duplicates? Why does it not remember previous file names? Why does it blat file names? Why can't you look up an existing file name? How on earth can it not use a singular point of reference for files - MD5 sum perhaps?
Worst of all, millions of people are now using itunes.. giving them the platform to say 'our software is great!'.
Anything but itunes.
Sincere apologies!
Please ignore previous comment..
I missed the "not" in your statement.
Back to the discussion at hand (or eye):
This is something I've had a hand in for quite some time; and unfortunately the conclusion that I've come to professionally is that it just is not possible to 'enforce' a specific type of behaviour on the current level of technology available used to access the 'net.
It's sad, but true.
Even with good standards there exists means for the standards to be broken. You can't police every site. You can't keelhaul every company and coder that doesn't comply with standards or means to provide for a small percentage of their users.
At best you can promote and support standards which make a service available to all and work towards the majority and the minority enjoying the same services.
Citation required.
Please state the law that requires me to code for interoperablity to the status of "works well" "with screen readers".
(bonus hint: I am not disclosing where on, or off, this planet I normally reside).
Errr... please tell us that you don't personally "produce" your "beer"
Yes, much like the cookie control panel added into Firefox.. and in FF3 kind of hidden.
Firefox has a good start - all (?) of the information available is accessible.
It's only when people realise what this data means and how it is used that they will start to move. Most of my family and friends now use firefox with adblock plus, at a minimum.