I'd go with the combo approach, and attack from all angles.
Use your logs to identify where problems are coming from in real time, and send undergrads knocking on doors.
Use text messaging, use cdroms with all tools, do it all! You could set up some king of live chat thingie, use net send to users. So many things.
The upside to this problem? You can build your online community, and get rid of the viruses and worms...this problem is not insurmountable. As a matter of fact, its great training for real-world problems that students will face when they're not students anymore. I would also gather a sort of geek special ops team amongst students. Have some teams develop plans, kick ideas around to let the cream rise to the top.
I doubt there will be anything substantial in longhorn besides a couple of neat new features, and appearance. Windows 2000 should be good for a long time to come.
XP is ok too but I've noticed that the vast majority people fall into two categories: 1. Folks who can't learn to use any new capabilities. 2. Those who don't need them, and therefore won't get excited about upgrading.
And corporate customers?...With the worms/virii lately, what IT dept has time to even contemplate moving away from windows 2000. Especially if your current situation is working fine.
Righto. The basis for all such penalties whether copyright infringement or theft of real property is the intent to do something wrong. This guy makes an honest assertion that he never meant to do anything wrong.
I've noticed this problem where I work, and its scary to beleive you can incur a six-figure fines over this type thing. Example: You have 20 licenses but the software is installed on 23 machines. However, only 12 people in your organization could possibly make use of it. A company that isn't IT-centric might think they're ok...."well, I overlicensed just to be sure.". Sure its your fault you're not fully in compliance, but the enormous fines are just a money grab, and completely unwarranted
That might be their undoing. SCO's agressive posture is all well and good between multi-gazillion dollar entities, but when you attack the "little guy" you have to risk looking really bad.
All it takes is for a few AG's to get busy on this case. Then the press will take note, and perhaps remind people that linux is everywhere (little devices, schools, govt' websites).
SCO doesen't have a revenue stream from real products that could support their cash needs if the stock collapses.
I'm frustrated that I've only heard people saying what "didn't" cause the power failure by the powers that be: It wasn't terrorism or the MS worm. So says the politicians and power grid experts. Of course, they also go on to say things like "I don't know what caused it--it shouldn't be able to happen".
I also remember hearing months back that some functions of control for public utilities are taking place over the internet. Why not since its cheap and mostly reliable.
Does anyone remember Homer's rhetorical query to lisa's sarcastic assessment of the killer robots at the amusement park..."Wonders, Lisa, or blunders?"
Maybe so. Just in passing conversations this week, I clued in several people that patching your OS was at least as important as an AV suite (at least in my view).
If one thinks about the enormous media atention this worm has brought, and the number newspaper articles saying "seriously--you need to do this", you might think that this could increase traffic to windowsupdate by 3x or even far, far more.
Maybe its just a healthy slashdotting; maybe there's a lot of things happening along several fronts.
You're right. I'm not a programmer, so I can't personally comment on how insecure (or not) windows is.
However, I do know that admins had enough warning about this worm, and multiple ways to avoid getting hit by it.
On the other side of the coin, I'm sure there are plenty of networks that are doing fine because the admins did do their jobs. They deserve a pat on the back, even if it was their job. Perhaps one of those Bud Light commercials?
I'd be pissed too. Anyone with their "ear to the ground" would have seen this coming 3 weeks to 1 month ago.
This worm requires unpatched workstations and ports that shouldn't be open in order to propagate.
Granted, anyone with an infected laptop could bring this virus into your workplace, but still, security experts have been vocal about a worm of this type being iminent.
I've noticed this with all the really bad worms lately. Seems like there are at least two conditions that must be met for them to propagate. And none of the conditions should have existed in the first place.
Sometimes I think that unpatched machines on home broadband connections are why these worms spread so fast. But then you hear about simple worms getting past so-called "professionals" at companies where they should know better.
Considering that copyright infringement is starting to carry such enormous penalties, and puts the accused in considerable legal jeopardy, I'd say that this is turning into a due process/denial of life/liberty/pursuit of happiness type thing. Although IANAL.
I mean, the penalties are going the route of the "mandatory minimum" and property forefieture laws. Some congressmen have talked about jail time!
Anyone who accuses folks of DMCA violations, etc, should have considerable hoops to jump through, and not be able to litigate by mail order.
"That's the way it is with a wiseguy partner. He gets his money no matter what. You got no business? Fuck you, pay me. You had a fire? Fuck you, pay me. The place got hit by lightning and World War Three started in the lounge? Fuck you, pay me." - Henry Hill.
I'd love to find out who this chickenshit company is.
Organizations that went from all windows 95/98 straight to windows 2k had the same type of issues with things not working quite right, and users not understanding the changes.
That's why you keep rolling up new ghost images that have the latest patches, tweaks, and workarounds needed to get your desktops working properly in a complicated enterprise environment.
As for the Samba problems, most can be ironed out by reading the documentation and checking newsgroups. There are irritating things about linux, but samba isn't one of them.
I agree. Also, aren't sports stadiums public and private at the same time? Because of the enormity of stadium projects, cities must sell bonds and sometimes fund the stadiums. They do this for the economic benefit and prestige of the city, as well as intangibles such as the enjoyment of city residents. This would make them somewhat like a public utility, right?
Let's say XYZ oil company says in the public relations section of their website that "we really care about the environment".
Can they be obligated to post a link to my blog if I rebut? I mean, all I have to do is list the facts why I think they're not telling the truth...."XYZ oil company wouldn't violate environmental laws so often if they really cared about the environment....".
I mean, it sounds like the opinion-expressing blogger is expected to live up to a higher standard.
Some people argue that I just have to give a link to an opposing opinion, but why should there be extra hurdles to jump if I want to just say something? There are already slander and libel laws, right? Why should my opinion have to be validated as factual?
When I was a kid, my dad worked for HP. I seem to remember (late 70's?) him and everyone else taking a 10% pay cut for a certain amount of time to avoid layoffs.
I think that was a different HP and a different era, but why should that be? Sure layoffs do happen, but there doesen't seem to be a shred of decency at the top of most businesses these days.
I really beleive the middle class is an endangered species.
-- make your computing environment ubiquitous. Consider something web-based (or that syncs) if you happen not to have your laptop.
-- make your computing environment conform to the way you arrange things in your head. I've watched people turn "productivity software" into something they copy just all their notes, addresses, and appointments into for no real benefit. It just becomes redundant.
-- consider that some things might not be easier/faster/better with your computer.
I agree. Another problem is selling these to corporate clients during a recession and a tech bust. A simpler model as you describe could play well in the home if done right.
Your family already has a fast, new pc? This would make a great companion, eliminate fights between who gets to use the computer.
There is also a significant number of folks out there running very old machines at home. They have probably been thinking about upgrading for a while. Heck, there are still people that don't even have a pc.
Turn these babies loose at bestbuy. When you make people say "oh man, this is great!" they will open their wallets. Just make sure to tether them...you don't want to turn them loose from the store premesis.
I agree with you. Another innovation was finding a middle ground between what consumers want, are willing to pay actual money for, and what record labels will tolerate.
I find the discussions about bandwidth (real and potential) less interesting than whether new AP's will have good backward compatability with a and b clients, have better range, and other usability issues.
It would be nice to stream high-quality video over wireless links, but that's what wired segments are for. Other factors are more important for the 802.11x's (most applications; most people). Like for instance, I'd like to see a breakdown of how many web surfers a 'g' access point could handle in a mixed-card environment.
I'd probably go with apple before even looking at the specifics of each model (although that's probably not advisable). Because apple innovates, and apple's plan is probably better on the whole.
That's why microsoft has a "trustworthy computing" initiative. It's code for "nobody trusts microsoft as far as they could throw it". As soon as soon as I read that microsoft was coming out with a music service, I thought "what's the catch?"
Slashdot Mirror
I agree. I have a similar setup (with the PC as gateway) that works flawlessly with all network clients (5 computers at my house).
You gotta have a proxy server, though. Using my setup (squid) Web surfing with 3+ clients is quite satisfactory.
I hooked my parents up with a similar confuration, and it works great with no intervention on their part.
I'd go with the combo approach, and attack from all angles.
Use your logs to identify where problems are coming from in real time, and send undergrads knocking on doors.
Use text messaging, use cdroms with all tools, do it all! You could set up some king of live chat thingie, use net send to users. So many things.
The upside to this problem? You can build your online community, and get rid of the viruses and worms...this problem is not insurmountable. As a matter of fact, its great training for real-world problems that students will face when they're not students anymore. I would also gather a sort of geek special ops team amongst students. Have some teams develop plans, kick ideas around to let the cream rise to the top.
Wait till infected laptops & workstations start moving back into the dorms!
I doubt there will be anything substantial in longhorn besides a couple of neat new features, and appearance. Windows 2000 should be good for a long time to come.
XP is ok too but I've noticed that the vast majority people fall into two categories: 1. Folks who can't learn to use any new capabilities. 2. Those who don't need them, and therefore won't get excited about upgrading.
And corporate customers?...With the worms/virii lately, what IT dept has time to even contemplate moving away from windows 2000. Especially if your current situation is working fine.
Righto. The basis for all such penalties whether copyright infringement or theft of real property is the intent to do something wrong. This guy makes an honest assertion that he never meant to do anything wrong.
I've noticed this problem where I work, and its scary to beleive you can incur a six-figure fines over this type thing. Example: You have 20 licenses but the software is installed on 23 machines. However, only 12 people in your organization could possibly make use of it. A company that isn't IT-centric might think they're ok...."well, I overlicensed just to be sure.". Sure its your fault you're not fully in compliance, but the enormous fines are just a money grab, and completely unwarranted
Great. 25 years from now, some company from Utah will be demanding I purchase a license to wash my dishes.
That might be their undoing. SCO's agressive posture is all well and good between multi-gazillion dollar entities, but when you attack the "little guy" you have to risk looking really bad.
All it takes is for a few AG's to get busy on this case. Then the press will take note, and perhaps remind people that linux is everywhere (little devices, schools, govt' websites).
SCO doesen't have a revenue stream from real products that could support their cash needs if the stock collapses.
Excellent point. Also remember that schools of any type have dozens if not hundreds of networked computers as well. Not just universities.
I'm frustrated that I've only heard people saying what "didn't" cause the power failure by the powers that be: It wasn't terrorism or the MS worm. So says the politicians and power grid experts. Of course, they also go on to say things like "I don't know what caused it--it shouldn't be able to happen".
I also remember hearing months back that some functions of control for public utilities are taking place over the internet. Why not since its cheap and mostly reliable.
Does anyone remember Homer's rhetorical query to lisa's sarcastic assessment of the killer robots at the amusement park..."Wonders, Lisa, or blunders?"
Maybe so. Just in passing conversations this week, I clued in several people that patching your OS was at least as important as an AV suite (at least in my view).
If one thinks about the enormous media atention this worm has brought, and the number newspaper articles saying "seriously--you need to do this", you might think that this could increase traffic to windowsupdate by 3x or even far, far more.
Maybe its just a healthy slashdotting; maybe there's a lot of things happening along several fronts.
You're right. I'm not a programmer, so I can't personally comment on how insecure (or not) windows is.
However, I do know that admins had enough warning about this worm, and multiple ways to avoid getting hit by it.
On the other side of the coin, I'm sure there are plenty of networks that are doing fine because the admins did do their jobs. They deserve a pat on the back, even if it was their job. Perhaps one of those Bud Light commercials?
I'd be pissed too. Anyone with their "ear to the ground" would have seen this coming 3 weeks to 1 month ago.
This worm requires unpatched workstations and ports that shouldn't be open in order to propagate.
Granted, anyone with an infected laptop could bring this virus into your workplace, but still, security experts have been vocal about a worm of this type being iminent.
I've noticed this with all the really bad worms lately. Seems like there are at least two conditions that must be met for them to propagate. And none of the conditions should have existed in the first place.
Sometimes I think that unpatched machines on home broadband connections are why these worms spread so fast. But then you hear about simple worms getting past so-called "professionals" at companies where they should know better.
Considering that copyright infringement is starting to carry such enormous penalties, and puts the accused in considerable legal jeopardy, I'd say that this is turning into a due process/denial of life/liberty/pursuit of happiness type thing. Although IANAL.
I mean, the penalties are going the route of the "mandatory minimum" and property forefieture laws. Some congressmen have talked about jail time!
Anyone who accuses folks of DMCA violations, etc, should have considerable hoops to jump through, and not be able to litigate by mail order.
"That's the way it is with a wiseguy partner. He gets his money no matter what. You got no business? Fuck you, pay me. You had a fire? Fuck you, pay me. The place got hit by lightning and World War Three started in the lounge? Fuck you, pay me." - Henry Hill.
I'd love to find out who this chickenshit company is.
whatever....like the energy producers have any clout in DC right now......(long pause)..... ummmm, nevermind.
Organizations that went from all windows 95/98 straight to windows 2k had the same type of issues with things not working quite right, and users not understanding the changes.
That's why you keep rolling up new ghost images that have the latest patches, tweaks, and workarounds needed to get your desktops working properly in a complicated enterprise environment.
As for the Samba problems, most can be ironed out by reading the documentation and checking newsgroups. There are irritating things about linux, but samba isn't one of them.
I agree. Also, aren't sports stadiums public and private at the same time? Because of the enormity of stadium projects, cities must sell bonds and sometimes fund the stadiums. They do this for the economic benefit and prestige of the city, as well as intangibles such as the enjoyment of city residents. This would make them somewhat like a public utility, right?
obligatory simpsons quote: "I'm rebroadcasting major league baseball with implied oral consent....not express written consent!"
Let's say XYZ oil company says in the public relations section of their website that "we really care about the environment".
Can they be obligated to post a link to my blog if I rebut? I mean, all I have to do is list the facts why I think they're not telling the truth...."XYZ oil company wouldn't violate environmental laws so often if they really cared about the environment....".
I mean, it sounds like the opinion-expressing blogger is expected to live up to a higher standard.
Some people argue that I just have to give a link to an opposing opinion, but why should there be extra hurdles to jump if I want to just say something? There are already slander and libel laws, right? Why should my opinion have to be validated as factual?
When I was a kid, my dad worked for HP. I seem to remember (late 70's?) him and everyone else taking a 10% pay cut for a certain amount of time to avoid layoffs.
I think that was a different HP and a different era, but why should that be? Sure layoffs do happen, but there doesen't seem to be a shred of decency at the top of most businesses these days.
I really beleive the middle class is an endangered species.
-- get a laptop with 802.11
-- make your computing environment ubiquitous. Consider something web-based (or that syncs) if you happen not to have your laptop.
-- make your computing environment conform to the way you arrange things in your head. I've watched people turn "productivity software" into something they copy just all their notes, addresses, and appointments into for no real benefit. It just becomes redundant.
-- consider that some things might not be easier/faster/better with your computer.
I agree. Another problem is selling these to corporate clients during a recession and a tech bust. A simpler model as you describe could play well in the home if done right.
Your family already has a fast, new pc? This would make a great companion, eliminate fights between who gets to use the computer.
There is also a significant number of folks out there running very old machines at home. They have probably been thinking about upgrading for a while. Heck, there are still people that don't even have a pc.
Turn these babies loose at bestbuy. When you make people say "oh man, this is great!" they will open their wallets. Just make sure to tether them...you don't want to turn them loose from the store premesis.
I agree with you. Another innovation was finding a middle ground between what consumers want, are willing to pay actual money for, and what record labels will tolerate.
I find the discussions about bandwidth (real and potential) less interesting than whether new AP's will have good backward compatability with a and b clients, have better range, and other usability issues.
It would be nice to stream high-quality video over wireless links, but that's what wired segments are for. Other factors are more important for the 802.11x's (most applications; most people). Like for instance, I'd like to see a breakdown of how many web surfers a 'g' access point could handle in a mixed-card environment.
I'd probably go with apple before even looking at the specifics of each model (although that's probably not advisable). Because apple innovates, and apple's plan is probably better on the whole.
That's why microsoft has a "trustworthy computing" initiative. It's code for "nobody trusts microsoft as far as they could throw it". As soon as soon as I read that microsoft was coming out with a music service, I thought "what's the catch?"