I think the problem isnt so much saying "Windows has issues", but more of the "M$ 1z 3v1L" tone of what he was saying.
Hell, everyone acknowledges Windows has issues. MS is very upfront about that; they have very good technical resources, IMO. But the issue is that Windows isnt the ONLY OS with issues- THEY ALL HAVE THEM!!!
And again, this is nothing new- if you are in the biz, you know that if somebody can build it, somebody can unbuild it. Especially when they have unlimited time to figure out how to hax0r your network while you are focusing on getting constructive work done, for *only* 40-60 hours a week. Irregardless of your OS, you will ultimately be vulnerable. The trick is just to stay ahead of the curve, and hopefully have a bit of luck- nothing sucks more than being the first person hacked by a new exploit, or catching a new virus.
"The Venn diagram of facts doesn't intersect. The intersection of all of those statements is the null set," Geer said.
Wow, lets not try and sound like and even BIGGER idiot than we are already. Someone is sounding just a wee *tad* in love with themself... but thats just how its reading off on my end.
Whether Microsoft had a hand in his demise "will be forever impossible to ascertain," Geer said. "One might say communication wasn't necessary. There's a school of thought that says that a phone call wasn't needed. The more powerful you are, the less likely you are to have to pick up the phone. At most, you could call it plausible deniability."
Wow, he fits right in at Slashdot! I'll bet he is a huge poster here, just a guess. The article is a mirror of the conspiracy theories and half-baked ideas always thrown about over here.
Now, to address the last poster's comments-
Having sys-admins who do their jobs instead of whining about patching will fix *many* windows related problems
True dat. One thing the Slashdot crowd is particulary ignorant of is MS's free content management service, SUS (Software Update Service), which provides an admin with the ability to snap their network right into the already-existing Windows Update Service in Win2k/XP. And any savvy admin can easily config Windows Update at the desktop level with a logon script (Kixtart (which is free), SMS, or ScriptLogic are my prefered methods), thereby covering software updates for the ENTIRE enterprise. For free. Using things they already own.
Pretty nice, in my book.
Secretaries shouldn't have to learn userland *nix just to type up a TPS cover sheet for their weekly memos
Ya, it really sucks when ten people have to bitch cuz you fuxd up the coversheet for the TPS report;)
Likewise some network admin shouldn't be forced to use WinXP just because the latest.NET makes every XML transaction cost less [or whatever]....
With all due respect,.NET is a MS creation. But there are open-source implimentations which will plug into it, strangely enough. I'm not an expert by any means, but I believe.NET hooks right in to XML, which is why connectivity to disparate systems is so easy.
Now what gets me with this whole stupid 'OS diversity' arguement is that, from a networking standpoint, its somewhat dumb. I mean, if you have MS Active Directory handling the logins and NOS, Unix doing your DDNS, and your firewall done with Linux, an attack on ANY of those are going to adversely effect the network. The only REAL way to address that problem is to have redundant services on different OS's as a fail-over (which isnt 100% possible, especially in the case of the NOS); this is really expensive, for one thing, and since you will most likely need the expertise of more than one tech admin, prohibitively so for small to medium sized organizations.
So quite honestly, its a bit of a strawman they are erecting everytime they raise this issue.
Anyway, since I know honesty isnt respected here, ESPECIALLY when it isnt anti-MS, feel free to mod me down.
The only difference between an American democracy and an Indian democracy is their leadership- one focuses on enabling job growth in their country, while the other torpedoes it in favor of driving down costs for big business.
You can decide which is which, but here is a hit- the US lost 3.3 Million jobs since Bush took office.
every RFID-tagged item you purchase will be uniquely different from every other nearly-identical item, enabling it to be identified and associated with you long after the purchase
This statement just doesnt make any sense. All the RFID will allow is an RFID reader to know "Red, pocketless shirt, from the GAP."
To forever associate that shirt with the purchaser would take a tie-in with the credit card companies (which I am positive they would be unwilling to give), or some other database to associate EVERY tagged item with a person.
But honestly, what is the big deal? Does it really bother you that a computer will know about the tie-died shirt and used-looking jeans you just bought? IMO, this isnt doing anything except letting stores track their inventories electronically. But instead it has to turn into the stereotypically slashdot murder-mystery/conspiracy theory, which is somehow the fault of Bill Gates.
I see. It seemed to me you were attempting to say something which wasnt the case. The fact is that currently Bungie is only working on the XBox platform, and all other work (conversion to alternate platforms, ie the PC or Mac) is being done by third parties.
In fact, here is an interview with Peter Tamte of Destineer Studios, who will be publishing Mac Halo:
I dont recall if I mentioned this, but the PC coversion is being handled by Gearbox. The two versions should have complete compatibility, and (possibly) even map editing tools.
Spoken like a true software-only person. Unless it has server level HARDWARE, which has nothing to do with the OS, it doesnt deserve to be called a server.
Mac 'servers' are nothing more than what everyone else calls workstations. Sticking feathers up your ass does not make you a chicken.
We should all take this to heart; any computer that isn't turned off and locked in a safe at the bottom of an ocean on jupiter should be considered insecure, and even then...
Ive worked for a company owned by Germans. All I have to say is that they are typical busy-work types: they feel a need to change everything just to justify the fact that they are there.
As far as real-world IT competence, I would go with an American IT person anyday, or possibly somebody from Asia. Anyone else is generally in IT because they heard you can make a lot of money convincing management fools that they know what they are doing. The language barrier helps out a lot in this regard, as does a low salary.
Oh, but back to Germans. Most of them like to do 'strategic planning' for a few years before the release of anything new. I remember they were planning out their Active Directory since about 1996, with frequent trips to the US required so they could purchase blue jeans and laptops.
as opposed to a minor 0.0.1 'upgrade' from Apple? Come on.
BTW, you are SO wrong about service packs. All MS Windows Service Packs have included some form of new functionality; the fact that you didnt know this demonstrates you knowledge level of Microsoft's products.
For example, there were the not widely liked NT4sp4, which added TONS of new features to NT4, and subsequently sp5 fixed a lot of things that sp4 broke... but it added some minor things, and made the new features of sp4 work properly.
More recently, Win2k sp4 added a few new features, such as the ability to select program defaults (web browser, media player, etc) in one easy, uniform control panel applet (rather than it being a by-application setting). It also added more functionality to the automatic update feature.
On the server side, there are literally TONS of free updates offered by MS- you can get Software Update Services (SUS), which will allow you to set up a server on your network which will deal out updates you choose to the local clients via the stock Windows Update, there is the long-running Internet Information Service (IIS), which has been freely available since NT4sp3, and there are all the free utilities which are on the NT Resource Kit CDs (and are available for download from MS's Technet web site).
As I said, anyone who says MS doesnt provide any free upgrades doesnt know what they are talking about.
well, that is the stupid, uninformed popular opinion. However, if you read reviews with people in Bungie, not only do you see that they WERENT paid off (which Im sure they would have liked to have been), but they did it very intelligently.
You see, they make the game and the underlying technology. Then, they just outsource (and certify the work of) other companies to port the game to either PC or Mac. Thus, they are free to just make a game.
Did it work out well for XBox? Sure. But XBox is an impressive gaming machine; when you have something designed for (and by) games developers, you are going to come up with some pretty good stuff.
Again, if this is a topic which interests you, there is PLENTY of info out there to clear up your misconceptions. Otherwise, you can just stick to your ignorant conspiracy theories.
blah blah blah. first, OS/2 and WinNT are two completely different things, contrary to your uninformed opinion. NT was the first OS to use a Win32 architecture, and was a completely new direction from what was done before.
Second, MS doesnt own WordPerfect. I also have no idea what your anecdote is supposed to prove. PC Magazine says something about required info, which the company doesnt actually need. Big deal! Who cares? I fail to see what you are trying to say.
yes, i have contacted MS many times for tech support, and yes, it does work quite well for a big corporation. Since this isnt Cuba or China, and we arent communists (well, Im not anyway), companies in this country need something called "money" to operate with. Thus, since Billy Bob in Spokane isnt really going to help MS pay the bills, he will need to pay a fee for answering why his printer doesnt work on Windows 98. Of course, you are neglecting to mention the free alternative support options. Unless you are going to tell me you can contact "Linux Corporation" for free support.
If you want free, there is a nice free alternative in linux. But as always, you can do things for less cost, and it ends up costing you in required knowledge and time personally spent. Nothing in life is truly free.
BTW, i dont see Apple providing free tech support (or even upgrades, which is contrary to MS; service packs can be downloaded for free, or you can get the cd for the cost of shipping).
not true at all. by the time Halo had come about, Bungie had already made Myth and Myth 2, which were PC/Mac. Bungie had already realized at that point that to be a successful company, they couldnt stay exclusive to Mac (which wouldnt even cover the costs of beer and pretzels, honestly).
Halo was ALWAYS going to be a PC/Mac game. But once MS purchased them, they saw potential in releasing it on the xbox. Now remember, this is a company which is very perfectionistic. They didnt want to release a full blown multiplayer version until it was up to their standards, thus the delay.
If you are interested in finding out more facts (rather than PC and MS-bashing propaganda), GameSpy has lots of news and info on Halo.
What happens when MS decides that, Linux -is- going to steal valuable income-generating business, and therefore it should use it's newly acquired patents to sue?
And exactly what precident are you using as the basis for your reasoning? To my knowledge, MS has never done any kind of bait-and-switch with their IP (unlike Rambus/Intel, for example, or even Apple). Furthermore, I cant really seeing them do so in the future either.
The problem with all you "when Linux rules the world" people is that you view your platform as some kind of threat to a company that mainly gets chosen for the services it provides, rather than the cost. I would choose quite a few MS solutions over open source, and for many reasons. But primarily it is because there is a company actively supporting it, rather than focusing on adding k3wl new features or the yet another web browser.
Dont get me wrong, Linux does many things well, but so does MS. Its just a matter of using the right tool for the right job, but Linux isnt the one-size-fits-all solution most of you make it out to be, especially when you take business realities into account.
As far as what is commonly used in a business environment, would I be better off learning Slackware or Debian?
Also, which one is more "newbie" friendly? Im not a networking newbie, so I have no problem dealing with routing, subnetting, or anything else, but I dont know linux.
Actually, the reason I tried starting with Mandrake was I heard their documentation was good, and I also wanted to use Bastille.
Never mind, I just answered my own question on that one by opening a window to Bastille's site. Thx for the advice.
isnt that a [mis]quote from "VCPR- Pressing Issues" in GTA:Vice City?
Pastor Richards: If you don't like the United States, son, why don't you move to Russia? I don't understand people in America today. They call this a Cold War, but it's hotter than hell. Mark my words! Anyday now, you're sitting in school, passing notes, and talking about the prom when suddenly you look out the window and there are Russian paratroopers dropping in to take over. What can you do? Run into the woods with
your friends? Call yourselves The Wolverines? Put twigs in your hair and beat back the Russkies? No... You hightail it to Pastor Richards Salvation Statue and blast off into space! But there is a limited amount of space. That's why I suggest anyone who wants the safety and security of your own bunker, give now. Call 866-9SAVEME. We'll get you on the payment plan and if you're paid in full on D-day, you and your
family will be safe! If not, you may have to choose to save yourself, and leave the others behind...
Maurice Chavez: Hey hey hey hey! Stop selling things on my show! You're not a valued sponsor who supports the art of public radio, buddy.
Jan Brown: I, for one, welcome our new Russian masters. We can learn so much from other cultures. Did you know in India the women protest by setting themselves on fire? I tell you, next time the kids are screaming for
ice cream and pop, I may just douse myself in kerosene. I use that as a threat to my kids all the time, so it's no wonder they're so screwed up. That's one of the tough things about being a mom; not ruining their life with guilt. Uh... as a matter of fact I don't let my kids watch cartoons or slasher flicks.
Could someone with no linux skills set up a networkable linux box that boots off a floppy? IMHO, I would have to say a big *NO*.
And as a matter of fact, I DID try a smaller distro: I tried out both LRP and some other one (forget the name). I had intended to set up the old 386 as a router, but couldnt get really anything at all to work, and especially the network cards.
Thus, I tried a common distro- I believe it was Mandrake and Red Hat. However, since it has about a 150MB HD (if that), it wasnt even close to being able to work. And hell, if I need to spend money on a bigger HD to get the damn box to work, why dont I just go out and buy a router?
Slashdot Mirror
Hell, everyone acknowledges Windows has issues. MS is very upfront about that; they have very good technical resources, IMO. But the issue is that Windows isnt the ONLY OS with issues- THEY ALL HAVE THEM!!!
And again, this is nothing new- if you are in the biz, you know that if somebody can build it, somebody can unbuild it. Especially when they have unlimited time to figure out how to hax0r your network while you are focusing on getting constructive work done, for *only* 40-60 hours a week. Irregardless of your OS, you will ultimately be vulnerable. The trick is just to stay ahead of the curve, and hopefully have a bit of luck- nothing sucks more than being the first person hacked by a new exploit, or catching a new virus.
"The Venn diagram of facts doesn't intersect. The intersection of all of those statements is the null set," Geer said.
Wow, lets not try and sound like and even BIGGER idiot than we are already. Someone is sounding just a wee *tad* in love with themself... but thats just how its reading off on my end.
Whether Microsoft had a hand in his demise "will be forever impossible to ascertain," Geer said. "One might say communication wasn't necessary. There's a school of thought that says that a phone call wasn't needed. The more powerful you are, the less likely you are to have to pick up the phone. At most, you could call it plausible deniability."
Wow, he fits right in at Slashdot! I'll bet he is a huge poster here, just a guess. The article is a mirror of the conspiracy theories and half-baked ideas always thrown about over here.
Now, to address the last poster's comments-
Having sys-admins who do their jobs instead of whining about patching will fix *many* windows related problems
True dat. One thing the Slashdot crowd is particulary ignorant of is MS's free content management service, SUS (Software Update Service), which provides an admin with the ability to snap their network right into the already-existing Windows Update Service in Win2k/XP. And any savvy admin can easily config Windows Update at the desktop level with a logon script (Kixtart (which is free), SMS, or ScriptLogic are my prefered methods), thereby covering software updates for the ENTIRE enterprise. For free. Using things they already own.
Pretty nice, in my book.
Secretaries shouldn't have to learn userland *nix just to type up a TPS cover sheet for their weekly memos
Ya, it really sucks when ten people have to bitch cuz you fuxd up the coversheet for the TPS report ;)
Likewise some network admin shouldn't be forced to use WinXP just because the latest .NET makes every XML transaction cost less [or whatever]....
With all due respect, .NET is a MS creation. But there are open-source implimentations which will plug into it, strangely enough. I'm not an expert by any means, but I believe .NET hooks right in to XML, which is why connectivity to disparate systems is so easy.
Now what gets me with this whole stupid 'OS diversity' arguement is that, from a networking standpoint, its somewhat dumb. I mean, if you have MS Active Directory handling the logins and NOS, Unix doing your DDNS, and your firewall done with Linux, an attack on ANY of those are going to adversely effect the network. The only REAL way to address that problem is to have redundant services on different OS's as a fail-over (which isnt 100% possible, especially in the case of the NOS); this is really expensive, for one thing, and since you will most likely need the expertise of more than one tech admin, prohibitively so for small to medium sized organizations.
So quite honestly, its a bit of a strawman they are erecting everytime they raise this issue.
Anyway, since I know honesty isnt respected here, ESPECIALLY when it isnt anti-MS, feel free to mod me down.
Oh wait, I forgot Im living in the Bizarro world!
You can decide which is which, but here is a hit- the US lost 3.3 Million jobs since Bush took office.
This statement just doesnt make any sense. All the RFID will allow is an RFID reader to know "Red, pocketless shirt, from the GAP."
To forever associate that shirt with the purchaser would take a tie-in with the credit card companies (which I am positive they would be unwilling to give), or some other database to associate EVERY tagged item with a person.
But honestly, what is the big deal? Does it really bother you that a computer will know about the tie-died shirt and used-looking jeans you just bought? IMO, this isnt doing anything except letting stores track their inventories electronically. But instead it has to turn into the stereotypically slashdot murder-mystery/conspiracy theory, which is somehow the fault of Bill Gates.
My Java programmed financed a terrorist school in the Philipines!
In fact, here is an interview with Peter Tamte of Destineer Studios, who will be publishing Mac Halo:
http://halo.bungie.org/misc/tamte_interview.0911 03
I dont recall if I mentioned this, but the PC coversion is being handled by Gearbox. The two versions should have complete compatibility, and (possibly) even map editing tools.
Mac 'servers' are nothing more than what everyone else calls workstations. Sticking feathers up your ass does not make you a chicken.
and even then its somehow Microsoft's fault.
As far as real-world IT competence, I would go with an American IT person anyday, or possibly somebody from Asia. Anyone else is generally in IT because they heard you can make a lot of money convincing management fools that they know what they are doing. The language barrier helps out a lot in this regard, as does a low salary.
Oh, but back to Germans. Most of them like to do 'strategic planning' for a few years before the release of anything new. I remember they were planning out their Active Directory since about 1996, with frequent trips to the US required so they could purchase blue jeans and laptops.
BTW, you are SO wrong about service packs. All MS Windows Service Packs have included some form of new functionality; the fact that you didnt know this demonstrates you knowledge level of Microsoft's products.
For example, there were the not widely liked NT4sp4, which added TONS of new features to NT4, and subsequently sp5 fixed a lot of things that sp4 broke... but it added some minor things, and made the new features of sp4 work properly.
More recently, Win2k sp4 added a few new features, such as the ability to select program defaults (web browser, media player, etc) in one easy, uniform control panel applet (rather than it being a by-application setting). It also added more functionality to the automatic update feature.
On the server side, there are literally TONS of free updates offered by MS- you can get Software Update Services (SUS), which will allow you to set up a server on your network which will deal out updates you choose to the local clients via the stock Windows Update, there is the long-running Internet Information Service (IIS), which has been freely available since NT4sp3, and there are all the free utilities which are on the NT Resource Kit CDs (and are available for download from MS's Technet web site).
As I said, anyone who says MS doesnt provide any free upgrades doesnt know what they are talking about.
articles like this show how truly pathetic people are.
Somebody needs to work in a "this is Microsoft's Fault!!!" angle. Come on, this is slashdot; you guys are letting me down.
Im going to listen to NPR now.
You see, they make the game and the underlying technology. Then, they just outsource (and certify the work of) other companies to port the game to either PC or Mac. Thus, they are free to just make a game.
Did it work out well for XBox? Sure. But XBox is an impressive gaming machine; when you have something designed for (and by) games developers, you are going to come up with some pretty good stuff.
Again, if this is a topic which interests you, there is PLENTY of info out there to clear up your misconceptions. Otherwise, you can just stick to your ignorant conspiracy theories.
Second, MS doesnt own WordPerfect. I also have no idea what your anecdote is supposed to prove. PC Magazine says something about required info, which the company doesnt actually need. Big deal! Who cares? I fail to see what you are trying to say.
If you want free, there is a nice free alternative in linux. But as always, you can do things for less cost, and it ends up costing you in required knowledge and time personally spent. Nothing in life is truly free.
BTW, i dont see Apple providing free tech support (or even upgrades, which is contrary to MS; service packs can be downloaded for free, or you can get the cd for the cost of shipping).
Halo was ALWAYS going to be a PC/Mac game. But once MS purchased them, they saw potential in releasing it on the xbox. Now remember, this is a company which is very perfectionistic. They didnt want to release a full blown multiplayer version until it was up to their standards, thus the delay.
If you are interested in finding out more facts (rather than PC and MS-bashing propaganda), GameSpy has lots of news and info on Halo.
And exactly what precident are you using as the basis for your reasoning? To my knowledge, MS has never done any kind of bait-and-switch with their IP (unlike Rambus/Intel, for example, or even Apple). Furthermore, I cant really seeing them do so in the future either.
The problem with all you "when Linux rules the world" people is that you view your platform as some kind of threat to a company that mainly gets chosen for the services it provides, rather than the cost. I would choose quite a few MS solutions over open source, and for many reasons. But primarily it is because there is a company actively supporting it, rather than focusing on adding k3wl new features or the yet another web browser.
Dont get me wrong, Linux does many things well, but so does MS. Its just a matter of using the right tool for the right job, but Linux isnt the one-size-fits-all solution most of you make it out to be, especially when you take business realities into account.
So where, exactly, are you getting your [mis]information from?
Also, which one is more
"newbie" friendly? Im not a networking newbie, so I have no problem dealing with routing, subnetting, or anything else, but I dont know linux.
Actually, the reason I tried starting with Mandrake was I heard their documentation was good, and I also wanted to use Bastille.
Never mind, I just answered my own question on that one by opening a window to Bastille's site. Thx for the advice.
Wow, Windows XP Pro is a bargain by comparison.
Pastor Richards: If you don't like the United States, son, why don't you move to Russia? I don't understand people in America today. They call this a Cold War, but it's hotter than hell. Mark my words! Anyday now, you're sitting in school, passing notes, and talking about the prom when suddenly you look out the window and there are Russian paratroopers dropping in to take over. What can you do? Run into the woods with your friends? Call yourselves The Wolverines? Put twigs in your hair and beat back the Russkies? No... You hightail it to Pastor Richards Salvation Statue and blast off into space! But there is a limited amount of space. That's why I suggest anyone who wants the safety and security of your own bunker, give now. Call 866-9SAVEME. We'll get you on the payment plan and if you're paid in full on D-day, you and your family will be safe! If not, you may have to choose to save yourself, and leave the others behind...
Maurice Chavez: Hey hey hey hey! Stop selling things on my show! You're not a valued sponsor who supports the art of public radio, buddy.
Jan Brown: I, for one, welcome our new Russian masters. We can learn so much from other cultures. Did you know in India the women protest by setting themselves on fire? I tell you, next time the kids are screaming for ice cream and pop, I may just douse myself in kerosene. I use that as a threat to my kids all the time, so it's no wonder they're so screwed up. That's one of the tough things about being a mom; not ruining their life with guilt. Uh... as a matter of fact I don't let my kids watch cartoons or slasher flicks.
And as a matter of fact, I DID try a smaller distro: I tried out both LRP and some other one (forget the name). I had intended to set up the old 386 as a router, but couldnt get really anything at all to work, and especially the network cards.
Thus, I tried a common distro- I believe it was Mandrake and Red Hat. However, since it has about a 150MB HD (if that), it wasnt even close to being able to work. And hell, if I need to spend money on a bigger HD to get the damn box to work, why dont I just go out and buy a router?
(which is what I did).
Haha!
AMD Athlon XP, 2.2 GHz
Intel Pentium 4, 3.2 GHz