At a guess, a customised distribution would be one with the companies logo as a background, and only the apps the company deems nessecary to run. Having run the installer a couple of times, (Both times for desktop, must have a look at the server install) you are not prompted for which applications you want. I'd say in a business environment, the games would go. So businesses are paying for *LESS* functionality than typically available.
I'd disagree. Linux on the POS terminal, then evolves to Linux on the local server. Linux as part of LAMP for online sales. This leaves the only spot in a retail company that doesn't run Linux as the desktop reasonably quickly. People get the feel for supporting it and don't feel real bad when half the workstations are migrated for "Cost cutting" reasons. Any niche is a good one.
Well now, there is an over simplistic view. Your average CEO does not know much about IT. But that's allright. Odds are their business is making widgets or providing some kind of service. That is the business that they understand. Now if you have a choice to do something techie, the first question any sensible non tech will ask is "Do we need it?" This is typically followed by "What is the most effective method"
Now if you are an all Windows shop, then surely the conclusion can be reached that an all Microsoft server is the way to go. The company has already got the know how in place. So reading a report like Laura's makes sense to a CEO. To a CIO, the report should be ignored for the question, "What is going to give us most bang for our buck?"
But to summarise why your point is an invalid one, A foolish man does not learn from his mistakes, a smart man does learn from his mistakes, a wise man learns from others mistakes. So a CEO that reads an analyst's report like Laura's (and surprisingly her points on this article are quite good. Without auditing, improvement is not measurable...) is a responsible thing to do. AS LONG AS HE UNDERSTANDS THAT SOMEONE IS TRYING TO SELL HIM SOMETHING!
btw. I am running ubuntu and have great love for the GNU/Linux (tm) thing.
I recently assembled a plan for a couple of small organisations. My favorite way of doing things is to order things down the page from "Things you will need if you want to do business tomorrow". Add an explanation of each one, stating what are the advantages of the item, and how much it will set them back if they don't. Things like A reliable server to save and backup all your corporate data on. Don't assume suits understand things like why backups are important. They know bucketloads about architecture, and limited quantities about IT. Cost each item. This is your maintenence budget.
Once this list is made, rule a big red line under that. Then add "Things you can add to make things more productive" This is the category where you look at upgrade cycles. A three year cycle is good for IT. That way people have a consistant outlay each year and things don't get too unmanageable. This is a good spot to put software upgrades in. Remember that there are plenty of cases where a software upgrade is more a liability than an asset. Try for a Standard Operating Environment. Even amongst a small company, it's nice to be able to walk up to any machine and know what it is running. Yes it is not always possible. There is always going to be quirky hardware or software, but try to limit such things to "The machine in the corner" A machine with a burner/colour printer/plotter etc. that is used to make atoms out of bits or vice versa. This contains the anarchy somewhat. Order all these things from "We really need, but could get away with for another year" through to "Gee those new toys look cool and might even be useful."
Then let your CEO or CFO work it out. They know how much money is in the till. You have a list prioritising importance. They can then see at a glance how much it will cost to implement expanding projects.
File the full set of proposals away. When a disaster hits and the CEO storms into your office asking why the IT equipment could not deal with whatever disaster hit, pull it out and point to the proposal that was not funded that could have prevented it. Explain that it was not given funding from the CFO. Odds are the CEO will apporve funding for any pie in the sky project rapidly after that to stableize the company. It's stupid, I know. But sadly that is how IT budgets work in small environments. They are all about economy till they are forced to add up the cost of a lost contract or a 48 hour outage.
For a small business, metrics suck. They are at best an educated guess and at worst a random number. Get to know your business and it's needs. Then put together a plan so that IT can help the business.
Whilst this sounds like fun, I don't want to have to deal with the bandwidth problems caused by the virii. Now if I could divert all that evil bandwidth into a DDOS attack on a certain antivirus program manufacturer... No still a bad idea.
Let me see. Somebody wants to use my gear to access a network that I have access to. I, as the carrier, have the right and the respnsibility to know what my gear is up to. I know most telcos frequently "tapp" phones listening for faults. Most of the time they don't care abut the contents of the call, only the effect on line quality. Why should ISPs be any different? They have a duty of care to their customers to provide a service. If they are not allowed to monitor real live traffic over THEIR OWN EQUIPMENT, then how are they supposed to do that? And if you don't like your carrier listening in, either stop using public networks (such as the Internet) or make it hard for third parties to do listen in. But do not pretend that because you have some tenuous connection to the information being transported, that a carrier who owns the physical equipment has no rights to that information.
Hmm. Owning roughly 90% of USA's debt and having the nukes to kneecap the debtor...
My definition of a super power is any country who can economically and militarily destroy any other country on the planet. Not just a small one, but any one. So far, it's China and USA. If the EU could get their collective poop in a single sock, then they may be able to join the list.
Australians who invested their tax dollar in the invetion, get the benefit from the export market. Why should other nations who did not invest in this research benefit without investing?
You are in effect saying that a national government should work for the benefit of all the nations of the world. What a great way to bring about World Peace. But froma purely greedy point of view, why should my tax dollar go to improving someone elses country? I pay it to one nation, not another. The nation I pay taxes to should invest them for my benefit, not yours (assuming you live in another country)
disclaimer: I am Australian
1) Open web shop 2) Do spam run 2a) ??? 3) Profit 4) Have web shop closed by court order.
Now if you have to move your distribution network away from your customers, (interstate, or overseas) then it is going to cost more to distribute. This means either a smaller profit margin or higher prices. Either way, purchasing products via spam advertised web shops is going to be more expensive, possible even than traditional methods of advertising. With any luck this will make spam a less attractive means of advertising to a web shop. This will hurt spammers, because they will be relying on getting sales before the web shop is closed and set up again.
It is not going to be the solution to spam, but it will definitely make spamming less viable and seen as less legitimate by joe sixpack.
So why doesn't MS offer a monthly CD update subscription? Why aren't there CDs at Best Buy, Circuit City, WalMart, etc. that have SP2 and updates on it? Heck, AOL can get their CDs there to get people to sign up for service.
Actually, this would be a great way of value adding... MS sends out their patches to their valued customers via CD. People who purchased their operating systems get them, and those who pirate have to borrow the monthly update off a friend, or download from some warez site. This CD can also have advertising and free samples for more Microsoft products allowing extra revenue. What does it cost Microsoft? Around a Dollar a month for postage, with the possibilities of making more sales via their catalog.
There is a reason why there is so much anti USA feeling around the globe... Can YOU guess why? Let me enlighten you. It has to do with a perceived arrogance. Sometimes it is perceived, sometiomes, in this particular case, it may even be real. Either way, with US debt rising rapidly, I'd reccomend learning manners in a hurry before you are invaded by the debt collectors.
Start your documentation with "Connection to the in house network is a privilidge, not a right." get them to sign a "take reasonable steps" form. Hand them a bunch of URLs pointing them to the freebie stuff.
Now, because you have access to the DHCP server, why not assign IP address based on MAC address, and set the lease time to something low (say 30 minutes)? If there is an offending computer, assign them a "jail" IP address that only allows them contact with the patch server. Once they have patched up their system, and added antivirus software, you take them out of "jail". It isn't perfect, but it will cause you a whole bunch less headaches.
I find around (and I've done the experiment over a bunch of benchmarks) 10% speed improvement over precompiled packages. You are right, most of the time, who cares? But when you are waiting for some program to load up and do your thing, waiting 27 seconds instead of 30 has an appeal.
(now if I factor in that it took me two days of runtime to get these optimisations I'd be in business)
Being the friendly neigbourhood geek, I am usually the one called in when the box goes to hell. There seems to be a strange correllation between Internet Explorer/Outlook Express and spyware/malware. Nine out of ten of the PCs I visit don't even have the basics of network security. (at minimum a cheap and nasty firewall and an antivirus package that has been updated in the last month).
When people take basic precautions, things sort themselves out. Mozilla is a cheap good alternative to IE as well as being free. (both senses) Thus it makes it into my fixit routine.
I havn't had a play with open source antivirus packages or firewalls for Win32 environments, and because there is no paid support for such projects, there is less incentive for people to keep the patches flowing for the new viruses. I still reccommend commecial packages for such things.
However if people cannot afford the upgrade to a new box and are getting shafted by MS' end of life policy, I'll throw them a copy of knoppix to let them check out the "free" alternative rather than the AU$2000 upgrade. (Machine with XP installed plus Office) For some people this is a good thing.
Dad: What you doing there? Me: (typing email to online girlfriend, potentially embarrasing to a teenager) Just Emailing. Dad: OK. (wanders off)
He had the courtesy to ask me what I was up to before coming over, and because he had some trust in me did not need to check up conclusively. If the conversation had gone
Dad: What you doing there? Me: (ALT-Tab) erm, um, nothing...
You can bet that there would have been less trust between us and more indepth questioning. But isn't that the point of parenting? To inform us of the right decisions to make, and why to make them, then help the child to make them. Once this is achieved, then less and less guidance is needed untill the child is no longer dependant on the parent.
Hooray for the first of the sane suggestions so far. If the PC is in a public place (say a lounge room) then there are going to be less hassles with dodgy games.
When we got our first PC in the house my mother took the "lock it down" approach. this lasted all of 2 days for me to bypass the "security" she set up.
My father knew how to administer a PC. He taught computing at a tertiary level. He sorted out the issue by moving the PC into the lounge room and read the riot act.
Work before play. Homework always has preference.
If you wouldn't want me seeing it over your shoulder, it shouldn't be there.
There are consequences for the e above not being so.
And that was that. I knew where I stood, and knew the consequences of my actions. Sure kids need quiet to do their homework, and a public part of the house may not always be quiet, but a set of headphones and a CD or two fixed even this problem.
And yet you have enough time to post n posts to slashdot.org stating that you do not have enough time to learn a new operating system. Maybe you should ponder the phrase "Time Management" If you were investing this time in improving your business rather than whining about an OS, you may have gotten another customer instead of turning this pet owner off your product.
Honestly, keep the system you have, but don't be surprised if you are outmarketed by someone who can afford the consultant to set them up and walk away.
This might solve the problems of the RIAA and MP3s, but with technologies to move ISO images where the file size is greater than say 10MB, you want to do this in chips, chunks, and hunks.
Each one is going to have an algorythm to calculate it. If each one is a different algorythm (say a simple CRC on a chip, MDA/SHA-1 on a chunk etcetra) to provide false data, and prevent being blocked from the network, then the garbage generator must come up with a file that acheives three algorythms. Boy is that an ask. Now if we lay an encrypted pipe between each node on the network, then the system can quickly demote a client as untrusted. If the client sends reliable data, their "reputation" increases. If ones reputation falls below a certain threshold, that certificate is rejectedby each other client, and the user must generate a new certificate and gain the trust of each client on the network again. (starting with a reputation of 0 once more)
Such a scheme would ensure that those who consistantly send good data would continue unabated. Those with dodgy links (noise on the line) would be slightly hampered (rather than a 100% reputation, they may be a touch less. The astroturfing, data polluting, corporate shills wiuld quickly gain a negative reputation and be booted by each individual client.
Now if a file is released with a name like "Brand new EMINEM single.mp3" and it turns out to be garbage, why would people be surprised? by the way, the above data integrity system to my knowledge has not been built, but it probably will.
As I pick up my jaw after reading his more than reasonable approach to porting Free software to proprietary platforms, I wonder why he allows this freedom, (to use your desired platform) but argues against using a best of breed code management system for the same reason.
Richard, I think you are getting a little hypocrytical. Either give us your familiar "Freedom or Death" line or give me the freedom to choose a proprietary path if that is most expedient to me. I don't really give a rats... which way you go, but as the voice of freedom in software, stop being confusing.
And yes I did read the next paragraph where Mr Stallman says effectively that such ports are a means to an ends. If so, then why is Linus' use of bitkeeper (i think) so heineous. If the open solution was as good if not better, for the purpose, then Linus will switch. In the same way users switch any application that better meets their needs. I can't see the difference between using bitkeeper or using MS Windows or using Debian Woody or any fully GPLed OS. Most people will use what works for them. Having the source code is a bonus.
And on that note a big Merry Christmas to all programmers who release under GPL. Whether you celebrate it or not, may it be merry. I do enjoy using your software with the freedoms it gives me.
In the months preceeding I had installed Mozilla on W2K. I had introduced my wife to the webmail service supplied by my ISP. She liked that, because she could check her email from work as well as home using one interface she was familiar with. (they changed the skin recently in yet another round of "upgrades" causing a minor kerfuffle)
Meanwhile a firewalled Debian box was set up. Mozilla was installed, as was KDE. I set up my Email on that (preferring Evolution to webmail) This PC was left on 24/7 "so I can download stuff" A couple of weeks later I find my wife surfing the net and playing Aisle Riot (a great app for do ing the swap over I have found)
After a major meltdown I proclaimed to the household that Windows was too buggy to be allowed on the internet anymore. I was no longer going to risk using internet banking on this platform. No windows PC was going to participate in my TCPIP network at home. I ran out and bought a scanner/printer and a USB thumb drive to execute the plan.
The Windows PC was shunned by the rest of the network and was no longer allowed to play. It gets a monthly checkup where it gets a new virus pattern and a general tidy up. My wife is allowed to install any software she likes on the understanding that if there is a meltdown, I'll fix it when I get a chance. A stand alone system that lets her play her games, type her documents and print her papers.
She has no need to install applications, as everything she needs in an internet box is available. I have yet to receive an MSOffice file that does not reliably open in OOo. (I'm sure there are some that don't, but they havn't been sent to us). I subscribe to the security mailing list, and have removed many headaches from my home network. Once I upgrade the memory in the Debian box (P2 350Mhz 256M RAM) Things will be wonderful.
I am convinced that a similar pattern can be followed for most people in the "next round of upgrades" Take the old machine, and set it up as the "Internet machine" Take the new one and install the "essential apps" When the teenagers whine about the fact they want to play a game online, present them with an Xbox or PS2 and tell them to knock themselves out.
"They can't make money from hasassing people, so most spammers won't do that --"
That was the best coffee spitter of the morning.
I have 80 emails a day selling me stuff I don't want and am not likely to purchase from an email ad. If that isn't harrassment nothing is. My solution for spam is simple as vigilaneism . We find out who is buying online viagra and have them harranged by the people arround them until they decide that it was a bad idea to enrich spammers.
IT does take time. I'm building a server and a standard workstation at the moment so I can trash them within 20 minutes of rebuilding them. The build process we are using takes around 3.5 hours. (yes I know using product X will make it faster) That is 3.5 hours of my life that I will not see again. I believe I should be adequately recompensed for that toil, as futile as it is.
As an end user you will see the benefits of the testing I am currently doing. But damned if I am going to do work that I don't get a thrill from for free for the Man. If those steps are nessecary, then let the company pay adequate compensation for them. Failing that, then come 1700 I'm outa here even if the project is still floating.
In short I have stated an arbitary price for my time, and if the company cannot meet it, then they do not receive the benefits of my time.
My point is that 32768 to 1 odds happen approximatly one time in 32768. So given a large enough map of stats. Lets look at all the games of baseball played ever. Soeone has to have had a winning streak of 15 games in a row. Someone has to have had alternate wins and losses 15 times in a row, and the redsox just happen to be following the trend. What would be freaky is if this relationship held for astonomical odds. (ie above 1 in 1,000,000) This would require the relationship to occur for 20 times in a row.
It might not be the Redsox, but there will be a team somewhere with a large enough sample.
We can see sequences and coincidence in anything. Give me a large enough stat base and I can probably work out the odds of Kerry winning based on the nth decimal place in pi.
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At a guess, a customised distribution would be one with the companies logo as a background, and only the apps the company deems nessecary to run. Having run the installer a couple of times, (Both times for desktop, must have a look at the server install) you are not prompted for which applications you want. I'd say in a business environment, the games would go. So businesses are paying for *LESS* functionality than typically available.
That's what I think anyway.
I'd disagree. Linux on the POS terminal, then evolves to Linux on the local server. Linux as part of LAMP for online sales. This leaves the only spot in a retail company that doesn't run Linux as the desktop reasonably quickly. People get the feel for supporting it and don't feel real bad when half the workstations are migrated for "Cost cutting" reasons. Any niche is a good one.
Well now, there is an over simplistic view. Your average CEO does not know much about IT. But that's allright. Odds are their business is making widgets or providing some kind of service. That is the business that they understand. Now if you have a choice to do something techie, the first question any sensible non tech will ask is "Do we need it?" This is typically followed by "What is the most effective method"
Now if you are an all Windows shop, then surely the conclusion can be reached that an all Microsoft server is the way to go. The company has already got the know how in place. So reading a report like Laura's makes sense to a CEO. To a CIO, the report should be ignored for the question, "What is going to give us most bang for our buck?"
But to summarise why your point is an invalid one,
A foolish man does not learn from his mistakes, a smart man does learn from his mistakes, a wise man learns from others mistakes. So a CEO that reads an analyst's report like Laura's (and surprisingly her points on this article are quite good. Without auditing, improvement is not measurable...) is a responsible thing to do. AS LONG AS HE UNDERSTANDS THAT SOMEONE IS TRYING TO SELL HIM SOMETHING!
btw. I am running ubuntu and have great love for the GNU/Linux (tm) thing.
I recently assembled a plan for a couple of small organisations. My favorite way of doing things is to order things down the page from "Things you will need if you want to do business tomorrow". Add an explanation of each one, stating what are the advantages of the item, and how much it will set them back if they don't. Things like A reliable server to save and backup all your corporate data on. Don't assume suits understand things like why backups are important. They know bucketloads about architecture, and limited quantities about IT. Cost each item. This is your maintenence budget.
Once this list is made, rule a big red line under that. Then add "Things you can add to make things more productive" This is the category where you look at upgrade cycles. A three year cycle is good for IT. That way people have a consistant outlay each year and things don't get too unmanageable. This is a good spot to put software upgrades in. Remember that there are plenty of cases where a software upgrade is more a liability than an asset. Try for a Standard Operating Environment. Even amongst a small company, it's nice to be able to walk up to any machine and know what it is running. Yes it is not always possible. There is always going to be quirky hardware or software, but try to limit such things to "The machine in the corner" A machine with a burner/colour printer/plotter etc. that is used to make atoms out of bits or vice versa. This contains the anarchy somewhat. Order all these things from "We really need, but could get away with for another year" through to "Gee those new toys look cool and might even be useful."
Then let your CEO or CFO work it out. They know how much money is in the till. You have a list prioritising importance. They can then see at a glance how much it will cost to implement expanding projects.
File the full set of proposals away. When a disaster hits and the CEO storms into your office asking why the IT equipment could not deal with whatever disaster hit, pull it out and point to the proposal that was not funded that could have prevented it. Explain that it was not given funding from the CFO. Odds are the CEO will apporve funding for any pie in the sky project rapidly after that to stableize the company. It's stupid, I know. But sadly that is how IT budgets work in small environments. They are all about economy till they are forced to add up the cost of a lost contract or a 48 hour outage.
For a small business, metrics suck. They are at best an educated guess and at worst a random number. Get to know your business and it's needs. Then put together a plan so that IT can help the business.
Whilst this sounds like fun, I don't want to have to deal with the bandwidth problems caused by the virii. Now if I could divert all that evil bandwidth into a DDOS attack on a certain antivirus program manufacturer... No still a bad idea.
Let me see. Somebody wants to use my gear to access a network that I have access to. I, as the carrier, have the right and the respnsibility to know what my gear is up to. I know most telcos frequently "tapp" phones listening for faults. Most of the time they don't care abut the contents of the call, only the effect on line quality. Why should ISPs be any different? They have a duty of care to their customers to provide a service. If they are not allowed to monitor real live traffic over THEIR OWN EQUIPMENT, then how are they supposed to do that? And if you don't like your carrier listening in, either stop using public networks (such as the Internet) or make it hard for third parties to do listen in. But do not pretend that because you have some tenuous connection to the information being transported, that a carrier who owns the physical equipment has no rights to that information.
Hmm. Owning roughly 90% of USA's debt and having the nukes to kneecap the debtor...
My definition of a super power is any country who can economically and militarily destroy any other country on the planet. Not just a small one, but any one. So far, it's China and USA. If the EU could get their collective poop in a single sock, then they may be able to join the list.
Australians who invested their tax dollar in the invetion, get the benefit from the export market. Why should other nations who did not invest in this research benefit without investing? You are in effect saying that a national government should work for the benefit of all the nations of the world. What a great way to bring about World Peace. But froma purely greedy point of view, why should my tax dollar go to improving someone elses country? I pay it to one nation, not another. The nation I pay taxes to should invest them for my benefit, not yours (assuming you live in another country) disclaimer: I am Australian
Let me see...
1) Open web shop
2) Do spam run
2a) ???
3) Profit
4) Have web shop closed by court order.
Now if you have to move your distribution network away from your customers, (interstate, or overseas) then it is going to cost more to distribute. This means either a smaller profit margin or higher prices. Either way, purchasing products via spam advertised web shops is going to be more expensive, possible even than traditional methods of advertising. With any luck this will make spam a less attractive means of advertising to a web shop. This will hurt spammers, because they will be relying on getting sales before the web shop is closed and set up again.
It is not going to be the solution to spam, but it will definitely make spamming less viable and seen as less legitimate by joe sixpack.
Actually, this would be a great way of value adding... MS sends out their patches to their valued customers via CD. People who purchased their operating systems get them, and those who pirate have to borrow the monthly update off a friend, or download from some warez site. This CD can also have advertising and free samples for more Microsoft products allowing extra revenue. What does it cost Microsoft? Around a Dollar a month for postage, with the possibilities of making more sales via their catalog.
It's direct marketing made easy.
There is a reason why there is so much anti USA feeling around the globe... Can YOU guess why? Let me enlighten you. It has to do with a perceived arrogance. Sometimes it is perceived, sometiomes, in this particular case, it may even be real. Either way, with US debt rising rapidly, I'd reccomend learning manners in a hurry before you are invaded by the debt collectors.
Start your documentation with "Connection to the in house network is a privilidge, not a right." get them to sign a "take reasonable steps" form. Hand them a bunch of URLs pointing them to the freebie stuff.
Now, because you have access to the DHCP server, why not assign IP address based on MAC address, and set the lease time to something low (say 30 minutes)? If there is an offending computer, assign them a "jail" IP address that only allows them contact with the patch server. Once they have patched up their system, and added antivirus software, you take them out of "jail". It isn't perfect, but it will cause you a whole bunch less headaches.
I find around (and I've done the experiment over a bunch of benchmarks) 10% speed improvement over precompiled packages. You are right, most of the time, who cares? But when you are waiting for some program to load up and do your thing, waiting 27 seconds instead of 30 has an appeal.
(now if I factor in that it took me two days of runtime to get these optimisations I'd be in business)
You have my condolances. Please tell me you work in security now. It would make me happy to find these talents did not go unwasted.
Being the friendly neigbourhood geek, I am usually the one called in when the box goes to hell. There seems to be a strange correllation between Internet Explorer/Outlook Express and spyware/malware. Nine out of ten of the PCs I visit don't even have the basics of network security. (at minimum a cheap and nasty firewall and an antivirus package that has been updated in the last month).
When people take basic precautions, things sort themselves out. Mozilla is a cheap good alternative to IE as well as being free. (both senses) Thus it makes it into my fixit routine.
I havn't had a play with open source antivirus packages or firewalls for Win32 environments, and because there is no paid support for such projects, there is less incentive for people to keep the patches flowing for the new viruses. I still reccommend commecial packages for such things.
However if people cannot afford the upgrade to a new box and are getting shafted by MS' end of life policy, I'll throw them a copy of knoppix to let them check out the "free" alternative rather than the AU$2000 upgrade. (Machine with XP installed plus Office) For some people this is a good thing.
OK, I'll bite.
Dad: What you doing there?
Me: (typing email to online girlfriend, potentially embarrasing to a teenager) Just Emailing.
Dad: OK. (wanders off)
He had the courtesy to ask me what I was up to before coming over, and because he had some trust in me did not need to check up conclusively. If the conversation had gone
Dad: What you doing there?
Me: (ALT-Tab) erm, um, nothing...
You can bet that there would have been less trust between us and more indepth questioning. But isn't that the point of parenting? To inform us of the right decisions to make, and why to make them, then help the child to make them. Once this is achieved, then less and less guidance is needed untill the child is no longer dependant on the parent.
Hooray for the first of the sane suggestions so far. If the PC is in a public place (say a lounge room) then there are going to be less hassles with dodgy games.
When we got our first PC in the house my mother took the "lock it down" approach. this lasted all of 2 days for me to bypass the "security" she set up.
My father knew how to administer a PC. He taught computing at a tertiary level. He sorted out the issue by moving the PC into the lounge room and read the riot act.
Work before play. Homework always has preference.
If you wouldn't want me seeing it over your shoulder, it shouldn't be there.
There are consequences for the e above not being so.
And that was that. I knew where I stood, and knew the consequences of my actions. Sure kids need quiet to do their homework, and a public part of the house may not always be quiet, but a set of headphones and a CD or two fixed even this problem.
And yet you have enough time to post n posts to slashdot.org stating that you do not have enough time to learn a new operating system. Maybe you should ponder the phrase "Time Management" If you were investing this time in improving your business rather than whining about an OS, you may have gotten another customer instead of turning this pet owner off your product.
Honestly, keep the system you have, but don't be surprised if you are outmarketed by someone who can afford the consultant to set them up and walk away.
This might solve the problems of the RIAA and MP3s, but with technologies to move ISO images where the file size is greater than say 10MB, you want to do this in chips, chunks, and hunks.
Each one is going to have an algorythm to calculate it. If each one is a different algorythm (say a simple CRC on a chip, MDA/SHA-1 on a chunk etcetra) to provide false data, and prevent being blocked from the network, then the garbage generator must come up with a file that acheives three algorythms. Boy is that an ask. Now if we lay an encrypted pipe between each node on the network, then the system can quickly demote a client as untrusted. If the client sends reliable data, their "reputation" increases. If ones reputation falls below a certain threshold, that certificate is rejectedby each other client, and the user must generate a new certificate and gain the trust of each client on the network again. (starting with a reputation of 0 once more)
Such a scheme would ensure that those who consistantly send good data would continue unabated. Those with dodgy links (noise on the line) would be slightly hampered (rather than a 100% reputation, they may be a touch less. The astroturfing, data polluting, corporate shills wiuld quickly gain a negative reputation and be booted by each individual client.
Now if a file is released with a name like "Brand new EMINEM single.mp3" and it turns out to be garbage, why would people be surprised? by the way, the above data integrity system to my knowledge has not been built, but it probably will.
As I pick up my jaw after reading his more than reasonable approach to porting Free software to proprietary platforms, I wonder why he allows this freedom, (to use your desired platform) but argues against using a best of breed code management system for the same reason.
Richard, I think you are getting a little hypocrytical. Either give us your familiar "Freedom or Death" line or give me the freedom to choose a proprietary path if that is most expedient to me. I don't really give a rats... which way you go, but as the voice of freedom in software, stop being confusing.
And yes I did read the next paragraph where Mr Stallman says effectively that such ports are a means to an ends. If so, then why is Linus' use of bitkeeper (i think) so heineous. If the open solution was as good if not better, for the purpose, then Linus will switch. In the same way users switch any application that better meets their needs. I can't see the difference between using bitkeeper or using MS Windows or using Debian Woody or any fully GPLed OS. Most people will use what works for them. Having the source code is a bonus.
And on that note a big Merry Christmas to all programmers who release under GPL. Whether you celebrate it or not, may it be merry. I do enjoy using your software with the freedoms it gives me.
In the months preceeding I had installed Mozilla on W2K. I had introduced my wife to the webmail service supplied by my ISP. She liked that, because she could check her email from work as well as home using one interface she was familiar with. (they changed the skin recently in yet another round of "upgrades" causing a minor kerfuffle)
Meanwhile a firewalled Debian box was set up. Mozilla was installed, as was KDE. I set up my Email on that (preferring Evolution to webmail) This PC was left on 24/7 "so I can download stuff" A couple of weeks later I find my wife surfing the net and playing Aisle Riot (a great app for do ing the swap over I have found)
After a major meltdown I proclaimed to the household that Windows was too buggy to be allowed on the internet anymore. I was no longer going to risk using internet banking on this platform. No windows PC was going to participate in my TCPIP network at home. I ran out and bought a scanner/printer and a USB thumb drive to execute the plan.
The Windows PC was shunned by the rest of the network and was no longer allowed to play. It gets a monthly checkup where it gets a new virus pattern and a general tidy up. My wife is allowed to install any software she likes on the understanding that if there is a meltdown, I'll fix it when I get a chance. A stand alone system that lets her play her games, type her documents and print her papers.
She has no need to install applications, as everything she needs in an internet box is available. I have yet to receive an MSOffice file that does not reliably open in OOo. (I'm sure there are some that don't, but they havn't been sent to us). I subscribe to the security mailing list, and have removed many headaches from my home network. Once I upgrade the memory in the Debian box (P2 350Mhz 256M RAM) Things will be wonderful.
I am convinced that a similar pattern can be followed for most people in the "next round of upgrades" Take the old machine, and set it up as the "Internet machine" Take the new one and install the "essential apps" When the teenagers whine about the fact they want to play a game online, present them with an Xbox or PS2 and tell them to knock themselves out.
"They can't make money from hasassing people, so most spammers won't do that --"
That was the best coffee spitter of the morning.
I have 80 emails a day selling me stuff I don't want and am not likely to purchase from an email ad. If that isn't harrassment nothing is. My solution for spam is simple as vigilaneism . We find out who is buying online viagra and have them harranged by the people arround them until they decide that it was a bad idea to enrich spammers.
IT does take time. I'm building a server and a standard workstation at the moment so I can trash them within 20 minutes of rebuilding them. The build process we are using takes around 3.5 hours. (yes I know using product X will make it faster) That is 3.5 hours of my life that I will not see again. I believe I should be adequately recompensed for that toil, as futile as it is.
As an end user you will see the benefits of the testing I am currently doing. But damned if I am going to do work that I don't get a thrill from for free for the Man. If those steps are nessecary, then let the company pay adequate compensation for them. Failing that, then come 1700 I'm outa here even if the project is still floating.
In short I have stated an arbitary price for my time, and if the company cannot meet it, then they do not receive the benefits of my time.
My point is that 32768 to 1 odds happen approximatly one time in 32768. So given a large enough map of stats. Lets look at all the games of baseball played ever. Soeone has to have had a winning streak of 15 games in a row. Someone has to have had alternate wins and losses 15 times in a row, and the redsox just happen to be following the trend. What would be freaky is if this relationship held for astonomical odds. (ie above 1 in 1,000,000) This would require the relationship to occur for 20 times in a row.
It might not be the Redsox, but there will be a team somewhere with a large enough sample.
We can see sequences and coincidence in anything. Give me a large enough stat base and I can probably work out the odds of Kerry winning based on the nth decimal place in pi.