C is for programmers who do not need someone to hold their hands. Garbage collection is nice, garbage collection can be useful. But when you are programming low level things, it just gets in the way. C is designed for low level things.
If you have a sample of unencrypted data, you could use that in what I think is called a "plain-text attack". Not exactly easy, but doable. There is also the case of the Allied forces during WWII breaking the Enigma code, with far less powerful technology than we have today. Seemingly impossible tasks in cryptography have been done before.
And yes, I also find their claimed benifits to be false.
With regard to your first point, there are many established techniques for either finding the password, or getting the data without the password.
As for your second point, indeed Microsoft will most likely move towards locking everything down. What I was trying to say, is that from what I know, the only way to keep people out of the data is to thoroughly lock them out of the system. Allowing users to run arbitrary code seriously diminishes the security with regard to data.
Essentially, Microsoft's current presentation of their security system does not make sense to me.
And of course, once MS has made this REQUIRED to use any software of any consequence...
For me, software of consequence is things like NetHack, GNU Emacs, vim, Mozilla, CMUCL, gcc, etc. Last I looked, Microsoft does not have anything to do with these. Then again, I am not an average consumer.
Nope. You can write any program you like, but you'll get garbage if you try to read the file. Palladium only correctly decrypts the data for the program that wrote the data. Think of it this way, the EXE making the request is fed in as the password.
Welll, if I try to read an encrypted file, I just get garbage. But if I can get to an encrypted file, I can then attempt to decrypt it. Palladium would have to keep a user from accessing secure data, period. Then again, a specially made boot disk/CD could be used to read a harddrive and possibly bypass Palladium that way.
Yes, this would stop the average home user. But there would be some people who would by one means or another get around this, and then release content out on p2p networks, or similar forms of distribution, without the Palladium protection. So to prevent this, Microsoft would have to seriously limit what you could do with your computer, such as not allowing you to run any program you want.
But this is mere speculation on my part, as I am not privy to the inner doings of Microsoft.
I am well aware of the existance and use of generalizations. They are an intricate part of how we think. But generalizations are not necessarily stereotypes. And the comment about dancing was part sarcasm and part personal opinion.
Frankly, I haven't seen anyone who is a good dancer. Most old fashioned dancing looks boring, most modern dancing looks like a seizure. Stereotypes only seem accurate because most people are too lazy to define themselves.
Linux is a set of code that forms a kernel. Microsoft is a company. Linux does whatever it was programmed to. Microsoft does whatever a large collection of people, knowledge, money, and connections can do to obtain what they as a group desire (usually money, it seems). There is a difference.
No, distributing copyrighted work on Napster would be illegal. Napster itself should not be illegal. Napster, Kazaa, etc are merely tools designed to find and transport files from one computer to another. If you transport copyrighted media from one computer to another, that is copyright violation, possibly piracy. Just as a carving knife is designed to carve things, but if you use it to carve someone up, that is assult with a deadly weapon, possibly murder. Carving knives are not illegal, why should filesharing programs be?
I think the point is not that taxes go up, it is that the budget of the government shifts to favor education. It sounds like a delightful idea, however this may just be wishful thinking. Wait and see, I guess.
Bad by your definition, or theirs? The problem with the PATRIOT act is its excessive potential for abuse. And people will abuse it, if they have not already.
The potential for abuse is far too great to offer any reasonable protection of liberty. The government unchecked may protect us from terrorists, but who will protect us from an unchecked government?
I think what they are talking about is the group that encompasses sysadmins and everybody else who keeps computers running and communicating, and deals with people who use computers.
I beg your pardon, but there are native ports of Abuse, Doom, Quake 2, Duke Nukem 3D, and Rune, just to name a few. And by definition, every linux game is a PC game. Windows is a PC OS, not a PC.
Portal engine. Each room is a separate entity with a commonly shaped "portal" between them. Normally you wouldn't notice this, but a smart level designer can cause all sorts of mischief with them.
Slashdot Mirror
You can sure as hell try. With enough money, you can probably pull it off, too.
http://www.spymac.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo= 25644&size=big&papass=&sort=1&thecat=5 32 e .gif
http://www.fsu.edu/~womenst/Strawberry%20shortcak
Safer? This is the fox guarding the henhouse. Or perhaps the wolf herding sheep.
It's not the concept, it's the implementation and those who will implement it that worry me.
C is for programmers who do not need someone to hold their hands. Garbage collection is nice, garbage collection can be useful. But when you are programming low level things, it just gets in the way. C is designed for low level things.
And yes, I also find their claimed benifits to be false.
And I do hope that your transition over to Linux goes well for you and your business. Best of luck.
As for your second point, indeed Microsoft will most likely move towards locking everything down. What I was trying to say, is that from what I know, the only way to keep people out of the data is to thoroughly lock them out of the system. Allowing users to run arbitrary code seriously diminishes the security with regard to data.
Essentially, Microsoft's current presentation of their security system does not make sense to me.For me, software of consequence is things like NetHack, GNU Emacs, vim, Mozilla, CMUCL, gcc, etc. Last I looked, Microsoft does not have anything to do with these. Then again, I am not an average consumer.
Welll, if I try to read an encrypted file, I just get garbage. But if I can get to an encrypted file, I can then attempt to decrypt it. Palladium would have to keep a user from accessing secure data, period. Then again, a specially made boot disk/CD could be used to read a harddrive and possibly bypass Palladium that way.
Yes, this would stop the average home user. But there would be some people who would by one means or another get around this, and then release content out on p2p networks, or similar forms of distribution, without the Palladium protection. So to prevent this, Microsoft would have to seriously limit what you could do with your computer, such as not allowing you to run any program you want.
But this is mere speculation on my part, as I am not privy to the inner doings of Microsoft.
mount /mnt/floppy
:-)
As a teacher noted last night, we call them floppies because they are stiff, and we call them discs because they are square.
I am well aware of the existance and use of generalizations. They are an intricate part of how we think. But generalizations are not necessarily stereotypes. And the comment about dancing was part sarcasm and part personal opinion.
Frankly, I haven't seen anyone who is a good dancer. Most old fashioned dancing looks boring, most modern dancing looks like a seizure. Stereotypes only seem accurate because most people are too lazy to define themselves.
Linux is a set of code that forms a kernel. Microsoft is a company. Linux does whatever it was programmed to. Microsoft does whatever a large collection of people, knowledge, money, and connections can do to obtain what they as a group desire (usually money, it seems). There is a difference.
No, distributing copyrighted work on Napster would be illegal. Napster itself should not be illegal. Napster, Kazaa, etc are merely tools designed to find and transport files from one computer to another. If you transport copyrighted media from one computer to another, that is copyright violation, possibly piracy. Just as a carving knife is designed to carve things, but if you use it to carve someone up, that is assult with a deadly weapon, possibly murder. Carving knives are not illegal, why should filesharing programs be?
I think the point is not that taxes go up, it is that the budget of the government shifts to favor education. It sounds like a delightful idea, however this may just be wishful thinking. Wait and see, I guess.
Bad by your definition, or theirs? The problem with the PATRIOT act is its excessive potential for abuse. And people will abuse it, if they have not already.
The potential for abuse is far too great to offer any reasonable protection of liberty. The government unchecked may protect us from terrorists, but who will protect us from an unchecked government?
Who else threatens our freedom? - Answer: The Government.
Conclusion - The government is run by terrorists
Now I'll just sit here patiently and wait for some government agency to beat down my door...
I had to read Machiavelli's The Prince for high school. Actually a pretty good book.
Best title I've yet seen! Thank you.
I think what they are talking about is the group that encompasses sysadmins and everybody else who keeps computers running and communicating, and deals with people who use computers.
I beg your pardon, but there are native ports of Abuse, Doom, Quake 2, Duke Nukem 3D, and Rune, just to name a few. And by definition, every linux game is a PC game. Windows is a PC OS, not a PC.
Portal engine. Each room is a separate entity with a commonly shaped "portal" between them. Normally you wouldn't notice this, but a smart level designer can cause all sorts of mischief with them.