Australia was almost a nation-wide telephone monopoly. We have laws that say that Telstra must make their DSLAMS available for lease at reasonable (read: regulated) prices to competitors. You may not get choice of equipment (ADSL) as many exchanges only have Telstra DSLAMS at the moment, but you will get choice of provider. There are exceptions in some places, but in general that is the case. It's a nice law to have, because companies actually have to compete on service.
No, it means you charge the *company* corporation tax. A flat 30% or thereabouts in Australia. And then don't consider it income for taxation purposes. Problem solved.
I videoed my son's birth, and in a few week's time I'll record the birth of my next child. I have watched it several times. It's a magic moment for those who were there. It's a way of sharing the experience (edited for my privacy) with those who would have *liked* to be there. And who knows, maybe one day my son WOULD like to see it.
We weren't worried about the camera angle. We set the camcorder up on a tripod in the corner of the delivery suite and ignored it. Sure, it's not the best footage in the world, but we got to be immersed in the moment AND have that moment recorded. This is off-topic though, since I wouldn't do that with a mobile phone. Maybe ten minutes AFTER the birth, but most delivery suites have a "no mobiles" rule anyway in case they disrupt the equipment in the special care nursery which is usually next door.
Now where's that DVD... I think I might watch it again!
Or hurt someone else (not that I'm suggesting you would). Guns are dangerous. With the obvious exception of rural situations, why would you need a gun to protect your family unless the other person *also* had a gun? If *no one* had a gun, then less people would get shot.
RTFA - it's not MS issuing the certs. They're merely supporting an existing type of certificate that has increased verification before it is issued. Stop the Microsoft bashing. They've done something right here. Sure, it sucks that small businesses can't get the certificates, but in that case it's the certificate companies they should be suing not Microsoft.
Write a project document, including a design, use cases and test plan for a straightforward program. You could even write the interfaces for them (classes, methods, etc in java speak) but don't bother actually coding it except perhaps for a method or two. If you can show that you know your stuff well enough to get to a decent design then you're better than half the monkeys coming out of university these days.
I think you've got the wrong attitude there. Don't see it as a "competition" - see it as a chance to have fun with your workmates. If you look at it as an opportunity rather than a drag then not only will you have a good time, but you might actually get a positive outcome. Turning up to this sort of thing meant my face appeared on the radar of senior management. In a social environment your more unusual abilities can be discussed.
Nonsense - US currency is one of the easiest in the world to counterfeit. Ever had a look at an Australian note? DAMN hard to counterfeit. I laugh at your paper currency - HA HA HA HA
Seriously, though - it's not that big a deal to change currency. Transition over a period of a year or two. And while you're at it, get rid of $1 and $2 notes and switch to nice compact coins;)
What a beautiful post. You're absolutely right, and it's unfortunate that so many people see the law as a tool to use to get what they want, as opposed to seeing it as a tool to maintain the ethical standards of society.
Some of the stupider lawsuits come to mind. Here in Australia the majority of places have removed water slides because they can't get insurance anymore. A few idiots abusing the equipment and then seeing a chance to make a buck have resulted in everyone being prevented from enjoying a fun activity. That's not a brilliant example, but the idea stands. People use the law as a tool for personal gain, where the original intention was social gain. It's very sad.
When the Constitution was written, they never expected there to be two major parties. It was always expected that multiple parties would have to form a coalition in order to make government. Of course, we're stuck with it now. What government is going to put THAT up to a Referendum?
The real problems in Australia are that the Labor party can't make up its mind which leader it wants to back (and personally I find Beazley a bit ick and not a good representative for the country) and that too many people don't seem to get preferential voting. Vote for the little guy *first* and THEN the big party... and we might actually get a few independents or small parties in power. Or here's a new idea - vote for a representative for your region instead of a party! Someone who actually cares enough to have a policy on how they'll vote (and this party lines thing is utter crap).
What we've seen so far is socialism, which is at the opposite end of the political scale entirely. Humans are greedy - create an absolute form of government and it will eventually be corrupted. True communism would be beautiful, but it's probably a myth.
I don't know what the law is in the US, but in Australia opening a door that is *unlocked* is still break and enter. You "broke" a seal - the closed door. I found this out when I ducked upstairs to have a shower and came downstairs to find my wallet missing. One "break & enter" police report later... well, we never found the buggers.
Because it's a *home* product - they are licensing it for home use. This is their way of making businesses pay more for certain rights. They're perfectly entitled to do this from a legal standpoint, and as a home user I'd rather see business copping the higher prices for Vista rather than me.
Note also that the warranty has increased - this is going to cost Microsoft money. It's about time (90 days is barely enough to put a machine through its paces, let alone find issues with your installation) but it's still a positive change.
As for the "only transferring once" thing, I didn't see anything in TFA regarding motherboard swapping. For all we know there may be a more intelligent method to determine what a "new device" is.
Whether we like it or not, we are paying for a *license* not an item. Big commercial products are even more rigid in their licensing, so while I don't like this I can understand and accept it. Let's see how it affects us IRL before we make too many judgements. Of course, if I can't replace a dud motherboard I'll be as abusive as the rest of you.
You are STILL missing the point. If applications were written so they couldn't BE compromised, then it wouldn't be necessary to have firewalls. And there's always a way in - via the VPN that the systems administrators use if nothing else. Hack their workstation at home perhaps. Firewalls give a false sense of security. You *think* no one can get at your applications, so you get sloppy about other things such as IDS/Tripwire and so forth. I've seen it in my current workplace, and it's just the wrong attitude to take. Firewalls are a BACKUP because you know the software is faulty somewhere. If you have them in place for any other reason then you need to rethink their purpose.
Most routers route traffic in a transparent manner, so yes the application can see where it comes from. Ever seen your router listed in your Apache logs? No? I didn't think so. I recognise that rinetd and similar tools that run in user space are less transparent, but those are generally hacks anyway and the firewalls can't tell the source of those packets either.
The firewall is not necessarily the best place to configure LAN access either. All that does is increase support calls "it's 4:05 pm and my LAN access is down". Waste of administrator time. Better to have a policy on your AD server. And if you don't have centralised workstation management then that's a different problem entirely. In a large organisation the team managing the firewalls ("Security") is separate from the workstation team which is separate from the UNIX server team which is separate from the Windows server team which is separate from the network team. So if your machine gets compromised whose fault is it? The server team? Security? Who made the mistake? Hooray, we had a firewall so it's not our fault, let's pass the blame on to the security team, who will pass it back saying that you wanted that port to be let in... what a thorough waste of resources.
Yes, I use firewalls. Yes, I think they're necessary. Yes, I think that application developers should all be required to attend a course on how to code in a secure manner. The number of hacks I have seen to get something working makes me shudder.
True. But having a "software centre" with all these applications available would be a good idea I think - ala Synaptic or Linspire's software downloads. Point & click to install, on the DVD, but not enabled by default unless you request "all bundled software" in your installation. I think it's a good thing that this software is available as part of the install, just like Linux gives you options - too many people still don't have a firewall.
When they have been doing full bag inspections, you can practically see them counting off. I am a young white woman in Australia, with a local accent. That didn't stop me from having to hand my baby over to my husband while they inspected my bag. The bigger bag in my husband's arms was completely ignored. I thought it was ridiculous, and by the expression on the inspector's face she felt silly, but she did her job and we got on with our flight.
It's sad that people are being profiled in the US. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of it was the prejudices of the inspection staff themselves. "check anyone that looks suspicious" in some minds will be "check anyone who looks Muslim". Sad, but true.
I assume you were being sarcastic, but in case not...
Of course you don't go to big shopping destinations, come within a mile of any government building, use ANY public transport, work in any organisation that in any way supplies the government.
Puh-LEASE.
Terrorism is not just aeroplanes. True terrorism is putting poison in the playground of "one of the schools in the city" and watching what happens as thousands of parents don't send their children to school. Yes, this has happened, but it was a joke not terrorism and was only rat poison. It didn't stop people being really really scared. Now THAT is terrorism.
I'm a female geek who is used to working in a mostly male environment. And it has never been a problem. Parent is absolutely right - girls who want to work in IT have to recognise that most guys AREN'T intending sexual harassment, it's just a joke. And when a guy is out of line I tell him to his face, and he apologises, and that's the end of it.
I actually agree that excessive feminism is making things hard for both genders. A girl who really wants to fit in with the guys has to be willing to BE one of the guys - turn a blind eye to the less attractive parts of male culture, or laugh along (some of it really is funny, you know). Don't be ashamed of being a woman, but don't flaunt it either (skirts are okay, low necklines are just cruel to single guys). Eventually you'll have the guys asking you for advice on other women;)
It probably helps that I'm married, and was already engaged when I started working as a UNIX admin - no guy with half a brain cracks on to a girl with a diamond ring on that finger.
Not quite accurate. Average can be mean, median or mode. You're right that the quote is median not mean, but average and mean do not have to be the exact same thing.
Yes, I'm a pedant. It's how you know I belong on slashdot;)
Nope, you just open the phone book and choose an entry. "Today I am... M Stupid of 42 Silly Street..." That way you even get a real phone number! Of course, you won't pick up the line...
THAT is what would happen. What a really really dumb law.
This is the song that never ends YES it goes on and on my friends SOME PEOPLE started singing it not knowing what it was and they'll continue singing it forever just because...
Silly silly boy! Most girls I know (.AU) hate cigarette breath unless they smoke themselves. Smoking is the best way to get a "what an idiot, don't want him" look and a cold shoulder.
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Australia was almost a nation-wide telephone monopoly. We have laws that say that Telstra must make their DSLAMS available for lease at reasonable (read: regulated) prices to competitors. You may not get choice of equipment (ADSL) as many exchanges only have Telstra DSLAMS at the moment, but you will get choice of provider. There are exceptions in some places, but in general that is the case. It's a nice law to have, because companies actually have to compete on service.
No, it means you charge the *company* corporation tax. A flat 30% or thereabouts in Australia. And then don't consider it income for taxation purposes. Problem solved.
I videoed my son's birth, and in a few week's time I'll record the birth of my next child. I have watched it several times. It's a magic moment for those who were there. It's a way of sharing the experience (edited for my privacy) with those who would have *liked* to be there. And who knows, maybe one day my son WOULD like to see it.
... I think I might watch it again!
We weren't worried about the camera angle. We set the camcorder up on a tripod in the corner of the delivery suite and ignored it. Sure, it's not the best footage in the world, but we got to be immersed in the moment AND have that moment recorded. This is off-topic though, since I wouldn't do that with a mobile phone. Maybe ten minutes AFTER the birth, but most delivery suites have a "no mobiles" rule anyway in case they disrupt the equipment in the special care nursery which is usually next door.
Now where's that DVD
Or hurt someone else (not that I'm suggesting you would). Guns are dangerous. With the obvious exception of rural situations, why would you need a gun to protect your family unless the other person *also* had a gun? If *no one* had a gun, then less people would get shot.
RTFA - it's not MS issuing the certs. They're merely supporting an existing type of certificate that has increased verification before it is issued. Stop the Microsoft bashing. They've done something right here. Sure, it sucks that small businesses can't get the certificates, but in that case it's the certificate companies they should be suing not Microsoft.
Write a project document, including a design, use cases and test plan for a straightforward program. You could even write the interfaces for them (classes, methods, etc in java speak) but don't bother actually coding it except perhaps for a method or two. If you can show that you know your stuff well enough to get to a decent design then you're better than half the monkeys coming out of university these days.
And then you log in, and at least 30 seconds later the computer becomes usable.
I think you've got the wrong attitude there. Don't see it as a "competition" - see it as a chance to have fun with your workmates. If you look at it as an opportunity rather than a drag then not only will you have a good time, but you might actually get a positive outcome. Turning up to this sort of thing meant my face appeared on the radar of senior management. In a social environment your more unusual abilities can be discussed.
Nonsense - US currency is one of the easiest in the world to counterfeit. Ever had a look at an Australian note? DAMN hard to counterfeit. I laugh at your paper currency - HA HA HA HA
;)
Seriously, though - it's not that big a deal to change currency. Transition over a period of a year or two. And while you're at it, get rid of $1 and $2 notes and switch to nice compact coins
What a beautiful post. You're absolutely right, and it's unfortunate that so many people see the law as a tool to use to get what they want, as opposed to seeing it as a tool to maintain the ethical standards of society.
Some of the stupider lawsuits come to mind. Here in Australia the majority of places have removed water slides because they can't get insurance anymore. A few idiots abusing the equipment and then seeing a chance to make a buck have resulted in everyone being prevented from enjoying a fun activity. That's not a brilliant example, but the idea stands. People use the law as a tool for personal gain, where the original intention was social gain. It's very sad.
When the Constitution was written, they never expected there to be two major parties. It was always expected that multiple parties would have to form a coalition in order to make government. Of course, we're stuck with it now. What government is going to put THAT up to a Referendum?
... and we might actually get a few independents or small parties in power. Or here's a new idea - vote for a representative for your region instead of a party! Someone who actually cares enough to have a policy on how they'll vote (and this party lines thing is utter crap).
The real problems in Australia are that the Labor party can't make up its mind which leader it wants to back (and personally I find Beazley a bit ick and not a good representative for the country) and that too many people don't seem to get preferential voting. Vote for the little guy *first* and THEN the big party
What we've seen so far is socialism, which is at the opposite end of the political scale entirely. Humans are greedy - create an absolute form of government and it will eventually be corrupted. True communism would be beautiful, but it's probably a myth.
I don't know what the law is in the US, but in Australia opening a door that is *unlocked* is still break and enter. You "broke" a seal - the closed door. I found this out when I ducked upstairs to have a shower and came downstairs to find my wallet missing. One "break & enter" police report later ... well, we never found the buggers.
Because it's a *home* product - they are licensing it for home use. This is their way of making businesses pay more for certain rights. They're perfectly entitled to do this from a legal standpoint, and as a home user I'd rather see business copping the higher prices for Vista rather than me.
Note also that the warranty has increased - this is going to cost Microsoft money. It's about time (90 days is barely enough to put a machine through its paces, let alone find issues with your installation) but it's still a positive change.
As for the "only transferring once" thing, I didn't see anything in TFA regarding motherboard swapping. For all we know there may be a more intelligent method to determine what a "new device" is.
Whether we like it or not, we are paying for a *license* not an item. Big commercial products are even more rigid in their licensing, so while I don't like this I can understand and accept it. Let's see how it affects us IRL before we make too many judgements. Of course, if I can't replace a dud motherboard I'll be as abusive as the rest of you.
You are STILL missing the point. If applications were written so they couldn't BE compromised, then it wouldn't be necessary to have firewalls. And there's always a way in - via the VPN that the systems administrators use if nothing else. Hack their workstation at home perhaps. Firewalls give a false sense of security. You *think* no one can get at your applications, so you get sloppy about other things such as IDS/Tripwire and so forth. I've seen it in my current workplace, and it's just the wrong attitude to take. Firewalls are a BACKUP because you know the software is faulty somewhere. If you have them in place for any other reason then you need to rethink their purpose.
... what a thorough waste of resources.
Most routers route traffic in a transparent manner, so yes the application can see where it comes from. Ever seen your router listed in your Apache logs? No? I didn't think so. I recognise that rinetd and similar tools that run in user space are less transparent, but those are generally hacks anyway and the firewalls can't tell the source of those packets either.
The firewall is not necessarily the best place to configure LAN access either. All that does is increase support calls "it's 4:05 pm and my LAN access is down". Waste of administrator time. Better to have a policy on your AD server. And if you don't have centralised workstation management then that's a different problem entirely. In a large organisation the team managing the firewalls ("Security") is separate from the workstation team which is separate from the UNIX server team which is separate from the Windows server team which is separate from the network team. So if your machine gets compromised whose fault is it? The server team? Security? Who made the mistake? Hooray, we had a firewall so it's not our fault, let's pass the blame on to the security team, who will pass it back saying that you wanted that port to be let in
Yes, I use firewalls. Yes, I think they're necessary. Yes, I think that application developers should all be required to attend a course on how to code in a secure manner. The number of hacks I have seen to get something working makes me shudder.
True. But having a "software centre" with all these applications available would be a good idea I think - ala Synaptic or Linspire's software downloads. Point & click to install, on the DVD, but not enabled by default unless you request "all bundled software" in your installation. I think it's a good thing that this software is available as part of the install, just like Linux gives you options - too many people still don't have a firewall.
When they have been doing full bag inspections, you can practically see them counting off. I am a young white woman in Australia, with a local accent. That didn't stop me from having to hand my baby over to my husband while they inspected my bag. The bigger bag in my husband's arms was completely ignored. I thought it was ridiculous, and by the expression on the inspector's face she felt silly, but she did her job and we got on with our flight.
It's sad that people are being profiled in the US. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of it was the prejudices of the inspection staff themselves. "check anyone that looks suspicious" in some minds will be "check anyone who looks Muslim". Sad, but true.
I assume you were being sarcastic, but in case not ...
Of course you don't go to big shopping destinations, come within a mile of any government building, use ANY public transport, work in any organisation that in any way supplies the government.
Puh-LEASE.
Terrorism is not just aeroplanes. True terrorism is putting poison in the playground of "one of the schools in the city" and watching what happens as thousands of parents don't send their children to school. Yes, this has happened, but it was a joke not terrorism and was only rat poison. It didn't stop people being really really scared. Now THAT is terrorism.
I'm a female geek who is used to working in a mostly male environment. And it has never been a problem. Parent is absolutely right - girls who want to work in IT have to recognise that most guys AREN'T intending sexual harassment, it's just a joke. And when a guy is out of line I tell him to his face, and he apologises, and that's the end of it.
;)
I actually agree that excessive feminism is making things hard for both genders. A girl who really wants to fit in with the guys has to be willing to BE one of the guys - turn a blind eye to the less attractive parts of male culture, or laugh along (some of it really is funny, you know). Don't be ashamed of being a woman, but don't flaunt it either (skirts are okay, low necklines are just cruel to single guys). Eventually you'll have the guys asking you for advice on other women
It probably helps that I'm married, and was already engaged when I started working as a UNIX admin - no guy with half a brain cracks on to a girl with a diamond ring on that finger.
Not quite accurate. Average can be mean, median or mode. You're right that the quote is median not mean, but average and mean do not have to be the exact same thing.
;)
Yes, I'm a pedant. It's how you know I belong on slashdot
Because SSL certificates require an IP.
Nope, you just open the phone book and choose an entry. "Today I am ... M Stupid of 42 Silly Street ..." That way you even get a real phone number! Of course, you won't pick up the line ...
THAT is what would happen. What a really really dumb law.
Damn, you beat me to it ;)
It's about 260 years too early though.
*grin* You're both wrong.
...
;)
This is the song that never ends
YES it goes on and on my friends
SOME PEOPLE started singing it not knowing what it was
and they'll continue singing it forever just because
You were both close though
Silly silly boy! Most girls I know (.AU) hate cigarette breath unless they smoke themselves. Smoking is the best way to get a "what an idiot, don't want him" look and a cold shoulder.