While, understandably, the focus here has been on security, it should be remembered that random number generation is useful in other mathematical endeavors, as well. It is slovenly to just walk away from fixing it.
Actually, I'd say there's a pretty good possibility the Gov't would ante up just as much, or more, to help fix MS vulns, if MS were as open and cooperative.
Gosh, I knew he'd become irrelevant some time ago, but isn't a bit harsh to just drop him like that? Oh! Oh! You mean he's retiring! My bad, my bad . . . (tee hee, hee, heee).
Apple's market share by about 74%. Very impressive. Linux grew by roughly 117%. Obviously, in short order Linux will be the only OS on the planet. Something about, "Lies, damned lies and statistics" comes to mind.
I once met an engineer who had worked on developing these hard drives. As an interesting tidbit, he informed me that the drives had to be housed in a special room with reinforced walls. The reinforcement was necessary because the drives would occasionally spin wild and throw a platter with sufficient force to go through regular drywall construction.
With the possible exception of Oracle, Apple is the most arrogant organization in the high-tech business. Customer service, security, and quality are at best an afterthought at Apple. Marketability is the only real concern, that and lock-in.
Like Ronald Reagan, Apple's long list of misdeeds and affronts to their customers slide off as if Steve Jobs is made of teflon. It is a mistake to expect value or serviceability from an Apple product; occasionally an Apple product may exhibit such qualities, but it is nothing more than a happy accident.
I should add that two newer distros offer some compelling qualities, but are relatively unknown: Sabayon Linux is based on a Gentoo core and is a very cutting edge distro, but a bit demanding on hardware and still a little rough around the edges. PCLinuxOS is also an up-and-coming competitor, based on Mandriva. (As I write this the PCLinuxOS website is down as their host deals with some preformance problems. It should be back up shortly.)
Both of these distros are worthy of consideration. A consideration that the many Ubuntu enthusiasts overlook is that while Ubuntu is an excellent distro, it is probably better suited to new computer users more than to those moving from Windows. There is a paradigm shift moving to Linux that is cushioned by SimplyMEPIS, Xandros, Freespire or, to some degree, SUSE. Ubuntu makes little concession to this consideration. Bear in mind that the Debian-based distros tend to have the best and easiest to use repositories and package management software.
I would suggest "test driving" the live CD's of some of these distros, then install a couple in a multiple boot arrangement. Find the one (or more) you like and keep it/them.
Okay, kids, let's put our thinking caps on and figure this one out. Why does MS want to license rights from Novell? Because they know they have infringed on proprietary Unix intellectual property. Since when? Can you say "DOS" (I knew you could)?
Okay, so they infringed a little; it's a problem money can fix, right? Oh, but wait, if Novell still owns those rights (not SCO), then they've been legally passed into Linux and are under the GPL. Suddenly, MS has a big problem. You can't buy what isn't for sale, but worse yet, knowingly using it could mean all of Windows would have to be opened up. MS is scrambling to, in effect, retroactively purchase rights to the code they stole.
Ballmer's comments are just a red herring. MS is running scared. Remember, you heard it here first.
You may wish to check out Xandros' offerings to the education world. Xandros integrates nicely with Crossover Office, an enhanced version of Wine that is easier to use and runs many Windows apps flawlessly.
First let me say, while it is clear that many respondants do not appreciate the emotional, psychological and personal costs associated with a profession in the medical arts, I understand why you might wish to change careers.
The first thing you must do is identify what aspect of CS appeals to you. Do you want to be a programmer? How about a sys admin? There is no title "Comprehensive Technology Geek". Just like medicine, you must determine what speciality you wish to pursue.
Next, determine the certifications that will provide credentials in your chosen field. Like the medical boards, these certifications will establish your credibility. The requirements of the certs will define your course of preparation. I hope you like to read.
"Lies, damned lies and statistics. .." is a quote from Mark Twain wherein he detailed the three kinds of lies he had observed. He overlooked (excusably, as it is the modern context that has created the inclusion) the worst form of lie, the resume.
The cost, both financial and human, of keeping people alive in space is too high. NASA should work on the technology, but improve it substantially before using public monies to keep even a few individuals alive in space, spending most of their time idle, sick, or both.
Robotics have long offered an underfunded alternative to Buck Rogers. Lighter in weight and not requiring life support, robots can do more to bring the space experience home to the public, by providing superior visual and environmental data.
It is simply not a responsible use of the technology at our disposal to proceed with the status quo. We must soberly face the limitations of that technology and embrace its strengths. Robotics.
Although I'm a bit of a naif with lizard-tech, it appears that all the modifications you wish to affect reside in configuration files. What about adding a script in Java or Python to directly write the conf files, behind the big reptile's back?
You might wish to check out some of the work at mozdev.org to evaluate Mozilla's potential. Also, the Phoenix project is intriguing for its demonstration of Mozilla customizations.
Slashdot Mirror
While, understandably, the focus here has been on security, it should be remembered that random number generation is useful in other mathematical endeavors, as well. It is slovenly to just walk away from fixing it.
Actually, I'd say there's a pretty good possibility the Gov't would ante up just as much, or more, to help fix MS vulns, if MS were as open and cooperative.
Gosh, I knew he'd become irrelevant some time ago, but isn't a bit harsh to just drop him like that? Oh! Oh! You mean he's retiring! My bad, my bad . . . (tee hee, hee, heee).
Apple's market share by about 74%. Very impressive. Linux grew by roughly 117%. Obviously, in short order Linux will be the only OS on the planet. Something about, "Lies, damned lies and statistics" comes to mind.
I once met an engineer who had worked on developing these hard drives. As an interesting tidbit, he informed me that the drives had to be housed in a special room with reinforced walls. The reinforcement was necessary because the drives would occasionally spin wild and throw a platter with sufficient force to go through regular drywall construction.
An article about dinosaurs back-to-back with one about Gene Simmons' opinions. Are you going to try to pass that off as mere coincidence?
Face it: All the buyers and sellers combined represent in eBay's vision is the carpet on the stairs to its financial ascension.
With the possible exception of Oracle, Apple is the most arrogant organization in the high-tech business. Customer service, security, and quality are at best an afterthought at Apple. Marketability is the only real concern, that and lock-in. Like Ronald Reagan, Apple's long list of misdeeds and affronts to their customers slide off as if Steve Jobs is made of teflon. It is a mistake to expect value or serviceability from an Apple product; occasionally an Apple product may exhibit such qualities, but it is nothing more than a happy accident.
So Gates has no taste and Jobs has no class. Maybe that was news in 1980, but it's old hat now.
Perhaps Google simply wants to avoid the graffiti conotations associated with "tagging".
I should add that two newer distros offer some compelling qualities, but are relatively unknown: Sabayon Linux is based on a Gentoo core and is a very cutting edge distro, but a bit demanding on hardware and still a little rough around the edges. PCLinuxOS is also an up-and-coming competitor, based on Mandriva. (As I write this the PCLinuxOS website is down as their host deals with some preformance problems. It should be back up shortly.) Both of these distros are worthy of consideration. A consideration that the many Ubuntu enthusiasts overlook is that while Ubuntu is an excellent distro, it is probably better suited to new computer users more than to those moving from Windows. There is a paradigm shift moving to Linux that is cushioned by SimplyMEPIS, Xandros, Freespire or, to some degree, SUSE. Ubuntu makes little concession to this consideration. Bear in mind that the Debian-based distros tend to have the best and easiest to use repositories and package management software. I would suggest "test driving" the live CD's of some of these distros, then install a couple in a multiple boot arrangement. Find the one (or more) you like and keep it/them.
Try this article, it is a cogent discussion of the most approachable distros for those coming from other platforms: http://www.desktoplinux.com/articles/AT2914026253. html
Okay, kids, let's put our thinking caps on and figure this one out. Why does MS want to license rights from Novell? Because they know they have infringed on proprietary Unix intellectual property. Since when? Can you say "DOS" (I knew you could)? Okay, so they infringed a little; it's a problem money can fix, right? Oh, but wait, if Novell still owns those rights (not SCO), then they've been legally passed into Linux and are under the GPL. Suddenly, MS has a big problem. You can't buy what isn't for sale, but worse yet, knowingly using it could mean all of Windows would have to be opened up. MS is scrambling to, in effect, retroactively purchase rights to the code they stole. Ballmer's comments are just a red herring. MS is running scared. Remember, you heard it here first.
Somehow, the wrong link got included in the last post, here is the right one: http://www.xandros.com/products/education/edu_intr o.html
You may wish to check out Xandros' offerings to the education world. Xandros integrates nicely with Crossover Office, an enhanced version of Wine that is easier to use and runs many Windows apps flawlessly.
See, this is what Bill Gates has been trying to tell us for years: A secure computer is a criminal offense.
Perhaps the article might appropriately be titled, "Dell Walmarts Red Hat on Pricing".
First let me say, while it is clear that many respondants do not appreciate the emotional, psychological and personal costs associated with a profession in the medical arts, I understand why you might wish to change careers. The first thing you must do is identify what aspect of CS appeals to you. Do you want to be a programmer? How about a sys admin? There is no title "Comprehensive Technology Geek". Just like medicine, you must determine what speciality you wish to pursue. Next, determine the certifications that will provide credentials in your chosen field. Like the medical boards, these certifications will establish your credibility. The requirements of the certs will define your course of preparation. I hope you like to read.
"Lies, damned lies and statistics. . ." is a quote from Mark Twain wherein he detailed the three kinds of lies he had observed. He overlooked (excusably, as it is the modern context that has created the inclusion) the worst form of lie, the resume.
The cost, both financial and human, of keeping people alive in space is too high. NASA should work on the technology, but improve it substantially before using public monies to keep even a few individuals alive in space, spending most of their time idle, sick, or both. Robotics have long offered an underfunded alternative to Buck Rogers. Lighter in weight and not requiring life support, robots can do more to bring the space experience home to the public, by providing superior visual and environmental data. It is simply not a responsible use of the technology at our disposal to proceed with the status quo. We must soberly face the limitations of that technology and embrace its strengths. Robotics.
Although I'm a bit of a naif with lizard-tech, it appears that all the modifications you wish to affect reside in configuration files. What about adding a script in Java or Python to directly write the conf files, behind the big reptile's back?
You might wish to check out some of the work at mozdev.org to evaluate Mozilla's potential. Also, the Phoenix project is intriguing for its demonstration of Mozilla customizations.