I imagine that is only if people used this kind of thing for every little sniffle. I will admit, I also dislike the 'pop a pill' mentality of today's medicine. I feel that too many people just take what they're given blindly, and could be trading side-effect after side effect in a never ending whirlwind of treatments prescribed by a drug company stooge doctor. That's not to say they are all that way, but it's definitely out there.
I think, (though I could be wrong) that this treatment is really meant for (and more interesting for) viruses that are too tricky for our immune system - such as ones that hide inside cells that the immune system can't touch. This could finally make some of the worst untouchable diseases finally exposed to treatment. The downside in my view is, some of these viruses hide in places where when you are forced to kill cells that won't/can't regenerate. Which could suck for nerves, bone marrow etc.
But if you have HIV or something, I imagine trading a bone marrow transplant for taking a cocktail of drugs to keep yourself from wasting away is an easy decision.
We are implementers. And like all artists, there are true innovators and there are people who just slap things together. It isn't the idea that makes piece of work great, and it isn't the method of creating that work that makes the idea great. Would the Sistine Chapel be quite as impressive if it had just been another set of paintings commissioned by some bored king instead of a breathtaking ceiling three stories up?
Both the idea, and the one who renders it are important, and both lend to the success.
I seem to remember the same argument with Region Codes and DIVX. People voted with the wallet last time, why would this time be any different?
Even if they do get their way, all they will do is create a cottage industry of security-defeating technologies. And like always, the real pirates who make tons of money selling counterfeits will find ways around it.
It's the actual consumer that can't watch that latest DVD because of DRM that doesn't quite work right that get screwed.
That is a good point, I didn't mean to stress that Density was the problem, only that with a larger density it makes them more sensitive to over-usage, causing them to try and bundle services to compensate.
I have Cable through Time Warner - and they allow me to have the broadband alone, and it only costs me 40 dollars a month. Now the question becomes is that competitive for the bandwidth I receive?
You have to remember that a lot of times you subsidize those around you because of shared total bandwidth (though this may end with usage caps in the near future). I.E. if you're in an apartment in a big city with a bunch of tech savvy users all at the same C.O. then you might have very low bandwidth and your monthly dollar doesn't buy you much.
However if you live in a suburb with a lot of older, non-technically inclined people you may be hitting your download cap constantly and therefore get value for your money. This is usually because all those older folks who may have internet to send pictures to their grandkids are subsidizing your bandwidth by paying the same and not using it.
So I would say the real problem isn't necessarily the bundling (though that has gotten out of hand in some places) but that they don't sell bandwidth as a commodity to the home, and business costs for it are prohibitive for home users. So the companies that offer it pretty much assume the have to get it out of you somewhere, especially in heavily populated areas where the ratio of people vs. the bandwidth requirements is unpleasant for them.
I imagine the story in Manhattan is very different from, say, suburban Indiana simply because of the density of people.
I work as an IT manager at a company where I had to install an attachment scanner -- and it routinely chews up legitimate emails I get from programmers -- But there's nothing I can do, the virus writers are getting smarter and are zipping or otherwise encrypting emails and I have to do something to stay a step ahead of them.
Thankfully Linux has helped me immensely in keeping our infrastructure from dying.
All this list means is that more are reported. Doesn't mean that Unux is less secure, and by saying that let me qualify it by saying 'When used correctly'. There are many Windows admins who can make a windows machine more secure than a bad Unix guy, and there are Unix guys who will make a machine impregnable next to a well patched windows machine. It's all about Difficulty and Severity. Let me qualify that:
I think the real question is two fold:
#1 - If you get compremised, how bad is the damage? #2 - How much of the exploit is really your fault and not the developer?
-- As a Unix admin, if you install a copy of a program, leave it for a few years and then turn on a bunch of useless protocols that were beta to begin with, you didn't read the manual -- who is at fault? The development team or the admin who didn't take the risk into effect? In this case, a default install on Windows might actually end up being more secure than your dumb self.
-- Now as a Windows admin, all you can do is wait and feed off the microsoft trough. If something breaks, you can't exactly go debug the code and fix it. You're only lucky if someone writes a workaround, such as this recent wmv exploit. But in general, the tools aren't usually bad for working, and if you're really good you can problably find a workaround, or go delve into the registry for that particularly sticky key some developer left in there for you to find. Obviously for the smart Unix admin, finding settings is a 'man' call away even for a mediocre admin.
SO: And Like so many have mentioned, this is all about reported bugs. And the difference is, when you report a bug to an open source team, they take it personally and complete it at any cost. When you report a bug to Microsoft, they look at it and figure out how much it'll cost them before they even acknowledge it. They are a company, that's just how it works. I would say don't get pissed about it, just realize the consequences and do the best you can.
And for gods sakes, pick a good d4mn root/Administrator password.
I'll agre with the masses here, but point out it's about the admin who installed the machine! -- If you're a user... and you need root for any reason, you're not doing user things... you should be in the correct group, or all the things you need access to should be granted... if you're missing something, then you have to call the admin and let him know... he screwed up. Er-go helpdesk.
If you're in your home directory and need to alter permissions and can't? that's a problem. If you're goign through/bin changing permissions... that's a problem.
Have a chat with your admin about why you're needing it, maybe he can explain why you don't. Or at least fix what he screwed up.
Hey... I just realized that I HAD seen that graphic before... isn't that the groklaw backdrop from the top???
Did this guy just lift that graphic from groklaw?
http://www.groklaw.net/
Long before I learned Perl or BASH scripting, I used AREXX on my Amiga... and the thing that really made it TOPS was that a long list of applications has 'AREXX Port' where you could interact your script directly with programs.
Ahh the good old days. I wish I had gotten a chance to use OS/2... I have a feeling I would have liked it.
Recently I bought one of those Virtually indestructible keyboards. When I hooked it up, it didn't really work well, and blinked a few times. Being a PS2 keyboard, I tried it in bios and some keys worked and some didn't, so I wondered if it was a special keyboard with special logic and if maybe I could wake it from it's stupor. So I figured, what the heck call tech support, worst case they tell me what I already assumed which is bad keyboard. What he told me was completely unexpected.
"Bios is a bad place to test it, boot into windows so we can see if it's installed right."
To which I replied: "Installed.... Installed? -- This is a ps2 keyboard you know..."
To which I got the stupified answer "Yeah, we need to make sure the driver installed correctly."
*Sigh*. And they wonder why people dread calling tech support. And you know why now your entire family calls YOU for tech support.
Oh, and I returned and got a new keyboard and it works great. I hope that tech support guy eventually figures out that PS2 keyboards, and 'legacy' USB keyboards are controlled by bios. As they should be.
Putty Winamp Firefox Openoffice UltraEdit T rillian
And I reinstall and update the patches about once every 6 months or so. Just about when my Norton AV expires and the system starts to get dirty. With Windows, a lot of times it's just easier to un-ghost or reinstall then try and figure out what's gone wrong with it.
Though I remember a time when I never reinstalled my PC. When I owned an Amiga, I had the same OS installed from... well I bought the 1200 in 92 and moved to the PC in 98 so almost 6 years. And back then I actually downloaded and installed more programs from BBSes and such than I do today from the internet. It's funny, I guess comparing computing then to computing now is like comparing sex in the 60s to sex now. Back then you could download things freely and nobody worried. Nowadays you have to watch yourself or you end up catching something nasty!
So the moral, always wear a rubber. And don't use Internet explorer unless you have the security turned WAAAAAY up.
Amiga bites the dust again eh? I hope Hyperion had something in the contract about this one.
Hey, you might have noticed the shot to aros.sourceforge.net.
It's actually pretty nice! Actually reminds me of booting up Workbench!
-- I downloaded a recent snapshot ISO and burned it. It booted great on my PC, and I was able to play a bit. It looks like it would make an awesome development platform for anybody! -- they've created something called 'ZUNE' that it a lot like MUI...
For those of you who hate programming for GUI's, amiga was the only system I programmed for that I didn't feel like I was muddling through to make GUI calls work.
I'm sure this has been said a few times... but as an IT manager, I've already recieved three copies of Office2k3... one was sent to the last IT manager before me, one was sent to a name resempbling slightly mine (I never registered with them, but they call plenty to have figured my name out from other people at my company) and one for the Vice president right above me. It has to be apparent to EVERYBODY that the only way they can get lock in is to get as MANY people using thier software whose file formats are unreadable without the software. How do you do that? You get a few executives who may or may not have computer experience to use it, they send files to people who can't use them, and suddenly they say 'Well, IT, why can't they open them?'... you say 'Well, because you have the newest version and they're using the old version/the Open version.'... voila. Suddenly the upgrade is hurried because you can't see the one new feature that VP wants that the other copies don't do.
I'm sure people still realize that the reason nobody bought office 2k for so long was because there was backwards compatability. People didn't need to upgrade until outlook 97 became a virus trap and you had to upgrade just to get rid of it.
Now they need to start the lock-in again. I'm sure people all over the world were seeded with this software in an attempt to continue the cycle...
Slashdot Mirror
Nice reference. One of my favorite episodes.
I imagine that is only if people used this kind of thing for every little sniffle. I will admit, I also dislike the 'pop a pill' mentality of today's medicine. I feel that too many people just take what they're given blindly, and could be trading side-effect after side effect in a never ending whirlwind of treatments prescribed by a drug company stooge doctor. That's not to say they are all that way, but it's definitely out there.
I think, (though I could be wrong) that this treatment is really meant for (and more interesting for) viruses that are too tricky for our immune system - such as ones that hide inside cells that the immune system can't touch. This could finally make some of the worst untouchable diseases finally exposed to treatment. The downside in my view is, some of these viruses hide in places where when you are forced to kill cells that won't/can't regenerate. Which could suck for nerves, bone marrow etc.
But if you have HIV or something, I imagine trading a bone marrow transplant for taking a cocktail of drugs to keep yourself from wasting away is an easy decision.
We are implementers. And like all artists, there are true innovators and there are people who just slap things together. It isn't the idea that makes piece of work great, and it isn't the method of creating that work that makes the idea great. Would the Sistine Chapel be quite as impressive if it had just been another set of paintings commissioned by some bored king instead of a breathtaking ceiling three stories up?
Both the idea, and the one who renders it are important, and both lend to the success.
I seem to remember the same argument with Region Codes and DIVX. People voted with the wallet last time, why would this time be any different?
Even if they do get their way, all they will do is create a cottage industry of security-defeating technologies. And like always, the real pirates who make tons of money selling counterfeits will find ways around it.
It's the actual consumer that can't watch that latest DVD because of DRM that doesn't quite work right that get screwed.
That is a good point, I didn't mean to stress that Density was the problem, only that with a larger density it makes them more sensitive to over-usage, causing them to try and bundle services to compensate.
I suppose it's a balancing act either way.
I have Cable through Time Warner - and they allow me to have the broadband alone, and it only costs me 40 dollars a month. Now the question becomes is that competitive for the bandwidth I receive?
You have to remember that a lot of times you subsidize those around you because of shared total bandwidth (though this may end with usage caps in the near future). I.E. if you're in an apartment in a big city with a bunch of tech savvy users all at the same C.O. then you might have very low bandwidth and your monthly dollar doesn't buy you much.
However if you live in a suburb with a lot of older, non-technically inclined people you may be hitting your download cap constantly and therefore get value for your money. This is usually because all those older folks who may have internet to send pictures to their grandkids are subsidizing your bandwidth by paying the same and not using it.
So I would say the real problem isn't necessarily the bundling (though that has gotten out of hand in some places) but that they don't sell bandwidth as a commodity to the home, and business costs for it are prohibitive for home users. So the companies that offer it pretty much assume the have to get it out of you somewhere, especially in heavily populated areas where the ratio of people vs. the bandwidth requirements is unpleasant for them.
I imagine the story in Manhattan is very different from, say, suburban Indiana simply because of the density of people.
I work as an IT manager at a company where I had to install an attachment scanner -- and it routinely chews up legitimate emails I get from programmers -- But there's nothing I can do, the virus writers are getting smarter and are zipping or otherwise encrypting emails and I have to do something to stay a step ahead of them. Thankfully Linux has helped me immensely in keeping our infrastructure from dying.
All this list means is that more are reported. Doesn't mean that Unux is less secure, and by saying that let me qualify it by saying 'When used correctly'. There are many Windows admins who can make a windows machine more secure than a bad Unix guy, and there are Unix guys who will make a machine impregnable next to a well patched windows machine. It's all about Difficulty and Severity. Let me qualify that:
I think the real question is two fold:
#1 - If you get compremised, how bad is the damage?
#2 - How much of the exploit is really your fault and not the developer?
-- As a Unix admin, if you install a copy of a program, leave it for a few years and then turn on a bunch of useless protocols that were beta to begin with, you didn't read the manual -- who is at fault? The development team or the admin who didn't take the risk into effect? In this case, a default install on Windows might actually end up being more secure than your dumb self.
-- Now as a Windows admin, all you can do is wait and feed off the microsoft trough. If something breaks, you can't exactly go debug the code and fix it. You're only lucky if someone writes a workaround, such as this recent wmv exploit. But in general, the tools aren't usually bad for working, and if you're really good you can problably find a workaround, or go delve into the registry for that particularly sticky key some developer left in there for you to find. Obviously for the smart Unix admin, finding settings is a 'man' call away even for a mediocre admin.
SO:
And Like so many have mentioned, this is all about reported bugs. And the difference is, when you report a bug to an open source team, they take it personally and complete it at any cost. When you report a bug to Microsoft, they look at it and figure out how much it'll cost them before they even acknowledge it. They are a company, that's just how it works. I would say don't get pissed about it, just realize the consequences and do the best you can.
And for gods sakes, pick a good d4mn root/Administrator password.
I'll agre with the masses here, but point out it's about the admin who installed the machine! -- If you're a user... and you need root for any reason, you're not doing user things... you should be in the correct group, or all the things you need access to should be granted... if you're missing something, then you have to call the admin and let him know... he screwed up. Er-go helpdesk.
/bin changing permissions... that's a problem.
If you're in your home directory and need to alter permissions and can't? that's a problem. If you're goign through
Have a chat with your admin about why you're needing it, maybe he can explain why you don't. Or at least fix what he screwed up.
Ahhh. Well there ya go. Just goes to show how versitile the web is. Share and share alike :)
Hey... I just realized that I HAD seen that graphic before... isn't that the groklaw backdrop from the top??? Did this guy just lift that graphic from groklaw? http://www.groklaw.net/
You're aware that by linking it here, you're helping the cause, but basically killing the site. :)
Just mentioning.
(It's a good cause btw, so EVERYBODY DONATE SOMETHING!)
Long before I learned Perl or BASH scripting, I used AREXX on my Amiga... and the thing that really made it TOPS was that a long list of applications has 'AREXX Port' where you could interact your script directly with programs. Ahh the good old days. I wish I had gotten a chance to use OS/2 ... I have a feeling I would have liked it.
Recently I bought one of those Virtually indestructible keyboards. When I hooked it up, it didn't really work well, and blinked a few times. Being a PS2 keyboard, I tried it in bios and some keys worked and some didn't, so I wondered if it was a special keyboard with special logic and if maybe I could wake it from it's stupor. So I figured, what the heck call tech support, worst case they tell me what I already assumed which is bad keyboard. What he told me was completely unexpected.
"Bios is a bad place to test it, boot into windows so we can see if it's installed right."
To which I replied: "Installed.... Installed? -- This is a ps2 keyboard you know..."
To which I got the stupified answer "Yeah, we need to make sure the driver installed correctly."
*Sigh*. And they wonder why people dread calling tech support. And you know why now your entire family calls YOU for tech support.
Oh, and I returned and got a new keyboard and it works great. I hope that tech support guy eventually figures out that PS2 keyboards, and 'legacy' USB keyboards are controlled by bios. As they should be.
Nowadays when I reinstall 2k:
T rillian
Putty
Winamp
Firefox
Openoffice
UltraEdit
And I reinstall and update the patches about once every 6 months or so. Just about when my Norton AV expires and the system starts to get dirty. With Windows, a lot of times it's just easier to un-ghost or reinstall then try and figure out what's gone wrong with it.
Though I remember a time when I never reinstalled my PC. When I owned an Amiga, I had the same OS installed from... well I bought the 1200 in 92 and moved to the PC in 98 so almost 6 years. And back then I actually downloaded and installed more programs from BBSes and such than I do today from the internet. It's funny, I guess comparing computing then to computing now is like comparing sex in the 60s to sex now. Back then you could download things freely and nobody worried. Nowadays you have to watch yourself or you end up catching something nasty!
So the moral, always wear a rubber. And don't use Internet explorer unless you have the security turned WAAAAAY up.
Amiga bites the dust again eh? I hope Hyperion had something in the contract about this one.
Hey, you might have noticed the shot to aros.sourceforge.net.
It's actually pretty nice! Actually reminds me of booting up Workbench!
-- I downloaded a recent snapshot ISO and burned it. It booted great on my PC, and I was able to play a bit. It looks like it would make an awesome development platform for anybody! -- they've created something called 'ZUNE' that it a lot like MUI...
For those of you who hate programming for GUI's, amiga was the only system I programmed for that I didn't feel like I was muddling through to make GUI calls work.
It's 15 megs, download it and give it a try!
Click here if you're lazy
I'm sure this has been said a few times... but as an IT manager, I've already recieved three copies of Office2k3... one was sent to the last IT manager before me, one was sent to a name resempbling slightly mine (I never registered with them, but they call plenty to have figured my name out from other people at my company) and one for the Vice president right above me. It has to be apparent to EVERYBODY that the only way they can get lock in is to get as MANY people using thier software whose file formats are unreadable without the software. How do you do that? You get a few executives who may or may not have computer experience to use it, they send files to people who can't use them, and suddenly they say 'Well, IT, why can't they open them?' ... you say 'Well, because you have the newest version and they're using the old version/the Open version.' ... voila. Suddenly the upgrade is hurried because you can't see the one new feature that VP wants that the other copies don't do.
I'm sure people still realize that the reason nobody bought office 2k for so long was because there was backwards compatability. People didn't need to upgrade until outlook 97 became a virus trap and you had to upgrade just to get rid of it.
Now they need to start the lock-in again. I'm sure people all over the world were seeded with this software in an attempt to continue the cycle...