So you can't memorize a new phone number every 30-90 days? Also you can cycle these back after so many changes (usually 3 to 6). You can't memorize (up to) six 8 character strings? Really?
Do you think people in IT don't have to deal with the same problem? Don't you think we have far more passwords to maintain than you do?
I have about 80 passwords total that I have to maintain professionally and personally. So, like an adult, I accepted that responsibility and found a way to manage it. I use a piece of software called KeePass that I highly recommend it.
(Also I change my bank PINs quarterly, and I have about 8 different PIN numbers from different cards.)
Let me get this straight. You can remember dozens of phone numbers, your bank pin, your social security number, your address, your wife's birthday, the final score in the last 7 super bowls but you can't remember an 6-8(ish) digit string of numbers, letters and a special character that YOU GOT TO CHOOSE?
Yeah, the sympathy train just left the station, buddy.
"In that case, the long passwords might mean that he can only crack 2,000 of the passwords instead of 5,000," he said. "But what did you really gain by implementing them? He only needed one."
Strawman argument spotted!
Long passwords are not designed to stop this attack. They are designed so that jsmith in accounting doesn't have the password "1234" or "password" so no one can guess a valid account (let's say, authenticating against some edge device like a vpn termination point) and waltz right into your network.
Then he goes on to say: "But automobile seatbelts only prevent fatalities about 50 percent of the time. Are they worthless? Security products don't have to be perfect to be helpful in your defense."
This guy is walking contradiction. Clearly flamebait. Nothing to see here, move along.
I can't believe that got modded troll. Learn to take a joke people, geez.
> Going from 8.2 to 8.3 in postgresql is not a 'minor' release.
It is, by definition, a minor release.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Version_number
> Would it make a difference to you if they bumped up the version number to 9?
Yes. That would make it a MAJOR release.
So the ink barely dries on the press release for Sun's acquisition of MySQL and we're already posting minor (!) revision releases for PostgreSQL on the front page? Didn't waste much time abandoning ship, did ya?
This would _dramatically_ decrease your typing speed. On a normal keyboard, once you depress the first key, before the key has even traveled back to its starting position you've struck the next key. This is possible because the keys aren't physically linked. The key press isn't signaled once the key has returned to it's starting position, but after it's depressed completely. For you to type any two letters on the left or right hand side you have to wait for the "key" (the whole side) to return to the starting position.
"The shutdown highlighted the often frail nature of international communications: despite the vast number of individuals who have access to the web, nearly all internet traffic is routed through a small number of cables submerged deep below the oceans. It is then forwarded through an internet backbone consisting of just 13 servers which handle and direct all online requests."
Yes, there are only 13 physical root servers. You got us. We spent all that root server money on beer.
(And all the money is controlled by only 13 jewish bankers in a deep underground vault as well)
So it was just disconnected from other regions? So all middle eastern hosts were still available? Now if the US was cut off from Europe would we say that "The US was left without access to the web" ? No, of course not. Article title is very misleading.
Both are pretty poor analogies. Children will be forced to use software like Word through school, at least the people who end up with jobs using those tools. They may never need to change their oil or reset a breaker.
You just described our core operating environment. Almost 90% thin client PC's and a medium sized Citrix farm (about 40 CPU's). Although we use Neoware thin clients (recently acquired by HP). We're currently looking into virtualized desktops since Citrix management is such a hassle. Then we can deploy applications in whatever manner makes the most sense - in Citrix or directly to the (virtualized) desktop. Desktop support is still 98% remote, since the only thing that ever needs to be done on site is simply replacing a thin client. Oh and we're paying about $300 per workstation (that includes the thin client, 17" lcd, mouse and keyboard) - and no microsoft tax (NeoLinux).
Remember - we're talking about "Joe in accounting" 20 years from now.
I don't think the article meant to say that we'd _EVER_ get rid of _ALL_ on site support. Like in his analogy of the power company, obviously we still staff maintenance on site that deals with electrical issues, we just don't need electrical engineers on site running a generator anymore.
Now just think, in that situation, you have one guy on site that you could have sit through a week long video training course covering such hot topics as: "Green Cable and Green Hole" and "Blinky the NIC Light". Eventually you'd be able to off load desktop support to the same guy that replaces the light bulbs.
The arguments I've seen against this article are as follows:
1. Users are too dumb, we need people on site.
Remember, we're talking 20 years. Your kids will be the ones in front of the PC. You know, the ones that can use a computer better than you?
2. Who will provide on site support?
No one, it won't matter, the burden will shift into the cloud. On site you'll have routers/switches managed remotely and some kind of "thin client"-ish device. When it breaks, you'll have 2 or 3 people trained on site how to get one out of a locked cabinet and replace the old one (read: unplug and replug about 4 color coded cables in the back). Again, this will be performed by people who've been using computers for the ENTIRE LIVES. Not Joe in accounting who hadn't touched one until grad school (save for downloading porn).
Don't worry, if you're on slashdot, you'll be fine. It's the other idiots that need to worry.
1. It didn't happen a long time ago because we didn't have the proliferation of bandwidth or SOA business models we have today.
2. See #1
Again, the article doesn't say that all IT staff will disappear. Just that it will change from millions of trained chimps to a few actually skilled people. If you're reading this on slashdot, don't worry, you're safe, it's the idiot in the cube next to you on myspace that needs to worry about his paycheck.
In 20 years (per the article), "Joe in accounting" will have a thin client that he can't install software on, and when it breaks, he'll just get a new one out of the closet and plug in a couple color coded cables and be up and running.
He didn't say Linux was dead. He said the free software movement was dead.
And he's right, if you don't think that most of the work done on the kernel is bought and paid for by commercial entitites, you're just burying your head in the sand. LWN did a story on it.
Why does anyone listen to this twit? He got lucky and cashed in during the dotcom boot. Since then he's bought some obviously good ideas from other people with his mountain of money.
Who cares about the latest round of Mark Cuban verbal diarrhea?
Well hello slippery slope. Look I hate the exploitation of children as much as anyone, especially sexual exploitation, it makes my blood boil. But, the fact of the matter is this sets a dangerous precedent. The question is obvious - what will they block "for" you to "protect" you next?
Calling your linux box an "advanced router" is like calling a Yugo a "sports car".
A 12000GSR is an "advanced router", not your whitebox pc running redhat.
Slashdot Mirror
So you can't memorize a new phone number every 30-90 days? Also you can cycle these back after so many changes (usually 3 to 6). You can't memorize (up to) six 8 character strings? Really?
Do you think people in IT don't have to deal with the same problem? Don't you think we have far more passwords to maintain than you do?
I have about 80 passwords total that I have to maintain professionally and personally. So, like an adult, I accepted that responsibility and found a way to manage it. I use a piece of software called KeePass that I highly recommend it.
(Also I change my bank PINs quarterly, and I have about 8 different PIN numbers from different cards.)
I much prefer KeePass, which I store in TruCrypt on a thumb drive (also backed up in multiple locations).
Let me get this straight. You can remember dozens of phone numbers, your bank pin, your social security number, your address, your wife's birthday, the final score in the last 7 super bowls but you can't remember an 6-8(ish) digit string of numbers, letters and a special character that YOU GOT TO CHOOSE?
Yeah, the sympathy train just left the station, buddy.
"In that case, the long passwords might mean that he can only crack 2,000 of the passwords instead of 5,000," he said. "But what did you really gain by implementing them? He only needed one."
Strawman argument spotted!
Long passwords are not designed to stop this attack. They are designed so that jsmith in accounting doesn't have the password "1234" or "password" so no one can guess a valid account (let's say, authenticating against some edge device like a vpn termination point) and waltz right into your network.
Then he goes on to say:
"But automobile seatbelts only prevent fatalities about 50 percent of the time. Are they worthless? Security products don't have to be perfect to be helpful in your defense."
This guy is walking contradiction. Clearly flamebait. Nothing to see here, move along.
I can't believe that got modded troll. Learn to take a joke people, geez. > Going from 8.2 to 8.3 in postgresql is not a 'minor' release. It is, by definition, a minor release. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Version_number > Would it make a difference to you if they bumped up the version number to 9? Yes. That would make it a MAJOR release.
So the ink barely dries on the press release for Sun's acquisition of MySQL and we're already posting minor (!) revision releases for PostgreSQL on the front page? Didn't waste much time abandoning ship, did ya?
This would _dramatically_ decrease your typing speed. On a normal keyboard, once you depress the first key, before the key has even traveled back to its starting position you've struck the next key. This is possible because the keys aren't physically linked. The key press isn't signaled once the key has returned to it's starting position, but after it's depressed completely. For you to type any two letters on the left or right hand side you have to wait for the "key" (the whole side) to return to the starting position.
"The shutdown highlighted the often frail nature of international communications: despite the vast number of individuals who have access to the web, nearly all internet traffic is routed through a small number of cables submerged deep below the oceans. It is then forwarded through an internet backbone consisting of just 13 servers which handle and direct all online requests."
Yes, there are only 13 physical root servers. You got us. We spent all that root server money on beer.
(And all the money is controlled by only 13 jewish bankers in a deep underground vault as well)
So it was just disconnected from other regions? So all middle eastern hosts were still available? Now if the US was cut off from Europe would we say that "The US was left without access to the web" ? No, of course not. Article title is very misleading.
"Wait, you're saying that in 2008, most teenagers *didn't* grow up using word at school? "
No, I'm saying that they do not yet comprise the majority of the work force, but will in 20 years.
Both are pretty poor analogies. Children will be forced to use software like Word through school, at least the people who end up with jobs using those tools. They may never need to change their oil or reset a breaker.
You just described our core operating environment. Almost 90% thin client PC's and a medium sized Citrix farm (about 40 CPU's). Although we use Neoware thin clients (recently acquired by HP). We're currently looking into virtualized desktops since Citrix management is such a hassle. Then we can deploy applications in whatever manner makes the most sense - in Citrix or directly to the (virtualized) desktop. Desktop support is still 98% remote, since the only thing that ever needs to be done on site is simply replacing a thin client. Oh and we're paying about $300 per workstation (that includes the thin client, 17" lcd, mouse and keyboard) - and no microsoft tax (NeoLinux).
Remember - we're talking about "Joe in accounting" 20 years from now.
I don't think the article meant to say that we'd _EVER_ get rid of _ALL_ on site support. Like in his analogy of the power company, obviously we still staff maintenance on site that deals with electrical issues, we just don't need electrical engineers on site running a generator anymore.
Now just think, in that situation, you have one guy on site that you could have sit through a week long video training course covering such hot topics as: "Green Cable and Green Hole" and "Blinky the NIC Light". Eventually you'd be able to off load desktop support to the same guy that replaces the light bulbs.
(Again - we're talking 20 years)
The arguments I've seen against this article are as follows:
1. Users are too dumb, we need people on site.
Remember, we're talking 20 years. Your kids will be the ones in front of the PC. You know, the ones that can use a computer better than you?
2. Who will provide on site support?
No one, it won't matter, the burden will shift into the cloud. On site you'll have routers/switches managed remotely and some kind of "thin client"-ish device. When it breaks, you'll have 2 or 3 people trained on site how to get one out of a locked cabinet and replace the old one (read: unplug and replug about 4 color coded cables in the back). Again, this will be performed by people who've been using computers for the ENTIRE LIVES. Not Joe in accounting who hadn't touched one until grad school (save for downloading porn).
Don't worry, if you're on slashdot, you'll be fine. It's the other idiots that need to worry.
1. It didn't happen a long time ago because we didn't have the proliferation of bandwidth or SOA business models we have today.
2. See #1
Again, the article doesn't say that all IT staff will disappear. Just that it will change from millions of trained chimps to a few actually skilled people. If you're reading this on slashdot, don't worry, you're safe, it's the idiot in the cube next to you on myspace that needs to worry about his paycheck.
In 20 years (per the article), "Joe in accounting" will have a thin client that he can't install software on, and when it breaks, he'll just get a new one out of the closet and plug in a couple color coded cables and be up and running.
The point stands. You'll get more for your money from x86. Thanks for adding nothing to the discussion.
Because sun loses the dollar/MFLOP contest?
He's such a bright guy, why does he continually have to act like a spoiled child?
He didn't say Linux was dead. He said the free software movement was dead.
And he's right, if you don't think that most of the work done on the kernel is bought and paid for by commercial entitites, you're just burying your head in the sand. LWN did a story on it.
This isn't the sanctioned chinese Disneyland. They are two entirely different establisments.
Why does anyone listen to this twit? He got lucky and cashed in during the dotcom boot. Since then he's bought some obviously good ideas from other people with his mountain of money. Who cares about the latest round of Mark Cuban verbal diarrhea?
Well hello slippery slope. Look I hate the exploitation of children as much as anyone, especially sexual exploitation, it makes my blood boil. But, the fact of the matter is this sets a dangerous precedent. The question is obvious - what will they block "for" you to "protect" you next?
Calling your linux box an "advanced router" is like calling a Yugo a "sports car". A 12000GSR is an "advanced router", not your whitebox pc running redhat.
Because routers are routers, and I don't want them wasting time trying to do things like NAT and stateful packet inspection?