Here's another excellent password utility, from Bruce Schneier called Password Safe, which stores the passwords in a file and uses Blowfish to encrypt it. Very lightweight (requires only the executable -- no installation) but has the features everybody needs.
FAR more sophisticated in my estimation -- haven't you read where they even order their pizza and have it sent right to their parents' basement without ever having left the comfort of the '#'?
Next they'll be relieving themselves by HTTP POST transaction...
...three year old password on a postit note on the side of my monitor...
I've got a million accounts online, and I use different names for most of them, and try to vary the passwords also. I've got a 5 or 6 passwords that I add one of 5 or 6 enhancers to, and to keep track I use a post-it note (or unsent email in the draft folder), but only to indicate which combination of pwd and enhancer I use for each account, i.e. --
It's been so long I don't remember why, but you *had* to go in there for something, and it was always freaky! I can remember clicking the move button in the opposite direction over and over like it would make the kid move faster...
I got all the way to the vault door and stuck trying to get the combination. I remember there was some "tiny writing" on a wall in one of the upper bedrooms or bathrooms that I always assumed was the combination, but I could never find a way to magnify it to read it...
"Play all your backups plus store 100+ games directly on your Xbox"
Why does this sound like the most incredible piece of computing genius ever conceived? If only it helped me block the web while I'm surfing pop-ups too...
And it's too bad this guy wasn't caught in China, as my boss is always saying about these virus writers.
In China they have a very efficient means of dealing with people like this: a bullet in the back of the head, quick and easy.
From an American perspective (though some of these might apply in Germany): No due process, no suspect's rights, no Miranda warning, no 5th amendment, no court-appointed attorney, no judge, no jury, no appeals, no comfy jail cell, etc, etc, etc....
If "all [media] fade in time", why would you
want to even attempt to preserve the "master" (the original) by handling it as little as possible?
With CD-Rs of equal quality, the bits on any copy are the same as the master -- the only difference is the age (and therefore the breakdown) of each copy. The master is the oldest copy you have, and would be the least reliable! The most recent copy should be the "master" if any.
Your basic point is correct, however -- "fresh [copies] at regular intervals" is the only way to make sure that the bits stay useful.
"In effect, you have to keep running just in order to stay in the same place."
Exactly right. But when the value of the media (CD-Rs, HDDs, etc.) is less than the value of the data stored on the media, it's not hard to justify. This is the difference between bits and atoms. Atoms are mostly worthless -- bits can be invaluable.
"This is the opposite of analog: in order to preserve analog, the last thing you want to do is make copies and copies of copies. What you want to do is preserve the original as well as you can, in a cold place, etc."
Correct. With analog media, each succeeding copy represents a breakdown in quality of the data, but there is no difference between an digital original of data and its digital copy. After a digital copy is reliably made, it is just as accurate as the original, and can be used as such.
Well, the recordings *will* go through decay, but that's what the constant backing-up process is about.
Your basic point is right on the money, though.
The only way to keep bits in any kind of order and in good condition over a long period of time with the kind of technology available to the average consumer is to keep making multiple fresh copies before each individual storage media begins to suffer loss of data.
My perspective on this issue comes from working in the technology department of a public library system.
There has been a lot of handwringing on library technology-type mailing lists similar to that exhibited here, including calls for the government to "force Google to behave responsibly". But in addition to the obvious "Nobody's got a gun to your head..." argument, some have pointed out in response that we as library workers, who are a resource for our patrons, should know about these issues so that we can help them choose the best service for them.
For those participating in this discussion, you undoubtedly have the smarts to weigh the benefits vs. risks and can make a decision for yourselves. But, without trying to be condescending, the public will not spend the time investigating these serious issues. Which is why the technology-aware library, as well as other resources, should be available to help give unbiased information to the public.
We can help them understand that if their priorities are ease of use and no cost, any of the major providers would suffice -- Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, Gmail, etc. And if in addition they have a priority on a *large* storage space, Gmail would be best. But if they want to avoid context-based ads and don't mind a small storage space, use Hotmail or Yahoo Mail, etc.
The technology-aware library can go a long way towards educating the public on the tradeoffs involved in using such free services, and that should also be the goal of all of us discussing this issue. The goal does not need to be making the decisions *for* them. Education on the issues helps people make better decisions, and in the long run, will help to weed out the less desirable choices, or force them to change to stay competitive.
I suffer from Websense at work as well, but I can get to the indie-mail site by using the URL https://imail.icarusindie.com.
(Note the https://.)
I first read about indie-mail a few weeks ago during the first Gmail flare-up, and it's pretty cool. I haven't decided whether or not to switch primary email duties to the new account I created there or not (I have a paid account with fastmail.fm which I have been happily using for a couple of years, but recently have been butting up against the 16MB "Member" account limit), but I have redirected a number of messages to the new inbox and played around with the search -- it works great. The interface is very sparse and clean -- no folders, just an inbox (which can be sorted by date, sender, etc.) and search box.
Very nice. Free also. Can also get nice short usernames since the service has not been clogged up like the big providers...
Slashdot Mirror
...my computing has always been liquid-cooled.
...there are websites other than /. ...
If had discovered such a thing, don't you think they would have posted it to the Science section by now?
But you have to make sure you tell IE or Firefox to reject all cookies or else... well, it could be messy...
...heating up your leg...
Umm, yeah, my leg... Well, really all three of 'em...
Shaq: Kobe, don't be rapin'.
Funny... gator...
Here's another excellent password utility, from Bruce Schneier called Password Safe, which stores the passwords in a file and uses Blowfish to encrypt it. Very lightweight (requires only the executable -- no installation) but has the features everybody needs.
Next they'll be relieving themselves by HTTP POST transaction...
Even the fathers never saw these days...
nytimes.com
name:b_______
pwd:m_______9___
hsx.com
name:h____
pwd:g___g____2___
Yeah, but when you played it on the C64, you had to use a joystick, which came with two buttons...
Besides the fact that anything that had a caption (door, cheese, developer, doormat) had to make you wonder if you could use it somehow...
[Mod parent funny.]
Dude, I get a chill *now* thinking about it...
It's been so long I don't remember why, but you *had* to go in there for something, and it was always freaky! I can remember clicking the move button in the opposite direction over and over like it would make the kid move faster...
I got all the way to the vault door and stuck trying to get the combination. I remember there was some "tiny writing" on a wall in one of the upper bedrooms or bathrooms that I always assumed was the combination, but I could never find a way to magnify it to read it...
Anyone remember this part of the game?
You didn't have to write a perl script for that -- next time just set your media player to loop the video...
Hmmmph... perl script...
From the ad at that link:
Why does this sound like the most incredible piece of computing genius ever conceived? If only it helped me block the web while I'm surfing pop-ups too...
And it's too bad this guy wasn't caught in China, as my boss is always saying about these virus writers.
In China they have a very efficient means of dealing with people like this: a bullet in the back of the head, quick and easy.
From an American perspective (though some of these might apply in Germany):
No due process, no suspect's rights, no Miranda warning, no 5th amendment, no court-appointed attorney, no judge, no jury, no appeals, no comfy jail cell, etc, etc, etc....
If "all [media] fade in time", why would you want to even attempt to preserve the "master" (the original) by handling it as little as possible?
With CD-Rs of equal quality, the bits on any copy are the same as the master -- the only difference is the age (and therefore the breakdown) of each copy. The master is the oldest copy you have, and would be the least reliable! The most recent copy should be the "master" if any.
Your basic point is correct, however -- "fresh [copies] at regular intervals" is the only way to make sure that the bits stay useful.
Exactly right. But when the value of the media (CD-Rs, HDDs, etc.) is less than the value of the data stored on the media, it's not hard to justify. This is the difference between bits and atoms. Atoms are mostly worthless -- bits can be invaluable.
Correct. With analog media, each succeeding copy represents a breakdown in quality of the data, but there is no difference between an digital original of data and its digital copy. After a digital copy is reliably made, it is just as accurate as the original, and can be used as such.
Well, the recordings *will* go through decay, but that's what the constant backing-up process is about. Your basic point is right on the money, though.
The only way to keep bits in any kind of order and in good condition over a long period of time with the kind of technology available to the average consumer is to keep making multiple fresh copies before each individual storage media begins to suffer loss of data.
...beat the Navy -- what are they thinking, taking on the NSA?
At least they got home field advantage...
My perspective on this issue comes from working in the technology department of a public library system.
There has been a lot of handwringing on library technology-type mailing lists similar to that exhibited here, including calls for the government to "force Google to behave responsibly". But in addition to the obvious "Nobody's got a gun to your head..." argument, some have pointed out in response that we as library workers, who are a resource for our patrons, should know about these issues so that we can help them choose the best service for them.
For those participating in this discussion, you undoubtedly have the smarts to weigh the benefits vs. risks and can make a decision for yourselves. But, without trying to be condescending, the public will not spend the time investigating these serious issues. Which is why the technology-aware library, as well as other resources, should be available to help give unbiased information to the public.
We can help them understand that if their priorities are ease of use and no cost, any of the major providers would suffice -- Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, Gmail, etc. And if in addition they have a priority on a *large* storage space, Gmail would be best. But if they want to avoid context-based ads and don't mind a small storage space, use Hotmail or Yahoo Mail, etc.
The technology-aware library can go a long way towards educating the public on the tradeoffs involved in using such free services, and that should also be the goal of all of us discussing this issue. The goal does not need to be making the decisions *for* them. Education on the issues helps people make better decisions, and in the long run, will help to weed out the less desirable choices, or force them to change to stay competitive.
I suffer from Websense at work as well, but I can get to the indie-mail site by using the URL https://imail.icarusindie.com. (Note the https://.)
I first read about indie-mail a few weeks ago during the first Gmail flare-up, and it's pretty cool. I haven't decided whether or not to switch primary email duties to the new account I created there or not (I have a paid account with fastmail.fm which I have been happily using for a couple of years, but recently have been butting up against the 16MB "Member" account limit), but I have redirected a number of messages to the new inbox and played around with the search -- it works great. The interface is very sparse and clean -- no folders, just an inbox (which can be sorted by date, sender, etc.) and search box.
Very nice. Free also. Can also get nice short usernames since the service has not been clogged up like the big providers...
Dean's Dip is running an radio ad here in Richmond offering the chance to "Win an All-Expense Paid Trip to the Big Post-Season Game in Hawaii!!"
Their twist is to use "Hawaiian" code for just about everything in the ad, just like they have to use code for "PRO BOWL" (sue me).
Example: "When you're in Hawaii maybe your wife will wear that 'lo lo ow ow' you bought her, and give you a 'wana wahee' before the game!"
Cute.