It's like the old "freakers" that used Black Boxes to get free calls on the long distance network decades ago. Yes, they could do it, but should they?
Phreaking is a very important part of computing history. Also don't forget that Apple Computers was partially found with money made on manufacture of blue boxes.
It's sad that it's not the script kiddies that are going to force Google to have to put limits on their service, but their "friends" in the geek community.
Considering the inherent performance limitations of GmailFS, I don't suppose its use will become widespread. It's a neat tool to have when needed, though.
Part of being part of technology isn't just doing everything you can do but doing only those things we should do.
4) GmailFS gets rewritten in order to mimic the behavior of the "normal" user, trading detection avoidance for a degree of resource wasting and performance penalty.
Price. A 210 MB mini-CD costs much less than a gigabyte USB disk.
Safety. It's much easier to damage or lose a USB disk than a gmail account.
Security. Once encryption gets implemented to GmailFS, remote secure data storage will offer many possibilities. Think eg. of low-budget human rights groups in repressive regimes.
Simultaneous access from multiple locations. Logging to a server from two geographically separated locations is much faster (and cheaper) than fedexing a USB keychain.
I can tell from your posts you're probably intelligent enough to realize the main reason why Windows folks tend to spend so much more time fighting viruses is because Windows is overwhelmingly the most common OS and therefore the most reasonable target for virus writers.
There are Linux worms. There are none (or next to none) ones targetting desktop machines - partly because of so far low degree of proliferation of desktop linux, partly because of the absence of some brain-damaged misfeatures like scripting in email or gaping security holes in HTML rendering engine. But there are also worms targetting servers. Let's mention Slapper worm or Scalper worm, targetting Apache. As the MS/Linux ratio on the server market is roughly balanced, it's more fair example; still, Code Red 1 and 2 were smashing successes in comparison with just about any Linux worm. Why oh why?
If Linux was so good, why don't all those Linux servers block the viruses before they even get to the targets?
Quite many do. But you don't hear about the people behind them because they don't get infected, or at least not so often.
If IT was so in-the-know then why weren't there appropriate business firewalls?
Because point-and-click Minesweeper-Certified Solitaire Experts aren't necessarily in-the-know?
If Linux was so secure, why are there so many security related updates on Freshmeat?
How many updates are there for the core parts of Linux (kernel, the most important utilities)? Vast majority of the updates are third-party userspace applications.
The market will ultimately decide and in 25-50 years, neither Windows or Linux are likely to be around.
Nor many of us.
Distant future does not matter. Admins don't worry about what will come in 25 years, they worry about what came today and how to prevent it from returning tomorrow, and about what to do with the screwed if you apply screwed if you don't apply XP SP2...
If you mean for use within MS Office programs, oofda.
Yes, I mean exactly this one.
I can see the utility, but really, isn't it much easier (for those with it installed) to simply do any ex/im from within OOo?
Theoretically yes. But if you want to send an already existing file, you have to convert it first, which is a hassle and requires experience. Also, you seem to underestimate the difficulty of explaining the accountants the concept of different file formats and of save-as. Running a mixed architecture (or sending documents back and forth between OOo and MSFT shops) is a *royal* pain. Exactly as Billy the Scum designed.
I saw users attempting to convert a file by renaming its extension. It's surprisingly common.
Maybe Microsoft, after losing at least some of their numerous antitrust and predatory practices trials, should be forced to implement bidirectional interoperability with competing products, instead of less effective anticompetitive measures.
How exactly the will of the people becomes a mob rule?
Anyhow, I do understand that "public opinion" tended agains the war in many of the European countries who supported us, but the governments supported us anyway. Why?
Because they wanted to win some restoration contracts? Didn't want to damage sensitive trade relations? Didn't want to piss off a global bully? Wanted to pave way for some other negotiations? There were many reasons discussed here; local bashaws were trying to decide whose ass they should kiss, if they want favorable relations with USA or with France/Germany, and arguments flew from both sides. Politics is a dirty business without honesty nor principles. It's all about gain and favors, public opinion be damned.
Because by looking at the intelligence, it was the right thing to do.
So how does that make it OK to cheat? Because you might never see it again?
Yes.
So if I shoplifted a
can of soup, but never consumed it, would that be OK?
Non-sequitur. By taking a physical object, you deprive others of its value. By cheating a paper, you save yourself some time you can invest in a more meaningful way - without causing any collateral damage.
That degree you spoke of is supposed to mean that you got through on the strength of your own abilities and insights.
Which includes the ability to take shortcuts and cheat the System.
If you (hypothetically) cheat, it's worthless. Even if you get a job with it.
For an idealist maybe. But for a realist it's something that gives better chances on the job market, regardless how acquired.
It's hollow, because what the degree really says is that you have demonstrated, consistently, that you can think for yourself.
Deciding to take a shortcut, picking the proper method, and executing it in a way that doesn't get you caught doesn't count as thinking for yourself?
And if you cheat, it's just a lie written on expensive paper.
If it helps you getting a job, it fulfilled its purpose. The above-mentioned Great Gatsby becomes entirely irrelevant when it comes to debugging a circuit failing in high temperature test.
Sometimes the vendor-specific file is just an ISO image with a proprietary header. Look for the signatures of the beginning of the ISO, and strip what is before that (dd if= of= skip= should do). Then try to "mount -o loop" the image, and if you succeed, burn it.
Besides, every better calculator has them in built-in constants, with all the accuracy you usually need. For common use it's enough to remember 4-5 most significant digits; if you work with longer numbers, you typically don't calculate in head or on paper anyway.
And then there are the tables. If you use the numbers frequently enough, you will learn them. If you don't, you can always look them up.
This kind of understanding can only be accomplished by a person who has read multiple books from and about the era.
Then read the analysis written by such person. Voila - problem solved, while requiring spending less time on it, which can then be spent with reading something more interesting - especially when you are more into engineering than into humanities.
Cheating and slacking off at a job you don't like isn't the answer. Picking a profession you enjoy and moving to another job is.
If the job market allows that. How many months of unemployment can your savings get you through?
I pity the company that gets you as an employee.
If they handle him as a mere human resource, they deserve such treatment. If he's handled as a human being, it's unfair, though. Given the corporate mindset, the latter is less likely in bigger organizations.
Everyone else is going to have to pick up your slack while you just make life harder for them.
Or, if all of them would work as much as they can, less employees would be needed for the same amount of work. Which would mean less jobs, more unemployment.
I'm personally waiting for the first seizure for political/economic gain, whether overt or covert.
It's already happening, and not only with computers; even whole houses can be affected. See asset forfeiture, war on drugs.
The worst (or almost worst) possible outcome is porting such forfeiture laws from drugs to data. War on Copyright, Trademark, and Patent Infringement, anyone?
Which leads to a question if morality really exists. I am afraid the answer won't come from babbling philosophers; however, if there are indices, they come from comparative sociology and social anthropology studies, uncovering the necessary mechanisms for stabilizing social systems, or perhaps from brain research if they are hardcoded.
I gave up on reading it because it was so disturbing to me, and just took a bad grade.
Back when I was in school, a good way to write a book report without having to actually read it was to copy the notes from a classmate; though that was occassionally revealed because of the similarity of the results. My personal workaround was to borrow two notes from different people, and compile my own from them, which effectively killed the "signatures". (This, however, carried the obligation to help those helpful peers with sciences.)
No need to take bad grades. The primary purpose of schooling system is to provide a testbed for learning how to collectively cheat the System - satisfy its requirements while freeing resources for doing more enjoyable things.
thats useful, leaves those ISP helpdesk folks free to help us geeeks..... coz we ALL call helpdesks...
Oh, don't misunderstand me! Not everybody who knows something is a geek; there is a large space between "is-a-geek" and "has elementary knowledge".
The measure I proposed is intended to remove the most annoying drooling idiots who don't know that they have to switch the computer on and that a mouse is not a foot pedal. Such people shouldn't touch the computer before they sit down and read the manual. By removing the easy cop-out of calling the helpdesk, they will *have* to sit down and read the manual; it's what it is there for. At least the ulcers will be in *their* stomach, not on some low-paid helpdesk worker's one. As a bonus, the helpdeskers will have more time to spend on solving *real* problems.
Slashdot Mirror
Phreaking is a very important part of computing history. Also don't forget that Apple Computers was partially found with money made on manufacture of blue boxes.
It's sad that it's not the script kiddies that are going to force Google to have to put limits on their service, but their "friends" in the geek community.
Considering the inherent performance limitations of GmailFS, I don't suppose its use will become widespread. It's a neat tool to have when needed, though.
Part of being part of technology isn't just doing everything you can do but doing only those things we should do.
Who decides this part?
4) GmailFS gets rewritten in order to mimic the behavior of the "normal" user, trading detection avoidance for a degree of resource wasting and performance penalty.
Which can be to large degree alleviated using HTTP/1.1, persistent connections.
Safety. It's much easier to damage or lose a USB disk than a gmail account.
Security. Once encryption gets implemented to GmailFS, remote secure data storage will offer many possibilities. Think eg. of low-budget human rights groups in repressive regimes.
Simultaneous access from multiple locations. Logging to a server from two geographically separated locations is much faster (and cheaper) than fedexing a USB keychain.
I am pretty sure more reasons could be found.
There are Linux worms. There are none (or next to none) ones targetting desktop machines - partly because of so far low degree of proliferation of desktop linux, partly because of the absence of some brain-damaged misfeatures like scripting in email or gaping security holes in HTML rendering engine. But there are also worms targetting servers. Let's mention Slapper worm or Scalper worm, targetting Apache. As the MS/Linux ratio on the server market is roughly balanced, it's more fair example; still, Code Red 1 and 2 were smashing successes in comparison with just about any Linux worm. Why oh why?
If Linux was so good, why don't all those Linux servers block the viruses before they even get to the targets?
Quite many do. But you don't hear about the people behind them because they don't get infected, or at least not so often.
If IT was so in-the-know then why weren't there appropriate business firewalls?
Because point-and-click Minesweeper-Certified Solitaire Experts aren't necessarily in-the-know?
If Linux was so secure, why are there so many security related updates on Freshmeat?
How many updates are there for the core parts of Linux (kernel, the most important utilities)? Vast majority of the updates are third-party userspace applications.
The market will ultimately decide and in 25-50 years, neither Windows or Linux are likely to be around.
Nor many of us.
Distant future does not matter. Admins don't worry about what will come in 25 years, they worry about what came today and how to prevent it from returning tomorrow, and about what to do with the screwed if you apply screwed if you don't apply XP SP2...
Yes, I mean exactly this one.
I can see the utility, but really, isn't it much easier (for those with it installed) to simply do any ex/im from within OOo?
Theoretically yes. But if you want to send an already existing file, you have to convert it first, which is a hassle and requires experience. Also, you seem to underestimate the difficulty of explaining the accountants the concept of different file formats and of save-as. Running a mixed architecture (or sending documents back and forth between OOo and MSFT shops) is a *royal* pain. Exactly as Billy the Scum designed.
I saw users attempting to convert a file by renaming its extension. It's surprisingly common.
Maybe Microsoft, after losing at least some of their numerous antitrust and predatory practices trials, should be forced to implement bidirectional interoperability with competing products, instead of less effective anticompetitive measures.
How exactly the will of the people becomes a mob rule?
Anyhow, I do understand that "public opinion" tended agains the war in many of the European countries who supported us, but the governments supported us anyway. Why?
Because they wanted to win some restoration contracts? Didn't want to damage sensitive trade relations? Didn't want to piss off a global bully? Wanted to pave way for some other negotiations? There were many reasons discussed here; local bashaws were trying to decide whose ass they should kiss, if they want favorable relations with USA or with France/Germany, and arguments flew from both sides. Politics is a dirty business without honesty nor principles. It's all about gain and favors, public opinion be damned.
Because by looking at the intelligence, it was the right thing to do.
Where are the WMDs? Where's the alleged threat?
Then it's just matter of time until a computer flags you as worth closer attention for your below-average exposition to the Watchers.
Eg: Few creditcard purchases but many ATM withdrawals? Citizen, you seem to be habitually paying cash. Are you trying to hide something?
Not there yet? Matter of time.
Better idea: what if it'd be low layer of clouds to which the message is projected to with an argon laser?
Attacking Bush is against the interests of America's enemies.
They better damn well be doing searches on everyone. Especially moraless pot smoking democratic teenagers.
What's wrong with pot? Not everybody can afford cocaine!
Yes.
So if I shoplifted a can of soup, but never consumed it, would that be OK?
Non-sequitur. By taking a physical object, you deprive others of its value. By cheating a paper, you save yourself some time you can invest in a more meaningful way - without causing any collateral damage.
That degree you spoke of is supposed to mean that you got through on the strength of your own abilities and insights.
Which includes the ability to take shortcuts and cheat the System.
If you (hypothetically) cheat, it's worthless. Even if you get a job with it.
For an idealist maybe. But for a realist it's something that gives better chances on the job market, regardless how acquired.
It's hollow, because what the degree really says is that you have demonstrated, consistently, that you can think for yourself.
Deciding to take a shortcut, picking the proper method, and executing it in a way that doesn't get you caught doesn't count as thinking for yourself?
And if you cheat, it's just a lie written on expensive paper.
If it helps you getting a job, it fulfilled its purpose. The above-mentioned Great Gatsby becomes entirely irrelevant when it comes to debugging a circuit failing in high temperature test.
Criminals use telephones; all phones should be tappable without your knowledge.
Ever heard about CALEA?
Terrorists might use encryption. That should definitely be banned.
Guess what Louis Freeh (and couple others of his ilk) attempted to.
Sometimes the vendor-specific file is just an ISO image with a proprietary header. Look for the signatures of the beginning of the ISO, and strip what is before that (dd if= of= skip= should do). Then try to "mount -o loop" the image, and if you succeed, burn it.
And then there are the tables. If you use the numbers frequently enough, you will learn them. If you don't, you can always look them up.
Then read the analysis written by such person. Voila - problem solved, while requiring spending less time on it, which can then be spent with reading something more interesting - especially when you are more into engineering than into humanities.
If the job market allows that. How many months of unemployment can your savings get you through?
I pity the company that gets you as an employee.
If they handle him as a mere human resource, they deserve such treatment. If he's handled as a human being, it's unfair, though. Given the corporate mindset, the latter is less likely in bigger organizations.
Everyone else is going to have to pick up your slack while you just make life harder for them.
Or, if all of them would work as much as they can, less employees would be needed for the same amount of work. Which would mean less jobs, more unemployment.
Speaking about this, would anybody like to finally write an import/export filter for OOo into M$ Word/Excel?
It's already happening, and not only with computers; even whole houses can be affected. See asset forfeiture, war on drugs.
The worst (or almost worst) possible outcome is porting such forfeiture laws from drugs to data. War on Copyright, Trademark, and Patent Infringement, anyone?
Care to point them out?
Which leads to a question if morality really exists. I am afraid the answer won't come from babbling philosophers; however, if there are indices, they come from comparative sociology and social anthropology studies, uncovering the necessary mechanisms for stabilizing social systems, or perhaps from brain research if they are hardcoded.
If nudity is bad, why are we born without clothes?
Does the one-eyed wink mean that one of those books was the Anarchist Cookbook?
/me ducks and covers
Back when I was in school, a good way to write a book report without having to actually read it was to copy the notes from a classmate; though that was occassionally revealed because of the similarity of the results. My personal workaround was to borrow two notes from different people, and compile my own from them, which effectively killed the "signatures". (This, however, carried the obligation to help those helpful peers with sciences.)
No need to take bad grades. The primary purpose of schooling system is to provide a testbed for learning how to collectively cheat the System - satisfy its requirements while freeing resources for doing more enjoyable things.
Not all electronics is high-speed logic. Think about high-power thyristors and diodes.
Correct.
thats useful, leaves those ISP helpdesk folks free to help us geeeks..... coz we ALL call helpdesks...
Oh, don't misunderstand me! Not everybody who knows something is a geek; there is a large space between "is-a-geek" and "has elementary knowledge".
The measure I proposed is intended to remove the most annoying drooling idiots who don't know that they have to switch the computer on and that a mouse is not a foot pedal. Such people shouldn't touch the computer before they sit down and read the manual. By removing the easy cop-out of calling the helpdesk, they will *have* to sit down and read the manual; it's what it is there for. At least the ulcers will be in *their* stomach, not on some low-paid helpdesk worker's one. As a bonus, the helpdeskers will have more time to spend on solving *real* problems.