I have my own company, and work as a System Administrator (Unix, AIX, Hp-UX, Linux, and OpenVMS) as well.
The last job I worked (for 8 years) we used a 30 day limit. Older mail was to be archived either to your local drive or to your network account. The limit on the network account was the limit on network storage space allocated per user. Important information could be moved into department or company storage. Department storage was up to the department manager to manage; all contents were subject to his/her review. Company storage was subject to review and consideration by all department managers. As you can guess, private traffic, images, music files, and other questionable material became somewhat self-managed quickly.
When we moved from an uncontrolled situation to this policy we planned to keep 180 days of e-mail backups. No matter how well you publish your intent and justifications, someone will discover that they have let something critical be deleted soon. You KNOW who they will blame if it cannot be retrieved!
Darned if I see any validity in the way ID and Evolution got into this discussion, but I must comment:
Evolution is two things: a theory, and a principal. Both are scientific terms, and have validity only as long as evidence supports them. They describe things known to be true, because Observations from around the world and under different environments support both. Should new observations conflict with some part of either, then our description of them will be modified to fit the new information. This is how science advances.
ID is not a theory, it is an idea based upon a belief. It has no observational support. This does not make it false, simply not verifiable and not science.
I am a Christian. Not only Christian, but also Catholic. I am also a Physicist and Mathematician. You should not be required to be any of these to understand the difference between Science and Faith.
Now, to dive deep into my own meditations: If you want, you may consider ID an article of faith. If you have faith, Science should not be any challenge. You should also be secure that whatever men decide about God, he (or she) will remain unchanged and immune to our manipulations! If one view: Faith is what you believe God did, Science is our attempt to understand HOW! These do not conflict, and no one need study them together to benefit from either. Those who confuse this issue and generate needless conflict only display their lack of both faith and understanding.
Mind you, I welcome anyone who wants to disagree with these thoughts. Those who offer scientific evidence may help me modify my understanding of science. With or without evidence, none will be successful in prompting any change in my faith.
My children go to a church school. Anyone who suggests having them taught ID or Creationism in Science would meet with my strongest objections because these are NOT science. I would not react quite so strongly to an attempt to teach them the Theory of Evolution if Theology class, because it just MAY demonstrate a tool of Gods will!
Please consider, and be kind to each other.
If you mean the best firewall software to protect servers from other (infected) machines on the internal network: try zonealarm. It is not only a pretty good firewall, but can block or enable network access by software internal to the machine. VERY handy if you need the server to remain functional while working on a plan and schedule for virus/trojan removal!
Naturally, if you can segregate your server cluster from the rest of the internal network using an linux/unix server running firewall software (and optionally antivirus filtering) you add a significant additional layer of security. The FreeBSD and linux options others have suggested are mostly quite adequate. No single solution is foolproof.
If it is an option, I recommend both network and software options. (Hey, MSWindows will need all the help you can give it!)
I know that this will draw flame, but I consider WordPerfect and Word to both be more burden than tool. My old WordStar works rings around both, faster, using much less memory, AND writes smaller files.
Open Letter to Scott Eagle,
Sir,
You have recently objected to the term 'spyware' as used by PC PITSTOP to describe your software. Your own web page states as follows:
---- Quote -----
In return for receiving FREE software (often valued at up to $30), consumers agree to receive targeted promotions/ads from Gator advertisers through the Gator Advertising and Information Network (GAIN). This software also occasionally displays various forms of pop up ads in a separate window on users' computer screens. These GAIN ads are displayed based on the interests of the computer user as reflected by their web surfing behavior and are not sponsored or endorsed by the web pages being viewed. The GAIN name and/or distinguishes GAIN ads from other ads.
----- Unquote ----
Note the phrase '..as reflected by their web surfing behavior..'! Software that records and reacts to the users web surfing behavior is spyware, no matter what YOU call it or whatever else it might be. It may be relatively 'benign' spyware, depending upon where the information it gathers ends up. If it never leaves the users machine I would consider it 'benign', but will still choose to avoid it.
RE: Flash. And what about browsers (both code, and human) that do not support flash?
Personally, I have java, javascript, and flash disabled 90% of the time. Recently I have also begun supressing pop-ups and most images. I may have to start supressing ALL images soon. Visual 'spam' is getting as bad as the e-mail kind, and I object to all of it.
I am after INTELLIGENCE, INFORMATION, CONTENT. If I want entertainment, I will stop coding and turn on the television.
Slashdot Mirror
Has no one demonstrated Damn Small Linux (DSL) to these people?
Linux is only as Fat as you make it.
I have my own company, and work as a System Administrator (Unix, AIX, Hp-UX, Linux, and OpenVMS) as well. The last job I worked (for 8 years) we used a 30 day limit. Older mail was to be archived either to your local drive or to your network account. The limit on the network account was the limit on network storage space allocated per user. Important information could be moved into department or company storage. Department storage was up to the department manager to manage; all contents were subject to his/her review. Company storage was subject to review and consideration by all department managers. As you can guess, private traffic, images, music files, and other questionable material became somewhat self-managed quickly. When we moved from an uncontrolled situation to this policy we planned to keep 180 days of e-mail backups. No matter how well you publish your intent and justifications, someone will discover that they have let something critical be deleted soon. You KNOW who they will blame if it cannot be retrieved!
Darned if I see any validity in the way ID and Evolution got into this discussion, but I must comment: Evolution is two things: a theory, and a principal. Both are scientific terms, and have validity only as long as evidence supports them. They describe things known to be true, because Observations from around the world and under different environments support both. Should new observations conflict with some part of either, then our description of them will be modified to fit the new information. This is how science advances. ID is not a theory, it is an idea based upon a belief. It has no observational support. This does not make it false, simply not verifiable and not science. I am a Christian. Not only Christian, but also Catholic. I am also a Physicist and Mathematician. You should not be required to be any of these to understand the difference between Science and Faith. Now, to dive deep into my own meditations: If you want, you may consider ID an article of faith. If you have faith, Science should not be any challenge. You should also be secure that whatever men decide about God, he (or she) will remain unchanged and immune to our manipulations! If one view: Faith is what you believe God did, Science is our attempt to understand HOW! These do not conflict, and no one need study them together to benefit from either. Those who confuse this issue and generate needless conflict only display their lack of both faith and understanding. Mind you, I welcome anyone who wants to disagree with these thoughts. Those who offer scientific evidence may help me modify my understanding of science. With or without evidence, none will be successful in prompting any change in my faith. My children go to a church school. Anyone who suggests having them taught ID or Creationism in Science would meet with my strongest objections because these are NOT science. I would not react quite so strongly to an attempt to teach them the Theory of Evolution if Theology class, because it just MAY demonstrate a tool of Gods will! Please consider, and be kind to each other.
If you mean the best firewall software to protect servers from other (infected) machines on the internal network: try zonealarm. It is not only a pretty good firewall, but can block or enable network access by software internal to the machine. VERY handy if you need the server to remain functional while working on a plan and schedule for virus/trojan removal! Naturally, if you can segregate your server cluster from the rest of the internal network using an linux/unix server running firewall software (and optionally antivirus filtering) you add a significant additional layer of security. The FreeBSD and linux options others have suggested are mostly quite adequate. No single solution is foolproof. If it is an option, I recommend both network and software options. (Hey, MSWindows will need all the help you can give it!)
I know that this will draw flame, but I consider WordPerfect and Word to both be more burden than tool. My old WordStar works rings around both, faster, using much less memory, AND writes smaller files.
Open Letter to Scott Eagle, Sir, You have recently objected to the term 'spyware' as used by PC PITSTOP to describe your software. Your own web page states as follows: ---- Quote ----- In return for receiving FREE software (often valued at up to $30), consumers agree to receive targeted promotions/ads from Gator advertisers through the Gator Advertising and Information Network (GAIN). This software also occasionally displays various forms of pop up ads in a separate window on users' computer screens. These GAIN ads are displayed based on the interests of the computer user as reflected by their web surfing behavior and are not sponsored or endorsed by the web pages being viewed. The GAIN name and/or distinguishes GAIN ads from other ads. ----- Unquote ---- Note the phrase '..as reflected by their web surfing behavior..'! Software that records and reacts to the users web surfing behavior is spyware, no matter what YOU call it or whatever else it might be. It may be relatively 'benign' spyware, depending upon where the information it gathers ends up. If it never leaves the users machine I would consider it 'benign', but will still choose to avoid it.
RE: Flash. And what about browsers (both code, and human) that do not support flash?
Personally, I have java, javascript, and flash disabled 90% of the time. Recently I have also begun supressing pop-ups and most images. I may have to start supressing ALL images soon. Visual 'spam' is getting as bad as the e-mail kind, and I object to all of it.
I am after INTELLIGENCE, INFORMATION, CONTENT. If I want entertainment, I will stop coding and turn on the television.