"Octopuses may be mad smart and walkers, but they still only live a year or two. The only octopuses that could lord over us would be ones we genetically modified."
US presidents are only around for 4 years, and that's without genetic modification...
"I remember when the BBS's used to call you back on the number you provided to verify you were giving them the correct number."
Unlike online banks, BBS operators used to understand security (because they had a real need to as they had constant cracking attempts). Even now, you can recognise the occasional BBS operator with their SSL websites, a web-of-trust that actually works, and a PGP key that has been taken to a keysigning party or two.
Compare to the banks who are still saying "the verisign certificate proves that we are 100% perfectly safe, secure, and hacker-proof", still using simple passwords and public information (e.g. DoB, mother's maiden name) to verify people.
I'm guessing the banks have less need for security because if it fails, they can say "you must have given your password out, we're not liable", or "your computer must have been cracked, we're not liable", or "read the contract, we're not liable". Other peoples' money == no need to secure it.
How else do you explain that your bank account has less security than your Yahoo or SourceForge accounts?
"On a related thought, I was considering buying some $400 HP or Dell piece-of-shit, loading AdAware and SpyBot on it, then taking screen captures of all the crap these programs find on these boxes before they're even hooked to the Net. Then post these results to a web page for my customers to see."
There's a screenshot on the Pop-up ad article that might do what you want
"There is an alternative. It's called Scalable Vector Graphics(SVG). It's a W3C recommendation, and adobe already has a free viewer[adobe.com] on every important platform."
That company distributing the free SVG viewer for every important platform... your link...
I'm sure I recognise its name from somewhere. Something to do with an unwanted toolbar installer...?
"It cannot be assumed that FireFox doesn't have the same amount of bugs and vulnerabilities"
Why not?
Firefox was written more recently than IE
It was written by more experienced programmers
The mozilla team already had experience of writing, modifying, and maintaining another browser over a decade or two of changing browser-use?
Firefox was developed after lots of exploit-types became popularly known, rather than being unaware of certain attacks like a 1990 programmer might be
There was no particular time-pressure being applied which would cause additional bugs
The structure appears to have been cleanly thought-out, with good interfaces and separation between different layers
The code was developed to be publically-viewable, which often forces an elegance in architecture and style that naturally brings a stable and secure program
And yes, it's popular Free Software. So imagine a large number of people available to do testing.
"Unfortunately, Wikipedia uses the GFDL, so I don't think it's going away soon."
"Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover Texts."
So can it be converted to something non-FSF if it doesn't have any invariant sections or cover texts?
"If you don't like their terms, don't use their service."
The services they provide are enumerated in their instructions to their webserver. If it delivers a file, the file has been delivered with the permission of the site owner. Pseudo-legal bluffing doesn't even come into it.
"Hate to break it to you, but Florida's economy is not driven by NASA."
For those wondering why bother to post such a short statement without supporting evidence or references, here's wiki:
"Florida's economy is heavily based on tourism. (Walt Disney World theme park, Universal Orlando Resort, etc.)
Other major industries include citrus fruit and juice production, banking, and phosphate mining.
With the arrival of the space program at Kennedy Space Center in the 1960s, Florida has attracted a large number of aerospace and military industries to the state. "
"Hopefully, he would order just one machine and put it in a test environment, before buying up 300 machines."
That would work if you knew a vendor who reliably sold the same type of machine for the duration of your testing period, with the same components, software, drivers, etc. at a steady price.
"Anyway, back in those days we had a problem every four years. Yep...you guessed it, some programmer had forgotten to take leap year into account."
Considering we're still buying wristwatches that fail after any month with less than 31 days, and that pretty much every time-aware item in the typical house fails twice a year when the timezones change, it's hardly surprising to find a computer that doesn't know leap-years!
"Also, I doubt there is any business model that can support a fire department."
The Roman fire departments used to buy properties that were about to rapidly decline in value (due to fire) at a price which was better than the owner would have got were it to completely burn...
"Let's not let them get away with it, then. Please let them know how you feel. [http://www.overpeer.com/contactus.asp]"
WTF? Howabout telling someone useful, like your favorite artists who work for the record companies hiring these goons? Overpeer was created specially to do all the illegal stuff that Sony, EMI, Asylum Records, MGM, Polymedia, Bill Bryson's 'Random House', U2's 'Interscope Records', Green Day's 'Warner' and Richard Branson's 'Virgin' don't want associated with their names. If you're going to tell people who to complain about, at least pick the right names
"I don't think it's the same at all. Publishing ingredients in food is a lot different from publishing source code."
OK, it's probably more like being able to inspect the kitchens at a restaurant. Seeing the source-code gives you an idea of the quality of the software.
And as capitalists would tell us, that knowledge is absolutely required for a free market.
"but to suggest that all proprietary software is unethical, well that's just obnoxious."
Uh, that's the whole point of Free Software. You think it's somehow more ethical to sell someone software they can't use properly, or to lock them into updates and support, or to damage their business when they find the application they depend on is now unsupported, or just to put them through activation sequences, time-bombed software, spyware, proprietary formats, software audits or even harassing lawsuits just because you feel like being annoying to your customers.
Giving people freedom to use their software. Now that's ethical.
Slashdot Mirror
"Octopuses may be mad smart and walkers, but they still only live a year or two. The only octopuses that could lord over us would be ones we genetically modified."
US presidents are only around for 4 years, and that's without genetic modification...
Surely this is an easy one to answer. The university has accused a student, in writing, of breaking the law
"I remember when the BBS's used to call you back on the number you provided to verify you were giving them the correct number."
Unlike online banks, BBS operators used to understand security (because they had a real need to as they had constant cracking attempts). Even now, you can recognise the occasional BBS operator with their SSL websites, a web-of-trust that actually works, and a PGP key that has been taken to a keysigning party or two.
Compare to the banks who are still saying "the verisign certificate proves that we are 100% perfectly safe, secure, and hacker-proof", still using simple passwords and public information (e.g. DoB, mother's maiden name) to verify people.
I'm guessing the banks have less need for security because if it fails, they can say "you must have given your password out, we're not liable", or "your computer must have been cracked, we're not liable", or "read the contract, we're not liable". Other peoples' money == no need to secure it.
How else do you explain that your bank account has less security than your Yahoo or SourceForge accounts?
"On a related thought, I was considering buying some $400 HP or Dell piece-of-shit, loading AdAware and SpyBot on it, then taking screen captures of all the crap these programs find on these boxes before they're even hooked to the Net. Then post these results to a web page for my customers to see."
There's a screenshot on the Pop-up ad article that might do what you want
"They have to be defended against violations in order to avoid becoming generic and therefore invalid"
Just firefox a page on trademarks to read about how they become generic... I can thunderbird one to you if you like...
"There is an alternative. It's called Scalable Vector Graphics(SVG). It's a W3C recommendation, and adobe already has a free viewer[adobe.com] on every important platform."
That company distributing the free SVG viewer for every important platform... your link...
I'm sure I recognise its name from somewhere. Something to do with an unwanted toolbar installer...?
Why not?
Firefox was written more recently than IE
It was written by more experienced programmers
The mozilla team already had experience of writing, modifying, and maintaining another browser over a decade or two of changing browser-use?
Firefox was developed after lots of exploit-types became popularly known, rather than being unaware of certain attacks like a 1990 programmer might be
There was no particular time-pressure being applied which would cause additional bugs
The structure appears to have been cleanly thought-out, with good interfaces and separation between different layers
The code was developed to be publically-viewable, which often forces an elegance in architecture and style that naturally brings a stable and secure program
And yes, it's popular Free Software. So imagine a large number of people available to do testing.
"Unfortunately, Wikipedia uses the GFDL, so I don't think it's going away soon."
"Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover Texts."
So can it be converted to something non-FSF if it doesn't have any invariant sections or cover texts?
But will the sound system still be working in 4500 years time? - surely longetivity is the point of such things?
"If you don't like their terms, don't use their service."
The services they provide are enumerated in their instructions to their webserver. If it delivers a file, the file has been delivered with the permission of the site owner. Pseudo-legal bluffing doesn't even come into it.
"If you can't find it on eBay, it probably doesn't exist."
Yep, the deorbiting robot probably fits into both of those categories...
For those wondering why bother to post such a short statement without supporting evidence or references, here's wiki:
And don't mention the spammers.
"Hopefully, he would order just one machine and put it in a test environment, before buying up 300 machines."
That would work if you knew a vendor who reliably sold the same type of machine for the duration of your testing period, with the same components, software, drivers, etc. at a steady price.
He said he was buying from Dell.
"As someone working to develop a system that will be used by the UK government"
If they do use your system, it'll be a first for UK government IT...
"What if you're being attacked in your home, and your smart gun suddenly decides that you're not it's rightful owner?"
Why do you think the police don't use these guns? Not reliable enough.
"Anyway, back in those days we had a problem every four years. Yep...you guessed it, some programmer had forgotten to take leap year into account."
Considering we're still buying wristwatches that fail after any month with less than 31 days, and that pretty much every time-aware item in the typical house fails twice a year when the timezones change, it's hardly surprising to find a computer that doesn't know leap-years!
"Also, I doubt there is any business model that can support a fire department."
The Roman fire departments used to buy properties that were about to rapidly decline in value (due to fire) at a price which was better than the owner would have got were it to completely burn...
"Let's not let them get away with it, then. Please let them know how you feel. [http://www.overpeer.com/contactus.asp]"
WTF? Howabout telling someone useful, like your favorite artists who work for the record companies hiring these goons? Overpeer was created specially to do all the illegal stuff that Sony, EMI, Asylum Records, MGM, Polymedia, Bill Bryson's 'Random House', U2's 'Interscope Records', Green Day's 'Warner' and Richard Branson's 'Virgin' don't want associated with their names. If you're going to tell people who to complain about, at least pick the right names
What's wrong with UNIX as most of us use it?
xfree86_config4
"I don't think it's the same at all. Publishing ingredients in food is a lot different from publishing source code."
OK, it's probably more like being able to inspect the kitchens at a restaurant. Seeing the source-code gives you an idea of the quality of the software.
And as capitalists would tell us, that knowledge is absolutely required for a free market.
"but to suggest that all proprietary software is unethical, well that's just obnoxious."
Uh, that's the whole point of Free Software. You think it's somehow more ethical to sell someone software they can't use properly, or to lock them into updates and support, or to damage their business when they find the application they depend on is now unsupported, or just to put them through activation sequences, time-bombed software, spyware, proprietary formats, software audits or even harassing lawsuits just because you feel like being annoying to your customers.
Giving people freedom to use their software. Now that's ethical.
It's also 1.0.16.9.17 in the mayan long count, so not the end of an era or anything
There's a new moon at 9am GMT that day though...
The good news is, we wouldn't have to worry about the 2038 problem...
"so it's christmas eve 2004, i'm at the in-laws, just spent 3 hours adawaring, spybotting, esspee2ing"
So Mepis CDs all around, for christmas presents then?
"...then there would be water on Mars!"
Indeed