"Well, if you already have a secure quantum line, why not send N bytes of data?"
Using the "man in a field" analogy, quantum encryption needs lots of computers and hardware stuff to work. Whereas a one-time-pad you can use with just a pencil and notebook.
"I only mentioned Linux and X forwarding as an example of an alternative to using a KVM in a multi-system, single-monitor environment"
WindowsXP seems to have some sort of support for remote desktops, just from looking at the "system" control panel. Presumably you get a client as well as a server as part of the operating system?
"Go with 4U rack mount cases. They are cheap, and easy. They will fit all your standard hardware out there."
Go with desktop PCs -- you can get shelves for the rack.
We've just installed about 15 PCs (standard dell desktops) in racks at work, and it's certainly more convenient than having to unbolt stuff every time you want to get a computer out (for changing graphics/soundcards etc.)
"if they open the package they're agreeing to the EULA!"
No, they're just opening the package.
Specifically, you didn't agree to the idea that opening the package constituted any sort of agreement. And if you didn't agree to that, then nothing else stands up.
Subscribe yourself to a 'channel' and you'll get a copy of the channel author's public key. Anybody can setup a channel -- choose one which is transmitting the news, data, or media that you're interested in, and mark it as "subscribed".
Each time the channel author puts something on the network, you'll get it, if and only if it's validly signed by the person who created a channel. Someone will advertise a file on particular channel, and if you're subscribed, your computer will request the file and check the signature.
People can build up reputations for the trustworthiness of their channels, just like websites, TV news, or radio shows can. Pseudononymously. Ownership of a channel is simply a matter of holding it's private key.
The network is distributed, and it's a combination of freenet-like deniability (nobody knows if you're downloading something for yourself, or just for the benefit of the network, and it's done automatically on your behalf) and BitTorrent-like speed (everyone who gets a file starts advertising its availability, so the original author disappears into a sea of other people publishing his file, while the available bandwidth increases with each person who downloads the file)
Make sure your employer pays in full for all the microsoft software they use, and book an hour on the timesheet to "reading EULAs" each time you install software on a new machine.
"This is voting software, with which one would run an election in a democracy. Wouldn't we be happy if these countries downloaded and used it?"
Perhaps the government doesn't want Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria to have the same control over the results of their elections as the US does over theirs...
"It's convenient that the first instance of e-mail "bugging" resulting in action is against a terrorist."
What's more interesting is, if it were encrypted, would they bother to catch the terrorist, or let them go for fear of revealing that they could read encrypted emails?
"My guess is that encrypting your email makes it easier for the NSA -- only a tiny fraction of email traffic is encrypted."
Chaffing, however (sending lots of fake email with signatures that don't match, and a little bit of real email with a signature that does match) works very well indeed, and has the added benefit of providing passive security to the people around you (network-wise)
So why not install the machine in a library, put on OpenOffice, Mozilla, GIMP, GRASS, Knoppix, Blender, and anything else that takes a week to download via modem?
"Does Best Buy stock office, firewall, dictionary, encyclopedia, publishing solutions for Linux?"
I think you've just listed 5 things which are included in the distro.
It would be more obvious if they did come in separate boxes, but who's going to design the fancy packaging for free products that everyone already has?
It might be worth sectioning-up a distro box to show what's included, as you might expect with commercial software. "With OpenOffice.org 1.1 office software" one section of box might say, with the blue seagull logo.
Slashdot Mirror
"How do you get around the fact that the IM chat is immediately recorded (by definition) when it appears in your IM application?"
More usefully, does it make it illegal for your ISP to record your IM conversations?
And with the laws requiring ISPs to record everything, does that make it illegal to even be an ISP?
Q: "Please don't vote for software patents, they'd inhibit free software such as linux"
A: "Linux has survived despite the existance of copyrights"
"Well, if you already have a secure quantum line, why not send N bytes of data?"
Using the "man in a field" analogy, quantum encryption needs lots of computers and hardware stuff to work. Whereas a one-time-pad you can use with just a pencil and notebook.
Plus you can just send the OTP by courier.
"Transmission security is great, but what happens when someone steals the hard drive out of the server?"
Maybe the type of people who use quantum cryptography would lock their office doors or something?
"After the stunning victory in round 1, we just need to make sure our parliamentarians stand firm"
The ministers involved don't even know the difference between copyrights and patents, so don't hold your breath.
To misuse a phrase, we'll have no need to attribute their actions to malice.
"I only mentioned Linux and X forwarding as an example of an alternative to using a KVM in a multi-system, single-monitor environment"
WindowsXP seems to have some sort of support for remote desktops, just from looking at the "system" control panel. Presumably you get a client as well as a server as part of the operating system?
"Go with 4U rack mount cases. They are cheap, and easy. They will fit all your standard hardware out there."
Go with desktop PCs -- you can get shelves for the rack.
We've just installed about 15 PCs (standard dell desktops) in racks at work, and it's certainly more convenient than having to unbolt stuff every time you want to get a computer out (for changing graphics/soundcards etc.)
"if they open the package they're agreeing to the EULA!"
No, they're just opening the package.
Specifically, you didn't agree to the idea that opening the package constituted any sort of agreement. And if you didn't agree to that, then nothing else stands up.
" What we need is a system with PGP signatures."
Konspire2B
Subscribe yourself to a 'channel' and you'll get a copy of the channel author's public key. Anybody can setup a channel -- choose one which is transmitting the news, data, or media that you're interested in, and mark it as "subscribed".
Each time the channel author puts something on the network, you'll get it, if and only if it's validly signed by the person who created a channel. Someone will advertise a file on particular channel, and if you're subscribed, your computer will request the file and check the signature.
People can build up reputations for the trustworthiness of their channels, just like websites, TV news, or radio shows can. Pseudononymously. Ownership of a channel is simply a matter of holding it's private key.
The network is distributed, and it's a combination of freenet-like deniability (nobody knows if you're downloading something for yourself, or just for the benefit of the network, and it's done automatically on your behalf) and BitTorrent-like speed (everyone who gets a file starts advertising its availability, so the original author disappears into a sea of other people publishing his file, while the available bandwidth increases with each person who downloads the file)
"So is there anything we can do to help?"
Make sure your employer pays in full for all the microsoft software they use, and book an hour on the timesheet to "reading EULAs" each time you install software on a new machine.
Just suggestions...
"The real difference is that it's easier to secure files in Windows than having to understand how the hell to use chmod and what '777' means."
What? How?
Linux: by default, nobody can delete anyone else's data.
Windows: "This file is write-protected. Are you sure you want to delete it?"
"And yes, a child can learn to point and click on Linux just as well as they can Windows."
The difference, of course, being the ability to point at mummy's data, and click on the delete button...
"If you've never run before, start short, keep it to less than 2 miles for the first year."
Sounds cautious alright -- I know runners who go 2 miles in just one day...
"This is voting software, with which one would run an election in a democracy. Wouldn't we be happy if these countries downloaded and used it?"
Perhaps the government doesn't want Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria to have the same control over the results of their elections as the US does over theirs...
"It's convenient that the first instance of e-mail "bugging" resulting in action is against a terrorist."
What's more interesting is, if it were encrypted, would they bother to catch the terrorist, or let them go for fear of revealing that they could read encrypted emails?
"My guess is that encrypting your email makes it easier for the NSA -- only a tiny fraction of email traffic is encrypted."
Chaffing, however (sending lots of fake email with signatures that don't match, and a little bit of real email with a signature that does match) works very well indeed, and has the added benefit of providing passive security to the people around you (network-wise)
"The crucial thing (for me at least) is wether or not the NVidia binary drivers will work with this new version."
Given the ease with which nVidia have started implementing DRM, the compatibility of binary drivers is no longer a concern for many people.
So why not install the machine in a library, put on OpenOffice, Mozilla, GIMP, GRASS, Knoppix, Blender, and anything else that takes a week to download via modem?
3a) Point towards Zion
3:00pm: "Let's see how the "nvidia are great, we trust their binary drivers" fanboys react to this one..."
3:10pm: "Score:0, Flamebait"
Guess that answers that question.
Are there any domains which are known for protecting the anonymity of their subdomain owners?
...and for the people using open-source drivers
Let's see how the "nvidia are great, we trust their binary drivers" fanboys react to this one...
Royal Mail allow you to anonymize your address (for #50 per year), but that doesn't make it a valid solution for #5 domain names.
Just because you don't like what's published on my website, doesn't allow you to attack my parents' house, based on the WHOIS registry.
In Europe it's supposed to be illegal to publish this information worldwide, but I wrote to the Date Commissioner, and he doesn't seem to care...
"We need a 'scary' mod option for posts like above!"
You know things are bad when the federal government is rated as "more scary" than the US gun nuts...
"Does Best Buy stock office, firewall, dictionary, encyclopedia, publishing solutions for Linux?"
I think you've just listed 5 things which are included in the distro.
It would be more obvious if they did come in separate boxes, but who's going to design the fancy packaging for free products that everyone already has?
It might be worth sectioning-up a distro box to show what's included, as you might expect with commercial software. "With OpenOffice.org 1.1 office software" one section of box might say, with the blue seagull logo.