I really wish I had mod points. That echos my thoughts exactly.
The ONLY reason that MS is now trying to act proactively, and saying that security is important to them, is because the see a threat. They are doing what their only option is now - make good newsblips and start laying the groundwork for lawsuits by patenting everything they can.
I couldn't have said it better:
MS is threatened by insert FOSS name here because it is not a company, it can't be bought, or undersold in bankruptcy.
Think realistically. The $500 Dells in a computer lab in a school are going to come with Windows and Office preinstalled.
No, think again. Those $500 Dells are going to come pre-installed with whatever is the latest Dell offering - do you really need MS Works?
If you have a MS site license, you need to install your apps with specific license keys, both for the OS and the Office suite.
The installs are generally documented, and have a process in place, so the existing install is pointless...
Yes, if we get more people coming into the US to work instead of shipping all the jobs off-shore, the money from their paychecks will be spent here. Some of that is a good thing, but only for the retail peoples in the area.
What this does hurt is the local techs that want those jobs and have a zillion years of experience; they have the experience that is needed for the job, the just don't wanna settle for $25k anymore - what's wrong with expecting pay that relates to the value they'd bring the company. Hire local, dammit!
Not trying to ms-bash, but what they need is experienced programmers, not someone that got a BS cert from a boot camp.
Gates, stop trying to change a country's policy just for your company's benefit.
No, they are not an arm of the govt. They do however own some of the politicians in it...
Does anyone else think it's strange that there are so few US new agency reporting this, and the OP is quoting a Canadian agency??? There area few national reports, but mostly localreports. It sure isn't seeming to get much attention...
Now if only they would seize all his computers and find all of the tools he used to send all this spam.
Most likely, he's used the benefit of spyware to send this bs out. It would be really nice to make those results public, so it would shed a better light as to why we should protect against that crap...
I looked around a little bit, but the only place that I could RTFA was on MS's MoneyCentral site.
Since MS is getting busy with the "Search Engine" market to compete against Google (and others), doesn't this seem a little odd that the only place you can find google-bashing is on their #1 competitor's site?
I'm not trying to troll or bash either company, but this looks like it's a little one-sided from the MS perspective...
First of all, I can't believe that I actually read all 451 posts on this page (at least I think I read all of them all the way through).
The two things that trouble me the most about this is that there is a (mostly) unwatched group doing this blocking based on the recommendations of another (mostly) unwatched group. Not redirecting, not offering explanations, just sending the page request to/dev/null. I don't think that's right on several levels...
Next, in all 451 posts, I think I only saw 2 posts that essentially said "don't block them, shut them down." I whole-heartedly agree with that!! Why is it, that if this topic is getting so much attention, and is apparently so important, that the most anyone can be troubled to do is to block an IP? With the combined forces of several government agencies (UK, US, etc), why is it that the computers serving these pages that are hiding behind those pesky "IP" addresses can't be found and shut off? To go a step further: with a lot of digging, maybe they could find out some names associated with the domain names - that could lead to a chat with the registered owners! I realize that those items would take entirely too many resources, considerable technical expertise, but I think they could find someone that could help...
Is it just me, or does it seem like lately everyone wants to just cover up problems and pretend they don't exist instead of trying to FIX the issue and make it go away???
MS has an interesting license issue for this... Windows XP Home only supports one processor. However, since the P4 w/HT is only one physical processor, it will show (and use) the dual-core, and will show 2 procs in taskmgr.
According to TFA, Sun is expecting to have more than 2 cores per die soon - up to 8 cores within a few years (I'd assume others will also, maybe I just didn't rtfa close enough). Maybe there is a happy medium for the companies that change prices based on the number of processors a system has.
Instead of gouging the price based on the number of physical processor slots are used or how many the OS sees, how about changing it to adapt to the changing technology quicker. For example, maybe they could license based on a range of procs (1-4, 4-8, 8-16, etc). I think the paying customers might end up liking this flexibility a little better so they don't have to take out a loan to turn on a virtual CPU or two.
I think it's kinda odd that the article notes that the fruit fly is so close in structure to the human... Maybe they will be using bugs for further testing instead of the dogs - at least the animal protection groups won't get so upset about that.
Also, I'm not sure how exactly this genome assembly was conducted, but maybe the people doing the research could benefit from using Stanford University's Folding@Home program (or at least the distributed computing idea behind it) to do additional testing in this field. Recent article from/.
This looks like it's going to be a great new product. While I'll probably never have a cell phone with one of these built into it, I can see it as the next logical step to be included in the standard PDA and notebook. For all we know now, that little laser pointer will have one too...
So I wonder what it would take to get one of these items just by itself so I can hook it up as a monitor for my computers? Will it take the place of my clunky heavy TV, too? I'm very interested to see where this is going!
This is an edited version of an article from the February 6, 2004, issue of the Microsoft Watch newsletter.
This may help somewhat with the growing use of Linux in Tailand and Malaysia, but I really doubt it. This has the strong smell of a bait-and-switch scam. As much as you say you'd like to see this offered elsewhere, they never will, as we pay so much for it already (OEM systems, buisnesses, etc). Most big companies are so deeply-rooted in MS software, they can't change - which gives MS no real reason to try it...
BOINC transparently and securely downloads new application versions. This lets us upgrade and extend SETI@home without requiring you to download and install new software.
Looks like I'm gonna just fold.
Just like any OS or application that I run, I don't let any item update itself. Period. If there is an update that needs to be done, I want the ability to decide for myself if it should be done, and when to do it. If I can't stop the app from putting new code on my machine, it won't be running.
That being said, I do like the idea behind seti@home, just the same as folding@home - distributed processing is awesome. Although I've been running seti 24/7 for quite some time on anywhere between 2 and 10 machines at once, I think it's time for a change. Maybe I'll fold, maybe I'll find a new distributed app, or??? I almost feel like I'm wasting something when my processors are only hitting 10%.
No, I'm not an Indian. No, I haven't been to India. Yes, I am an American. Yes, I agree that the Indians know best what is good for India - if you are in/from India, please voice you opinion.
Specifically, I think that whatever computing platform is used, that India should look to other countries first to see their experiences and use that to gauge their future. Personally, I think that there are several Linux distributions that would be a good match - the biggest reason for this is cost. I've seen the price tags for running Windows/Unix/Mac in large companies and govt agencies - and it is obscene!
For that one reason alone, I hope some type of Penguin, Beasdie, etc beat the crap out of Clippy in the Indian computing arena. For the common folk, there is a really big choice - the popular free copy of Windows, or a (legitimate) free Linux distro. The biggest hurdle to overcome right now is making sure that everything in the package installation is in their language. It looks like there is some good progress with that, but there's always room for more, right?
I don't think I like this. Yes, its a quick way to find and download a song, but it makes it WAAAYYY to easy for the RIAA-style corporations around the world to find exactly the people sharing.
I might have shared an MP3 or two, but I'm not about to publish my www/ftp site to the world - thats about as bad as leaving a calling card for the incoming summons...
I'll stick with the completely anonymous P2P networks.
I think the biggest and most important technology this brings to the forefront is that these tools help to make our online habits a little more ananomyous (I read this as a _little_ more secure).
More power to them. Thanks/. for helping spread the word - this will make some Joe-6-pack-type peoples a little more aware.
one thing that I've learned (and I was there once many moons ago) is that a motivated geeky teenager will ALWAYS find a way to get online. I don't care if their govt is going to try to restrict their access in any way - these kids WILL get online, and they WILL access the info that they want...
Even though I don't use Thunderbird (I use Firebird and expletive deleted)...
I have used Thunderbird and Firebird for quite some time (sorry all, usually on M$ platform). I used to use Netscape for everything until it became so AOH3llish - I'm extremely happy that the Mozilla platform is still here. They have an excellent product, and it acutally runs as an app, not part of the OS - this and the better usability are the primary reasons it is a must-have on any PC that I use.
Slashdot Mirror
The ONLY reason that MS is now trying to act proactively, and saying that security is important to them, is because the see a threat. They are doing what their only option is now - make good newsblips and start laying the groundwork for lawsuits by patenting everything they can.
I couldn't have said it better: MS is threatened by insert FOSS name here because it is not a company, it can't be bought, or undersold in bankruptcy.
No, think again. Those $500 Dells are going to come pre-installed with whatever is the latest Dell offering - do you really need MS Works?
If you have a MS site license, you need to install your apps with specific license keys, both for the OS and the Office suite.
The installs are generally documented, and have a process in place, so the existing install is pointless...
What this does hurt is the local techs that want those jobs and have a zillion years of experience; they have the experience that is needed for the job, the just don't wanna settle for $25k anymore - what's wrong with expecting pay that relates to the value they'd bring the company. Hire local, dammit!
Not trying to ms-bash, but what they need is experienced programmers, not someone that got a BS cert from a boot camp.
Gates, stop trying to change a country's policy just for your company's benefit.
No, they are not an arm of the govt. They do however own some of the politicians in it...
Does anyone else think it's strange that there are so few US new agency reporting this, and the OP is quoting a Canadian agency??? There are a few national reports, but mostly local reports. It sure isn't seeming to get much attention...
Now if only they would seize all his computers and find all of the tools he used to send all this spam.
Most likely, he's used the benefit of spyware to send this bs out. It would be really nice to make those results public, so it would shed a better light as to why we should protect against that crap...
I looked around a little bit, but the only place that I could RTFA was on MS's MoneyCentral site.
Since MS is getting busy with the "Search Engine" market to compete against Google (and others), doesn't this seem a little odd that the only place you can find google-bashing is on their #1 competitor's site?
I'm not trying to troll or bash either company, but this looks like it's a little one-sided from the MS perspective...
First of all, I can't believe that I actually read all 451 posts on this page (at least I think I read all of them all the way through).
/dev/null. I don't think that's right on several levels...
The two things that trouble me the most about this is that there is a (mostly) unwatched group doing this blocking based on the recommendations of another (mostly) unwatched group. Not redirecting, not offering explanations, just sending the page request to
Next, in all 451 posts, I think I only saw 2 posts that essentially said "don't block them, shut them down." I whole-heartedly agree with that!! Why is it, that if this topic is getting so much attention, and is apparently so important, that the most anyone can be troubled to do is to block an IP? With the combined forces of several government agencies (UK, US, etc), why is it that the computers serving these pages that are hiding behind those pesky "IP" addresses can't be found and shut off? To go a step further: with a lot of digging, maybe they could find out some names associated with the domain names - that could lead to a chat with the registered owners! I realize that those items would take entirely too many resources, considerable technical expertise, but I think they could find someone that could help...
Is it just me, or does it seem like lately everyone wants to just cover up problems and pretend they don't exist instead of trying to FIX the issue and make it go away???
MS has an interesting license issue for this...
Windows XP Home only supports one processor. However, since the P4 w/HT is only one physical processor, it will show (and use) the dual-core, and will show 2 procs in taskmgr.
According to TFA, Sun is expecting to have more than 2 cores per die soon - up to 8 cores within a few years (I'd assume others will also, maybe I just didn't rtfa close enough). Maybe there is a happy medium for the companies that change prices based on the number of processors a system has.
Instead of gouging the price based on the number of physical processor slots are used or how many the OS sees, how about changing it to adapt to the changing technology quicker. For example, maybe they could license based on a range of procs (1-4, 4-8, 8-16, etc). I think the paying customers might end up liking this flexibility a little better so they don't have to take out a loan to turn on a virtual CPU or two.
I think it's kinda odd that the article notes that the fruit fly is so close in structure to the human... Maybe they will be using bugs for further testing instead of the dogs - at least the animal protection groups won't get so upset about that.
/.
Also, I'm not sure how exactly this genome assembly was conducted, but maybe the people doing the research could benefit from using Stanford University's Folding@Home program (or at least the distributed computing idea behind it) to do additional testing in this field. Recent article from
This looks like it's going to be a great new product. While I'll probably never have a cell phone with one of these built into it, I can see it as the next logical step to be included in the standard PDA and notebook. For all we know now, that little laser pointer will have one too... So I wonder what it would take to get one of these items just by itself so I can hook it up as a monitor for my computers? Will it take the place of my clunky heavy TV, too? I'm very interested to see where this is going!
This may help somewhat with the growing use of Linux in Tailand and Malaysia, but I really doubt it. This has the strong smell of a bait-and-switch scam. As much as you say you'd like to see this offered elsewhere, they never will, as we pay so much for it already (OEM systems, buisnesses, etc). Most big companies are so deeply-rooted in MS software, they can't change - which gives MS no real reason to try it...
BOINC transparently and securely downloads new application versions. This lets us upgrade and extend SETI@home without requiring you to download and install new software.
Looks like I'm gonna just fold.
Just like any OS or application that I run, I don't let any item update itself. Period. If there is an update that needs to be done, I want the ability to decide for myself if it should be done, and when to do it. If I can't stop the app from putting new code on my machine, it won't be running.
That being said, I do like the idea behind seti@home, just the same as folding@home - distributed processing is awesome. Although I've been running seti 24/7 for quite some time on anywhere between 2 and 10 machines at once, I think it's time for a change. Maybe I'll fold, maybe I'll find a new distributed app, or??? I almost feel like I'm wasting something when my processors are only hitting 10%.
does anyone know where I can get a can of rust/mold/puke-colored spray paint?
No, I'm not an Indian. No, I haven't been to India. Yes, I am an American. Yes, I agree that the Indians know best what is good for India - if you are in/from India, please voice you opinion.
Specifically, I think that whatever computing platform is used, that India should look to other countries first to see their experiences and use that to gauge their future. Personally, I think that there are several Linux distributions that would be a good match - the biggest reason for this is cost. I've seen the price tags for running Windows/Unix/Mac in large companies and govt agencies - and it is obscene!
For that one reason alone, I hope some type of Penguin, Beasdie, etc beat the crap out of Clippy in the Indian computing arena. For the common folk, there is a really big choice - the popular free copy of Windows, or a (legitimate) free Linux distro. The biggest hurdle to overcome right now is making sure that everything in the package installation is in their language. It looks like there is some good progress with that, but there's always room for more, right?
I haven't finished RTFA yet, but from the quick overview, this looks outstanding for one particular item: it runs as an app or as the entire OS!
When's the last time you saw an app so well developed that it ran on almost any platform - not to mention as its own OS.
At this point, I don't even care what it does, I think that part shows a level that many other applications need to strive for.
I don't think I like this. Yes, its a quick way to find and download a song, but it makes it WAAAYYY to easy for the RIAA-style corporations around the world to find exactly the people sharing.
I might have shared an MP3 or two, but I'm not about to publish my www/ftp site to the world - thats about as bad as leaving a calling card for the incoming summons...
I'll stick with the completely anonymous P2P networks.
so how long before we see the MS passport logo on this? Are they gonna try to use the US for using their name?
I think the biggest and most important technology this brings to the forefront is that these tools help to make our online habits a little more ananomyous (I read this as a _little_ more secure). More power to them. Thanks /. for helping spread the word - this will make some Joe-6-pack-type peoples a little more aware.
one thing that I've learned (and I was there once many moons ago) is that a motivated geeky teenager will ALWAYS find a way to get online. I don't care if their govt is going to try to restrict their access in any way - these kids WILL get online, and they WILL access the info that they want...
Even though I don't use Thunderbird (I use Firebird and expletive deleted)...
I have used Thunderbird and Firebird for quite some time (sorry all, usually on M$ platform). I used to use Netscape for everything until it became so AOH3llish - I'm extremely happy that the Mozilla platform is still here. They have an excellent product, and it acutally runs as an app, not part of the OS - this and the better usability are the primary reasons it is a must-have on any PC that I use.