I lease a dedicated server on the internet. It runs a version of Red Hat. That was not my choice. Iwould have preferred SuSE. While the company would have installed a different distribution if I had insisted (I checked) they would not have supported it at the same level or for the same price if I needed onsite support. It was an easy decision to run Red Hat at that point. Still, I have been very unhappy with it and would prefer a different distribution.
"When I build my software applications I have the end-user in mind. Why is it too much to ask the same from Microsoft?"
Yeah, I do the same thing. Still, the power of users, in numbers to large to imagine, to do stupid things I never counted on, still amazes me. Not a single release goes by that I do not have some "bug" fall out in testing that is simply due to some idiot doing the unexpected and idiotic.
"most of the people who routinely sent or recieved large attachments had a 'proper' paid email service"
Actually I have been paying $9.00 a year for extra storage on Yahoo. I have had the same Yahoo email address since Yahoo started their service, and I am loath to give it up. All my High School and College friends know it. I can access it anywhere in the world. I pay for the extra storage to keep critical files stored online. I have copies of my resume, all my important contacts, all my registration keys. It was really great to log in the other day and discover my 'usage' had gone from 48% of my available storage to 2% of my available storage. 2 Gig Rocks!
Now if I only had 12 Gig I could store my mp3's online...
"I also expect a serious effort, backed by several billion dollars in bribe money (oops, excuse me, campaign contributions), to get open-source software outlawed on some kind of theory that it aids terrorists."
"But in the next year, I think we need to focus more on government adoptions, in order to protect our political and legislative flanks."
We need to beat them to the punch. Open Source is a matter of national security! It only takes one back door in a closed source OS or application to put our nations security at risk. All applications critical to national security should be running on OS' where the people are able to read the source and thus be positive no terrorist has planted a back door.
Write your congressman! Now, before anyone else has a chance to beat you to it. Here are some important things to remeber when you are trying to influence government:
Email makes little impact. It is very easy to send a congressman email. As a result most congressmen are flooded with emails, and actually read very little of it. Send Snail Mail Instead!
One petition is the equivalent of only one letter. A lot of people will sign your petition just to get rid of you. Your congressman knows this. Therefore you petittion only counts for the person who mailed it in, not for every signer.
Form letters don't work. Congressmen do not open their own mail. A staffer opens it instead. If there are 300 copies of the same form letter, the congressman will only see one copy and be told that 300 copies came in. It just does not have the impact of 300 seperate letters with different wording making the same point.
Vote! I cannot stress this enough. The list of registered voters is public record and whether you voted in the last election is part of that record. If you are not a voter, your congressman does not care what you think. You will not vote for his opponent in the next election anyway.
Send Money. Yeah I know, It feels kind of dirty and you may not actually like your congressman. Still, Microsoft donates to both political parties and many individual politicians. We have to in some way counter this. Even a five dollar check will make an impression on the politician. It proves you are serious. An alternative to donations to the politician himself is a donation to his party. Just send a photocopy of the check to your congressman with your letter. Even better if he votes wrong, send him a photocopy of your donation to his opponent!
We have been lied to and misled. They have convinced us our vote does not count and we cannot make a difference. As a result we do not act. As long as we buy in to this and do not hold the goverment accountable, the government will not be accountable.
"Google's done so much for the quality of web searching that I think they've already given us far more back than I could ever ask for."
While this is true and I whole heartedly agree, Google is not being completely philanthopic here. Here is a quote from the original article:
"He says it isn't fair for Google to draw smart people from all over the world and "just keep it all for ourselves. We need to have the tools out in the universities so the next generation can build on our work, too."
See, Google gets it. Since they are part of the community, doing good for the community equates to doing good for themselves.
Can you be a Luddite and a programmer too? You see I do not own a Cell Phone. I don't want one. The very idea that people could call me with a reasonable expectation of reaching me 24/7 is abhorent. I don't like talking to people on phones in the first place. Hey, maybe it is not the technology but the people that is the problem...
When I was young - 20 years ago - there was a common phrease, "It's a free country!" For some reason that expression is no longer popular.
I scanned the PDF of the ruling looking for the answer to two important points:
Any peace officer may detain any person whom the officer encounters under circumstances which reasonably indicate that the person has committed, is committing or is about to commit a crime.
The statute does not require a suspect to give the officer a driver's license or any other document, provided that the suspect either states his name or communicates it to the officer by other means.
OK so much for "Your papers please." Still this is one more step along the road to a police state. Little by little we are whittling away at our civil liberties. Many of you say "If you are not breaking the law why should you worry?" I say this, "People who live with a non-opressive government do not need civil liberty. If, however that government becomes opressive at a later date, the lack of civil liberty will only make the change easier."
In a lot of ways, we are less free than the former Soviet Republic. While in Prague a few years ago a tour guide was surprised when I got up during a meal and walked outside to smoke a cigarette. She openly laughed at me when I purchased a package of antacid tablets in a large department store, and was afraid to walk out without a reciept for fear I would be stopped and accused of stealing. Do you se how sinister it can be. When we live in a society where it is assumed we are guilty, we begin to act as if we are guilty. This is a sad day for the United States.
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -- Benjamin Franklin
I have always been a big fan of the 50's and 60's pulp science fiction. One theme that has never been translated to TV is the Space Trader.
Now I know the Ferengi are not the most popular of species, but it would be great to do a trader show. Wandering the universe buying low and selling high. Smuggling goods past imoral embargos. Always searching for that elusive Proffit!
For one, it would show space as an exploited resource instead of a conquered frontier. Profit is a better reason to explore the universe anyway. It would allow us to explore some social themes associated with big business, trade relations, political embargos...
Actually I went and checked my own ISP's Acceptable Use Policy. Here is the pertinant quote: "Comcast reserves the right, but not the obligation, to refuse to transmit or post and to remove or block any information or materials, in whole or in part, that it, in its sole discretion, deems to be offensive, indecent, or otherwise inappropriate, regardless of whether this material or its dissemination is unlawful. "
I would be amazed if your ISP does less. Face it, when you are posting your ISP's network, it is your ISP's network. It is not yours! You are not in control. If you want to be able to act freely, pay for Web Hosting or a Leased Server. Internet service is not some God given, govenment guaranteed right. It is a service, provided by a for profit business, subject to the terms of the contract which you and your ISP negotiated. As long is your ISP is acting within the bounds of that contract don't come whining to me.
Darn! I was hoping the the URL pointed to the litigious bastards' own web site. That way when the/. effect hit, they could accuse us Linux freaks of another DOS attack.
"I haven't heard someone say they use Linux because it's somehow "lighter" since about 1997. "
I use Linux because it is "lighter." Seriously!
It powers my multimedia server which runs on a 486 and never runs a GUI. Any modern Windows distibution would render the machine useless.
It is my preferred gaming platform for NWN because I can load TWM as a window manager with almost no additional overhead to the OS.
This is NOT Tax Payer Funded
on
WiFi Gone Wild
·
· Score: 3, Informative
OK I downloaded the Request For Offer from TxDOT. This is not intended to be a taxpayer funded initiative. In fact here is an excerpt that says just that:
"3. CONCEPT: TxDOT envisions a concept where wireless internet service is available for public use.
3.1. The traveling public would be able to use a personal computing device, such as a laptop computer, equipped
to acquire a wireless internet signal, to use the internet and send email during a break from the road.
3.2. A separate kiosk, provided by the vendor, would allow those traveling without a personal computing device to
utilize the internet service.
3.3. This service will be provided at a cost to the consumer, not to TxDOT."
TxDOT is expecting the "People not traveling with wireless equipment" to cover the cost of the project when they "connect to the Internet at kiosks for a reasonable fee to be collected by the vendor."
Personally I think this is the fatal flaw in their plan. I doubt there will be enough kiosk users to cover the costs. Still I have to give them credit for trying.
"It would seem that the catalyst for every major social, economic, or political change revolved around men wanting sex, men being chauvinists, food, or any combination of those three things.
Unfortunately for the geeks, our profession has not embraced these driving mechanisms"
Computer Porn is rapidly putting the printed type out of business.
I can order Pizza, Groceries, and other food items over the Internet.
There are plenty of bigoted groups on the internet.
I think our profession has embraced these driving mechanisms just fine!
"If the cell phone providers never see a reason or need to delete messages, they have way too much space."
Actually it is tape. Think of it this way, all large networks make backups. For security these backups are usually stored off site in fire proof vaults.
Public Utilities are requlated by the PUC's of each state in which they operate. Different states have different requirements for retention of records. Mostly they are keeping the data in case they need to settle disputes with customers over quality of service. Still the result is that anything that crosses their network is usually stored for at least a year and in many cases a full seven years.
"It must be noted that it is the accuser's text messages that are being retrieved. This is not like a defendant is having his own messages used against him."
The article gives examples from Medford, Oregon and Conyers, Georgia in which the defendants Text Messages were used.
IMHO here is the most important part of the article:
Compliance is the most critical issue. In systems where users can only put
themselves at risk, it may be prudent to leave them to their own devices. In
that case, it must be expected that about 10% will choose weak passwords
despite the instruction given. In systems where a user's negligence can impact
other users too (e.g., in systems where an intruder who gets a single user
account can rapidly become root using well known and widely available
techniques), consideration should be given to enforcing password quality by
system mechanisms.
Some people will never understand security. Don't let these people be a security hole. Let them be unsecure, but keep them off critical systems. The recptionists account should not be able to gain root access on your unix systems. It should not be a member of Domain Administrators on your Windows network. You should be able to withstand having an average users account being completely compromised without any risk to the network.
"He thought, "Okay, the scale is 1-10, meaning 5 should be around average. I think I got better than average service." Then he proceeded to fill the survey with 7's and 8's.
I had a similar experience with a pizza company. I had actually recieved excellent service. They even anticipated something I had forgoten to ask for. I thought I was paying them a high compliment by giving them a 9 out of 10.
Needless to say, they did not see it that way. I recieved a personal call from a customer service representative wanting to know "How can we improve our service?" After trying to explain that they had beat my expectations and that 9 out of 10 was an excellent score, I finally suggested they put the delivery drivers in tuxedos.
I opened a hotmail account once. My company decided to adopt MS Instant Messaging as a standard and I did not want to give out any real email addresses to set up the.NET Passport thingy so I createrd a new Hotmail account. I was recieving spam in the account within 24 hours.
When I saw the headline "Worlds Most Advanced Building", the first thing I thought of was the old Tom and Jerry cartoons where Tom chases Jerry into the "House of the Future."
I've got a great home entertainment system in my living room - Satelite, DVD, Surround Sound, the Works! In my office / server room I do not need that kind of capability. Instead I have a cheap TV card in my Windows server and run a splitter from the cable that feeds my TV and run the signal into the office. I find it very convenient to have the same program playing in both rooms as I can follow the show as I move from room to room.
Imagine my surprise when I decided to watch a DVD while working one night. The 'expletive deleted' TV software refused to display the output! Instead I only get the sound and a frozen image on the display. This is the MPAA at work. They obviously think that if I am running the input into a computer, I am trying to 'steal' their movie.
What I am doing is legtimate use. Since I do not like to rent movies, I actually own the DVD in question. I am playing that DVD on a DVD player that is legally entitled to play the DVD and display it's output on a TV. There is nothing in the license that prohibits me from viewing it on multiple displays at the same time. Instead, because I might do something illegal, I am not allowed to do something legal. Well my solution was simple. My cheap TV card got pulled from my Widows server and is now permenantly installed on my SuSE 9.0 server.
Slashdot Mirror
Wow! This would be great for p0rn!
I lease a dedicated server on the internet. It runs a version of Red Hat. That was not my choice. Iwould have preferred SuSE. While the company would have installed a different distribution if I had insisted (I checked) they would not have supported it at the same level or for the same price if I needed onsite support. It was an easy decision to run Red Hat at that point. Still, I have been very unhappy with it and would prefer a different distribution.
Yeah, I do the same thing. Still, the power of users, in numbers to large to imagine, to do stupid things I never counted on, still amazes me. Not a single release goes by that I do not have some "bug" fall out in testing that is simply due to some idiot doing the unexpected and idiotic.
I find it informative and educational. I actually look forward to it each month. I am even disappointed if it is late. I probably should get a life.
I really expected it would already be in the list, and I would just do a quick "Me Too" response. Instead I seem to be the first.
Well it would be nice to have the instructions on the back of the box...er, I mean window.
Actually I have been paying $9.00 a year for extra storage on Yahoo. I have had the same Yahoo email address since Yahoo started their service, and I am loath to give it up. All my High School and College friends know it. I can access it anywhere in the world. I pay for the extra storage to keep critical files stored online. I have copies of my resume, all my important contacts, all my registration keys. It was really great to log in the other day and discover my 'usage' had gone from 48% of my available storage to 2% of my available storage. 2 Gig Rocks!
Now if I only had 12 Gig I could store my mp3's online...
"I also expect a serious effort, backed by several billion dollars in bribe money (oops, excuse me, campaign contributions), to get open-source software outlawed on some kind of theory that it aids terrorists."
"But in the next year, I think we need to focus more on government adoptions, in order to protect our political and legislative flanks."
We need to beat them to the punch. Open Source is a matter of national security! It only takes one back door in a closed source OS or application to put our nations security at risk. All applications critical to national security should be running on OS' where the people are able to read the source and thus be positive no terrorist has planted a back door.
Write your congressman! Now, before anyone else has a chance to beat you to it. Here are some important things to remeber when you are trying to influence government:
- Email makes little impact. It is very easy to send a congressman email. As a result most congressmen are flooded with emails, and actually read very little of it. Send Snail Mail Instead!
- One petition is the equivalent of only one letter. A lot of people will sign your petition just to get rid of you. Your congressman knows this. Therefore you petittion only counts for the person who mailed it in, not for every signer.
- Form letters don't work. Congressmen do not open their own mail. A staffer opens it instead. If there are 300 copies of the same form letter, the congressman will only see one copy and be told that 300 copies came in. It just does not have the impact of 300 seperate letters with different wording making the same point.
- Vote! I cannot stress this enough. The list of registered voters is public record and whether you voted in the last election is part of that record. If you are not a voter, your congressman does not care what you think. You will not vote for his opponent in the next election anyway.
- Send Money. Yeah I know, It feels kind of dirty and you may not actually like your congressman. Still, Microsoft donates to both political parties and many individual politicians. We have to in some way counter this. Even a five dollar check will make an impression on the politician. It proves you are serious. An alternative to donations to the politician himself is a donation to his party. Just send a photocopy of the check to your congressman with your letter. Even better if he votes wrong, send him a photocopy of your donation to his opponent!
We have been lied to and misled. They have convinced us our vote does not count and we cannot make a difference. As a result we do not act. As long as we buy in to this and do not hold the goverment accountable, the government will not be accountable.Yeah but that is what I like about SuSE's Certification. They basically took the LPI Certification and added one SuSE specific test to each level.
While this is true and I whole heartedly agree, Google is not being completely philanthopic here. Here is a quote from the original article:
"He says it isn't fair for Google to draw smart people from all over the world and "just keep it all for ourselves. We need to have the tools out in the universities so the next generation can build on our work, too."
See, Google gets it. Since they are part of the community, doing good for the community equates to doing good for themselves.
Can you be a Luddite and a programmer too? You see I do not own a Cell Phone. I don't want one. The very idea that people could call me with a reasonable expectation of reaching me 24/7 is abhorent. I don't like talking to people on phones in the first place. Hey, maybe it is not the technology but the people that is the problem...
I scanned the PDF of the ruling looking for the answer to two important points:
- Any peace officer may detain any person whom the officer encounters under circumstances which reasonably indicate that the person has committed, is committing or is about to commit a crime.
- The statute does not require a suspect to give the officer a driver's license or any other document, provided that the suspect either states his name or communicates it to the officer by other means.
OK so much for "Your papers please." Still this is one more step along the road to a police state. Little by little we are whittling away at our civil liberties. Many of you say "If you are not breaking the law why should you worry?" I say this, "People who live with a non-opressive government do not need civil liberty. If, however that government becomes opressive at a later date, the lack of civil liberty will only make the change easier."In a lot of ways, we are less free than the former Soviet Republic. While in Prague a few years ago a tour guide was surprised when I got up during a meal and walked outside to smoke a cigarette. She openly laughed at me when I purchased a package of antacid tablets in a large department store, and was afraid to walk out without a reciept for fear I would be stopped and accused of stealing. Do you se how sinister it can be. When we live in a society where it is assumed we are guilty, we begin to act as if we are guilty. This is a sad day for the United States.
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -- Benjamin Franklin
I have always been a big fan of the 50's and 60's pulp science fiction. One theme that has never been translated to TV is the Space Trader.
Now I know the Ferengi are not the most popular of species, but it would be great to do a trader show. Wandering the universe buying low and selling high. Smuggling goods past imoral embargos. Always searching for that elusive Proffit!
For one, it would show space as an exploited resource instead of a conquered frontier. Profit is a better reason to explore the universe anyway. It would allow us to explore some social themes associated with big business, trade relations, political embargos...
Just my $0.02
Wow! I can't believe I get to do this one!
Let's See:
Actually I went and checked my own ISP's Acceptable Use Policy. Here is the pertinant quote:
"Comcast reserves the right, but not the obligation, to refuse to transmit or post and to remove or block any information or materials, in whole or in part, that it, in its sole discretion, deems to be offensive, indecent, or otherwise inappropriate, regardless of whether this material or its dissemination is unlawful. "
I would be amazed if your ISP does less. Face it, when you are posting your ISP's network, it is your ISP's network. It is not yours! You are not in control. If you want to be able to act freely, pay for Web Hosting or a Leased Server. Internet service is not some God given, govenment guaranteed right. It is a service, provided by a for profit business, subject to the terms of the contract which you and your ISP negotiated. As long is your ISP is acting within the bounds of that contract don't come whining to me.
Darn! I was hoping the the URL pointed to the litigious bastards' own web site. That way when the /. effect hit, they could accuse us Linux freaks of another DOS attack.
I use Linux because it is "lighter." Seriously!
"3. CONCEPT: TxDOT envisions a concept where wireless internet service is available for public use.
3.1. The traveling public would be able to use a personal computing device, such as a laptop computer, equipped to acquire a wireless internet signal, to use the internet and send email during a break from the road.
3.2. A separate kiosk, provided by the vendor, would allow those traveling without a personal computing device to utilize the internet service.
3.3. This service will be provided at a cost to the consumer, not to TxDOT."
TxDOT is expecting the "People not traveling with wireless equipment" to cover the cost of the project when they "connect to the Internet at kiosks for a reasonable fee to be collected by the vendor."
Personally I think this is the fatal flaw in their plan. I doubt there will be enough kiosk users to cover the costs. Still I have to give them credit for trying.
I think our profession has embraced these driving mechanisms just fine!
Actually it is tape. Think of it this way, all large networks make backups. For security these backups are usually stored off site in fire proof vaults.
Public Utilities are requlated by the PUC's of each state in which they operate. Different states have different requirements for retention of records. Mostly they are keeping the data in case they need to settle disputes with customers over quality of service. Still the result is that anything that crosses their network is usually stored for at least a year and in many cases a full seven years.
The article gives examples from Medford, Oregon and Conyers, Georgia in which the defendants Text Messages were used.
Compliance is the most critical issue. In systems where users can only put themselves at risk, it may be prudent to leave them to their own devices. In that case, it must be expected that about 10% will choose weak passwords despite the instruction given. In systems where a user's negligence can impact other users too (e.g., in systems where an intruder who gets a single user account can rapidly become root using well known and widely available techniques), consideration should be given to enforcing password quality by system mechanisms.
Some people will never understand security. Don't let these people be a security hole. Let them be unsecure, but keep them off critical systems. The recptionists account should not be able to gain root access on your unix systems. It should not be a member of Domain Administrators on your Windows network. You should be able to withstand having an average users account being completely compromised without any risk to the network.
I had a similar experience with a pizza company. I had actually recieved excellent service. They even anticipated something I had forgoten to ask for. I thought I was paying them a high compliment by giving them a 9 out of 10.
Needless to say, they did not see it that way. I recieved a personal call from a customer service representative wanting to know "How can we improve our service?" After trying to explain that they had beat my expectations and that 9 out of 10 was an excellent score, I finally suggested they put the delivery drivers in tuxedos.
I opened a hotmail account once. My company decided to adopt MS Instant Messaging as a standard and I did not want to give out any real email addresses to set up the .NET Passport thingy so I createrd a new Hotmail account. I was recieving spam in the account within 24 hours.
When I saw the headline "Worlds Most Advanced Building", the first thing I thought of was the old Tom and Jerry cartoons where Tom chases Jerry into the "House of the Future."
Imagine my surprise when I decided to watch a DVD while working one night. The 'expletive deleted' TV software refused to display the output! Instead I only get the sound and a frozen image on the display. This is the MPAA at work. They obviously think that if I am running the input into a computer, I am trying to 'steal' their movie.
What I am doing is legtimate use. Since I do not like to rent movies, I actually own the DVD in question. I am playing that DVD on a DVD player that is legally entitled to play the DVD and display it's output on a TV. There is nothing in the license that prohibits me from viewing it on multiple displays at the same time. Instead, because I might do something illegal, I am not allowed to do something legal. Well my solution was simple. My cheap TV card got pulled from my Widows server and is now permenantly installed on my SuSE 9.0 server.