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User: Vancorps

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  1. Re:Translation on IPv6 Adoption Will Grow With Smart Grid Adoption, Hopes Cisco · · Score: 1

    You realize your argument is circular right? You want to say NAT doesn't help make you more secure but the reality is that the underlying framework when combined with dropping source routed packets results in a more secure network and just bridging can provide.

    Now I have a fancy firewall cluster costing many 10s of thousands of dollars, I can do proper DPI at work here but at home no one will shell out for advanced firewalls that could safely provide protection without NAT and it's associated framework. Without NAT the underlying framework would not have been established and people would be having many more problems. I don't trust Netgear or Dlink or any of the common consumer brand firewalling routers to protect me in an IPv6 world where there is no underlying framework forcing them to protect my internal network.

    Also, FTP is stupid, it's very old and wasn't designed with today concerns such as security and transport integrity. Many a corrupt file I've had to deal with in the FTP world. A good day it will be when that stack can finally die.

    As for STUN and SOCKS, you're right there. Most applications prefer to deal with NAT on their own so they don't bother with SOCKS.

    Oh, and one final thing, what the hell cable operator are you referring to? I've not seen an ISP in many years that didn't use VLSM which means that each node is on a different subnet which removes your ability to route directly to another customer. This makes much sense from a provider standpoint as all traffic can be monitored by them.

  2. Re:Wishful thinking on IPv6 Adoption Will Grow With Smart Grid Adoption, Hopes Cisco · · Score: 1

    Use better VPN software. My Sonicwall Global VPN or SSL VPN clients go right through NAT just fine. Cisco Pix if setup incorrectly can have trouble but it works for the most part as well. Of course in my Sonicwall world for SIP through NAT I have enabled consistent NAT which has the byproduct of making every VPN client out there seem to work fine. NAT in and of itself isn't that problematic, it's quite mature and there is always a way of dealing with it and usually by following a best practice anyway whether you run IPv4 or 6.

  3. Re:Gaming it for more sex on Happiness May Be Catching · · Score: 1

    The funny part is that yes you can game it like this only you can't have sex with her friends but only friends of her friends.

    I see this all the time, it's why guys that will have sex with anything that's warm and wet end up oddly enough, having more sex! Course the chance for disease and unwanted pregnancy also arise.

    Of course you mention girlfriend and not just friend with benefits so all bets are off in your situation. I see this stuff all the time here in the southwest where we have women who's actual job is to just look pretty and go out clubbing.

  4. Re:Holy shit? on Heart Monitors In Middle School Gym Class? · · Score: 1

    The problem is that the symptoms you describe are common while the conditions leading to serious trouble are not. You end up with 20 kids every class saying I feel faint because I ran so far so far that I'm about to puke.

    I remember plenty of occasions of kids getting sick in PE class when I was growing up and I'm not that old! I agree that it's unnecessary but I understand the thinking that leads there. I even went so far as to blame paranoid parents for this which should tell you where I fall.

  5. Re:Holy shit? on Heart Monitors In Middle School Gym Class? · · Score: 1

    I think you missed the part where I called it paranoia. I wasn't trying to rationalize it, I was merely stating what I believe were the conditions to which brought about this whole series of events. I even went on to describe how people are too worried about their kids getting hurt as it is a natural part of growing up.

  6. Re:Holy shit? on Heart Monitors In Middle School Gym Class? · · Score: 4, Insightful

    While I understand your point of view I also understand the point of view of parents who's kids have actually died from congenital heart defects which show themselves during physical activity. These heart monitors would alert someone before the kid actually collapsed.

    So yes, what they are doing could kill them if it isn't monitored appropriately but that doesn't stop the activity from being important. This is just a way to ease the paranoia of parents while allowing PE classes to stay as opposed to what strategy a lot of schools take which is to get rid of PE entirely. I think this option is better than that option as PE should be considered core education since exercise is something that kids are going to have to do their entire lives.

    Yes, it's probably going too far and we as a society should stop being scared of every little things. Playgrounds worked well when our parents were kids and when we were kids, yes, a kid will occasionally break his arm or leg but that's a part of growing up.

  7. Re:Congratulations on After 8 Years of Work, Be-Alike Haiku Releases Official Alpha · · Score: 1

    You are right about the prevalence of applications correlating to the success of an operating system. With that said I had very different experiences with BeOS particular with the last release which I actually bought. I used it for all my DJ work and even did a fair amount of file based video editing on it. It was truly revolutionary as you could do with your regular machine what would require a 40k Avid machine. The only thing you couldn't do was real-time effects although at the time I'm not sure Avid could either.

    I used BeOS for two years without complaint, I had all the basic software I needed including an office suite. When it was no longer supported I drifted away from it as I wanted things like Wifi which didn't exist on many platforms yet. There were a couple of other things it started to fall short on as I demanded more of my computer but it was always responsive and rocks solid from my experience. I was running a web server with it for development purposes. It really was a nice environment to work in. They did port Mozilla to it so I had a familiar browser, if I wanted to watch a movie and I didn't have a codec for it I could just grab the dlls from a Windows installation and away I go. It was far more friendly than Linux at the time as even the hardest stuff was pretty straight forward with BeOS. I look forward to playing with the new version although my corporate overlords and the lack of emulation software will probably prevent me from running it as a primary OS.

  8. Re:inb4 "that explains global warming" posters on Surprise Discovery In Earth's Upper Atmosphere · · Score: 1

    You can't despise both sides of the isle, that's against the rules!

  9. As a Oracle customer that runs Linux I can say that cost savings plays a lot into it given that I have a named user license for 10g allowing me to run many servers in a RAC providing real up-time. Because I don't have to pay for licenses on every server I get the benefit of high availability without the usual costs and for a relatively small business that means a lot! I can state that Oracle runs just as well on Windows as it does on Linux as I run both for mitigation purposes and because it's convenient to have a single log shipping server for both Oracle and SQL Server which I'm required to run for our general ledger application which accounting purchased without consulting me.

  10. Re:Thanks on Greg Kroah-Hartman Gripes About Microsoft's Linux Contribution; MS Renews Effort · · Score: 3, Insightful

    No offense but you just sound like a rabid anti-Microsoft person who would hate anything they do simply because they are the ones doing it. The reality is that all corporations have self interest at heart when contributing to the Linux community. IBM for one mainly sells software services for Linux/Unix even though they also sell hardware. Oracle sells purely software but have always supported Linux/Unix.

    The reality is that I went with XenServer instead of Hyper-V because Linux wasn't a supported guest OS. Since MS has made this change their product is much more competitive with the other players who support multiple operating systems. Microsoft's customers won't suffer because MS doesn't offer drivers for a VM, they will simply migrate to another platform which happens to free.

    As far as most Linux users I think you are way the hell off base in that every shop I have ever encountered runs some Windows in their environment and those people will find that virtualizing their infrastructure saves them a ton of money especially since they already bought their Windows license. Get off your anti-MS high horse and come back to reality friend, it's not as bad as you make it out to be. MS is finally starting to embrace the Linux community and they face criticism the whole way, it's a stupid way of doing business and an even less intelligent method of getting what you want which is interoperability between all the major platforms. If only Apple would play so well with others... given the state of networked support in OS X I think your rabid hatred is best reserved for them although I can understand a strong distaste of Windows too.

    For those of us out there that run just about everything, we'll continue on and enjoy the small improvements each platform makes and encourage continued improvement from all sides.

  11. Re:But it still does not answer the question on Pigeon Turns Out To Be Faster Than S. African Net · · Score: 1

    I think you missed the point that 256k is pathetically slow and 10Mbit isn't fast either. Hell, residential cable here in the Southwest is 28Mbit and even that is considered pathetically slow to the 100Mbit I have at work which is about par with residential Internet in South Korea or Japan.

    There's no technological reason we have today for a carrier pigeon to transfer data faster than we can over the Internet. It's a growing problem due to lack of competition whether in the U.S or South Africa.

  12. Re:But it still does not answer the question on Pigeon Turns Out To Be Faster Than S. African Net · · Score: 1

    You're right about that, I have 30meg up and down here at the office which I can expand or contract with a single phone call. Of course I have optical Internet. Here in the Southwest it's not such a bad joke as other parts of the country but you're right in that the majority of providers took our tax money to build infrastructure and ran off with it to some island on their yachts.

    I understand high bandwidth can be expensive, hell I'm having trouble deploying 10gigE let alone 40gig like most ISPs need at their core. There's no shortage of fiber here though so it's purely the cost of equipment that hurts higher speed adoption. I can rent dark fiber in town for quite a reasonable price but lighting it will cost me quite a bit. Single mode GBICs rated for 72 miles usually cost in the $800 range plus the cost of the switching gear and that's just Ethernet. When you go ATM you achieve much higher throughput but the gear is quite costly.

  13. Re:You know why Amazon charges that much? on Build Your Own $2.8M Petabyte Disk Array For $117k · · Score: 1

    I would argue that plugging a cell phone charger into any accessible outlet should not cause down time. Cabinets should be locked. Most techs are usually pretty careful especially if you have big support agreements with them.

    I still agree that it would be best to have someone there with the tech if for no other reason than to know for sure what part went bad. For the times when this isn't possible though the risk should be minimal and there is a reason we maintain off-site business continuity.

    For those with smaller shops that can afford that level of redundancy then yes, by all means, supervise the hell out of the tech because any failure can cause a lot more damage in smaller networks.

  14. Re:You know why Amazon charges that much? on Build Your Own $2.8M Petabyte Disk Array For $117k · · Score: 1

    You don't have security cameras inside the datacenter? That's scary!

  15. Re:You know why Amazon charges that much? on Build Your Own $2.8M Petabyte Disk Array For $117k · · Score: 1

    You've be surprised how cheap long haul fiber can be. Back-end networks for data-centers that are geographically diverse do not transmit over the Internet so bandwidth charges are drastically reduced. Additionally depending on your latency requirements you could easily and fairly cheaply use satellite communication services for bulk uploading. I could see a system where the initial sync is done with satellite and then maintained using remote differential compression over a private fiber link.

    With gigabit fiber between locations you could easily transmit 45tb of data before FedEx could arrive. When you get into larger numbers I could see that becoming feasible again. Of course 40gig Satellite repeaters could be setup which dramatically reduces the synchronization window. When you don't care about 2-6 seconds of latency satellite is great for burstable transfers.

    I suspect shipping costs for a 100lbs box would along with associated hardware failures due to mistreatment and it's cheaper to just light up some long haul fiber. Vegas to Scottsdale is about a grand for 30meg throughput with some places even charging less depending on who you know.

  16. Re:Judge doesn't quite understand on Judge Won't Lower $5M Bail For Jailed SF IT Admin · · Score: 1

    Sweet man, cause my current work schedule often leaves that step out. Thank god its only for the next four months!

  17. Re:Well that sounds reasonable on Homeland Security Changes Laptop Search Policy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You're frustratingly right about the courts and I don't understand the justification. The ideals were established for citizens because there were supposed to be the right way of running a government. So why are people allowed to circumvent these ideals just because someone is flying into the country? I don't know why so many of my fellow citizens have grown to fear people from other countries. If we believe or moral ground is the example for other countries to strive for then shouldn't we rigidly follow our own rules?

    For me, I was once asked to leave my backpack at the counter of a liquor store in Vegas. I had my work laptop in it with a lot of sensitive information involved in setting up one of our events. When the keeper asked me to do this I promptly left as I won't do business with people that treat me like a criminal. Why should we treat incoming travelers like criminals? The vast majority are regular people who don't like being treated as though they have committed a crime anymore that I like to. It's very frustrating that people live their lives in fear when it's almost completely unfounded.

  18. Re:Another scam on Hackers (Or Pen-Testers) Hit Credit Unions With Malware On CD · · Score: 1

    Microsoft will send you direct links to download hotfixes when you request them from their website. Not quite the same as an attachment and you have to request it first but it would be the same result if you got such an email while you were expecting a reply from Microsoft which can sometimes take a few days.

    I created a spam account on our domain where users can forward their spam if they are getting it on a regular basis. That way I can extend my filters and content blockers. Keeps the spam pretty low for everyone except the one old lady in the office that actually responds to spam. She then proceeds to come to my office to complain about all the spam she is getting. Gotta love it!

  19. Re:Windows Autorun on Hackers (Or Pen-Testers) Hit Credit Unions With Malware On CD · · Score: 5, Informative

    ummm... there is one place to disable autorun on removable media although there are multiple methods available for accomplishing this task. Are you referring to auto-execution of other vectors? Like emails? Here's a reference for you to help you out. Windows XP or above you just modify it in the local security policy and you're done. Of course with Vista and Win7 they ask you if you want to run autorun so you don't really have to do anything.

  20. Re:Secure protocols for home wifi? on WPA Encryption Cracked In 60 Seconds · · Score: 1

    There's no mention of how this interacts with 802.1x authentication. For my WIFI network it's WPA with TKIP, but then you have to authenticate before you can talk which requires a certificate be installed on the machine. I have a group policy which grants all domain computers a key which they can't export. It's hard to tell if this extra step makes my wifi world a safer place or if they can just sniff that too.

    Of course enough devices support WPA2 with AES now that I can probably switch the private wifi over to it. The real bear becomes providing public wifi for people that come to the office for a visit. Right now I've resorted to just giving them a cable hooked to a public VLAN. Going to have to implement some sort of access controller for them I think with a web portal for company employees to request keys for their guests.

  21. Re:Apple's iTMS may beg to differ on US Fed Gov. Says All Music Downloads Are Theft · · Score: 1

    Corporate T1? Yikes! The 90's called, they want their Internet back. Residential cable is faster these days than a T1 and a hell of a lot cheaper. Praise be to the fiber gods for giving me Internet at speeds an office can handle. Honorable mention to the radio gods for providing me with a nice high speed backup as well which I use for load balancing when all is well and all for less than the price of 6 T1s I used to bond to get sufficient speed!

  22. Re:These morally chiding "correlation" studies on Obesity May Accelerate Brain Aging · · Score: 1

    I do it maybe four times a year, wasn't ever worth it for me. A small pickup truck isn't terrible either as you get most of the benefits of a big truck without the extra gas guzzlin goodness. The sad reality is that most people buying F250s and F350s are doing so because they want something big that makes people get out of their way even if they can't manage to park it to save their life. Small trucks I'm all about though, they are quite handy and don't come with the majority of negative side-effects like a Suburban or Expedition would have.

  23. Re:These morally chiding "correlation" studies on Obesity May Accelerate Brain Aging · · Score: 2, Insightful

    First of all, yes, it would have ended better in Prius as the SUV tipped over which is not something a smaller car would have done.

    You'll also note my very first sentence. If time doing said activities reaches a certain threshold then it makes sense. For the majority of people it doesn't and they've made poor choices. For you it does make sense which is why I wasn't making any statements that they should be banned. I come from farm country, believe me, I know there are times when you need a truck.

    The reality is that you don't need an SUV for even hauling a dirt bike, you just want one. Every car I've ever owned has been capable of towing at least 1800lbs. You're saving estimate doesn't take into consideration the fact that tires cost more than double for an SUV, and that oil changes are more expensive due to needing more than twice the oil.

    At some point you realize that you'd just rather drive something big than something practical but don't fool yourself into believing there are a lot of good reasons for it. I've seen far too many F250 or F350 trucks hauling 3000lbs trailers, it's simply overkill.

    By all means, keep your truck, it sounds like you use it for what it is often enough to make it worthwhile. Just don't be surprised when people see your spending as wasteful. It's your money, you can do with it as you please.I just think a wagon is far more practical for all the things you've listed with a trailer for times when you need to transport bikes or get mulch.

  24. Re:These morally chiding "correlation" studies on Obesity May Accelerate Brain Aging · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Add up the percentage of time doing said activities, if they exceed a certain threshold you're better off renting a truck when it's time to haul some stuff. Given the crappy gas mileage and other down sides to SUVs it'll be hard to justify unless you're doing that stuff all the time. Of course if you can afford several bikes and quads then you can probably afford a $9000 point A to point B car which will save you a ton in gas, insurance, and maintenance.

    So while I don't have anything in particular against an SUV, I don't find anything particularly good about them either. They perform a lot of functions, poorly. For the majority of people a truck and a passenger car or wagon will meet their needs and they won't be wasting money on larger tires, won't have to pay for at least twice as much gas, and will have a car meant to be driven instead of an SUV.

    I witnessed a car accident recently, 35mph an SUV got t-boned and flipped over. After that I had a pretty dim view of the large SUVs out there. The crossovers aren't so bad but the question is invariably why? I grew up in Vermont with a Ford Probe, front wheel drive and I never had any problems in the snow. Why does everyone need four wheel drive?

  25. Re:marketing speak = teh suck on IPv6 Challenges and Opportunities · · Score: 1

    So we agree on principle then. I wasn't saying that IPv6 wasn't worth experimenting with, I was just saying that actually deploying it is quite the headache still and you won't expect people to do it until there is a clear problem and IPv6 is a clear solution such as a scenario that you mentioned.

    Vendor support for IPv6 is severely lacking even to this day however and until that changes don't expect wide scale adoption of IPv6 unless we do actually run out of addresses.