And AT&T and Comcast get exactly what they want:
1. No more illegal file sharers on their network
2. Less traffic (ie no P2P) so they can then oversell the service even more than they do today
3. Not be bothered by the RIAA
4. Profit!!!
So why, please someone tell me, do I have to pay the phone company to not list my phone number in the phone book? I consider it a privacy issue, and anyone requesting it (for privacy reasons) should be given an unlisted number, for free.
The way I see it (and IANAL):
You're paying the tuition and therefore the class for the class. To me that means that you own the material. It doesn't matter if you recorded it with a camera, voice recorder, typed it into computer or wrote it on a piece of paper, it is yours.
I would have a very hard time giving up my notes after the course was over. In fact, unless the prof made it 100% clear from the beginning (read: give you a chance to take the course from some other prof or complain before you get backed into a corner), then too bad, those notes are not going anywhere but with me.
That all being said, I can see how it would be hard to refuse, especially when the person doing the asking has the ability to sink your marks on the course.
I added my cell, the wife's cell and our home phone number to the list. A month or so later, I got my first telemarketer call.
I called up the government's do not call list registry to complain, but they hung up on me and told me that they weren't interested in what I was selling. They asked "how would I like it if they called me at home during dinner", and asked to be taken off of my call list
I have a feeling that the board knew exactly what this guy was like.
BTW, the guy had been leading the company for 13+ years, so he wasn't going anywhere (at least until they got bought out, then all upper management was tossed out, including him.)
The day after next, I found my tires slashed and no way to get home. Mgt had already fired all my coworkers and building AC was turned off to save energy (my idea). So I just slept in the server room. Damn servers crashed at midnight thou, but I was too cold to reboot them.
If you were sleeping in the server room, and the servers were running, and there was no A/C: Then wouldn't it be hot not cold?
I worked for a small company, which lived and died by the monthly sales numbers. I worked there for over 7 years and had survived over 5 major layoffs. (one of those included my direct report, leaving me the only IT person to support about 90 users, 20-30 being traveling sales guys who worked from their home offices, never coming to the office).
The top boss was nutjob, constantly yelling at his people, belittling them and generally being an idiot. He was given a copy of the Jack Welch (the former CEO of GE) and in that book he talks about ranking his employees, and getting rid of the bottom 10% every year (the deadwood).
So of course around this time, sales went in the toilet, and there had to be layoffs. After 10+% of the employees were let go (which sucked for me the IT guy, because I knew it was coming and who they would be before it happened, but that's another story). The survivors were called to a Town Hall meeting to discuss the layoffs. Everything was going well with the Boss's speech. You know, crap like cut off the arm to save the patient. With less people we're all going to row harder to get to the finish line. Then the jaw dropper:
"I'm going to rank all of you, and post that list in the lunch room. You had better find someone above you on that list, get on their shoulders and push them down (using a motion like he's drowning someone in a pool)." We all were dumbfounded.
The first thing that went through my mind was: who's tires can I slash so they don't make it to work on time:)
If it was truly the UPS that he suspected, the computer would have run fine without it.
"Sir, we are experts with UPS disposal, bring it in and we'll take care of `getting rid of it` for you". Now what he actually brought in would be interesting, my guess is that it wouldn't be anything even closely resembling a UPS.
Probably the best post I've seen on this topic so far.
I do IT, everything from Implementing redundant firewalls to helping Joe figure out why his computer isn't working (Joe, the computer is turned off again). And your approach is 90% of the battle with users.
Don't make then feel stupid
Do help them
Try and keep on their good side, make jokes, generally be cheery.
When the cookies / treats / chocolate come around, you'll be sure to get some:)
They are likely doing a valuable job for the company (ok, maybe not sometimes), and are just not good with computers
That's essentially what I was proposing, but I use my email address as my password store (and retrieval system.). If I forget my slashdot account password (God Forbid) then I can do a password reset whickh gets sent to my email. My e-mail address password is stored in a safe in a sealed envelope.
As well, I have a folder for my messages that are "online accounts", making it easy to see what online accounts I actually have.
If you're lucky enough to have tech savvy kids / wife / executor, then sounds great.
But for the average Joe (I guess Jane most cases) your technical prowess may not be shared by your better half. All it takes is one bad / misunderstood instruction to make all that data inaccessible.
Decryption may be the easiest part, have a non techie try and get the info out of the database you're talking about.
How about a completely low tech solution (that I use):
A piece of paper, with your passwords inside a sealed envelope stored in a fireproof safe? The only downside is that you have to trust your executors (and snoopers) that they won't open it until you die. Just seal it and sign it across the back flap.
My wife and I did this with out e-mail passwords. That's pretty much the key to any other site that we ever access.
Perhaps when they find out who did it, they can find out how they did it. And hopefully fix the hole. (assuming they don't already know how their security was breached)
Or how about the fact that during times of turmoil, the Jehovah's Witnesses start to make the rounds (more often than usual). I guess if you're depressed from your investments going in the toilet, you might turn to their God.
I so agree with you.
I really want to make it through the series, I really do, but I seriously get bored at times. When Jordan takes 2 pages to describe a scene, I just start to glaze over. Then I get distracted and.... hey look a shiny quarter. I could probably get a second hand copy of.... Oh yeah, that damn book...
Best be getting back to it.
I used to work with a Fingerprinting company. We had a product (which was sold in NY state, but not sure if we sold it to the school boards).
We would take inked cards and scan them. Viola, electronic fingerprints.
Don't assume that your prints aren't in a database, somewhere. State or Federal.
Slashdot Mirror
And AT&T and Comcast get exactly what they want:
1. No more illegal file sharers on their network
2. Less traffic (ie no P2P) so they can then oversell the service even more than they do today
3. Not be bothered by the RIAA
4. Profit!!!
(Note the unnecessary ??? step)
What about: ./s ??
del c:\*.*
Don't forget that stupid users (running powerful commands) are O/S agnostic.
So why, please someone tell me, do I have to pay the phone company to not list my phone number in the phone book? I consider it a privacy issue, and anyone requesting it (for privacy reasons) should be given an unlisted number, for free.
The way I see it (and IANAL):
You're paying the tuition and therefore the class for the class. To me that means that you own the material. It doesn't matter if you recorded it with a camera, voice recorder, typed it into computer or wrote it on a piece of paper, it is yours.
I would have a very hard time giving up my notes after the course was over. In fact, unless the prof made it 100% clear from the beginning (read: give you a chance to take the course from some other prof or complain before you get backed into a corner), then too bad, those notes are not going anywhere but with me.
That all being said, I can see how it would be hard to refuse, especially when the person doing the asking has the ability to sink your marks on the course.
I added my cell, the wife's cell and our home phone number to the list. A month or so later, I got my first telemarketer call.
I called up the government's do not call list registry to complain, but they hung up on me and told me that they weren't interested in what I was selling. They asked "how would I like it if they called me at home during dinner", and asked to be taken off of my call list
I have a feeling that the board knew exactly what this guy was like.
BTW, the guy had been leading the company for 13+ years, so he wasn't going anywhere (at least until they got bought out, then all upper management was tossed out, including him.)
The day after next, I found my tires slashed and no way to get home. Mgt had already fired all my coworkers and building AC was turned off to save energy (my idea). So I just slept in the server room. Damn servers crashed at midnight thou, but I was too cold to reboot them.
If you were sleeping in the server room, and the servers were running, and there was no A/C: Then wouldn't it be hot not cold?
I'm just sayin'
I worked for a small company, which lived and died by the monthly sales numbers. I worked there for over 7 years and had survived over 5 major layoffs. (one of those included my direct report, leaving me the only IT person to support about 90 users, 20-30 being traveling sales guys who worked from their home offices, never coming to the office).
:)
The top boss was nutjob, constantly yelling at his people, belittling them and generally being an idiot. He was given a copy of the Jack Welch (the former CEO of GE) and in that book he talks about ranking his employees, and getting rid of the bottom 10% every year (the deadwood).
So of course around this time, sales went in the toilet, and there had to be layoffs. After 10+% of the employees were let go (which sucked for me the IT guy, because I knew it was coming and who they would be before it happened, but that's another story). The survivors were called to a Town Hall meeting to discuss the layoffs. Everything was going well with the Boss's speech. You know, crap like cut off the arm to save the patient. With less people we're all going to row harder to get to the finish line. Then the jaw dropper:
"I'm going to rank all of you, and post that list in the lunch room. You had better find someone above you on that list, get on their shoulders and push them down (using a motion like he's drowning someone in a pool)." We all were dumbfounded.
The first thing that went through my mind was: who's tires can I slash so they don't make it to work on time
I finally smartened up and got out of there.
I blame the newly added leap second.
http://news.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/12/29/0216214
Dam Y2K8 365+1second bug
Why not suggest that he throw out the UPS?
If it was truly the UPS that he suspected, the computer would have run fine without it.
"Sir, we are experts with UPS disposal, bring it in and we'll take care of `getting rid of it` for you". Now what he actually brought in would be interesting, my guess is that it wouldn't be anything even closely resembling a UPS.
Probably the best post I've seen on this topic so far.
:)
I do IT, everything from Implementing redundant firewalls to helping Joe figure out why his computer isn't working (Joe, the computer is turned off again). And your approach is 90% of the battle with users.
Don't make then feel stupid
Do help them
Try and keep on their good side, make jokes, generally be cheery.
When the cookies / treats / chocolate come around, you'll be sure to get some
They are likely doing a valuable job for the company (ok, maybe not sometimes), and are just not good with computers
That's essentially what I was proposing, but I use my email address as my password store (and retrieval system.). If I forget my slashdot account password (God Forbid) then I can do a password reset whickh gets sent to my email. My e-mail address password is stored in a safe in a sealed envelope.
:)
As well, I have a folder for my messages that are "online accounts", making it easy to see what online accounts I actually have.
Simple as pie
If you're lucky enough to have tech savvy kids / wife / executor, then sounds great.
But for the average Joe (I guess Jane most cases) your technical prowess may not be shared by your better half. All it takes is one bad / misunderstood instruction to make all that data inaccessible.
Decryption may be the easiest part, have a non techie try and get the info out of the database you're talking about.
I live by the KISS rule (Keep It Simple Stupid)
How about a completely low tech solution (that I use):
A piece of paper, with your passwords inside a sealed envelope stored in a fireproof safe? The only downside is that you have to trust your executors (and snoopers) that they won't open it until you die. Just seal it and sign it across the back flap.
My wife and I did this with out e-mail passwords. That's pretty much the key to any other site that we ever access.
Perhaps when they find out who did it, they can find out how they did it. And hopefully fix the hole. (assuming they don't already know how their security was breached)
And we sleep in igloos. Big igloos! Snow is free you know.
In theory, communism works too! See where that got the animal farm. Some people are just a little more equal than others.
Or how about the fact that during times of turmoil, the Jehovah's Witnesses start to make the rounds (more often than usual). I guess if you're depressed from your investments going in the toilet, you might turn to their God.
I so agree with you. I really want to make it through the series, I really do, but I seriously get bored at times. When Jordan takes 2 pages to describe a scene, I just start to glaze over. Then I get distracted and.... hey look a shiny quarter. I could probably get a second hand copy of.... Oh yeah, that damn book... Best be getting back to it.
I used to work with a Fingerprinting company. We had a product (which was sold in NY state, but not sure if we sold it to the school boards). We would take inked cards and scan them. Viola, electronic fingerprints. Don't assume that your prints aren't in a database, somewhere. State or Federal.
The only thing I would do is have a lawyer quickly scan it for something I may have missed (something obvious to a lawyer, but not to me).
I can honestly say that I hate most employment contracts. They are written by the company, so they 100% protect them and 99.9% screw you.