So Firefox now has ECM (electronic countermeasures). Shouldn't be long before it's invisible to radar, and shortly thereafter it'll accept thought commands... except you'll have to think
in Russian.
The problem with that is, if all one wants to do is photo-manip, then any hack-kneed 3rd party program will suffice.
Obviously, the Gimp aspires -- rightly so -- to be far more than a photo-tweaking tool.
I have only moderate experience with Photoshop, but for an example of what Paint Shop Pro (various previous versions) is really capable of, check out my gallery of original artwork here:
http://www.darkicon.com/werewolf/mygallery/
With the exception of werewolf.jpg, all of these were originally drawn/painted by hand in PSP v4 and higher over the past several years.
Of special importance is sentinal.jpg and temp02.jpg, which fully show off what the program is capable of doing in the right hands.
How 'bout turning Gimp into a Paint Shop Pro look-alike?:)
Ok, all trolling aside, it's been said before many times that while Photoshop has many great features that PSP lacks (and I've experienced that first-hand), PSP has, arguably, the better (in this case, more intuitive) interface.
On one hand, PS keeps adding very cool features to each new version, while PSP keeps adding improved interface functionality to each new version. MY point is... how 'bout a program that has both?
I can't speak for PS because I haven't used it in nearly a year, but PSP includes a great deal of UI customization via Python language, as well as the ability to record (albeit limited) macros using that same language.
While it seems that PSP is (very slowly!) catching up to Photoshop's feature set, Jasc is, more importantly, making great strides in the UI of their flagship program.
Now if only someone could come up with a way to create new programmable layer classes in PSP...
Any Gimp coders willing to take up that challange?
The only way I can see that the file system would make any difference is if it's a distributed nature, ie. applying data chunks across the drive redundantly to mitigate accidental erasure.
If that's the case, then sure it would make it much harder to destroy data. Honestly, I don't know 100% whether journaled file systems do this or not, but I strongly suspect not, simply because of disk usage observations when writing and destroying (large) individual files.
flithm, do you have any other sources that might prove useful in this area? I'd be curious to know more.
Ok, while all that sounds technically competant, I must disagree... and agree.
Data stored on a hard disk (or floppy disk, or any other magnetic-based medium) uses the polarity of a tiny portion of the disk (eg. a "sector") to determine if that portion contains data equating to a one or a zero.
When the write head of a HDD applies a magnetic charge to a portion of the disk, it has just enough strength to change the surface polarity to the intended bit value. If it uses too much, it'll spill over onto adjacent portions; not enough, and the polarity of the magnetically sensitive material beneath it will interfere with the intended bit value.
This is how professional-grade data recovery labs retrieve "lost" data, because the polarity of the material "underneath" the exterior portion may be different, and thus allow retrieval of erased data.
On the OTHER hand... it does make it really damn difficult to truly erase disk data. As the above implies, just writing over it with the HDD's normal write head, even while formatting, may not be enough to conceal what was previously written by "professional" grade retrieval methods.
So basically: Regardless of the file format used (which doesn't affect how the HDD's read/write heads interact with the platters), use a bit of common sense and forethought when storing sensitive personal data.
Frankly, it's obscene that Windows has been encouraging users to run as admin for so long, and failing to discourage developers from requiring administrator access to run simple applications. It's pointless and it's stupid.
Good Lord, I couldn't have said it better myself. Somebody mod parent up!!!
assuming users aren't running as admin, which they shouldn't be
You're absolutely right, they shouldn't be. But they are, a great many of them, because unfortunately many 3rd-party apps, especially games, require admin rights to run properly -- and who wants to exit and login as a different user every time they want to play a game? (Which in itself is a separate rant.)
With so many users running with admin rights, it'll be a no-brainer to compromise this particular setup.
and not anything a virus/trojan couldn't do on it's own
Not quite. Think about it: In this particular scenario, we're keeping all our personal/important/sensitive data in one place, and more dangerously, a place that's standardized, ie. easy to find. At least with users scattering their personal stuff all over the hard drive, it's easier to "mask" from a virus/trojan looking for that data.
But with this new setup, the data's all in one spot. In the SAME spot, regardless of the machine or the user. (Cuz you just know that MS is gonna create a standard folder for this.)
So, by doing this, it'd actually make the malicious program writer's job easier.
Do you feel lucky, punk?
on
Firefox Hacks
·
· Score: 5, Funny
Hey now, don't dis Firefox. That was one of the best Cold War-era Clint Eastwood movies I've seen! Hell, I remember watching it on the theater on that big screen when I was a kid and...
Slashdot Mirror
I was thinking the same thing. :)
Yoda Hawking? Is that YOU??
What did you do to your hair...
Dude...
Put.
The beer.
Down.
Sheesh.
Cigarette lighter adapter: Check.
Now, dammit, SOMEbody in this town has got to have that last episode of Battlestar Galactica...
So Firefox now has ECM (electronic countermeasures). Shouldn't be long before it's invisible to radar, and shortly thereafter it'll accept thought commands... except you'll have to think in Russian .
40% Doesn't Understand Punctuation
60% Overcaffienated
And don't say "it's a laptop", that's a cop-out. Even those batteries need to be recharged.
Get Firefox!
Obviously, the Gimp aspires -- rightly so -- to be far more than a photo-tweaking tool.
I have only moderate experience with Photoshop, but for an example of what Paint Shop Pro (various previous versions) is really capable of, check out my gallery of original artwork here:
http://www.darkicon.com/werewolf/mygallery/
With the exception of werewolf.jpg, all of these were originally drawn/painted by hand in PSP v4 and higher over the past several years.
Of special importance is sentinal.jpg and temp02.jpg, which fully show off what the program is capable of doing in the right hands.
Ok, all trolling aside, it's been said before many times that while Photoshop has many great features that PSP lacks (and I've experienced that first-hand), PSP has, arguably, the better (in this case, more intuitive) interface.
On one hand, PS keeps adding very cool features to each new version, while PSP keeps adding improved interface functionality to each new version. MY point is... how 'bout a program that has both?
I can't speak for PS because I haven't used it in nearly a year, but PSP includes a great deal of UI customization via Python language, as well as the ability to record (albeit limited) macros using that same language.
While it seems that PSP is (very slowly!) catching up to Photoshop's feature set, Jasc is, more importantly, making great strides in the UI of their flagship program.
Now if only someone could come up with a way to create new programmable layer classes in PSP...
Any Gimp coders willing to take up that challange?
If that's the case, then sure it would make it much harder to destroy data. Honestly, I don't know 100% whether journaled file systems do this or not, but I strongly suspect not, simply because of disk usage observations when writing and destroying (large) individual files.
flithm, do you have any other sources that might prove useful in this area? I'd be curious to know more.
Right. Nothing. Just checking.
Data stored on a hard disk (or floppy disk, or any other magnetic-based medium) uses the polarity of a tiny portion of the disk (eg. a "sector") to determine if that portion contains data equating to a one or a zero.
When the write head of a HDD applies a magnetic charge to a portion of the disk, it has just enough strength to change the surface polarity to the intended bit value. If it uses too much, it'll spill over onto adjacent portions; not enough, and the polarity of the magnetically sensitive material beneath it will interfere with the intended bit value.
This is how professional-grade data recovery labs retrieve "lost" data, because the polarity of the material "underneath" the exterior portion may be different, and thus allow retrieval of erased data.
On the OTHER hand... it does make it really damn difficult to truly erase disk data. As the above implies, just writing over it with the HDD's normal write head, even while formatting, may not be enough to conceal what was previously written by "professional" grade retrieval methods.
So basically: Regardless of the file format used (which doesn't affect how the HDD's read/write heads interact with the platters), use a bit of common sense and forethought when storing sensitive personal data.
Geez, talk about the long way around. :)
I hate to say it, but...
Maybe it's because nobody cares anymore? (Not that that's my opinion, just an observation.)
Good Lord, I couldn't have said it better myself. Somebody mod parent up!!!
You're absolutely right, they shouldn't be. But they are, a great many of them, because unfortunately many 3rd-party apps, especially games, require admin rights to run properly -- and who wants to exit and login as a different user every time they want to play a game? (Which in itself is a separate rant.)
With so many users running with admin rights, it'll be a no-brainer to compromise this particular setup.
Not quite. Think about it: In this particular scenario, we're keeping all our personal/important/sensitive data in one place, and more dangerously, a place that's standardized, ie. easy to find. At least with users scattering their personal stuff all over the hard drive, it's easier to "mask" from a virus/trojan looking for that data.
But with this new setup, the data's all in one spot. In the SAME spot, regardless of the machine or the user. (Cuz you just know that MS is gonna create a standard folder for this.)
So, by doing this, it'd actually make the malicious program writer's job easier.
Yeah, like THAT won't be hacked all to fvck by virus-writers. Great suggestion!
Definition of cognoscenti(n): "a grape nut"
Oh yeah, he sounds like an expert.
Marco!...
I find it much easier to simply keep spackling the holes in my apartment wall after the Cassull .454 rounds pass through the monitor...
What? Just me? Uh... nevermind.
Can't resist...
You sir, are a fvcktard. I am not African-American but I have good friends who are.
Personally? I'm routing for the bats. :)
Go, bats! GO!
PS: Nice job posting as Anonymous Coward. In this case, the name says it all.
Great, maybe I can finally get some sleep while I use one of these to power my girlfriend's... erm, nevermind.
I'm Klingon, you insensitive clod!