I'd really prefer to see some kind of meta-moderated system by users to rate software as clear of spyware as it would give small vendors more of a chance.
Well, I don't know about that, those systems can cause problems, too.
I have come across a few very suspicious programs on download.com (where they use a rating system on satisfaction with the program)... that I skimmed through the comments on. There seems to be a way to generate user accounts... so people put programs out with trojan horses, made a bunch of fake accounts, and upped the ratings... you had to really skim to see the 2 or 3 users who had the "THIS IS MALWARE" messages.... now, this can be avoided, sure, but it will always be a problem... such a system, if disrupted once, would lose a good deal of credibility.
Also... there is the problem of trolls, plants (that is, if the spyware pals decide to just sit and make new accounts and do it all manually), and kiddies.
===
Perhaps I am too much the cynic?
It *could* work...
It would have to be *really* well thought out and programmed. It would also need to get a good following rather quickly and remain free.
Sure, it is old hat, but one of these days, there might be a "(insert company name approved) software" program that actually holds its weight and is useful/consistent/trustworthy...
I'm not exactly saying infinite monkeys/infinite typewriters, here, I'm just saying we've only had one major company do this so far (as far as I know)... perhaps AOL/Yahoo will do it better?... of course, considering the advertising on Yahoo... I'm not going to count on it from them, but it might inspire a knock-off.
It sounds like a bunch of FUD to me, the same stuff you hear advertised about the 10 o'clock news... about 'your next drink of milk could be your last' or 'decapitated head found in newly purchased toilet'...
Sensationalism sells... heck, why do you think eggs are good, bad, then good, then bad again, etc...... because these 'new studies' are a good way to get people to keep tuning in when there really is no news...
Hey, at least it beats starting wars for viewership, I'll give 'em that...
1995/1996 -- The Ping of Death. A lack of sanity checks and error handling in the IP fragmentation reassembly code makes it possible to crash a wide variety of operating systems by sending a malformed "ping" packet from anywhere on the internet. Most obviously affected are computers running Windows, which lock up and display the so-called "blue screen of death" when they receive these packets. But the attack also affects many Macintosh and Unix systems as well.
This sort of statement applies to companies that aren't Microsoft, as well. The goal of a company is not philantropy, it is success (unless you are a not-for-profit company whose goal is philantropy, in which case, philantropy is success, but I digress)...
The same "company goal" that Microsoft has is shared by Google, Yahoo, Netscape, Intel, AMD...
===
The company benefit from certain actions may just be as simple as 'branding' and positive public relations, but actions a company takes are almost never selfless.
I'm glad that at least SOMEONE here realizes that. (added: it's not just you, but you're the most recent example that I've seen):)
[Now if people would just realize this beyond Microsoft, I think we could all finally come to an understanding about the nature of business that I think the average Slashdotter isn't quite getting]
For the most part, my Slashdot responses are half-lazy, if I don't have to provide a string of evidence (i.e. my point makes itself)... I try to avoid it.
I generally tend to assume everyone knows a fair amount about history, but I often assume too much.
===
As far as my area of "expertise"... but I am no expert by any means, just yet...
Also from another site analysing beers: Mountain Sun's coffee beer also has more of a coffee flavor. "I love the Mountain Sun Java, but it has a lot more coffee character," Parker said. "That's the beauty of it. Even in something as esoteric as a coffee beer you can have a range of choices. That's what makes brewing great."
===
Can you patent something that has been around for awhile, just because it hasn't been patented yet? I thought you can only patent your own ideas?
24mbit/sec? Sounds like "across the street from the provider" has suddenly become prime nerd real estate, beats the hell out of lakefront housing any day!
It's just that Novell wants to cut down on the number of long bearded, frighteningly overweight men in IT... and increase the ratio of long bearded, frighteningly overweight women in IT...:D
Apologies, your statement 'Then your ambition is to be mediocre?'... I inferred to mean that I do not long for power and money, therefore I do not long to be great, therefore I strive instead to be mediocre. If this was not your point, I missed it, sorry. If it was meant as a barb, there is no need to explain your point, but if it was not, I'd like to know what you meant.
===
The majority of human history supports my argument on corruption by money and/or power. If you'd like I can provide examples from American business history, American government history, or I could expand to international history (Germany and Japan are good examples)... though I am sadly lacking in knowledge of international business history.
Some quick references... [abusers of monopolies] Rockefeller and the early U.S. monopolies... Ma Bell (and SBC is on the rise to the same heights)... Microsoft... -- In this regard, Google is not a monopoly yet, but I believe it will become one and it will abuse its influence.
[abuse of power] Japanese imperialism just prior to WW2... German imperialism prior to WW1, then prior to WW2... (annexation of Austria and Czechoslovakia, the 1939 invasion of Poland)... (though the annexation of Austria may be viewed as justifiable, as the population was largely ethnically German, but that's debatable) Hell, any country's vision of it having the right to bully others... -- These refer to corruption based on power. When the nations hit a height of power, they felt the need to expand and did not hesitate to use aggressive methods of doing so.
Throughout history there have been repeated cases of men in power wanting more power...
Business is in no way different from history, it's all powered by human beings with the same motives, no matter their vocation. That means the same weaknesses.
Just because Google seems fine and supportive now... doesn't mean they won't (if they haven't already) employ devious methods to get ahead if threatened by another company.
You will also note that I said that it is not 100% that it will necessitate evil... very few things are absolute in that regard... but it seems likely, given in almost every case throughout history... that it has caused corruption... that in this one... it would as well.
One man may seem uncorruptable, and this may be true, but if you consider a company is many, many men... the likelihood of remaining uncorruptable goes sharply downward.
It's an opinion, not a fact, that I feel is well supported by mankind throughout history. I would love greatly to be shown a good amount of evidence to the contrary... it might make me a little less of a misanthrope.
===
As far as Research Intelligence in regards to artificial intelligence as well as cognition, specifically regarding language acquisition.
No, my ambition is to do intelligence research... and many researchers are underpaid and do what they do out of the love of knowledge.
It is my opinion that you can do great things and not have power and money. It would, by no means, be 'mediocre' to succeed without gaining either, depending on what you were doing.
That being said, I am quite concerned with letting any of my accomplishments get to my head.
Microsoft had its period of innovation and like any creative venture, they struggle in the box they have made for themselves.
To say Microsoft is not innovative would be incorrect... but Google is certainly much more creative these days than Microsoft.
(to say "than Microsoft ever was" would be a disservice, times were different in the 80s, technology has much more opportunities, as far as invention, now than it did before)
Slashdot Mirror
Hey, come on, that American guy who messed with those cars or whatever got CANED...
At least CANE the guy and release the video on the web...
[preferably cane him to death and release the video as a warning to others, but whatever....]
The 1st and only engine that can be repaired with white out!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4137782.stm ... like this poor guy!
I'd really prefer to see some kind of meta-moderated system by users to rate software as clear of spyware as it would give small vendors more of a chance.
... that I skimmed through the comments on. There seems to be a way to generate user accounts... so people put programs out with trojan horses, made a bunch of fake accounts, and upped the ratings... you had to really skim to see the 2 or 3 users who had the "THIS IS MALWARE" messages. ... now, this can be avoided, sure, but it will always be a problem... such a system, if disrupted once, would lose a good deal of credibility.
Well, I don't know about that, those systems can cause problems, too.
I have come across a few very suspicious programs on download.com (where they use a rating system on satisfaction with the program)
Also... there is the problem of trolls, plants (that is, if the spyware pals decide to just sit and make new accounts and do it all manually), and kiddies.
===
Perhaps I am too much the cynic?
It *could* work...
It would have to be *really* well thought out and programmed. It would also need to get a good following rather quickly and remain free.
Sure, it is old hat, but one of these days, there might be a "(insert company name approved) software" program that actually holds its weight and is useful/consistent/trustworthy...
... perhaps AOL/Yahoo will do it better? ... of course, considering the advertising on Yahoo... I'm not going to count on it from them, but it might inspire a knock-off.
I'm not exactly saying infinite monkeys/infinite typewriters, here, I'm just saying we've only had one major company do this so far (as far as I know)
Cingular, thanks for telling me what to listen to, now I don't have to make decisions on my own!
Comparing a PSP or a Jeep to Neuro-controlled bionic arms and perpendicular magnetic recording?!
haha!
Excuse me for being a cynic, but the PSP/Jeep portion of the 'grand awards' just feels like advertising...
... and thus, star porn was born.
I, for one, welcome our new Phillistine cultural overlords!
Step 1 - Shock viewers
... because these 'new studies' are a good way to get people to keep tuning in when there really is no news...
Step 2 - Increase viewership
Step 3 - PROFIT!
===
It sounds like a bunch of FUD to me, the same stuff you hear advertised about the 10 o'clock news... about 'your next drink of milk could be your last' or 'decapitated head found in newly purchased toilet'...
Sensationalism sells... heck, why do you think eggs are good, bad, then good, then bad again, etc...
Hey, at least it beats starting wars for viewership, I'll give 'em that...
I am reminded greatly of "Planet of the Apes: The Musical" ...
However, all it will take is one bass solo from Darth and I'll throw away all my misgivings.
I'm still waiting for a Nethack port to a major console/portable!
In the scenario where the constellation was a straight line... I'd allow it.
Of course, I am not the authority on such things.
Ahh, it sounded like WinNuke, apparantely it is different, thanks for the info :)
I decided to look up Ping of Death, too... it pretty much cleared up any confusion, between the 2 articles...
1995/1996 -- The Ping of Death. A lack of sanity checks and error handling in the IP fragmentation reassembly code makes it possible to crash a wide variety of operating systems by sending a malformed "ping" packet from anywhere on the internet. Most obviously affected are computers running Windows, which lock up and display the so-called "blue screen of death" when they receive these packets. But the attack also affects many Macintosh and Unix systems as well.
===
WinNuke made it...
This sort of statement applies to companies that aren't Microsoft, as well. The goal of a company is not philantropy, it is success (unless you are a not-for-profit company whose goal is philantropy, in which case, philantropy is success, but I digress)...
The same "company goal" that Microsoft has is shared by Google, Yahoo, Netscape, Intel, AMD...
===
The company benefit from certain actions may just be as simple as 'branding' and positive public relations, but actions a company takes are almost never selfless.
I'm glad that at least SOMEONE here realizes that. (added: it's not just you, but you're the most recent example that I've seen):)
[Now if people would just realize this beyond Microsoft, I think we could all finally come to an understanding about the nature of business that I think the average Slashdotter isn't quite getting]
For the most part, my Slashdot responses are half-lazy, if I don't have to provide a string of evidence (i.e. my point makes itself) ... I try to avoid it.
... but I am no expert by any means, just yet...
I generally tend to assume everyone knows a fair amount about history, but I often assume too much.
===
As far as my area of "expertise"
ComSci/CogSci/Linguistics (formal)
===
My heart is in linguistics, though...
I know Coffee Beer existed before because I drank some more than 10 years ago.
b eerandotherbeverages.html
So I decided to pop a search out there:
http://www.californiawineandfood.com/links/coffee
Also from another site analysing beers: Mountain Sun's coffee beer also has more of a coffee flavor. "I love the Mountain Sun Java, but it has a lot more coffee character," Parker said. "That's the beauty of it. Even in something as esoteric as a coffee beer you can have a range of choices. That's what makes brewing great."
===
Can you patent something that has been around for awhile, just because it hasn't been patented yet? I thought you can only patent your own ideas?
WTF?
24mbit/sec? Sounds like "across the street from the provider" has suddenly become prime nerd real estate, beats the hell out of lakefront housing any day!
It's just that Novell wants to cut down on the number of long bearded, frighteningly overweight men in IT... and increase the ratio of long bearded, frighteningly overweight women in IT... :D
===
Stereotypes are fun!
Apologies, your statement 'Then your ambition is to be mediocre?' ... I inferred to mean that I do not long for power and money, therefore I do not long to be great, therefore I strive instead to be mediocre. If this was not your point, I missed it, sorry. If it was meant as a barb, there is no need to explain your point, but if it was not, I'd like to know what you meant.
===
The majority of human history supports my argument on corruption by money and/or power. If you'd like I can provide examples from American business history, American government history, or I could expand to international history (Germany and Japan are good examples)... though I am sadly lacking in knowledge of international business history.
Some quick references...
[abusers of monopolies]
Rockefeller and the early U.S. monopolies...
Ma Bell (and SBC is on the rise to the same heights)...
Microsoft...
-- In this regard, Google is not a monopoly yet, but I believe it will become one and it will abuse its influence.
[abuse of power]
Japanese imperialism just prior to WW2...
German imperialism prior to WW1, then prior to WW2... (annexation of Austria and Czechoslovakia, the 1939 invasion of Poland)... (though the annexation of Austria may be viewed as justifiable, as the population was largely ethnically German, but that's debatable)
Hell, any country's vision of it having the right to bully others...
-- These refer to corruption based on power. When the nations hit a height of power, they felt the need to expand and did not hesitate to use aggressive methods of doing so.
Throughout history there have been repeated cases of men in power wanting more power...
Business is in no way different from history, it's all powered by human beings with the same motives, no matter their vocation. That means the same weaknesses.
Just because Google seems fine and supportive now... doesn't mean they won't (if they haven't already) employ devious methods to get ahead if threatened by another company.
You will also note that I said that it is not 100% that it will necessitate evil... very few things are absolute in that regard... but it seems likely, given in almost every case throughout history... that it has caused corruption... that in this one... it would as well.
One man may seem uncorruptable, and this may be true, but if you consider a company is many, many men... the likelihood of remaining uncorruptable goes sharply downward.
It's an opinion, not a fact, that I feel is well supported by mankind throughout history. I would love greatly to be shown a good amount of evidence to the contrary... it might make me a little less of a misanthrope.
===
As far as Research
Intelligence in regards to artificial intelligence as well as cognition, specifically regarding language acquisition.
No, my ambition is to do intelligence research... and many researchers are underpaid and do what they do out of the love of knowledge.
It is my opinion that you can do great things and not have power and money. It would, by no means, be 'mediocre' to succeed without gaining either, depending on what you were doing.
That being said, I am quite concerned with letting any of my accomplishments get to my head.
Not everyone starts out clean, I don't think I inferred that.
Also, it isn't JUST money that causes companies to "change midstream", it is influence and power that COMES from that money...
If a company started off bad, they just had less to change when they earned their power.
It's a shame this popped into the thread so late... !!
Turns out my school is a member of the alliance!
[cue Darth Vader voice: You are part of the rebel alliance and a traitor! Take him away!]
Microsoft had its period of innovation and like any creative venture, they struggle in the box they have made for themselves.
To say Microsoft is not innovative would be incorrect... but Google is certainly much more creative these days than Microsoft.
(to say "than Microsoft ever was" would be a disservice, times were different in the 80s, technology has much more opportunities, as far as invention, now than it did before)