Not only am I seeing more Spam hitting my inbox.. I am seeing more spam on WordPress Blogs. This is where I am seeing the most problems.
The email server I use tags and filters spam, but the WordPress Blogs are filling up with Spam, plus it is clogging up MySql databases for comment spam that it uses all the processing power up - so the other services on the box as well as the webserver crawl to a slow. Even with other programs such as Akismet marking the comment psots as spam, the problem lies in the database being tied up.
I personally think that cell phone images should have been implemented to be received by 911 long before this... and wish it had. My biggest concern.. though it is not likely.. would be what if the images are altered. By this, I mean, it is not unreasonable to think that there is a part of the population (although not a majority) who could possibly alter the images before it is sent to 911.
If.. an image was altered before it was sent to 911.. that could change the outcome of what would happen. For instance.. it could change the fact that an innocent be portrayed to be the person commiting the crime. Though as I said, it is not likely by a majority, but it is a possibility. I would hope that there are people on top of things that would be able to tell an image that is caught live vs one that has been altered before submitted.
Could these images received by 911 - like voice calls are - be submitted as evidence in a courtroom afterwards.. and if so, will the authenticty be able to be proven?
Not that I am against this.. for I am all for it. But along with new technology as this being able to be submitted.. you also run the risk of fradulent images being submitted as well.
On the other hand, this opens a whole new door of being able to identify the criminal or warning emergency works on what they are getting into. One of the worst parts of responding to 911 calls - especially for domestics - is not knowing what you are getting into arriving at the scene. This really could be a very positive thing!
I wouldn't say that bad pub;licity is only good if it's getting an unknown name into the news... Grand Theft Auto wasn't unknown... nor were Donald Trump or Rosie.. but look at the ratings skyrocket after their never ending trist. Tara Conner.. Miss Nevada... they weren't unknown, but yet bad publicity was good for them... and on and on.
Not ALL Bad Publicity is Good publicity.. but bad publicity IS Publicity.. and somtimes any publicity is good publicity.
I guess we are just bad parents. Although we had talked to our son till we were blue in the face about not posting personal information, our preteen son had an account on MySpace - well actually a couple - that I found through a search. The clincher was when started getting phone calls from girls from all over and started making up lies of how they got his number.
Needless to say, his computer is not behind a squid proxy and is locked down to not going to any internet sites unless we approve and add them for homework reasons or other reasons... but we have to approve and add manually. This (for now) keeps the chat rooms, sites like this at bay. Although it does not keep the kid from going somewhere else and posting.. my theory is that while he is under our roof, he plays by my rules. He can like it or lump it.
It is like video games.. I play them with him, I see what computer and console games he is playing, and if I deem one inappropriate, it doesn't get played. Sure, I let him play Quake, Unreal, Rainbow6.. I have no problem with those games and such like that.. and I realize he can play stuff at friends. But, I am still the parent, and I control what goes on in my home. It is that simple.
Others will probably post what an awful parent I am and how kid is going to retaliate this or that.. but so be it.
Ok.. so a country bans a video game... because it creates violence for children and kids.
Well violence still continues...
So, do you ban the console video games are played on? Start banning hockey, soccer, other sports, media, wars?
For every bit of violence that is seen, someone will make an excuse for the violence. It is becoming a never ending cycle - ban something you do not understand instead of actaully seeing where the problem stems from.
Shall we ban people from the internet next? What a kid doesnt see on a video game, they can always go see/read/listen to on the internet. What I have seen on the 5 o'clock news can be worse than many "violent" video games.
Me personally... I watch what my kid plays.. I play the video game too (rented).. and if I think it is too violent, then I dont buy it or let him play it. My kid is my responsibility.. I am responsible for what he watches and sees.. not the government.
Last night, I went to the MS website and downloaded the trial 2007. Over the next few days, I am going to test out all the applications in 2007 pro. For me, I use Word, Excel, Access and Power Point regularly for school and work. At home, I usually use alternatives. But, where I am at and what is on the machine is what I have to use for now.
I figure I am going to give it some time and try out the new features, decide for myself what the pros and cons are.. and if - for me - in what circumstances it would or would not be worth upgrading about.
Installation was pretty simple, and the trail also allowed me to keep the Office version that I already have on the computer and allowed me to add the 2007 as well. So far, that is a plus.. and the 2nd download was for upgrading / installing Net 2.0 and adding a couple of more features (it has 2 3xx MB downloads - disk one and disk 2.
Normally, I see it as "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"
One thing I do not like so far is on the website it mentions that family and friends who read documents created in Office 2007 will have to download a conversion pack to read the documents - if they are using a lower version. I am going to see if it will let you save excel, word and the like in lower formats - such as when going from 97 or 95 to 2000, 2000 let you save in lower formats... or in that case you could also download a conversion kit. I was not too thrilled to see that MS suggested everyone else download a conversion kit. Although I am pretty tech savvy... Many secretaries, upper management, students and others who use OFfice that are NOT tec savvy.. might not want to - or might not even be allowed to download conversion kits - depending on how their network runs.
For me, I have to stop and remember what is easy for me to catch on to and learn... it is not always the case for a good majority of people who use office. Schools, teachers, manangement, etc... if it is too "steep" of a learning curve... might not want to or have time to learn all the new features. Sooo many people use office... but then again, they are used to the office 95-office 2003 where it is all pretty much similar.. and may have doubts and limited time about wanting to or being able to relearn a "new" version.
Just my 2 cents so far. I am sure many of the tech savvy people will not agree with what I had to say... but I am in a positions where that it might be easy for me.. but I have to think about what the non tech savvy people will want to do with it.
Personally, I have been to hairstyling sites that have tried to DL spyware. I beleive this is truie from the teacher. I also believe that the spyware went to the porn sites -not the teacher herself per se.
I feel the school is at fault for letting the filtering software expire. It also states the teacher had told others about it, but received no assistance.
All teachers are not tech savvy.. thats why they rely on the schools filtering system to help out with blocking. I feel the injustice starts with the school letting the filtering system expire. Filtering systems can also be acquired free for schools.. I do not see any excuse by the school to have let this have happened. Also, the school computers schould have been cleaned regulary to check for new programs - spyware - installed on them. Many workplaces have software that will check all computers on the network to see if new programs have been added.
Although Google Does know what ip address the compter entering the information came from. And, Google will keep a track of what numbers are entered to call and connect to. They do make it clear that spamming and fraud are not tolerated.
"What if someone enters my phone number instead of theirs as a prank call? Google takes fraud and spamming very seriously. We use technical methods to prevent future prank calls from the same user within a reasonable period of time. You won't be charged for any such calls. Please contact adwords-support@google.com if you believe someone is entering your phone number without your permission or knowledge."
Cross referencing fradualnt / spamming calls with ip addresses from logs would be considered abuse by most isps TOS as well.
I am not saying that a person could not get away with it.. but I am saying if Google wanted to press the issue with the logs and isps of the offender.. they DO have the technology and the money to be able to press it..
So, If someone steals a womans purse and writes $5,000 in bad checks, the bank will reimburse the customer, but yet if the person does not know enough about transactions and fraud emails, then the customer is responsible?
So, you don't have to be educated on how to keep checks from getting stolen or lost - ie, you can leave them on the sidewalk in broad daylight and if someone takes them the bank will reimburse you if someone else signs your name, but you have to be educated on the net and not have your identity stolen or else the bank holds you responsible? Is it me or does this seem a bit... well.. like an escape goat for banks?
"The reason why americans are driving SUVs is because US goverment is subsidizing personal driving, by not taxing car owners the cost that are associated with using cars."
Personally I like driving my SUV (2006) because it is roomier than my Toyata Corolla (2001) was, I like being higher off the ground, there seating in an SUV feels more natural to me and, last but not least, my Honda CRV can get 30 MPG - pretty much the same rate my Corolla got. Nice when gas is almost $3.00 a gallon.
If people would write code good in the first place - and not use things like MS word, Publisher, Front Page and other programs where it works fine in IE but not other browsers - or only USE browsers like IE which overlook forgotten close tags and try to compensate and make bad code LOOK good.....
Then maybe more website would work in all browsers and look the same in all browsers - instead of just settling for "ok it works in ie, so it must be right" and forgetting the other people.
It actually reminds me of the colour changing nail polish... changes (and mood rings) to the different colours.... and the pencils too..;)
As for Hypercolour T shirts... mine changed from Green to Yellow;)
Ok, So where does that leave programs like Streets and Trips from MS, or Delorme, or online at Mapquest, Mapblast, Tiger data, MSN Maps and Data, Terraserv or Yahoo Maps ? For that matter, why not voice concerns about a GPS period? Why single out Google? They have all been around for years.. is there some reason Google Maps are different?
Sounds more like someone is trying to find a reason to point a finger at Google, but purposely overlooking what has been there around for years.
I have been geocaching with my husband and son now for over 4 years. I love it ! It is a puzzle, it can be very physically challenging, it is a great family pastime. We use a GPS - Garmin Etrex, our laptop and add in a Delorme mapping program. Finding the cache is heartwarming to do. We have seen all sorts of "trinkets" go all over the world. When we find it, we take a trinket and replace one with ours. It is interesting to see what all is out there!
Find a site, find a clue, and go hunt!
PS I always think it is neat to write the date, name and city/state you are in on the trinket if you can. that way, X amount of years when that trinket goes around the world or from cache to cache, if you happen to get it back again or if someone else does that knows you, it is so neat to see!!
the original submission? Nah that was not the point.
I acutally have ccna, a+, network+, MS, security+ and inet+ and I am working on the CCSP now. And, I paid for all of them on my own. Now, I work for an employeer where certifying every year to a higher level is required.
I just thought I would ask the question to see what others think after a discusion among co workers.:)
With all the hoopla lately about cable companies and telephone companies having to share and then not share with isps and the like.. I wonder what would become of this if google goes through with it.
Could that mean cable and telcos will be fighting for access to the lines so we can get googlenet over what kind of lines?
Some cities already have fiber to the house, to the premise, to the curb.. will these residents be able to tap into googlenets fiber?
Google has not even tried it's hand at at being an isp yet.. i can only imagine how this will turn out.
'I do believe you can easily learn to think like a hacker, even when you come from a different background.'
I fully believe that statment. I also believe it is the background that you come from, the morals you hold and your beliefs that will determine the outcome of what you do with the knowledge when you learn to think like a hacker.
I also very fully beleive in the following statement:
The difference between hackers and people who just deal with computers for a living, 9 to 5, is quite simple--hackers share a genuine passion for this stuff, they learn and analyze computers just for fun, and hence can more readily see beyond the taught problems and scenarios, invent or explore.
So many people deal with computers day in and day out, but when they leave the office, they go home and never think twice about it. The word hacker is not what makes the person who does the hacking "good" or "bad". Hacking is the skill. It come from being the ones that come home form work and go nostop learning, playing and understanding computers. It's what you do with the knowledge that makes the person a "good" or a "bad" person - one that hacks - or in todays terms, a "good" or "bad" hacker.
"Hacker" is nothing more than a label saying you have the skills. Unfortunately the people today do not understand its not the "hacking" is neither good or bad, it's what you do with the skills. Its equivilant to saying someone is a Doctor. The term doctor would be the label. The "good" or "bad" part would be what the person does with those skills.
If only more and more people could understand - and ESPECIALLY THE MEDIA - could get it through their thick skulls that its not being a hacker that is wrong. It is doing the wrong things with the knowledge you gain FROM being one.
The passion, the interest, and the ability to think outside the box, and the ambition IS a state of thinking. Therefore hacking would in my opinion definatly be the state of mind;)
ps.. I wonder what would happen if the media reported the farmers that have a passion for growing the best plants and tomatoes, beans and other produce.. Agricultural Hackers? Do you think that would change the meaning of a farmer to the public:)
If these companies REALLY want a great game console and want it to sell.. Instead of "mine cost more than yours does, so mine is better" they
out to start having a contest that says "I can get mine to run and be better than yours and it is WAY WAY
Cheaper so more people can AFFORD it."
I know as time goes by the prices drop and they seem more reasonable.. like the
XBox and PS2... but when you keep coming out every couple of years with new
stuff and the price skyrockets.. so many people and parents think "Hey, as
much as I spent on that, you can wait another few years till I get another one.
that expensive"
So at the end of the run, when the prices drop, is when the sales will stabilize
over time. But who wants to dump hundreds of dollars into it up front? If Xbox
had originally sold theirs at $200 like it is now.. the sales would have
skyrocketed even more in the beginning. Why does it take 2 years for the company
to bring it down to a decent price instead of starting out so high that it makes
people turn away? As far as I am concerned, the same applies whether it is
Nintendo, Sony, or whoever.
I actually enjoy having a husband who is very intelligent. It makes our marriage very lively when we can have good conversations day in and day out. That is part of what attracted me to him
for the last eight years - and still does. Why do you make it sound bad that a
woman actually LIKES a man who is intelligent?
As far as going around with a handle of "GeekBoy" or something..
you act as if it would be a bad thing. I happen to like geeks and I happen to be
in love with one. Sexy and attraction do not mean only physical. It is a nice
bonus. Looks might catch the eye, but brains are what keep many coming back.
It doesn't bother me to reap what I sow - "darling":)
"I wonder what they do to spammers in prision... "
Moreover, does the general majority of people IN prison know what modern spam is.. (and that it isn't the Hormel Kind?)
Slashdot Mirror
Not only am I seeing more Spam hitting my inbox.. I am seeing more spam on WordPress Blogs. This is where I am seeing the most problems.
The email server I use tags and filters spam, but the WordPress Blogs are filling up with Spam, plus it is clogging up MySql databases for comment spam that it uses all the processing power up - so the other services on the box as well as the webserver crawl to a slow. Even with other programs such as Akismet marking the comment psots as spam, the problem lies in the database being tied up.
I personally think that cell phone images should have been implemented to be received by 911 long before this... and wish it had. My biggest concern.. though it is not likely.. would be what if the images are altered. By this, I mean, it is not unreasonable to think that there is a part of the population (although not a majority) who could possibly alter the images before it is sent to 911.
If.. an image was altered before it was sent to 911.. that could change the outcome of what would happen. For instance.. it could change the fact that an innocent be portrayed to be the person commiting the crime. Though as I said, it is not likely by a majority, but it is a possibility. I would hope that there are people on top of things that would be able to tell an image that is caught live vs one that has been altered before submitted.
Could these images received by 911 - like voice calls are - be submitted as evidence in a courtroom afterwards.. and if so, will the authenticty be able to be proven?
Not that I am against this.. for I am all for it. But along with new technology as this being able to be submitted.. you also run the risk of fradulent images being submitted as well.
On the other hand, this opens a whole new door of being able to identify the criminal or warning emergency works on what they are getting into. One of the worst parts of responding to 911 calls - especially for domestics - is not knowing what you are getting into arriving at the scene. This really could be a very positive thing!
I wouldn't say that bad pub;licity is only good if it's getting an unknown name into the news... Grand Theft Auto wasn't unknown... nor were Donald Trump or Rosie.. but look at the ratings skyrocket after their never ending trist. Tara Conner.. Miss Nevada... they weren't unknown, but yet bad publicity was good for them... and on and on.
Not ALL Bad Publicity is Good publicity.. but bad publicity IS Publicity.. and somtimes any publicity is good publicity.
Any publicity is good publicity in Microsoft's eyes.
What will they get this time.. another fine and more time to correct the wrong? It's not like these fines hurt MS..
oops I meant it is now behind a squid proxy.. typo
I guess we are just bad parents. Although we had talked to our son till we were blue in the face about not posting personal information, our preteen son had an account on MySpace - well actually a couple - that I found through a search. The clincher was when started getting phone calls from girls from all over and started making up lies of how they got his number.
Needless to say, his computer is not behind a squid proxy and is locked down to not going to any internet sites unless we approve and add them for homework reasons or other reasons... but we have to approve and add manually. This (for now) keeps the chat rooms, sites like this at bay. Although it does not keep the kid from going somewhere else and posting.. my theory is that while he is under our roof, he plays by my rules. He can like it or lump it.
It is like video games.. I play them with him, I see what computer and console games he is playing, and if I deem one inappropriate, it doesn't get played. Sure, I let him play Quake, Unreal, Rainbow6.. I have no problem with those games and such like that.. and I realize he can play stuff at friends. But, I am still the parent, and I control what goes on in my home. It is that simple.
Others will probably post what an awful parent I am and how kid is going to retaliate this or that.. but so be it.
Ok.. so a country bans a video game... because it creates violence for children and kids.
Well violence still continues...
So, do you ban the console video games are played on? Start banning hockey, soccer, other sports, media, wars?
For every bit of violence that is seen, someone will make an excuse for the violence. It is becoming a never ending cycle - ban something you do not understand instead of actaully seeing where the problem stems from.
Shall we ban people from the internet next? What a kid doesnt see on a video game, they can always go see/read/listen to on the internet. What I have seen on the 5 o'clock news can be worse than many "violent" video games.
Me personally... I watch what my kid plays.. I play the video game too (rented).. and if I think it is too violent, then I dont buy it or let him play it. My kid is my responsibility.. I am responsible for what he watches and sees.. not the government.
Last night, I went to the MS website and downloaded the trial 2007. Over the next few days, I am going to test out all the applications in 2007 pro. For me, I use Word, Excel, Access and Power Point regularly for school and work. At home, I usually use alternatives. But, where I am at and what is on the machine is what I have to use for now.
I figure I am going to give it some time and try out the new features, decide for myself what the pros and cons are.. and if - for me - in what circumstances it would or would not be worth upgrading about.
Installation was pretty simple, and the trail also allowed me to keep the Office version that I already have on the computer and allowed me to add the 2007 as well. So far, that is a plus.. and the 2nd download was for upgrading / installing Net 2.0 and adding a couple of more features (it has 2 3xx MB downloads - disk one and disk 2.
Normally, I see it as "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"
One thing I do not like so far is on the website it mentions that family and friends who read documents created in Office 2007 will have to download a conversion pack to read the documents - if they are using a lower version. I am going to see if it will let you save excel, word and the like in lower formats - such as when going from 97 or 95 to 2000, 2000 let you save in lower formats... or in that case you could also download a conversion kit. I was not too thrilled to see that MS suggested everyone else download a conversion kit. Although I am pretty tech savvy... Many secretaries, upper management, students and others who use OFfice that are NOT tec savvy.. might not want to - or might not even be allowed to download conversion kits - depending on how their network runs.
For me, I have to stop and remember what is easy for me to catch on to and learn... it is not always the case for a good majority of people who use office. Schools, teachers, manangement, etc... if it is too "steep" of a learning curve... might not want to or have time to learn all the new features. Sooo many people use office... but then again, they are used to the office 95-office 2003 where it is all pretty much similar.. and may have doubts and limited time about wanting to or being able to relearn a "new" version.
Just my 2 cents so far. I am sure many of the tech savvy people will not agree with what I had to say... but I am in a positions where that it might be easy for me.. but I have to think about what the non tech savvy people will want to do with it.
Wow... forget 45 spf sunblock... just move the sun . I wonder how that will affect sunscreen stocks.
Personally, I have been to hairstyling sites that have tried to DL spyware. I beleive this is truie from the teacher. I also believe that the spyware went to the porn sites -not the teacher herself per se. I feel the school is at fault for letting the filtering software expire. It also states the teacher had told others about it, but received no assistance. All teachers are not tech savvy.. thats why they rely on the schools filtering system to help out with blocking. I feel the injustice starts with the school letting the filtering system expire. Filtering systems can also be acquired free for schools.. I do not see any excuse by the school to have let this have happened. Also, the school computers schould have been cleaned regulary to check for new programs - spyware - installed on them. Many workplaces have software that will check all computers on the network to see if new programs have been added.
Although Google Does know what ip address the compter entering the information came from. And, Google will keep a track of what numbers are entered to call and connect to. They do make it clear that spamming and fraud are not tolerated.
"What if someone enters my phone number instead of theirs as a prank call?
Google takes fraud and spamming very seriously. We use technical methods to prevent future prank calls from the same user within a reasonable period of time. You won't be charged for any such calls. Please contact adwords-support@google.com if you believe someone is entering your phone number without your permission or knowledge."
Cross referencing fradualnt / spamming calls with ip addresses from logs would be considered abuse by most isps TOS as well.
I am not saying that a person could not get away with it.. but I am saying if Google wanted to press the issue with the logs and isps of the offender.. they DO have the technology and the money to be able to press it..
So, If someone steals a womans purse and writes $5,000 in bad checks, the bank will reimburse the customer, but yet if the person does not know enough about transactions and fraud emails, then the customer is responsible?
So, you don't have to be educated on how to keep checks from getting stolen or lost - ie, you can leave them on the sidewalk in broad daylight and if someone takes them the bank will reimburse you if someone else signs your name, but you have to be educated on the net and not have your identity stolen or else the bank holds you responsible? Is it me or does this seem a bit... well.. like an escape goat for banks?
"The reason why americans are driving SUVs is because US goverment is subsidizing personal driving, by not taxing car owners the cost that are associated with using cars."
Personally I like driving my SUV (2006) because it is roomier than my Toyata Corolla (2001) was, I like being higher off the ground, there seating in an SUV feels more natural to me and, last but not least, my Honda CRV can get 30 MPG - pretty much the same rate my Corolla got. Nice when gas is almost $3.00 a gallon.
If people would write code good in the first place - and not use things like MS word, Publisher, Front Page and other programs where it works fine in IE but not other browsers - or only USE browsers like IE which overlook forgotten close tags and try to compensate and make bad code LOOK good.....
Then maybe more website would work in all browsers and look the same in all browsers - instead of just settling for "ok it works in ie, so it must be right" and forgetting the other people.
It actually reminds me of the colour changing nail polish... changes (and mood rings) to the different colours. ... and the pencils too.. ;)
As for Hypercolour T shirts... mine changed from Green to Yellow ;)
Now it is "Games Don't Kill People, People Kill People"
It's all about publicity anymore...
Sure, publicity has a factor.. and some even thrive off of negative attention.
But, in the end, its quality that counts.. not the publicity. Word of mouth will spread faster than any statue, prank, or publicity.
If a company wants the word spread.. they should invest in quality and consider the user.. not publicity competitions
Ok, So where does that leave programs like Streets and Trips from MS, or Delorme, or online at Mapquest, Mapblast, Tiger data, MSN Maps and Data, Terraserv or Yahoo Maps ? For that matter, why not voice concerns about a GPS period? Why single out Google? They have all been around for years.. is there some reason Google Maps are different?
Sounds more like someone is trying to find a reason to point a finger at Google, but purposely overlooking what has been there around for years.
I have been geocaching with my husband and son now for over 4 years. I love it ! It is a puzzle, it can be very physically challenging, it is a great family pastime. We use a GPS - Garmin Etrex, our laptop and add in a Delorme mapping program. Finding the cache is heartwarming to do. We have seen all sorts of "trinkets" go all over the world. When we find it, we take a trinket and replace one with ours. It is interesting to see what all is out there!
Find a site, find a clue, and go hunt!
PS I always think it is neat to write the date, name and city/state you are in on the trinket if you can. that way, X amount of years when that trinket goes around the world or from cache to cache, if you happen to get it back again or if someone else does that knows you, it is so neat to see!!
the original submission? Nah that was not the point.
:)
I acutally have ccna, a+, network+, MS, security+ and inet+ and I am working on the CCSP now. And, I paid for all of them on my own. Now, I work for an employeer where certifying every year to a higher level is required.
I just thought I would ask the question to see what others think after a discusion among co workers.
With all the hoopla lately about cable companies and telephone companies having to share and then not share with isps and the like.. I wonder what would become of this if google goes through with it.
Could that mean cable and telcos will be fighting for access to the lines so we can get googlenet over what kind of lines?
Some cities already have fiber to the house, to the premise, to the curb.. will these residents be able to tap into googlenets fiber?
Google has not even tried it's hand at at being an isp yet.. i can only imagine how this will turn out.
'I do believe you can easily learn to think like a hacker, even when you come from a different background.'
I fully believe that statment. I also believe it is the background that you come from, the morals you hold and your beliefs that will determine the outcome of what you do with the knowledge when you learn to think like a hacker.
I also very fully beleive in the following statement:
The difference between hackers and people who just deal with computers for a living, 9 to 5, is quite simple--hackers share a genuine passion for this stuff, they learn and analyze computers just for fun, and hence can more readily see beyond the taught problems and scenarios, invent or explore.
So many people deal with computers day in and day out, but when they leave the office, they go home and never think twice about it. The word hacker is not what makes the person who does the hacking "good" or "bad". Hacking is the skill. It come from being the ones that come home form work and go nostop learning, playing and understanding computers. It's what you do with the knowledge that makes the person a "good" or a "bad" person - one that hacks - or in todays terms, a "good" or "bad" hacker.
"Hacker" is nothing more than a label saying you have the skills. Unfortunately the people today do not understand its not the "hacking" is neither good or bad, it's what you do with the skills. Its equivilant to saying someone is a Doctor. The term doctor would be the label. The "good" or "bad" part would be what the person does with those skills.
If only more and more people could understand - and ESPECIALLY THE MEDIA - could get it through their thick skulls that its not being a hacker that is wrong. It is doing the wrong things with the knowledge you gain FROM being one.
The passion, the interest, and the ability to think outside the box, and the ambition IS a state of thinking. Therefore hacking would in my opinion definatly be the state of mind ;)
ps.. I wonder what would happen if the media reported the farmers that have a passion for growing the best plants and tomatoes, beans and other produce.. Agricultural Hackers? Do you think that would change the meaning of a farmer to the public :)
If these companies REALLY want a great game console and want it to sell.. Instead of "mine cost more than yours does, so mine is better" they out to start having a contest that says "I can get mine to run and be better than yours and it is WAY WAY Cheaper so more people can AFFORD it."
I know as time goes by the prices drop and they seem more reasonable.. like the XBox and PS2
So at the end of the run, when the prices drop, is when the sales will stabilize over time. But who wants to dump hundreds of dollars into it up front? If Xbox had originally sold theirs at $200 like it is now.. the sales would have skyrocketed even more in the beginning. Why does it take 2 years for the company to bring it down to a decent price instead of starting out so high that it makes people turn away? As far as I am concerned, the same applies whether it is Nintendo, Sony, or whoever.
I actually enjoy having a husband who is very intelligent. It makes our marriage very lively when we can have good conversations day in and day out. That is part of what attracted me to him for the last eight years - and still does. Why do you make it sound bad that a woman actually LIKES a man who is intelligent?
As far as going around with a handle of "GeekBoy" or something.. you act as if it would be a bad thing. I happen to like geeks and I happen to be in love with one. Sexy and attraction do not mean only physical. It is a nice bonus. Looks might catch the eye, but brains are what keep many coming back.
It doesn't bother me to reap what I sow - "darling" :)
"I wonder what they do to spammers in prision... " Moreover, does the general majority of people IN prison know what modern spam is .. (and that it isn't the Hormel Kind?)