You know after I posted, I actually suspected there was no way modern consumer routers would have still have dedicated eeprom or even just prom for the network interfaces.
I expect the higher end stuff (and the modular stuff of course) still has its own. (as do standalone NICs for PCs PCI, USB, etc).
But I have no doubt you are completely right with modern consumer grade routers etc.
The problem is this doesn't serve them well. Trying to recreate the rest of the worlds industries internally just insures they have many second rate products, or have to pay hefty premiums for the tools they need to get things done. Really surprising after all these years they haven't tried to emulate more successful models, ala Japan, Singapore or Taiwan and encourage their industries to pursue ventures where they can have a competitive advantage.
And yet, day after day, post after post, we see people here on/. advocate that US at least be able to manufacturer everything locally, to reduce dependency on foreign tech, to reduce brain-drain to foreign manufacturing, etc, etc, etc.
Then we see a country try and do that. And we tell them its wrong...
I realize/. is of course many people and many opinions... but I wonder how many people were reading your post nodding; while simultaneously thinking the US should be producing more locally, despite the competitive advantages of outsourcing the manufacturing (which is precisely is why we do it.)
No they wouldn't - the vast majority of silicon vendors are fabless
But the price hurdle to having a 3rd party fab produce your custom chip is still significant. His analogy to the printing press stands.
It is absolutely possible to have free/open source chip designs.
Yes. It is possible. It is even a good thing, and RMS is all for someone doing it. Its just not HIS project. He's not -against- open hardware in anyway. He's just explaining why he's not personally as passionate about it.
And at the end of the day it doesn't really matter if your hammer design is proprietary or open source:
a) You still have to buy the finished hammer (hardware); as few of us have the means to produce one. (contrast to the ease of producing a copy of software)
b) The finished hammer itself isn't copyprotected. The design files might be, but the final product isn't. And there really aren't that many cases where there are restrictions on what we may do with hardware after we buy it, including modify it, or incorporate it into another project, etc, etc, etc. (Contrast: relative to software; consider things like the bnet server emulator; consider the EULA, etc.)
I'm with you. I'm pro open hardware. But I also agree with RMS, it is different, and I understand why its not his priority.
It's true that copying hardware is hard in a way that copying software is not, but only to someone who does not own a compatible factory.
He agrees with you and even made the parallel printing press example for books beofre 50 years ago.
Just as the right to modify code is only directly useful to those who can program
But the right to -copy- code is useful to everyone.
f the masksets were open, anyone with a computer could refactor or simplify the maskset to make a slower but compatible device on older cheaper process tech
But they'd STILL need a factory.
His position is simply pragmatic. The pressing ethical concern for software freedom does not (yet) exist to the same extent for hardware (because you need a factory) to exercise the freedom. He even allows that (e.g. via nanobots) it might one day become as easy as software, and at that point presumably he'd be more interested in it.
Nor does he disagree with your argument at all, in any way -- and welcomes, even encourages people like yourself to work towards open hardware goals. Its just not 'his' cause.
I don't think you can really "disagree" with that!
Routers are configured with an individual MAC address
They actually usually have several.
(which is stored in the configuration flash partition)
The NICs themselves have the MAC flashed into their own firmware. So the 'problem' there is already solved by the upstream vendor.
The router firmware typically just reads the addresses from the NICs, unless you've overridedden it.
This is why you can flash a router with new firmware, including overriding and resetting all configuration and it doesn't lose its MAC.
and printed on the label on the bottom of the device)
In some, but not all cases. Yes.
The point stands that everything they do that makes each unit more unique adds to the effort and cost. Having the same default password is less effort and cheaper overall, and that is why its common practice.
Perhaps. But remember they can see the characters... a...s.........y...........o............u...... t....y............p..... e....
A pause for reflection before a response is one thing. 3 minutes watching the response slowly how up as they hunt and peck the keys is something else.
(sigh, lameness filter encountered. Trying to add some filler here to convince it the ellipses had a point. Nope that's not enough. I guess I'll remove some dots. There were longer pauses between some of the letters.
Why do all routers of the same model need to come with the same initial credentials?
It makes printing the manual and setup instructions easier.
It makes writing any 'plug-in-and-configure' style utilities easier.
It makes providing support easier.
It saves a step of changing the password for each unit after its made and flashed, documenting the new password, and including a printout of that new password in the shipping materials.
And why is he doing it? Not because it helps students, but because it appears to lower youth unemployment and reduces the need for corporations to train people themselves slightly.
How is giving every kid with good grades the opportunity to get more than a high school education without having finaces be an overriding consideration?
Of course it helps the students. The best thing in the world to improve the odds for success in life is more education.
And the first 2 years of college/university are worlds apart from what you learned in grade 12.
but because it appears to lower youth unemployment and reduces the need for corporations to train people themselves slightly.
Fascinating world view you have there.
That's two years out of the workforce, two years of not paying into retirement, and no benefit, since those students will simply be competing against each other for the same jobs anyway.
Good point. We should end public education at grade 4. Its just years they aren't in the work force, and of no benefit since they'll just be competing each other for the same jobs anyway; and all it does is reduce the need for corporations to train people themselves.
I mean, everyone does work for a corporation right? There aren't ~20 million sole-proprieterships in the country. And there certainly aren't another 40 million+ people working for small to medium businesses.
It's a gigantic ripoff, both of students and tax payers.
Seriously. Sarcasm off. More available education is one of the best things we can do for the country. This isn't no-child-left-behind sillyness... this is about making sure students who can and would succeed at post-secondary school get to go.
What would be a better use of tax dollars in the long run?
I already suggested it be a $1 app to add the UI for the feature to switch. That'll keep out the young kids. And make darn sure nobody just does it without thinking. Putting even a small price on something stops the VAST majority of people from getting it.
Insightful knowledge of the dangers of the internet does not come along at the same time as the ability to switch on other app-stores.
And being able to cause yourself serious personal injury and damage to your vehicle's engine doesn't come along at the same time as the ability to open the hood or wield a wrench... do you also advocate vehicles have dealer locked hoods that only they can open?
Meanwhile, these 35 year old kids are using the PC or Mac computers without such restrictions. Some of them are getting infected, that's how they learn. You aren't calling for lock down there too are you? Why not? Why is the phone or tablet sacrosanct?
There is NO DIFFERENCE in terms of millions of people being easily infected in ways that are not really possibly with iOS devices.
The "millions of people infected on android", by and large are in eastern markets on unofficial / pirate stores (often pre-installed on their phones by crappy local vendors. The infection rate from the offical app store is very low to the point that its still news when it happens.
There are not millions of infected androids in the West due to the ability to select another app store. The vast majority in the west never leave the official store.
The suggestion that having support for a 3rd party store would cause millions of clueless westerners to get infected is just FUD.
You also blow over the whole app permission debacle on Android, where you have to agree to all permissions up front
If, as I suggested, that Apple allowed 3rd party stores to exist -- that would not affect their permissions management, and it would not affect their store curation.
So what exactly do either of those issues have to do with the support for 3rd party app stores? Nothing.
I agree with you that android's permissions manager needs work, and that the curation needs to improve on the android app store. But that is entirely beside the point.
They're not clueless, just unwise. There is a big difference. They aren't fooled into thinking the chinese app store with pirated games is in any way official; they aren't accidently unchecking the 'allow software from untrusted sources' button because they got confused... they know what they are doing and what they want.
You aren't necessarily wrong. But the current system still sucks.
I'd pay $100 more for a ticket that was:
- meals/drinks included - 2 checked bags; no more than 60 lbs total, no individual bag more than 50 lbs. (So that packing two easy to manage 20-30 lb bags doesn't cost more than throwing it all into a big awkward 50lb bag; and then bringing a big heavy jacket on carry on because it doesn't fit in my one checked bag, and would put it over the weight limit even if it did fit.)... but I'm allowed to wear it onto the plane for free. Just the inconvenience to me and every other passenger.
- no TSA groping / lineups, no shoe removal, no confiscating my half finished bottle of coke, no xrays. just common sense.
Seriously. I will take the chance someone will end up on the plane with a pair of safety scissors or that the grandmother next to me might pull out her knitting needles on the plane. I will pay extra for an airline willing to give me that option. I'm REALLY not worried about being exploded or shot by my fellow passengers.
If anyone is too fearful to fly on a plane that hasn't had every passenger groped by the TSA that's fine. There can be another flight where everyone has to strip, get probed and xrayed, and change into prison jumpsuits before they get on the plane. Your welcome to fly on that one.
Let the free market sort out how much security we need.
So yeah, when messages come from the IP of the appropriate NK government offices, it actually is reasonably strong evidence.
Its definitely suggestive. Its hardly conclusive.
Computers in north korea can be botted just like anyone elses. And if I controlled a botted computer somewhere behind a North Korean ip address NAT... well... you know I'd HAVE to proxy through it just for the hacker-cred...
You should be able to get 100% completion of the game with what you paid for the game itself.
Because it matters whether or not you can get some arbitrary number to 100% somewhere why exactly?
If your enjoyment of a game is based on whether you can get "credit" for completing it in some sort of silly meta-competition-ranking that's pretty sad.
Me, I enjoy the trophies / acheivement aspects of games to invite me to try to challenge myself or play in ways I might not otherwise try... but who on earth really gives a shit that I can't get the "Finished the Dungeon of X" acheivement unless I buy the Dungeon of X DLC pack and that I'll be "stuck at 98%" completion as a result.
A HOA is upfront about the fact that they don't want a TARDIS in your driveway? I doubt it.
My bylaws, for example, state that:
Only licensed vehicles with current registration and insurance can be left on the driveways, that they must not hang out onto the road, and all wheels must be on the driveway.
It also has specific exclusions disallowing the long term storage of trailers, boats, and RVs on the driveway (or front yard).
A tardis, while not mentioned specifically, is definitely against the rules, along with dirtbikes, kids pools, old TVs, stacks of boxes, or an art project...
The agents know that if you have access to the bylaws, it lowers your chance of wanting to buy in that subdivision
Here, its pretty standard to include the receipt of all bylaws as a condition of the offer to purchase. If the realtor or seller would misrepresent whether you had everything that would expose them to a lawsuit. I've always received copies of all the bylaws for condos and subdivisions I've bought in. While the realtor may know that especially onerous bylaws will make the sale difficult and I've walked away from buying units that had silly rules like no vehicles could be parked on the driveway after dusk etc.
no one wants to have the largest investment in their life subject to the desires of some nosy neighbor who has no investment in your property.
Nor does one want to have the largest investment in their life lowered in value by the rotting RV in the neighbors unmaintained front yard, with the moldy tarp covering a leak on their roof, and a front deck they built themselves and painted bright yellow.
Here's the secret to HOAs / Condo statras etc... don't just get the bylaws. Get the minutes to the meetings. READ them. Its the biggest investment of your life... you can afford to spend an evening reading.
If its a whole neighborhood of busybodies... you'll be able to tell from the minutes that its going to be toxic... move on.
A bad HOA is never just one or two busybodies; there needs to be a critical mass of them otherwise the rest of the neighborhood just overrules them changes whatever the bylaws are that are causing all the grief.
However, what's wrong with bringing fewer bags, if you want to, or else paying the going price for the bags you really need?
The cognitive burden of facing all those "decisions" and the constant bombardment of the nickle and diming fees makes the entire experience less enjoyable for everyone.
Imagine a game where you paid a fee to unlock each level, each quest, each item. If you don't play the game much, its more economical this way.
However, the game itself isn't much fun because instead of playing it you spend all your time deciding whether its really worth another 50 cents for a bigger bag or whether that dungeon is going to be worth $2 or whether equipping this item is really worth another 25 cents...
I'd MUCH rather pay $30 for the game, and have it all available, even if I don't end up exploring every nook and cranny.
Allow it in your home, just be smart enough to thwart it.
The advice only works as long as it isn't taken.
As soon as enough people "got smart", they'd make it that much harder, and then it wouldn't be trivial to eliminate with a JTAG connector anymore it will as difficult as cracking a PS4... doable, eventually, maybe.
The "trouble" with windows backup, is that it has read/write access to the backup store. Which means if your computer is compromised by cryptowall, cryptowall has read / write access to the back up store... so crytowall can encrypt your backup archive files/ indexes... whatever else.
Secure backup from something like this, needs to be client/server. The computer must not be able to see the backup archive files directly.
If you save the backups on a network share; using separate credentials that only the backup runs under then *maybe* you'd be safer. But I still wouldn't count on it.
Slashdot Mirror
That's almost never the case, actually.
You know after I posted, I actually suspected there was no way modern consumer routers would have still have dedicated eeprom or even just prom for the network interfaces.
I expect the higher end stuff (and the modular stuff of course) still has its own. (as do standalone NICs for PCs PCI, USB, etc).
But I have no doubt you are completely right with modern consumer grade routers etc.
Thanks for the correction.
Don't buy hardware that's tied to a "free" online service.
Don't fool yourself and think that paid online services are any less immune to being shutdown.
The problem is this doesn't serve them well. Trying to recreate the rest of the worlds industries internally just insures they have many second rate products, or have to pay hefty premiums for the tools they need to get things done. Really surprising after all these years they haven't tried to emulate more successful models, ala Japan, Singapore or Taiwan and encourage their industries to pursue ventures where they can have a competitive advantage.
And yet, day after day, post after post, we see people here on /. advocate that US at least be able to manufacturer everything locally, to reduce dependency on foreign tech, to reduce brain-drain to foreign manufacturing, etc, etc, etc.
Then we see a country try and do that. And we tell them its wrong...
I realize /. is of course many people and many opinions... but I wonder how many people were reading your post nodding; while simultaneously thinking the US should be producing more locally, despite the competitive advantages of outsourcing the manufacturing (which is precisely is why we do it.)
No they wouldn't - the vast majority of silicon vendors are fabless
But the price hurdle to having a 3rd party fab produce your custom chip is still significant. His analogy to the printing press stands.
It is absolutely possible to have free/open source chip designs.
Yes. It is possible. It is even a good thing, and RMS is all for someone doing it. Its just not HIS project. He's not -against- open hardware in anyway. He's just explaining why he's not personally as passionate about it.
And at the end of the day it doesn't really matter if your hammer design is proprietary or open source:
a) You still have to buy the finished hammer (hardware); as few of us have the means to produce one. (contrast to the ease of producing a copy of software)
b) The finished hammer itself isn't copyprotected. The design files might be, but the final product isn't. And there really aren't that many cases where there are restrictions on what we may do with hardware after we buy it, including modify it, or incorporate it into another project, etc, etc, etc. (Contrast: relative to software; consider things like the bnet server emulator; consider the EULA, etc.)
I'm with you. I'm pro open hardware. But I also agree with RMS, it is different, and I understand why its not his priority.
By all means though, make it yours.
It's true that copying hardware is hard in a way that copying software is not, but only to someone who does not own a compatible factory.
He agrees with you and even made the parallel printing press example for books beofre 50 years ago.
Just as the right to modify code is only directly useful to those who can program
But the right to -copy- code is useful to everyone.
f the masksets were open, anyone with a computer could refactor or simplify the maskset to make a slower but compatible device on older cheaper process tech
But they'd STILL need a factory.
His position is simply pragmatic. The pressing ethical concern for software freedom does not (yet) exist to the same extent for hardware (because you need a factory) to exercise the freedom. He even allows that (e.g. via nanobots) it might one day become as easy as software, and at that point presumably he'd be more interested in it.
Nor does he disagree with your argument at all, in any way -- and welcomes, even encourages people like yourself to work towards open hardware goals. Its just not 'his' cause.
I don't think you can really "disagree" with that!
Routers are configured with an individual MAC address
They actually usually have several.
(which is stored in the configuration flash partition)
The NICs themselves have the MAC flashed into their own firmware. So the 'problem' there is already solved by the upstream vendor.
The router firmware typically just reads the addresses from the NICs, unless you've overridedden it.
This is why you can flash a router with new firmware, including overriding and resetting all configuration and it doesn't lose its MAC.
and printed on the label on the bottom of the device)
In some, but not all cases. Yes.
The point stands that everything they do that makes each unit more unique adds to the effort and cost. Having the same default password is less effort and cheaper overall, and that is why its common practice.
Perhaps. But remember they can see the characters ... a...s ........ .y...........o............u...... t....y............p..... e....
A pause for reflection before a response is one thing. 3 minutes watching the response slowly how up as they hunt and peck the keys is something else.
(sigh, lameness filter encountered. Trying to add some filler here to convince it the ellipses had a point. Nope that's not enough. I guess I'll remove some dots. There were longer pauses between some of the letters.
Here you go, in his own words:
http://www.linuxtoday.com/infr...
Why do all routers of the same model need to come with the same initial credentials?
It makes printing the manual and setup instructions easier.
It makes writing any 'plug-in-and-configure' style utilities easier.
It makes providing support easier.
It saves a step of changing the password for each unit after its made and flashed, documenting the new password, and including a printout of that new password in the shipping materials.
You simply take out your sidearm and shoot them as they sneak up and attempt to plug their Thunderbolt hacking gadget in
And what if the thunderbolt hacking gadget is the external hard drive you ordered, that was modified before you received it?
And why is he doing it? Not because it helps students, but because it appears to lower youth unemployment and reduces the need for corporations to train people themselves slightly.
How is giving every kid with good grades the opportunity to get more than a high school education without having finaces be an overriding consideration?
Of course it helps the students. The best thing in the world to improve the odds for success in life is more education.
And the first 2 years of college/university are worlds apart from what you learned in grade 12.
but because it appears to lower youth unemployment and reduces the need for corporations to train people themselves slightly.
Fascinating world view you have there.
That's two years out of the workforce, two years of not paying into retirement, and no benefit, since those students will simply be competing against each other for the same jobs anyway.
Good point. We should end public education at grade 4. Its just years they aren't in the work force, and of no benefit since they'll just be competing each other for the same jobs anyway; and all it does is reduce the need for corporations to train people themselves.
I mean, everyone does work for a corporation right? There aren't ~20 million sole-proprieterships in the country. And there certainly aren't another 40 million+ people working for small to medium businesses.
It's a gigantic ripoff, both of students and tax payers.
Seriously. Sarcasm off. More available education is one of the best things we can do for the country. This isn't no-child-left-behind sillyness... this is about making sure students who can and would succeed at post-secondary school get to go.
What would be a better use of tax dollars in the long run?
And what about when the machine is unlocked?
Take a look around sometime.
So what do you suggest?
I already suggested it be a $1 app to add the UI for the feature to switch. That'll keep out the young kids. And make darn sure nobody just does it without thinking. Putting even a small price on something stops the VAST majority of people from getting it.
Insightful knowledge of the dangers of the internet does not come along at the same time as the ability to switch on other app-stores.
And being able to cause yourself serious personal injury and damage to your vehicle's engine doesn't come along at the same time as the ability to open the hood or wield a wrench... do you also advocate vehicles have dealer locked hoods that only they can open?
Meanwhile, these 35 year old kids are using the PC or Mac computers without such restrictions. Some of them are getting infected, that's how they learn. You aren't calling for lock down there too are you? Why not? Why is the phone or tablet sacrosanct?
There is NO DIFFERENCE in terms of millions of people being easily infected in ways that are not really possibly with iOS devices.
The "millions of people infected on android", by and large are in eastern markets on unofficial / pirate stores (often pre-installed on their phones by crappy local vendors. The infection rate from the offical app store is very low to the point that its still news when it happens.
There are not millions of infected androids in the West due to the ability to select another app store. The vast majority in the west never leave the official store.
The suggestion that having support for a 3rd party store would cause millions of clueless westerners to get infected is just FUD.
You also blow over the whole app permission debacle on Android, where you have to agree to all permissions up front
If, as I suggested, that Apple allowed 3rd party stores to exist -- that would not affect their permissions management, and it would not affect their store curation.
So what exactly do either of those issues have to do with the support for 3rd party app stores? Nothing.
I agree with you that android's permissions manager needs work, and that the curation needs to improve on the android app store. But that is entirely beside the point.
The clueless old folks might not
They are the ones that need protection.
The clueless kids certainly will.
They're not clueless, just unwise. There is a big difference. They aren't fooled into thinking the chinese app store with pirated games is in any way official; they aren't accidently unchecking the 'allow software from untrusted sources' button because they got confused... they know what they are doing and what they want.
They don't need protection.
I personally think that's important to maintain app store security that protects non-technical users.
Android's model is perfectly fine. The play store is there by default. The ability to use other stores is off by default.
Non-technical users are perfectly safe. My mom is NEVER going to alter those settings or go outside the official app store. Neither do my in-laws.
But I can have F-droid, and support HumbleBundle, etc.
There is NO justification for Apple's policy except greed and control.
You aren't necessarily wrong. But the current system still sucks.
I'd pay $100 more for a ticket that was:
- meals/drinks included ... but I'm allowed to wear it onto the plane for free. Just the inconvenience to me and every other passenger.
- 2 checked bags; no more than 60 lbs total, no individual bag more than 50 lbs. (So that packing two easy to manage 20-30 lb bags doesn't cost more than throwing it all into a big awkward 50lb bag; and then bringing a big heavy jacket on carry on because it doesn't fit in my one checked bag, and would put it over the weight limit even if it did fit.)
- no TSA groping / lineups, no shoe removal, no confiscating my half finished bottle of coke, no xrays. just common sense.
Seriously. I will take the chance someone will end up on the plane with a pair of safety scissors or that the grandmother next to me might pull out her knitting needles on the plane. I will pay extra for an airline willing to give me that option. I'm REALLY not worried about being exploded or shot by my fellow passengers.
If anyone is too fearful to fly on a plane that hasn't had every passenger groped by the TSA that's fine. There can be another flight where everyone has to strip, get probed and xrayed, and change into prison jumpsuits before they get on the plane. Your welcome to fly on that one.
Let the free market sort out how much security we need.
So yeah, when messages come from the IP of the appropriate NK government offices, it actually is reasonably strong evidence.
Its definitely suggestive. Its hardly conclusive.
Computers in north korea can be botted just like anyone elses. And if I controlled a botted computer somewhere behind a North Korean ip address NAT... well... you know I'd HAVE to proxy through it just for the hacker-cred...
Other people's property isn't yours.
The fact that anything is recognized as anyone's "property" at all is at the collective agreement of society to recognize the claim.
Kill yourself, you fucking piece of authoritarian scum.
Go live on an asteroid by yourself and declare and yourself king. The rest of society needs to organize and make rules to we can all agree to live by.
You should be able to get 100% completion of the game with what you paid for the game itself.
Because it matters whether or not you can get some arbitrary number to 100% somewhere why exactly?
If your enjoyment of a game is based on whether you can get "credit" for completing it in some sort of silly meta-competition-ranking that's pretty sad.
Me, I enjoy the trophies / acheivement aspects of games to invite me to try to challenge myself or play in ways I might not otherwise try... but who on earth really gives a shit that I can't get the "Finished the Dungeon of X" acheivement unless I buy the Dungeon of X DLC pack and that I'll be "stuck at 98%" completion as a result.
A HOA is upfront about the fact that they don't want a TARDIS in your driveway? I doubt it.
My bylaws, for example, state that:
Only licensed vehicles with current registration and insurance can be left on the driveways, that they must not hang out onto the road, and all wheels must be on the driveway.
It also has specific exclusions disallowing the long term storage of trailers, boats, and RVs on the driveway (or front yard).
A tardis, while not mentioned specifically, is definitely against the rules, along with dirtbikes, kids pools, old TVs, stacks of boxes, or an art project...
The agents know that if you have access to the bylaws, it lowers your chance of wanting to buy in that subdivision
Here, its pretty standard to include the receipt of all bylaws as a condition of the offer to purchase. If the realtor or seller would misrepresent whether you had everything that would expose them to a lawsuit. I've always received copies of all the bylaws for condos and subdivisions I've bought in. While the realtor may know that especially onerous bylaws will make the sale difficult and I've walked away from buying units that had silly rules like no vehicles could be parked on the driveway after dusk etc.
no one wants to have the largest investment in their life subject to the desires of some nosy neighbor who has no investment in your property.
Nor does one want to have the largest investment in their life lowered in value by the rotting RV in the neighbors unmaintained front yard, with the moldy tarp covering a leak on their roof, and a front deck they built themselves and painted bright yellow.
Here's the secret to HOAs / Condo statras etc... don't just get the bylaws. Get the minutes to the meetings. READ them. Its the biggest investment of your life... you can afford to spend an evening reading.
If its a whole neighborhood of busybodies... you'll be able to tell from the minutes that its going to be toxic... move on.
A bad HOA is never just one or two busybodies; there needs to be a critical mass of them otherwise the rest of the neighborhood just overrules them changes whatever the bylaws are that are causing all the grief.
However, what's wrong with bringing fewer bags, if you want to, or else paying the going price for the bags you really need?
The cognitive burden of facing all those "decisions" and the constant bombardment of the nickle and diming fees makes the entire experience less enjoyable for everyone.
Imagine a game where you paid a fee to unlock each level, each quest, each item. If you don't play the game much, its more economical this way.
However, the game itself isn't much fun because instead of playing it you spend all your time deciding whether its really worth another 50 cents for a bigger bag or whether that dungeon is going to be worth $2 or whether equipping this item is really worth another 25 cents...
I'd MUCH rather pay $30 for the game, and have it all available, even if I don't end up exploring every nook and cranny.
The obvious solution is to use Services->Text->Word Capitals to fix your mistake. Ohh, your OS is missing that - well, get a real one.
That one would NEED to invoke a little text formatting macro. /sarcasm
Yes. That's the obvious solution.
Allow it in your home, just be smart enough to thwart it.
The advice only works as long as it isn't taken.
As soon as enough people "got smart", they'd make it that much harder, and then it wouldn't be trivial to eliminate with a JTAG connector anymore it will as difficult as cracking a PS4... doable, eventually, maybe.
The "trouble" with windows backup, is that it has read/write access to the backup store. Which means if your computer is compromised by cryptowall, cryptowall has read / write access to the back up store... so crytowall can encrypt your backup archive files/ indexes... whatever else.
Secure backup from something like this, needs to be client/server. The computer must not be able to see the backup archive files directly.
If you save the backups on a network share; using separate credentials that only the backup runs under then *maybe* you'd be safer. But I still wouldn't count on it.