If the terrorists can subject us to huge inconveniences and economic damage to pay for all of this added security, then they've 'already won'. Not being a Chicken Little or conspiracy theorist, I'm still puzzled as to why it is that the U.S. and U.K. governments so consistently play right into the hands of the terrorists. I mean, we've (allegedly) captured the ones responsible for the plot and (allegedly) know what they were doing and planning. Why, then if this is so do we still have to take all of these precautions? We are nations of over-reactionaries and I see most of these actions as closing the barn door long after all the livestock has escaped.
Now gimme back my gel sole shoe inserts you insensitive clods!
I don't know that most people would actually ride a train, at least not here. Where I live (South Florida) pretty much transportation is North-South, the relatively small amount of train traffic that we do have plays havoc with the automobile traffic. We can't have underground subways here as you usually hit water when you dig anywhere deeper than about 4 or 5 feet. So the only other option is an elevated train that is very expensive to build and maintain. Miami has a limited one that does not service all of the community, and it is way under utilized with large cost overruns.
That pretty much leaves buses for us as a viable mass-transit option. And I have been saying for a while that to get a better class of people riding the bus, you have to have a better class of people riding the bus. The last bus ride I took when my car was in the shop was kind of frightening for a middle class geek carrying an expensive laptop and cellphone.
Generally people in the US are way too attached to their cars and the independance that it gives them to give them up. Car-pooling is nearly non-existant where I work. Maybe $5 or $6 a gallon gas will change that.
These unknowing passengers who are doing nothing wrong are landing in a secret government document called a Surveillance Detection Report, or SDR
And WTF is this? Is this like being put on double-secret probation? When you have a government program that, according to the article, withholds bonuses and raises based on quotas, I suppose we shouldn't be surprised when agents just make stuff up. How incredibly ludicrous is this? We've once again managed to build the incompetence right there into the system.
Just got my ass chewed out for being under quota. Gotta keep my eyes open. But look,over there, by the window. That frail old lady kind of looks suspicious to me. Got kind of an evil look about her. And what's that in her hands? OMG - Holy crap - knitting needles!! Quick, take her down she might just be trying to knit....
This is no different than con artists fixing local officials to get out of jail free.
Acutally, this is more like being shaken down by the mob for protection money. They're basically saying 'Pay the fine, or else' and he's not backing down. Not a lot of people have the A) Time and B) Resources to fight back as so many other posts have pointed out.
I for one, welcome our new big, bad-assed mac daddy, corporate, counter-sueing overlord.
'Now, MySpace is beginning to create its own ecosystem'
Just great. So when the EPA declares them a super-saturated toxic waste dump of electronic sludge, we'll all be stuck with the bill for the clean up. Thanks a lot MySpace.:p
Granted and good points. But if someone walks up to me on the street and offers a copy of WindowsXP Pro at 5 bucks a pop, I'd feel pretty safe betting the ranch that it's not genuine.
I also think WGA has more negative impact for legitimate single or home users than it does for pirates as many posts above have already stated better than I can. And problems seem to be more prevalant with corporate licenses which is a very good case for having access to your original media tightly controlled. I'm guessing that the corporate customers with WGA authentication problems are probably shops where controls are light and illegitimate copies have slipped out the back door and out onto the street. I don't know if there's any other good way for MS to counter this and I'd guess that this is probably their biggest source of illegal copies in the West.
This may be somewhat OT, but is anyone else sick to death of this? Welcome to the world of Corporate double-speak where:
Small = Tall
Medium = Grande
Large = Venti
So why in the world is it called "Windows Genuine Advantage" anyway when it's really just an anti-piracy detector? What conceivable "Advantage" is there for the consumer and why wasn't Windows Update just left well enough alone? I know Microsoft has a right to protect it's products but at least have the decency to call it what it is: Anti-Piracy validation.
And before I get modded flamebait, I'm not particularly picking on MS or Starbucks here. I am trying to make the point that in many ways and in many different forms of media we are increasingly being conditioned to accept corporate and marketing double-speak that just does not make any sense. These are just the examples that came to mind first.
This is admittedly way OT, but I recently added that to my sig because I'm so tired of seeing the whole immigration issue being politicized without our really doing anything about it. My wife is a documented permanent US resident and we have many immigrant friends so this issue is important to us. Particularly since 9/11, I have found the decisions to grant or deny residence status to be most capricious and arbitrary. And contrary to what most people think, this is not only a hispanic issue. I know people from the UK, Austria, South Africa, and other places who desparately wanted to stay here and have been victims of poor policy. And I've seen friends and families face the choice of staying illegally or being torn apart as a result.
Of course, if you are a white collar worker with a good income and can afford $15 or $20K for a good immigration lawyer you don't have this problem. The whole process is flawed if you ask me.
Several years ago, there was one case at a local hospital that made the newspapers. A woman had come in for adbominal surgery about 6 or 8 years earlier and was now complaining of pretty severe stomach pains. X-Ray examination quickly revealed that there were not one, but two hemostats that had been left inside her after her surgery.
We were never able to confirm whether her admitting diagnosis had been "A bad case of Stomach Clamps".
I think I've figured out what's really going on here. This is all part of the Chinese government's campaign to eradicate global warming and embarass western leaders by taking all of the credit. Here's how it works:
1. Children locate pirates 2. Chinese government detains pirates 3. Pirates begin reproducing during long, boring confinement 4. More Pirates = Less Global Warming
Thanks for having my back and you're dead on. SQL Server also had some serious flaws (slammer anyone?) until SP3 was released and I could go on.
One of the largest parts of my job as a sys admin is planning and budgeting for upgrades. With this news, I figure I have at least a good 3 years before I have to seriously think about Vista. Someone's too quick on the Troll mod button today. All my hard earned good karma going up in smoke (sobs).:p
Slashdot Mirror
Bingo! And someone please mod parent up.
If the terrorists can subject us to huge inconveniences and economic damage to pay for all of this added security, then they've 'already won'. Not being a Chicken Little or conspiracy theorist, I'm still puzzled as to why it is that the U.S. and U.K. governments so consistently play right into the hands of the terrorists. I mean, we've (allegedly) captured the ones responsible for the plot and (allegedly) know what they were doing and planning. Why, then if this is so do we still have to take all of these precautions? We are nations of over-reactionaries and I see most of these actions as closing the barn door long after all the livestock has escaped.
Now gimme back my gel sole shoe inserts you insensitive clods!
Anyone else read that as "Place Sniffing"? I need a vacation.
Where can I get this repellant that you speak of?
I don't know that most people would actually ride a train, at least not here. Where I live (South Florida) pretty much transportation is North-South, the relatively small amount of train traffic that we do have plays havoc with the automobile traffic. We can't have underground subways here as you usually hit water when you dig anywhere deeper than about 4 or 5 feet. So the only other option is an elevated train that is very expensive to build and maintain. Miami has a limited one that does not service all of the community, and it is way under utilized with large cost overruns.
That pretty much leaves buses for us as a viable mass-transit option. And I have been saying for a while that to get a better class of people riding the bus, you have to have a better class of people riding the bus. The last bus ride I took when my car was in the shop was kind of frightening for a middle class geek carrying an expensive laptop and cellphone.
Generally people in the US are way too attached to their cars and the independance that it gives them to give them up. Car-pooling is nearly non-existant where I work. Maybe $5 or $6 a gallon gas will change that.
Owing partially to your user name, I bow to your better knowledge of the subject and consider myself better informed.
Now, please excuse me. I have to go change my spark plugs or something.
Boy, I'm feeling more secure everyday...Not.
Marshal: Sweating profusely, attempts to light cigarrette
Smart assed little girl: "N-O-S-M-O-K-I-N-G, Nooooo Smoking!"
Just got my ass chewed out for being under quota. Gotta keep my eyes open. But look ,over there, by the window. That frail old lady kind of looks suspicious to me. Got kind of an evil look about her. And what's that in her hands? OMG - Holy crap - knitting needles!! Quick, take her down she might just be trying to knit....
(wait for it)
AN AFGHAN!
I for one, welcome our new big, bad-assed mac daddy, corporate, counter-sueing overlord.
Some jokes just write themselves.
I thought it was more like One Legged Alternative Power
Five bucks says he says he pronounces "Nuclear" as "Nucular". Any takers?
But can you just imagine a Beowulf clu... uh, wait. On second thought, nevermind.
Granted and good points. But if someone walks up to me on the street and offers a copy of WindowsXP Pro at 5 bucks a pop, I'd feel pretty safe betting the ranch that it's not genuine.
I also think WGA has more negative impact for legitimate single or home users than it does for pirates as many posts above have already stated better than I can. And problems seem to be more prevalant with corporate licenses which is a very good case for having access to your original media tightly controlled. I'm guessing that the corporate customers with WGA authentication problems are probably shops where controls are light and illegitimate copies have slipped out the back door and out onto the street. I don't know if there's any other good way for MS to counter this and I'd guess that this is probably their biggest source of illegal copies in the West.
This may be somewhat OT, but is anyone else sick to death of this? Welcome to the world of Corporate double-speak where:
Small = Tall
Medium = Grande
Large = Venti
So why in the world is it called "Windows Genuine Advantage" anyway when it's really just an anti-piracy detector? What conceivable "Advantage" is there for the consumer and why wasn't Windows Update just left well enough alone? I know Microsoft has a right to protect it's products but at least have the decency to call it what it is: Anti-Piracy validation.
And before I get modded flamebait, I'm not particularly picking on MS or Starbucks here. I am trying to make the point that in many ways and in many different forms of media we are increasingly being conditioned to accept corporate and marketing double-speak that just does not make any sense. These are just the examples that came to mind first.
Points taken, I'll try it out that way.
This is admittedly way OT, but I recently added that to my sig because I'm so tired of seeing the whole immigration issue being politicized without our really doing anything about it. My wife is a documented permanent US resident and we have many immigrant friends so this issue is important to us. Particularly since 9/11, I have found the decisions to grant or deny residence status to be most capricious and arbitrary. And contrary to what most people think, this is not only a hispanic issue. I know people from the UK, Austria, South Africa, and other places who desparately wanted to stay here and have been victims of poor policy. And I've seen friends and families face the choice of staying illegally or being torn apart as a result.
Of course, if you are a white collar worker with a good income and can afford $15 or $20K for a good immigration lawyer you don't have this problem. The whole process is flawed if you ask me.
No comment.
Several years ago, there was one case at a local hospital that made the newspapers. A woman had come in for adbominal surgery about 6 or 8 years earlier and was now complaining of pretty severe stomach pains. X-Ray examination quickly revealed that there were not one, but two hemostats that had been left inside her after her surgery.
We were never able to confirm whether her admitting diagnosis had been "A bad case of Stomach Clamps".
I think I've figured out what's really going on here. This is all part of the Chinese government's campaign to eradicate global warming and embarass western leaders by taking all of the credit. Here's how it works:
1. Children locate pirates
2. Chinese government detains pirates
3. Pirates begin reproducing during long, boring confinement
4. More Pirates = Less Global Warming
Brilliant!
Thanks for having my back and you're dead on. SQL Server also had some serious flaws (slammer anyone?) until SP3 was released and I could go on.
:p
One of the largest parts of my job as a sys admin is planning and budgeting for upgrades. With this news, I figure I have at least a good 3 years before I have to seriously think about Vista. Someone's too quick on the Troll mod button today. All my hard earned good karma going up in smoke (sobs).
And all this time, I thought 'on-line gambling' was downloading and installing the latest Windows patches.