Webmail has lots of features that fetchmail and pine do not...
First of all, there are more web browsers installed across the globe than instances of fetchmail and pine.
Secondly, for people who access email from a LOT of different locations (ie: me), like home, office, friends' homes, job locations, client locations, etc... it's a whole lot easier to be able to have your mail on the net, and not have to reconfigure every computer you're at... (a lot of my friends don't like that, and a lot of my clients AREN'T using *nix, pine, and fetchmail)
Lastly (that I can think of at least), Travelling. It's quite easy to be able to check mail from any computer store with a net connection. Not so easy to carry your DSL modem around with ya is it? Also (last I checked) impossible to take the service with you.
While POP3 may suit your needs better, there are lots of valid reasons why webmail makes sense to a lot of people, myself included.
This brings me to an interesting question. What sort of retaliation do consumers have against Hotmail. They're flakiness has kind of, well, increased as of late. I got my hotmail account before MS bought em, and haven't bothered to switch email addresses... However, since the service is free, what kind of protection do we have. We are subjected to their banner ads, so, in a sense we are 'paying' for their service (The more they're down, the more we pay), tho it is essentially a free service... I dunno, obviously, we can't demand our money back???? Class action maybe?
Just kidding... Merry Christmas, Best Wishes, and happiest of holidays to all of you and yours (well, most of you)... May your segfaults be quick and painless, and your core dumps be merry.
To those of you running Win**, may your BSODs be just a shade brighter, and your security holes be just a little smaller.
Once again, happy holidays (applicable to whatever you celebrate).
One thing to note, with the currency rates, $125 AUD==$80.31 USD.
The article claimed that they had set up "a commercial margin, but a very small one". Now, who exactly do they go through? With our competitive brokers in the US, Joker.com costs $37 for two years, while OpenSRS claims to cheapen even that by a little.
Just seems to me, that maybe they're overpaying. Heck, you could just as easily get a.com,.net, or.org address for cheaper, and without having to type in three little extra characters.
Actually, from what I got out of the article, 128 is only acceptable (at least at this point) between SuiteSpot servers and Netscape browsers. They're not going to implement any more encryption into the browser.
This has been around for awhile, as Server Gated Crypto, and both IE and Netscape have this functionality. It's not that the NSA can break it (although I'm in no position to say that they can't, it's still possible), but that the only transactions being encrypted in this manner are going to be hand picked, to issue certificates, and probably only for bank/commerce transactions.
PS, all ACs, notice how I get my point across WITHOUT having to call him a karma whore? or bash his use of "..." as a subject. Remember, it's a free world, and it's his prerogative. Some of us actually appreciate intelligent conversation, regardless of its intent, and (last time I checked), he's still perfectly free to choose whatever subject he wants.
I'll shut up now and post so that I can be flamed.
I don't mean to be critical, I really don't, and before anyone flaims me, I'm guilty of it too. But here is what I'm hearing:
"I'd really like to use VMware, but they want money." "VMware is great, but they keep nagging me to pay them."
Etc., etc.. I understand that VMware's not open source, and that maybe it should be. Maybe after this it will be, once they realize that they're not the only kids on the block anymore. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't pay for it. If it's a program that you use, and that you enjoy, you SHOULD pay for it.
When developers start realizing that they're catering to a bunch of cheap bastards (myself included), they're going to pick up shop, or begin attaching themselves to something a little more worthwhile. Yes, someone else will pick up where they left off, but we need long-timers. Those in for the long haul, who've been around and gotten the experience.
I for one tend to at least try to support the projects that I reap benefit from. Granted, I don't use VMware, and would probably switch to FreeMWare if I did, but not because it was free. More because I am free, free to decide what I think it's worth to me in the scheme of things, free to choose when or where I'm going to pay for it. In other words, I don't use free software. If I like something, I like to show my appreciation of the effort, and money usually works quite nicely.
This is not to say that the developers wouldn't be just as happy with a postcard. A lot of times, it's things like that that MAKE the project worthwhile. In short, I strongly urge those of us caught up in Open Source to appreciate the authors. If you're going to switch to FreeMWare, try and make a donation. Can't make a donation? Send a postcard, or an email, or a birthday cake, or something. Let them know that their work is appreciated, or it won't go on much longer.
Here's a law that truly applies to Memphis drivers...
Illegal for a woman to drive a car unless there is a man either running or walking in front of it waving a red flag to warn approaching motorists and pedestrians.
Always knew there was a reason nobody around here can drive..
If by some criminals, you mean only the most hardened - here's the kicker. They generally fall into two categories:
A: Those that don't have any concern for their own life, or
B: Those that don't think they'll ever be caught.
In either case, the death threat isn't a deterrent.
You're right, it's not a deterrent. None whatsoever. Because of this, I feel that they should be put to death. I dunno, I'm still not saying kill all bad people, but maybe, one chance. If after threat of death they are still committing crimes, then they should be put to death.
Martyrdom I don't think is that big a factor. At least not in my experience. Most people I know, sane or otherwise are wanting to or even willing to get themselves killed for a cause. Yes, there are a few, but not most. And probably not too many in this country (America).
The Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria (TCSEC) is a collection of criteria that was previously used to grade or rate the security offered by a computer system product. No new evaluations are being conducted using the TCSEC although there are some still ongoing at this time. The TCSEC is sometimes referred to as "the Orange Book" because of its orange cover. The current version is dated 1985 (DOD 5200.28-STD, Library No. S225,711) The TCSEC, its interpretations, and guidelines all have different color covers and are sometimes known as the "Rainbow Series" (see TCSEC Criteria Concepts FAQ, Question 4). It is available at
Now, this to me at least indicates that either this news is old, or Microsoft is using outdated testing criterium.
Also, when looking at the TSCEC programs that were evaluated and passed, complete listing, NT4 is not on the list. NT3.51 is, but not NT4. Also, Microsoft never made mention of wether or not it had passed the evaluation, only that it had been tested 6 different times.
It's quite obvious, at least to me, that there are hordes of giant red spacecraft-eating Martian beast gobbling these things up like candy.
If we STOP sending things over there, then maybe we can starve them out. Maybe we should try some sub-atmospheric observance? That way we could keep tabs on them until the died of starvation, then start sending things back over.
Well, it seems like most of this has been discussed recently in many other related stories, so I'll try to be brief.
The biggest question I've run across thus far, that nobody's been able to definitively answer, is how accountable is the NSA, and to whom? The NSA seems to be flying in the face of accountability on this one, simply refusing to produce documents that they should be entitled to reproduce.
I'm hoping that the NSA does have to produce said documents, so that we may be able to find out, at least to some extent, how badly we're being spied on, or at least what they're willing to admit.
Another part of me (take this how you want) actually hopes that the NSA is found in a manner that they don't have to produce these documents. This could set a precedent for us, the common people, allowing us to keep our private documents, and not be forced to make them public. Of course, we know that won't happen, but still, it's nice to dream.
First and foremost, I DO believe in the death penalty. I feel that fear of death can be the only cure for some criminals, and that oftentimes the prison system does such terrible job of rehabilitation, it would have been more cost effective to put them down in the first place.
A good example, however fictional it might be, is _The_Shawshank_Redemption_, in which the lead character Andy makes a statement something along the lines of "You know, when I was on the outside, I flew straight as an arrow, but I had to come to prison to learn how to be a criminal."
It may seem like a bad example, but for any of you that don't have any first-hand experience with ex-cons, or prison systems (I've been to jail, briefly, and had my share of run-ins with the law when I was younger, and almost a handful of my friends have been in a little deeper), it's more often than not the truth. Sending people with criminal mentality, often criminal by necessity (at least in their minds) into an environment predominately gang controlled and replete with organized criminal activities can be the WORST thing for them.
Now I'm not saying that they deserved the death penalty, I don't consider theft a capital offense, especially not electronic theft, in which nobody can "get hurt" physically, but in a Communist environment, the traditional goal is for people to work together, for the common goal of the people. In a sense it's like stealing money from your father so that you can buy a bike he might have bought you for Christmas had you not stolen from him in the first place. (Bad analogy, let's move on)
The biggest question in my mind would be the interrogation tactics used to convince one brother to rat out the other. Not all families are close, I understand that, but if I were close enough anyone to commit electronic crime with them, I would have to feel like I could trust them with more than my life. Maybe the initiator overlooked this, maybe he made a bad judgement call, perhaps. Not having any insight into the matter leads me to speculate a scenario with hot lights, hot pokers, and even hotter tempers belonging to Chinese officials.
True, I could be completely full of shit, but I don't know. If anyone knows better, let me know. I'm not above looking stupid, I promise.
It's really too bad that they didn't put any of the specifications of the implant in the article. I was actually kinda disappointed, that more attention (or at least keystrokes) wasn't paid to the article. Not that I expect this, but if anybody out there knows anything more about this story, or has another source that we can check out, perhaps with a little more detail, I'd be happy to see it.
Seems to me, that in order for it to be journalism, one should actually investigate it a little bit. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh.
To anyone that's interested, I've updated the article with a lot of your additions. I want to thank the individuals that took the time to think of things that annoyed them, and presented them forth so that I could plagiarize them. Seriously, I want to say thanks to Thanks to Pabs, Layne, Lurking Weasel, and all the others that have helped to refine this document. If I've taken anything you said, and not given credit (or a link, if you're lurking weasel), drop me a line, and I'll get it taken care of... Thanks again.
I've found, in my experience, that the best way to dispel belief is to show someone firsthand.
I'm always one to preach on what I find enjoyable about Linux, and yes, I'm not so easy to tell you the things that I don't like about it. The trick to this, is to do it in a manner in which you don't simply try to discredit the opposition. Most individuals, even M$ lovers, realize that it could be better (if nothing more), and most realize that it downright sucks. This leads to the belief that computers are difficult, and unreliable. Because people have come to endure this without question.
If I run across someone I know or work with that's into computers, and doesn't have any first-hand Linux experience, I give it to them. I let them play around on my system for awhile, letting them get into the joys that I so often experience just using my computer without it crashing. When someone realizes that it doesn't have to be the way it is for them, they start to change.
This goes a long way in swaying most people that simply don't realize there's a better way than Windows.
I understand that Linux wasn't originally intended for the masses, but it definately does have that avenue to explore before it can be taken seriously. With the advent and ease of use of RedHat 6.1, anyone that can use Windows 98 could just as easily be using RedHat 6.1. It's that easy. As they progress, and want to learn more, maybe put them into something a little less user friendly, and with a little more control. (Please no distro debates here, this is just my take) A good thing to do would be to put Linux in schools, as most people that use computers in high school, or even grade school, go on to use that same setup in real world after that. Also, people that learn it in school, wouldn't have to UNlearn their Win95 knowledge (which was the hardest part for me).
Y'know guys, I think somehow I'm being robbed by this. I just realized that I wrote the article, and submitted it about a week ago, and didn't get anything. Now CalibanDNS submits it, and HE'S going to get a free T-Shirt. What's the world coming to?!? I would so desperately like a free T-Shirt. It's getting cold where I live, and I don't have anything to wear, since Natalie Portman ate my hot grits.
Actually, I read the quickies yesterday, and didn't see it. Granted, it's been part of my sig for awhile now, but I just checked yesterday's quickies, and didn't see it again. Maybe I'm missing something tho...
Actually, the site has been up in various forms since 1994. That document itself was written over the course of about 30 minutes. Strangely enough, most of the junk I did a long time ago isn't on that incarnation of the site, but I'm working on it.
It appears that my humble little site is already slashdotted. If anyone else wants to view the site, I've got a mirror of that document here.
P.S. Thanks to all the people who have posted possible additions to the article. I promise to review them and include (with your permission and credit of course) them in an updated version. Thanks.
Re:Possible additions to the h4x0rz guide
on
Guide to Slashdot
·
· Score: 2
Thanks a heap pabs, I'll add that in as soon as I'm done getting slashdotted...
Sorry bout the moderation man. There is apparently a moderator with a very bad sense of humor running around tonight. I got knocked down to Troll for a funny about the/. fleece long sleeve shirts offered on ThinkGeek. Thankfully, I got moderated BACK up to two, but the fact that it was moderated down in the first place.
Especially on a quickie. How else do you reply to a quickie but with humor?
Slashdot Mirror
Webmail has lots of features that fetchmail and pine do not...
First of all, there are more web browsers installed across the globe than instances of fetchmail and pine.
Secondly, for people who access email from a LOT of different locations (ie: me), like home, office, friends' homes, job locations, client locations, etc... it's a whole lot easier to be able to have your mail on the net, and not have to reconfigure every computer you're at... (a lot of my friends don't like that, and a lot of my clients AREN'T using *nix, pine, and fetchmail)
Lastly (that I can think of at least), Travelling. It's quite easy to be able to check mail from any computer store with a net connection. Not so easy to carry your DSL modem around with ya is it? Also (last I checked) impossible to take the service with you.
While POP3 may suit your needs better, there are lots of valid reasons why webmail makes sense to a lot of people, myself included.
This brings me to an interesting question. What sort of retaliation do consumers have against Hotmail. They're flakiness has kind of, well, increased as of late. I got my hotmail account before MS bought em, and haven't bothered to switch email addresses... However, since the service is free, what kind of protection do we have. We are subjected to their banner ads, so, in a sense we are 'paying' for their service (The more they're down, the more we pay), tho it is essentially a free service... I dunno, obviously, we can't demand our money back???? Class action maybe?
Maybe?? I dunno.
Just kidding... Merry Christmas, Best Wishes, and happiest of holidays to all of you and yours (well, most of you)... May your segfaults be quick and painless, and your core dumps be merry.
To those of you running Win**, may your BSODs be just a shade brighter, and your security holes be just a little smaller.
Once again, happy holidays (applicable to whatever you celebrate).
One thing to note, with the currency rates, $125 AUD==$80.31 USD.
.com, .net, or .org address for cheaper, and without having to type in three little extra characters.
The article claimed that they had set up "a commercial margin, but a very small one". Now, who exactly do they go through? With our competitive brokers in the US, Joker.com costs $37 for two years, while OpenSRS claims to cheapen even that by a little.
Just seems to me, that maybe they're overpaying. Heck, you could just as easily get a
Actually, from what I got out of the article, 128 is only acceptable (at least at this point) between SuiteSpot servers and Netscape browsers. They're not going to implement any more encryption into the browser.
This has been around for awhile, as Server Gated Crypto, and both IE and Netscape have this functionality. It's not that the NSA can break it (although I'm in no position to say that they can't, it's still possible), but that the only transactions being encrypted in this manner are going to be hand picked, to issue certificates, and probably only for bank/commerce transactions.
PS, all ACs, notice how I get my point across WITHOUT having to call him a karma whore? or bash his use of "..." as a subject. Remember, it's a free world, and it's his prerogative. Some of us actually appreciate intelligent conversation, regardless of its intent, and (last time I checked), he's still perfectly free to choose whatever subject he wants.
I'll shut up now and post so that I can be flamed.
Before badmouthing Slashdot, how about consulting a dictionary, as there is no such word as "desinformation".
I don't mean to be critical, I really don't, and before anyone flaims me, I'm guilty of it too. But here is what I'm hearing:
"I'd really like to use VMware, but they want money."
"VMware is great, but they keep nagging me to pay them."
Etc., etc.. I understand that VMware's not open source, and that maybe it should be. Maybe after this it will be, once they realize that they're not the only kids on the block anymore. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't pay for it. If it's a program that you use, and that you enjoy, you SHOULD pay for it.
When developers start realizing that they're catering to a bunch of cheap bastards (myself included), they're going to pick up shop, or begin attaching themselves to something a little more worthwhile. Yes, someone else will pick up where they left off, but we need long-timers. Those in for the long haul, who've been around and gotten the experience.
I for one tend to at least try to support the projects that I reap benefit from. Granted, I don't use VMware, and would probably switch to FreeMWare if I did, but not because it was free. More because I am free, free to decide what I think it's worth to me in the scheme of things, free to choose when or where I'm going to pay for it. In other words, I don't use free software. If I like something, I like to show my appreciation of the effort, and money usually works quite nicely.
This is not to say that the developers wouldn't be just as happy with a postcard. A lot of times, it's things like that that MAKE the project worthwhile. In short, I strongly urge those of us caught up in Open Source to appreciate the authors. If you're going to switch to FreeMWare, try and make a donation. Can't make a donation? Send a postcard, or an email, or a birthday cake, or something. Let them know that their work is appreciated, or it won't go on much longer.
Here's a law that truly applies to Memphis drivers...
Illegal for a woman to drive a car unless there is a man either running or walking in front of it waving a red flag to warn approaching motorists and pedestrians.
Always knew there was a reason nobody around here can drive..
If by some criminals, you mean only the most hardened - here's the kicker. They generally fall into two categories:
A: Those that don't have any concern for their own life, or
B: Those that don't think they'll ever be caught.
In either case, the death threat isn't a deterrent.
You're right, it's not a deterrent. None whatsoever. Because of this, I feel that they should be put to death. I dunno, I'm still not saying kill all bad people, but maybe, one chance. If after threat of death they are still committing crimes, then they should be put to death.
Martyrdom I don't think is that big a factor. At least not in my experience. Most people I know, sane or otherwise are wanting to or even willing to get themselves killed for a cause. Yes, there are a few, but not most. And probably not too many in this country (America).
I don't know that Linux has ever been officially evaluated. It's not on the list.
Here is the list stating all evaluated programs ever.
It's interesting to note that Trusted Irix got a B1 rating... hmmmm....
From the TSCEC FAQ page:
The Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria (TCSEC) is a collection of criteria that was previously used to grade or rate the security offered by a computer system product. No new evaluations are being conducted using the TCSEC although there are some still ongoing at this time. The TCSEC is sometimes referred to as "the Orange Book" because of its orange cover. The current version is dated 1985 (DOD 5200.28-STD, Library No. S225,711) The TCSEC, its interpretations, and guidelines all have different color covers and are sometimes known as the "Rainbow Series" (see TCSEC Criteria Concepts FAQ, Question 4). It is available at
Now, this to me at least indicates that either this news is old, or Microsoft is using outdated testing criterium.
Also, when looking at the TSCEC programs that were evaluated and passed, complete listing, NT4 is not on the list. NT3.51 is, but not NT4. Also, Microsoft never made mention of wether or not it had passed the evaluation, only that it had been tested 6 different times.
It's quite obvious, at least to me, that there are hordes of giant red spacecraft-eating Martian beast gobbling these things up like candy.
If we STOP sending things over there, then maybe we can starve them out. Maybe we should try some sub-atmospheric observance? That way we could keep tabs on them until the died of starvation, then start sending things back over.
Well, sounds good to me at least...
Well, it seems like most of this has been discussed recently in many other related stories, so I'll try to be brief.
The biggest question I've run across thus far, that nobody's been able to definitively answer, is how accountable is the NSA, and to whom? The NSA seems to be flying in the face of accountability on this one, simply refusing to produce documents that they should be entitled to reproduce.
I'm hoping that the NSA does have to produce said documents, so that we may be able to find out, at least to some extent, how badly we're being spied on, or at least what they're willing to admit.
Another part of me (take this how you want) actually hopes that the NSA is found in a manner that they don't have to produce these documents. This could set a precedent for us, the common people, allowing us to keep our private documents, and not be forced to make them public. Of course, we know that won't happen, but still, it's nice to dream.
First and foremost, I DO believe in the death penalty. I feel that fear of death can be the only cure for some criminals, and that oftentimes the prison system does such terrible job of rehabilitation, it would have been more cost effective to put them down in the first place.
A good example, however fictional it might be, is _The_Shawshank_Redemption_, in which the lead character Andy makes a statement something along the lines of "You know, when I was on the outside, I flew straight as an arrow, but I had to come to prison to learn how to be a criminal."
It may seem like a bad example, but for any of you that don't have any first-hand experience with ex-cons, or prison systems (I've been to jail, briefly, and had my share of run-ins with the law when I was younger, and almost a handful of my friends have been in a little deeper), it's more often than not the truth. Sending people with criminal mentality, often criminal by necessity (at least in their minds) into an environment predominately gang controlled and replete with organized criminal activities can be the WORST thing for them.
Now I'm not saying that they deserved the death penalty, I don't consider theft a capital offense, especially not electronic theft, in which nobody can "get hurt" physically, but in a Communist environment, the traditional goal is for people to work together, for the common goal of the people. In a sense it's like stealing money from your father so that you can buy a bike he might have bought you for Christmas had you not stolen from him in the first place. (Bad analogy, let's move on)
The biggest question in my mind would be the interrogation tactics used to convince one brother to rat out the other. Not all families are close, I understand that, but if I were close enough anyone to commit electronic crime with them, I would have to feel like I could trust them with more than my life. Maybe the initiator overlooked this, maybe he made a bad judgement call, perhaps. Not having any insight into the matter leads me to speculate a scenario with hot lights, hot pokers, and even hotter tempers belonging to Chinese officials.
True, I could be completely full of shit, but I don't know. If anyone knows better, let me know. I'm not above looking stupid, I promise.
It's really too bad that they didn't put any of the specifications of the implant in the article. I was actually kinda disappointed, that more attention (or at least keystrokes) wasn't paid to the article.
Not that I expect this, but if anybody out there knows anything more about this story, or has another source that we can check out, perhaps with a little more detail, I'd be happy to see it.
Seems to me, that in order for it to be journalism, one should actually investigate it a little bit. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh.
To anyone that's interested, I've updated the article with a lot of your additions. I want to thank the individuals that took the time to think of things that annoyed them, and presented them forth so that I could plagiarize them. Seriously, I want to say thanks to Thanks to Pabs, Layne, Lurking Weasel, and all the others that have helped to refine this document. If I've taken anything you said, and not given credit (or a link, if you're lurking weasel), drop me a line, and I'll get it taken care of... Thanks again.
I've found, in my experience, that the best way to dispel belief is to show someone firsthand.
I'm always one to preach on what I find enjoyable about Linux, and yes, I'm not so easy to tell you the things that I don't like about it. The trick to this, is to do it in a manner in which you don't simply try to discredit the opposition. Most individuals, even M$ lovers, realize that it could be better (if nothing more), and most realize that it downright sucks. This leads to the belief that computers are difficult, and unreliable. Because people have come to endure this without question.
If I run across someone I know or work with that's into computers, and doesn't have any first-hand Linux experience, I give it to them. I let them play around on my system for awhile, letting them get into the joys that I so often experience just using my computer without it crashing. When someone realizes that it doesn't have to be the way it is for them, they start to change.
This goes a long way in swaying most people that simply don't realize there's a better way than Windows.
I understand that Linux wasn't originally intended for the masses, but it definately does have that avenue to explore before it can be taken seriously. With the advent and ease of use of RedHat 6.1, anyone that can use Windows 98 could just as easily be using RedHat 6.1. It's that easy. As they progress, and want to learn more, maybe put them into something a little less user friendly, and with a little more control. (Please no distro debates here, this is just my take) A good thing to do would be to put Linux in schools, as most people that use computers in high school, or even grade school, go on to use that same setup in real world after that. Also, people that learn it in school, wouldn't have to UNlearn their Win95 knowledge (which was the hardest part for me).
Y'know guys, I think somehow I'm being robbed by this. I just realized that I wrote the article, and submitted it about a week ago, and didn't get anything. Now CalibanDNS submits it, and HE'S going to get a free T-Shirt. What's the world coming to?!? I would so desperately like a free T-Shirt. It's getting cold where I live, and I don't have anything to wear, since Natalie Portman ate my hot grits.
Actually, I read the quickies yesterday, and didn't see it. Granted, it's been part of my sig for awhile now, but I just checked yesterday's quickies, and didn't see it again. Maybe I'm missing something tho...
Actually, the site has been up in various forms since 1994. That document itself was written over the course of about 30 minutes. Strangely enough, most of the junk I did a long time ago isn't on that incarnation of the site, but I'm working on it.
Here is a link for the mirror I've got up. I anticipated the slashdot effect, but not that.
It appears that my humble little site is already slashdotted. If anyone else wants to view the site, I've got a mirror of that document here.
P.S. Thanks to all the people who have posted possible additions to the article. I promise to review them and include (with your permission and credit of course) them in an updated version. Thanks.
Thanks a heap pabs, I'll add that in as soon as I'm done getting slashdotted...
Sorry bout the moderation man. There is apparently a moderator with a very bad sense of humor running around tonight. I got knocked down to Troll for a funny about the /. fleece long sleeve shirts offered on ThinkGeek. Thankfully, I got moderated BACK up to two, but the fact that it was moderated down in the first place.
Especially on a quickie. How else do you reply to a quickie but with humor?
I dunno, maybe it's me.
Article is mirrored here.