"Ha you're from the UK even better. The state which is currently vigorously working on making 1984 a reality. Now there's someone in a glass house throwing stones. Now I actually do agree with some of your points, but you'd be a lot more credible if you wouldn't come across as one of those typical (usually US-based) EU bashers who don't know what they are talking about. And btw, talking about the EU birthday party as being an exceptional propaganda scheme, that's just ridiculous. Sure it is propaganda, but how's that different to the amount to the US July 4th celebrations, the French Bastille day celebrations, or the amount of money spent on the British monarchy, which is let's face it mainly a big propaganda operatus as well."
Yes, I am from the UK, the same UK that now goes into secret meetings where there is no accountability and attempts to export their version of 1984 EU wide. Just remember, while you are busy laughing at me, the people I suffer under_are_building_the EU.
Why do you think things like fingerprinting all children is happening? Its not an accident. Please pull your head out of your ass.
"I have to use Windows. Apart from the countless days I have spent restoring and re-installing applications and partitions and finding remedies for bugs and design flaws"
Do you complain about that with Linux? No... didn't think so..
", I have lost hundreds of hours moving data from NTFS to FAT32 or EXT3 and vice versa, because I can't attach my NTFS formatted external drives to my NAT devices, as M$ refuses to share the details."
Microsoft don't have to share the details. Even in the wacky world of Microsoft bashing EU commissioners, they did not cite Microsoft for attempted monopoly of file systems.
"I see this fine as compensation for all those lost hours. Where can I claim my part?"
Why should you be compensated for being a really dumb person?
Because the European Union is a progressive liberal democracy, she is allowed to have more balls than her US opposite number."
Hahaha, yes, The US being a democracy would not get away with a commission being appointed and running the whole country, without any form of democracy. But maybe Bush should do that, he could then levy billion dollar fines against companies from Europe and the far east, and if you bring in EU book keeping, you can syphon off the money to pay for a nice new gravy train.
You'd have gotten away with your comment if you'd tried a progressive liberal dictatorship.
"Too bad that your prejudice has kept you from keeping track of recent developments. This criticism has been levelled at the EU for a long time and was to an extent justified, but guess what? They have actually done something about it. The European Parliament, which is directly elected and no longer as weak as it used to be, has received new powers with every treaty revision since 1992 and plays an integral role in EU law-making. Meetings of the Council of Ministers are not secret, as you can see on its website, which states: "All Council deliberations under the co-decision procedure are open to the public."
Firstly, some of the above, SOME, is true. In this article, the dumb people like you who have been sold on this bullshit can read to actually learn about the crap they attempt to stir. Out of the EU, the Parliament remains the weakest part of the Executive. And yes, The Commission does not even have to use Co-Decision making, Nor do the Council of Ministers, WHO still hold meetings in secret, a fact you simply bar faced lied about. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union_legislative_procedure
"The Council's first deliberations on legislative acts other than those adopted by co-decision are open to the public. The Council regularly holds public debates on important issues affecting the interests of the Union and its citizens, as well as policy debates on the Council's programmes." FYI, the co-decision procedure is the most commonly used procedure in EU legislation."
Commission and Council acting alone
Under this procedure the Council can adopt laws proposed by the Commission without requiring the opinion of Parliament. The procedure can be used for particular parts of the freedom of movement of capital (Article 57) and the Common Commercial Policy (Title IX).
[edit] Commission acting alone
Contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of EU laws are not dictates from the Commission. However the Commission does have the ability to adopt legislation without consulting or obtaining the consent of anyone. The Commission can adopt laws on its own initiative concerning monopolies and concessions granted to companies by Member States (Article 86(3)) and concerning the right of workers to remain in a Member State after having been employed there (Article 39(3)(d)). Two directives have been adopted using this procedure: one on transparency between Member States and companies[16] and another on competition in the telecommunications sector. [17]
"Please explain first who you mean by "Europe" and who exactly is being "arrogant". Is it Britain, Germany, Russia, France, Greece, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Sweden? Does every single one of this country have a "fine tradition to be able to ignore history and repeat past mistakes"? Last time I checked, Germans are still making up for the crimes of the nazis and not exactly preparing a second Holocaust."
You need me to explain to you what Europe is? My my, you're struggling. Did you learn to count? Perhaps you can explain away the 13 years where your fabled bastion of democracy, the EP passed 13 failed audits year after year. Don't bother.
"The Scandinavians no longer send out marauding bands of pirates to rob frightened people in coastal places."
No, In 1997 widespread attention was given to the fact that Sweden once operated a strong sterilization program, which was active primarily from the late 1930s until the mid 1950s. The legislation was enacted in 1934 and was formally abolished in 1976. A government inquiry published in 2000 estimated that 21,000 were forcibly sterilized, 6,000 were coerced into a 'voluntary' sterilization while the nature of a further 4,000 cases could not be determined.[19] The Swedish state subsequently paid out damages to the victims.
The program was meant primarily to prevent mental illness and disease. However, as in Canada and the US, racial politics also became involved, as there was a strong
"YES RLY... That's a constituion, I said Treaties. There's a difference."
Really, whats the difference? The majority of informed information from people not lying is that this is the constitution renamed, but between 95-99% the same.
"Other EU countries may have referendums on treaties sometimes but their govs can make the decision themselves, but Ireland are required by our own constitution to have a referendum every time."
So is Denmark, but they cheated to avoid fulfilling that requirement. If Ireland says No, it will be told to vote again, and again until it comes up with the right answer. Maybe you forgot, but last time they told the Irish to vote again, and remember, 'You will leave the east suffering forever if you dare say no this time'. Also, as its the same document, just renamed, change the font so it changes page length, and a couple of other tweaks, from a moral standpoint, everyone promised a vote on it, or referendums should have one. But people would say no (Again), and derail the 'Project'. And we can't possibly have that now can we?
From the EU website: The penalty payment is paid into the EU Budget. It does not increase the budget, but reduces the contribution from Member States and so from taxpayers. So in deference to us paying the Microsoft tax Microsoft is paying (a small part of) EU tax, brilliant:)"
If anyone should be wipped its you. Let me get this right, your delusions and 'reading' the EU website (Hahahaha, really trustworthy, do you read the chinese government website to learn the truth as well?). How about you keep your stupidity to yourself, the EU has failed its accounts and auditing for 13 YEARS, and has rampant corruption. How ARE you ever going to find out where this money goes or where it gets spent. EXACTLY.
The executive arm against 'fraud' is called OLAF, its spectacular in its USELESSNESS at hunting fraud down, but pretty good at arranging to have annoying journalists who uncover fraud thrown in prison, illegally, without due process.
"Press corps?... you mean any of those corporations like Sony or Disney or News Corp that pretty much control what is seen or read in the US?"
Its amazing. 100% Guaranteed, if you point out something drastic happening in the EU, people start throwing you examples about how bad things are in the US. Only, I don't live in the US, and bad things happening in the US means bad things happening in the EU can be ignored - or better yet, we can just pretend its not real.
"Propaganda?, try watching the trailers for the US and international versions of the new "Indiana Jones" trailer."
Indiana Jones is a commercial film. On a serious note, did you ever in your life contemplate and examine EU propaganda? EU to launch 7 million euro anniversary PR campaign and use Eurovision. The Austrian press has revealed that the EU has earmarked more than 7 million euros for an ambitious PR campaign which aims to try and win back the hearts of European citizens at its 50th anniversary next year. As part of this effort the EU has launched an online competition - 'design a birthday logo for the EU' - whose motto is "Happy birthday EU", which will become the official symbol of the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. The Commission is offering 12,000 euros worth of prizes, as well as an invitation to a prize ceremony, for the winning entries, which must "reflect the EU's achievements (such as peace and prosperity) and its future". On the website EU Communications Commissioner Margot Wallstrom says, "50 years of peaceful co-operation and growing prosperity and security in Europe is really something to celebrate. It is also an excellent occasion to discuss what we expect from the EU in the future, for our children and generations to come." Click here to see the website.
The Sunday Telegraph has seen a memo by Wallstrom showing that the Commission also wants to link the Eurovision song contest to the anniversary. Viewers would be told about "the need of close co-operation in our common project", "solidarity" and "the benefits that European integration has brought to its citizens". Some of the new member states are not keen. An unnamed Czech government source said, "For most of the new members, this plan brought back memories of Communist times." (Die Presse, Sunday Telegraph, 23 July)
EU propaganda makes Bush and US efforts cited by people like you look utterly pathetic. But its clearly working, you are not aware of their activities.
"And no, regardless of what you may have read chidren do not get finger printed without permission, and no before you even bring up the topic... Socialized Medicine is not a bad thing."
Its not exactly secret, the funny part is your head is so far up your backside you think its not happening.
Tell me, do you think that the American bashers round these parts would take to the idea of America taking fingerprints of all children without permission of parents? Even then, that kind of Policy would be openly discussed in the US. In the EU it gets talked about in secret closed session and just implemented. The executive does not answer to the people.
As for Socialised Medicine, I live in the UK. I live in a socialised medical system, and I can tell you Michael Moore was talking such incredible disinformation about the UK NHS that its not even funny. But thats a side show when ta
No, thats why it finger prints children without permission, why it commits to propaganda in the classroom, and why it sanctions policies like arranging the imprisonment of Journalists (Hans Martin Tillack), has mass corruption, a secret executive that makes the US effort at balanced executive look brilliant, even though we know the US model has failings, only funds pro EU sides in supposed democracy, goes out of its way to wreck African farming, and operates a climate of fear in the one place where democratic elections lead to MEPs being representative.
If they dissent, they are threatened, fined, and dissent is not allowed to be shown via media services supposedly available to all.
That's before you talk of a Commission plan to control the press and only allow a select (their own selection) group of Journalists to provide press, rather than IFJ access normal anywhere else.
Slashdot is supposed to be filled with intelligent people. If Bush created a plan to control the press corps in the US via a groomed method you'd be up in arms. People need to wake up. What is happening in Europe today is a death of democracy never seen before in the history of man. 500 million people being moved from democracy, and representative parliaments to dictatorship.
"You know, there are real dictators in the world, who are truly evil, and are working to oppress their people."
The removal of powers from elected parliaments, by devious method, to an unelected and undemocratic executive, Council of ministers, which holds its meetings in secret, unelected commissioners, and a very weak parliament that is bought and paid for by the latter.
"You won't find them in Europe though, no matter what your libertarian fantasies tell you"
Yes, Europe has a fine tradition historically to be able to ignore history and repeat past mistakes yet again. Europe's ability for arrogance is only matched by its fantastic ability for creating evil, two world wars, and hundreds of millions of dead. How could I possibly not trust a European elite running out of control, and with a massive cavern where democratic due process should exist, but doesn't.
This same EU that's failed 13 years of account audits?
Do you have a good reason for handing 899 Million to people who can't even count? No, didn't think so.
I've watched this go on for a couple of years. Basically, I like it that large corporations supported the idea of the EU, when it suited them. Only, they did not quite twig the problem. The EU was never a free trade area. Sure, A few states buy into that idea, but these states are rapidly ceasing to exist.
Microsoft will not be the last 'victim', of that you can be 100% sure.
As it is, I remain deeply skeptical about the whole fine. Its implausable to actually claim that Microsoft have this hold in the market space, in terms of 'server' communications - which I believe was the claim made by the EU. Oh, I know the SAMBA team enjoyed their moment of pound of flesh in the debate. Understandable, reverse engineer someone else's tech, then complain they did not help you.
But even that aside, is it right to claim that the only tech anyone can get is SMB/CIFS, that Novell offer nothing, that Open source, Sun, and others have nothing, No LDAP, nothing at all. We're all so helpless against this MS juggernaut.
No, the fine is more a fat stick, one that's being waved at a few big companies now, and a very nice earner if you a corrupt political elite attempting to create a vast new dictatorship. Big fat sticks being waved round by unelected people, usually with a dodgy past history does not inspire me. That aside, I don't actually understand how anyone can be so inept. If you force a technology company to place their very core 'protocols' or IP in the public domain inside the EU, its not only in the EU. It is no longer a case for anti-competitive behaviour in 27 states, its decoupling a company from its own work to further your own ends, and not giving a crap about the company. I'm not really shedding tears for Microsoft per se, but just observing what a disaster this is. And that's not even accounting for the fact the claim about MS seems to be totally flawed.
Even if I deeply hated MS, I can't say I am happy that 899 Million just got poured into the coffers of people whom wish to enslave 500 Million people, eliminate democracy, and build their new dictatorship. This money will be piped into the EU version of 1984, and the machinery of state required to 'control' the population. The EU exec of none elected commissioners, and a council of ministers that meet in secrecy will love having 899 million extra to pay with.
Intel in next in line, and at the very end of the day, Businesses like MS and Intel will simply make changes that take 899 million from the citizen, straight into a dictators pocket.
People missed the primary core part of this. If you have to take biometrics on entry, that means your own citizens as well as visitors. The EU biometric stuff has been going on for some time. Its all explained or hidden away in various guises but its there.
The 'Empire' is slowly moving from Utopian Europe to a darker phase.
And yes, I know, I know, if you have done nothing wrong you have nothing to fear. Only these people love to create new things wrong you may have done. In the UK now, if you smoke, drink, or happen to be fat, suddenly you've been added to the list. That autocratic disease is spreading.
You can bet your bottom dollar biometrics will be in the front line of 'taxing' holiday makers and frequent flyers, only the beginning off course - Plenty more to follow.
400 million WILL eventually regret allowing their leaders to create a new dictatorship, its just going to take time for people to wake up to the monster they have allowed to be created.
Some muslim groups meddling with wikipedia? *Shock* *shock*.
(For clarity, I am atheist/agnostic.)
I've watched since the 80's, as this unfurls. I know my posting will be massively condensed, and will probably come out badly in some people's eyes, but lets try a summary.
The west, is not one entity. Even in the darkest hours of the cold war, it was not one entity. Long before then, politically *incorrect factual* information was *long* available about Islam, its followers, its beliefs, and its activities. Since the 80's, there is a wide group of movements, I probably call them wrongly, but I'll try anyway. Leftists, stalinists, communists, 'social democrats', socialists, 'greens', consensus european politicians, and varying influence from politically adept entities, laywers pushing human rights, and a great deal of it at UN or internationalist levels. This has led to a world where everything is basically a lie. Political correctness trumps the truth. Lies trump reality. Islam is suddenly racial, not religious.
This has led to a situation where a political crime was created. 'Islamophobia'. In Europe and in the UK there was and is massive immigration from Islamic states, even to the extent today, that in the UK, they provide house, social care, and much more for enemies of the state, and a refusal to hand over these 'criminals', because their 'human rights' might be affected. In Europe, and perhaps far beyond, massive immigration is covered up by states and governments, Islamification is a reality, and anyone whom dares raise any form of question about it is lambasted and villified, attacked and mauled. You'll be guilty of Islamophobia before you had time to finish the sentence.
Now, note carefully. When I say this, it may seem I am attacking all Muslims. Probably an error in my verbose comment. Its not an easy thing to look at in short or long examination. What can I say, I know that not every Muslim believes or lives a radical Islamic life, or even has a radical view on anything, But I know many do. When London was hit by the 7/7 bombings, and when it comes to interaction with the Islamic world, the evidence, shows a very different story. A majority of Islamics/Muslims support action, but would probably not commit the crimes themselves. (Data taken by the British Government at the time.)
Now how can one break down the Ummah. Its not easy. For sure, the truth is you can't blame the Ummah for islamic activity. But the Ummah sure comes together in response to anything said about the actions of Islam, or more particuarily its followers. It has no outright leader you can sit down and talk to. It does not have a real council or leadership you can try to work things out with.
Earlier, I alluded to a sort of alliance from many a leftist (partly liberal too?) organisation. Its complex, and I for sure can't fully and intellectually cover the whole thing, But I know its infiltrated government, NGOs, internationalist organisations, and in particular areas like the press (commonly critically labelled MSM main stream media). This alliance has deep roots, post world war, from the old soviet union through the EU and beyond.
This leftist grouping, which like the Ummah can't be really qualified as one single solid entity with leadership, but rather a wider political family, following some basic ideas and political premises. But they have persued aims that attack nations, weakening nation states is one of their primary goals. They have attacked religions in place, and supported virus alike inbound religion that cements their 'multiculturalism', anti racism, and supports the creation of artificial crimes like 'Islamophobia'. (Not that all the above is a bad thing, some of it is a good idea, but as with all 'idea's they can be extreme and go too far.)
So what is the Islamic threat to the west? 1. Massive investment in aggressive fascist islam. Examples would be Saudi money pouring into mosques in the UK, with available evidence showing the extreme views/support/activity
Its not that Linux is bad. Or open source is bad. On the contrary, they are all good. However, There is a reason Ubuntu is being picked out here. And it gets to the centre of a hornets nest when we get really into this. Ubuntu is shipped, sold, maintained and produced with a primary aim. Its a computer OS for ordinary people. (IHMO, Its a difficult aim for Linux to fulfill.)
Now, once you do this, You have to take on serious responsibility for doing so. This means that we can't wave our arms round slashdot proclaiming 5 minute fixes care of multiple text files that only the well embedded and knowledgable technical people find easy.
Its not a blame game. A problem has been found. So now, the people over at Ubuntu and elsewhere have to sit down, and think about it. If you are going to really offer an OS anyone can use, you have to accept that on occasions, not 'anyone' can fix it, and you have to do so.
If this were Apple, or MS, their commercial pressure would mean that their customers and partners would be seriously impacted. Thus, they would have a firefight going on right NOW and no doubt be coming up with a fix.
What I am seeing is disappointing. A lot of finger pointing, and a lot of blame being heaped on any other angle than the OS. Some of the dubious normal behaviour 'Its the hardware's fault', 'the user should go fix it themselves', 'We offer no warranty or guaratees'.
How this problem should be handled is that people inside the whole Linux community should look at this is simple. Putting our OS on there is causing an issue. It may not be the OS's fault, but its there. This would not be the first or last time. It needs a serious fix. And if we were today held accountable, which *luckily* we are not, for the days, weeks, months, or years of lost drive hours, *and* the knock on data losses, we would be utterly buried. So although we can't be held accountable, because we hide behind a clever license that ensures we can't be, we should behave as if we were, because that is nothing less than business, our users, consumers, our partners, and our friends should expect.
Now we are globally aware of the issue, this needs upping to an absolute top priority and a superb response from all vendors, and devs. Step up. No more bull.
Other distro's may get 'instructions', but in the case of Ubuntu, it needs to issue a point and click fix package or update/forced update. Its not a user 'fix' in that distro and others like it.
The installation worked without any major problem. GUI installation took a while, but picked up all the hardware on the basic machine used to test. The various settings and install items were easy to follow and setup. The look is a little more polished, as one would expect. The new menu set by default is nice, and works well enough.
The installed set of applications looks reasonably balanced. The menu is easy enough to use.
The Bad:- The network share management seemed nice at first. But this fell apart straight away. Attempting to play media files through any of the multi media programs through/SMB connection just led to hanging apps, zero responsiveness, burp, hang, burp. If you can't build a basic desktop that connects and works with servers, what can really be said. Copying the files to the local machine meant the files played without issue (MP3s).
When testing Linux desktops, this one again being no different, the feeling is clunk clunk, clunk. The mouse pointer just has a weird feeling, like its being pulled round on elastic and bungie cables. Of all the systems I play with (Amiga, Mac, Windows, Linux) its the worst, has always been poor and its never improved in Linux releases. It looks like its here to stay. The graphics feel old, even though they are polished. The toolkits leave large areas un-used, and the feeling is just one of ugly disconnection from the desktop. Playing with the KDE themes, the ones supplied varied from one ot two good ones to some really terrible hi vis and hi/low contrast themes. Making changes throughout lead to clucky hanging, and then followed by lots of writing as various files/settings are updated. This works, but is slow, and simply clunky.
I do not know the underlying core issue here. Simply put, the more polish that is applied, the more I get frustrated by the ongoing clunky, slow, 'bad feel' nature of the windows managers. If its going to go on like this, perhaps its time people really considered fixing and replacing X-windows with something better. Ongoing polish is now not covering the other failings.
I hate hitting issues within minutes of install, however I did with this. Tommorow I will spend a little more time on it, but its already dead. If SMB connections and networking *don't* work, or only work in some crippled way, its already a dead stick.
*Note* I know, many of you won't be bothered by the gremlins, you'll work round them, ignore them, or just pretend they are not important. I simply look at this as anyone from 'outside' would. If basic things don't work, it gets a fail. Right now, you have Vista there, and people are falling down on offering something else that works.
For reasons I can't go into, the switches we are stuck with. But what I will say is we have BSD, Linux, Solaris, Other versions of Windows, Mac's, and no end of other kit on the network, and nothing has ever crashed or caused them to crash.
Having tested several versions of Vista, and seeing the same issue, we will keep Vista off the network. The business has no requirement for Vista (and the business is being wound down, fixing for Vista is a none requirement from a business standpoint), XP/Linux will remain as the clients close of business.
(No, we use a lot of OS's on the network, none have caused this. Its not like Vista has to do anything, its likely plug in network lead and *boom* the main switches crash and loop)
Anyway, its on our to do list. New firmware means we have to put a switch to one side and test the firmware before we could use it live. Its not a 5 minute job and we have no need for vista in the business.
Vista crashes our main network switches here. We did not have a requirement for Vista, so we've banished it until we do an upgrade on firmware project, which will be done on a if/when required by the business (HP pro curve switches).
We found this on Beta and tried to talk to MS, after being passed from piller to post and jerked round (we frankly have real work to get on with) we gave up. We tested with the full release, and, well, until we have time its just barred from the business.
Far as I know, and I am not a specialist in the field but there are two mega quakes that are in line to happen at some stage.
The oceanic plate off northern california / Oregon/seattle and the large plates in the area surrounding turkey, one running right through Istanbul.
In terms of the mega quake, the tsunami is bad, but from the data I looked at, the frequncy of vibration when hitting the landmass would be large and ongoing. Its the ongoing/changing nature of the waves travelling through the ground that would bring down the damaged buildings.
In the atlantic area there is a large landmass waiting to slide, and the potential there is for a larger disaster than the recent cataclysm in indonesia.
Sometimes we belieev we are impregnable and capable of handling any issue, at some stage, nature is as going to send us a reminder we live on a volatile and changing planet.
If they are monitoring that ocena plate and it looks like trouble, they should be moving people away from the coast NOW. There is enough evidence that - if its the plate I am thinking of, there may well be serious issues ahead..
I did'nt vote for that scum, and they don't speak for me, and after the week they have had, they should focus on their own jobs and answering the questions now really raised, not issuing more effing dictats.
Still, they will desperatly attempt to get 4/5s of states to ratify and reach a stage where they can take it to council and make a 'decision'.
Its high time these people stopped lauding the 'commission and friends' - they are not our friends and never will be.
My suggestion would be to create an interesting storyline and bring back Tom Baker. The man would slide straight back in. He was in the day the best of Dr Who. Avoidance of things like living shop dummies will be required if it is to avoid being canned in future. I can survive ropey first episodes (ex B5 pilot) - but you have to get to a core 'good' part or die. That is evolution. Would Tom Baker consider it ? I do not know or care. In terms of Julian Clarey or Eddie Izzard, should any such person become the doctor, I shall be watching something else.
The last thing is that they need to move to longer story arcs, and rather thicker work on the bad side. Son of Davros, More Darleks, Cybermen, and generally nasty realities. I'm already getting a horrid feeling as to the flimbsy, weak lines that may be fed ouy way. (cue cancelled series and multi year hybernation)
If a group of these came upon a lone Lion, perhaps a young male, I would not be surprised if they were able to take him down. My own perception would be that one or other side would flee.
Incidently, you need to understand Chips as far as I can see, and Chips are far more brutal and aggresive in using troops and patrols in their area than most people understand. They will and do go hunting other groups for the kill.
There was a recent documentary where the scientists believe human warefare is an extension of the primal behaviour in chips and their territory. Along side this was captured on film a troop of chips that went on a patrol in the pure purpose of hunting down and killing other chips in the area. No ifs, no buts, no maybes.
Would such a tribe allow lions or other predators in their area if they are powerful enough and agressive enough? That remains an open debate. These fearsome creatures may simply be scaring the locals and thus gaining notariety in doings so. As simple a thing as a dead lion and this group of apes can be a case of 2+2 =7
During the recent Ject issue, I looked into trying to rip out IE. I have like 120 machines to look after, I don't have the money to active directory, and I have certain limits. I'll use psexec but even so, its a long tedius job maintaining 120 machines.
Now, getting back to IE, yes, I did look at ripping it out. Not so easy on XP Pro as any user who signs in gets linked to the program in default. I could banjax the progam directory, and stop it being used that way, but if I do that, I believe I can still call windowsupdate.com via an explorer window. I presume however, that anyone using the same method uses the same cuplable browsing that impairs IE. Thus I'm not really solving the problem, just fending it off until the users get smart.
In terms of Mozilla and Firefox, sadly I have to say the security failure regarding:shell: made me rather glad I had'nt committed a massive workload in the name of switching to a new bugwridden, secuirty glitched browser.
Today, I'm told if I had rolled Mozilla, someone's just committed me to a whole sale re-roll out just because they can't patch, they have to fix it in a new install.
I've said it before, I'll say it again, doing this to me just puts me right off even contemplating it. Next week, watch out, the next Mozilla issue will rear its ugly head.
I sadly have to put aside the OSS/MS stuff, because whatever I put out there has to work, and its not about Ideaology, I do not care about Ideaology. Mozilla is a fine effort, but the security side leaves much to be desired. One is hard pushed to claim that its a quantum leap in browser security.
People are incredibly ignorant. They allow an autocratic EU state to build, develop, and continually assume that everything will be ok.
The EU citizens cannot vote out a commissioner, nor do they have even the slightest influence on the council of ministers.
The so called democratic 'parliament' is an absolute joke, both watering down ANY democracy, and weakening it by using 'majority voting' and other 'levers' of EU autocracy. Even if your country is going to suffer under a law, it is being weakened daily in its possible influence to stop horrific lawmaking and enforcement. Your courts, laws, judges, employment, social justice, patents, the works are being taken from you.
Its amazing to see haughty europeans scoff and laugh at idiotic american laws, while amazingly lauding the EU, while at the same time, it creades amazingly bad laws, horrific compromises, and all with a mass removal of democracy for its 400+ million 'citizens', man I hate that word, its a word used by evil socialists, communists, and leftists, and implies a slave person who will comply with the stinking new state.
Citizen is oft spoken in the laungauge of Hilter and Stalin-alike scum bags.
If there is to be a Europe, let it truly be democratic, not this bastardised, evil, autocratic, 'utopia' for failed,bend and corrupt politicians.
The EU has not had its accounts signed off in over nine years, and thats by its own auditors, and that is far larger than Enron.
Having to run a windows site I was once again looking at the ADODB:stream bug and pondering directions to take and look into.
Some of the issues I pondered was if I spent a lot of time ripping out the user access to the none removable IE, and installing either Firefox, Mozilla, or another browser, or a combination of that or similar.
On the browser side, removal of Active X and the IE gubbins brings security, but also none working websites. Perhaps a lot of companies aare going to move back to the standards that form web rather than MS specific technology. I can't blame them, as most people outside tech areas like slash tend to use or aim for market leading pitches. The bulk of users use IE.
That will continue to be the issue, however, looking deeper into this, I looked at machines and figiured I would have to keep IE patched, but in addition, if I role another product or more, I merely add quite possible extra vectors of concern and attack.
All the browsers go through security and exploit issues, at least from time to time. What I settled on was continuing with IE. Its built into windows, there is'nt an easy undo for that.
Somewhere between Sunday/Monday, MS got a patch out. IMHO while this is not perhaps upto the highest levels of OSS error and fix correction, it is'nt bad or horrific.
In the main, so long as they deal with issues quickly and provide answers, I can tolerate them. They are not as bad as some make out.
The history of Mozilla is not as bug free and exploit free as much of the recent comments try to indicate. In truth, we will continue to have security issues with software, and it is how the vendor responds that should be critiqued.
Slashdot Mirror
"Ha you're from the UK even better. The state which is currently vigorously working on making 1984 a reality. Now there's someone in a glass house throwing stones. Now I actually do agree with some of your points, but you'd be a lot more credible if you wouldn't come across as one of those typical (usually US-based) EU bashers who don't know what they are talking about. And btw, talking about the EU birthday party as being an exceptional propaganda scheme, that's just ridiculous. Sure it is propaganda, but how's that different to the amount to the US July 4th celebrations, the French Bastille day celebrations, or the amount of money spent on the British monarchy, which is let's face it mainly a big propaganda operatus as well."
Yes, I am from the UK, the same UK that now goes into secret meetings where there is no accountability and attempts to export their version of 1984 EU wide. Just remember, while you are busy laughing at me, the people I suffer under_are_building_the EU.
Why do you think things like fingerprinting all children is happening? Its not an accident. Please pull your head out of your ass.
"I have to use Windows. Apart from the countless days I have spent restoring and re-installing applications and partitions and finding remedies for bugs and design flaws"
Do you complain about that with Linux? No... didn't think so..
", I have lost hundreds of hours moving data from NTFS to FAT32 or EXT3 and vice versa, because I can't attach my NTFS formatted external drives to my NAT devices, as M$ refuses to share the details."
Microsoft don't have to share the details. Even in the wacky world of Microsoft bashing EU commissioners, they did not cite Microsoft for attempted monopoly of file systems.
"I see this fine as compensation for all those lost hours. Where can I claim my part?"
Why should you be compensated for being a really dumb person?
"European Competition Commissioner [europa.eu]
Because the European Union is a progressive liberal democracy, she is allowed to have more balls than her US opposite number."
Hahaha, yes, The US being a democracy would not get away with a commission being appointed and running the whole country, without any form of democracy. But maybe Bush should do that, he could then levy billion dollar fines against companies from Europe and the far east, and if you bring in EU book keeping, you can syphon off the money to pay for a nice new gravy train.
You'd have gotten away with your comment if you'd tried a progressive liberal dictatorship.
"Too bad that your prejudice has kept you from keeping track of recent developments. This criticism has been levelled at the EU for a long time and was to an extent justified, but guess what? They have actually done something about it. The European Parliament, which is directly elected and no longer as weak as it used to be, has received new powers with every treaty revision since 1992 and plays an integral role in EU law-making. Meetings of the Council of Ministers are not secret, as you can see on its website, which states: "All Council deliberations under the co-decision procedure are open to the public."
Firstly, some of the above, SOME, is true.
In this article, the dumb people like you who have been sold on this bullshit can read to actually learn about the crap they attempt to stir. Out of the EU, the Parliament remains the weakest part of the Executive. And yes, The Commission does not even have to use Co-Decision making, Nor do the Council of Ministers, WHO still hold meetings in secret, a fact you simply bar faced lied about.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union_legislative_procedure
"The Council's first deliberations on legislative acts other than those adopted by co-decision are open to the public. The Council regularly holds public debates on important issues affecting the interests of the Union and its citizens, as well as policy debates on the Council's programmes." FYI, the co-decision procedure is the most commonly used procedure in EU legislation."
Commission and Council acting alone
Under this procedure the Council can adopt laws proposed by the Commission without requiring the opinion of Parliament. The procedure can be used for particular parts of the freedom of movement of capital (Article 57) and the Common Commercial Policy (Title IX).
[edit] Commission acting alone
Contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of EU laws are not dictates from the Commission. However the Commission does have the ability to adopt legislation without consulting or obtaining the consent of anyone. The Commission can adopt laws on its own initiative concerning monopolies and concessions granted to companies by Member States (Article 86(3)) and concerning the right of workers to remain in a Member State after having been employed there (Article 39(3)(d)). Two directives have been adopted using this procedure: one on transparency between Member States and companies[16] and another on competition in the telecommunications sector. [17]
"Please explain first who you mean by "Europe" and who exactly is being "arrogant". Is it Britain, Germany, Russia, France, Greece, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Sweden? Does every single one of this country have a "fine tradition to be able to ignore history and repeat past mistakes"? Last time I checked, Germans are still making up for the crimes of the nazis and not exactly preparing a second Holocaust."
You need me to explain to you what Europe is? My my, you're struggling. Did you learn to count? Perhaps you can explain away the 13 years where your fabled bastion of democracy, the EP passed 13 failed audits year after year. Don't bother.
"The Scandinavians no longer send out marauding bands of pirates to rob frightened people in coastal places."
No, In 1997 widespread attention was given to the fact that Sweden once operated a strong sterilization program, which was active primarily from the late 1930s until the mid 1950s. The legislation was enacted in 1934 and was formally abolished in 1976. A government inquiry published in 2000 estimated that 21,000 were forcibly sterilized, 6,000 were coerced into a 'voluntary' sterilization while the nature of a further 4,000 cases could not be determined.[19] The Swedish state subsequently paid out damages to the victims.
The program was meant primarily to prevent mental illness and disease. However, as in Canada and the US, racial politics also became involved, as there was a strong
"YES RLY... That's a constituion, I said Treaties. There's a difference."
Really, whats the difference? The majority of informed information from people not lying is that this is the constitution renamed, but between 95-99% the same.
"Other EU countries may have referendums on treaties sometimes but their govs can make the decision themselves, but Ireland are required by our own constitution to have a referendum every time."
So is Denmark, but they cheated to avoid fulfilling that requirement. If Ireland says No, it will be told to vote again, and again until it comes up with the right answer. Maybe you forgot, but last time they told the Irish to vote again, and remember, 'You will leave the east suffering forever if you dare say no this time'. Also, as its the same document, just renamed, change the font so it changes page length, and a couple of other tweaks, from a moral standpoint, everyone promised a vote on it, or referendums should have one. But people would say no (Again), and derail the 'Project'. And we can't possibly have that now can we?
"A stupid remark, you should be whipped.
:)"
From the EU website:
The penalty payment is paid into the EU Budget. It does not increase the budget, but reduces the contribution from Member States and so from taxpayers.
So in deference to us paying the Microsoft tax Microsoft is paying (a small part of) EU tax, brilliant
If anyone should be wipped its you. Let me get this right, your delusions and 'reading' the EU website (Hahahaha, really trustworthy, do you read the chinese government website to learn the truth as well?). How about you keep your stupidity to yourself, the EU has failed its accounts and auditing for 13 YEARS, and has rampant corruption. How ARE you ever going to find out where this money goes or where it gets spent. EXACTLY.
The executive arm against 'fraud' is called OLAF, its spectacular in its USELESSNESS at hunting fraud down, but pretty good at arranging to have annoying journalists who uncover fraud thrown in prison, illegally, without due process.
"Press corps?... you mean any of those corporations like Sony or Disney or News Corp that pretty much control what is seen or read in the US?"
Its amazing. 100% Guaranteed, if you point out something drastic happening in the EU, people start throwing you examples about how bad things are in the US. Only, I don't live in the US, and bad things happening in the US means bad things happening in the EU can be ignored - or better yet, we can just pretend its not real.
"Propaganda?, try watching the trailers for the US and international versions of the new "Indiana Jones" trailer."
Indiana Jones is a commercial film. On a serious note, did you ever in your life contemplate and examine EU propaganda?
EU to launch 7 million euro anniversary PR campaign and use Eurovision. The Austrian press has revealed that the EU has earmarked more than 7 million euros for an ambitious PR campaign which aims to try and win back the hearts of European citizens at its 50th anniversary next year. As part of this effort the EU has launched an online competition - 'design a birthday logo for the EU' - whose motto is "Happy birthday EU", which will become the official symbol of the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. The Commission is offering 12,000 euros worth of prizes, as well as an invitation to a prize ceremony, for the winning entries, which must "reflect the EU's achievements (such as peace and prosperity) and its future". On the website EU Communications Commissioner Margot Wallstrom says, "50 years of peaceful co-operation and growing prosperity and security in Europe is really something to celebrate. It is also an excellent occasion to discuss what we expect from the EU in the future, for our children and generations to come." Click here to see the website.
The Sunday Telegraph has seen a memo by Wallstrom showing that the Commission also wants to link the Eurovision song contest to the anniversary. Viewers would be told about "the need of close co-operation in our common project", "solidarity" and "the benefits that European integration has brought to its citizens". Some of the new member states are not keen. An unnamed Czech government source said, "For most of the new members, this plan brought back memories of Communist times." (Die Presse, Sunday Telegraph, 23 July)
EU propaganda makes Bush and US efforts cited by people like you look utterly pathetic. But its clearly working, you are not aware of their activities.
"And no, regardless of what you may have read chidren do not get finger printed without permission, and no before you even bring up the topic... Socialized Medicine is not a bad thing."
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/09/07/kiddyprinting_allowed/
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2006/jul/08fingerprinting-children.htm
http://www.eudemocrats.org/bg/23/article/21/
http://www.computing.co.uk/computeractive/news/2195260/becta-guidelines-fingerprinting
http://www.leavethemkidsalone.com/
Its not exactly secret, the funny part is your head is so far up your backside you think its not happening.
Tell me, do you think that the American bashers round these parts would take to the idea of America taking fingerprints of all children without permission of parents? Even then, that kind of Policy would be openly discussed in the US. In the EU it gets talked about in secret closed session and just implemented. The executive does not answer to the people.
As for Socialised Medicine, I live in the UK. I live in a socialised medical system, and I can tell you Michael Moore was talking such incredible disinformation about the UK NHS that its not even funny. But thats a side show when ta
"The EU is not an evil government"
No, thats why it finger prints children without permission, why it commits to propaganda in the classroom, and why it sanctions policies like arranging the imprisonment of Journalists (Hans Martin Tillack), has mass corruption, a secret executive that makes the US effort at balanced executive look brilliant, even though we know the US model has failings, only funds pro EU sides in supposed democracy, goes out of its way to wreck African farming, and operates a climate of fear in the one place where democratic elections lead to MEPs being representative.
If they dissent, they are threatened, fined, and dissent is not allowed to be shown via media services supposedly available to all.
That's before you talk of a Commission plan to control the press and only allow a select (their own selection) group of Journalists to provide press, rather than IFJ access normal anywhere else.
Slashdot is supposed to be filled with intelligent people. If Bush created a plan to control the press corps in the US via a groomed method you'd be up in arms. People need to wake up. What is happening in Europe today is a death of democracy never seen before in the history of man. 500 million people being moved from democracy, and representative parliaments to dictatorship.
"You know, there are real dictators in the world, who are truly evil, and are working to oppress their people."
The removal of powers from elected parliaments, by devious method, to an unelected and undemocratic executive, Council of ministers, which holds its meetings in secret, unelected commissioners, and a very weak parliament that is bought and paid for by the latter.
"You won't find them in Europe though, no matter what your libertarian fantasies tell you"
Yes, Europe has a fine tradition historically to be able to ignore history and repeat past mistakes yet again. Europe's ability for arrogance is only matched by its fantastic ability for creating evil, two world wars, and hundreds of millions of dead. How could I possibly not trust a European elite running out of control, and with a massive cavern where democratic due process should exist, but doesn't.
This same EU that's failed 13 years of account audits?
Do you have a good reason for handing 899 Million to people who can't even count? No, didn't think so.
I've watched this go on for a couple of years. Basically, I like it that large corporations supported the idea of the EU, when it suited them. Only, they did not quite twig the problem. The EU was never a free trade area. Sure, A few states buy into that idea, but these states are rapidly ceasing to exist.
Microsoft will not be the last 'victim', of that you can be 100% sure.
As it is, I remain deeply skeptical about the whole fine. Its implausable to actually claim that Microsoft have this hold in the market space, in terms of 'server' communications - which I believe was the claim made by the EU. Oh, I know the SAMBA team enjoyed their moment of pound of flesh in the debate. Understandable, reverse engineer someone else's tech, then complain they did not help you.
But even that aside, is it right to claim that the only tech anyone can get is SMB/CIFS, that Novell offer nothing, that Open source, Sun, and others have nothing, No LDAP, nothing at all. We're all so helpless against this MS juggernaut.
No, the fine is more a fat stick, one that's being waved at a few big companies now, and a very nice earner if you a corrupt political elite attempting to create a vast new dictatorship. Big fat sticks being waved round by unelected people, usually with a dodgy past history does not inspire me. That aside, I don't actually understand how anyone can be so inept. If you force a technology company to place their very core 'protocols' or IP in the public domain inside the EU, its not only in the EU. It is no longer a case for anti-competitive behaviour in 27 states, its decoupling a company from its own work to further your own ends, and not giving a crap about the company. I'm not really shedding tears for Microsoft per se, but just observing what a disaster this is. And that's not even accounting for the fact the claim about MS seems to be totally flawed.
Even if I deeply hated MS, I can't say I am happy that 899 Million just got poured into the coffers of people whom wish to enslave 500 Million people, eliminate democracy, and build their new dictatorship. This money will be piped into the EU version of 1984, and the machinery of state required to 'control' the population. The EU exec of none elected commissioners, and a council of ministers that meet in secrecy will love having 899 million extra to pay with.
Intel in next in line, and at the very end of the day, Businesses like MS and Intel will simply make changes that take 899 million from the citizen, straight into a dictators pocket.
People missed the primary core part of this. If you have to take biometrics on entry, that means your own citizens as well as visitors. The EU biometric stuff has been going on for some time. Its all explained or hidden away in various guises but its there.
The 'Empire' is slowly moving from Utopian Europe to a darker phase.
And yes, I know, I know, if you have done nothing wrong you have nothing to fear. Only these people love to create new things wrong you may have done. In the UK now, if you smoke, drink, or happen to be fat, suddenly you've been added to the list. That autocratic disease is spreading.
You can bet your bottom dollar biometrics will be in the front line of 'taxing' holiday makers and frequent flyers, only the beginning off course - Plenty more to follow.
400 million WILL eventually regret allowing their leaders to create a new dictatorship, its just going to take time for people to wake up to the monster they have allowed to be created.
Some muslim groups meddling with wikipedia? *Shock* *shock*.
(For clarity, I am atheist/agnostic.)
I've watched since the 80's, as this unfurls. I know my posting will be massively condensed, and will probably come out badly in some people's eyes, but lets try a summary.
The west, is not one entity. Even in the darkest hours of the cold war, it was not one entity. Long before then, politically *incorrect factual* information was *long* available about Islam, its followers, its beliefs, and its activities. Since the 80's, there is a wide group of movements, I probably call them wrongly, but I'll try anyway. Leftists, stalinists, communists, 'social democrats', socialists, 'greens', consensus european politicians, and varying influence from politically adept entities, laywers pushing human rights, and a great deal of it at UN or internationalist levels. This has led to a world where everything is basically a lie. Political correctness trumps the truth. Lies trump reality. Islam is suddenly racial, not religious.
This has led to a situation where a political crime was created. 'Islamophobia'. In Europe and in the UK there was and is massive immigration from Islamic states, even to the extent today, that in the UK, they provide house, social care, and much more for enemies of the state, and a refusal to hand over these 'criminals', because their 'human rights' might be affected. In Europe, and perhaps far beyond, massive immigration is covered up by states and governments, Islamification is a reality, and anyone whom dares raise any form of question about it is lambasted and villified, attacked and mauled. You'll be guilty of Islamophobia before you had time to finish the sentence.
Now, note carefully. When I say this, it may seem I am attacking all Muslims. Probably an error in my verbose comment. Its not an easy thing to look at in short or long examination. What can I say, I know that not every Muslim believes or lives a radical Islamic life, or even has a radical view on anything, But I know many do. When London was hit by the 7/7 bombings, and when it comes to interaction with the Islamic world, the evidence, shows a very different story. A majority of Islamics/Muslims support action, but would probably not commit the crimes themselves. (Data taken by the British Government at the time.)
Now how can one break down the Ummah. Its not easy. For sure, the truth is you can't blame the Ummah for islamic activity. But the Ummah sure comes together in response to anything said about the actions of Islam, or more particuarily its followers. It has no outright leader you can sit down and talk to. It does not have a real council or leadership you can try to work things out with.
Earlier, I alluded to a sort of alliance from many a leftist (partly liberal too?) organisation. Its complex, and I for sure can't fully and intellectually cover the whole thing, But I know its infiltrated government, NGOs, internationalist organisations, and in particular areas like the press (commonly critically labelled MSM main stream media). This alliance has deep roots, post world war, from the old soviet union through the EU and beyond.
This leftist grouping, which like the Ummah can't be really qualified as one single solid entity with leadership, but rather a wider political family, following some basic ideas and political premises. But they have persued aims that attack nations, weakening nation states is one of their primary goals. They have attacked religions in place, and supported virus alike inbound religion that cements their 'multiculturalism', anti racism, and supports the creation of artificial crimes like 'Islamophobia'.
(Not that all the above is a bad thing, some of it is a good idea, but as with all 'idea's they can be extreme and go too far.)
So what is the Islamic threat to the west?
1. Massive investment in aggressive fascist islam. Examples would be Saudi money pouring into mosques in the UK, with available evidence showing the extreme views/support/activity
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The problem is thus:-
Its not that Linux is bad. Or open source is bad. On the contrary, they are all good.
However, There is a reason Ubuntu is being picked out here. And it gets to the centre of a hornets nest when we get really into this. Ubuntu is shipped, sold, maintained and produced with a primary aim. Its a computer OS for ordinary people.
(IHMO, Its a difficult aim for Linux to fulfill.)
Now, once you do this, You have to take on serious responsibility for doing so. This means that we can't wave our arms round slashdot proclaiming 5 minute fixes care of multiple text files that only the well embedded and knowledgable technical people find easy.
Its not a blame game. A problem has been found. So now, the people over at Ubuntu and elsewhere have to sit down, and think about it. If you are going to really offer an OS anyone can use, you have to accept that on occasions, not 'anyone' can fix it, and you have to do so.
If this were Apple, or MS, their commercial pressure would mean that their customers and partners would be seriously impacted. Thus, they would have a firefight going on right NOW and no doubt be coming up with a fix.
What I am seeing is disappointing. A lot of finger pointing, and a lot of blame being heaped on any other angle than the OS. Some of the dubious normal behaviour 'Its the hardware's fault', 'the user should go fix it themselves', 'We offer no warranty or guaratees'.
How this problem should be handled is that people inside the whole Linux community should look at this is simple. Putting our OS on there is causing an issue. It may not be the OS's fault, but its there. This would not be the first or last time. It needs a serious fix. And if we were today held accountable, which *luckily* we are not, for the days, weeks, months, or years of lost drive hours, *and* the knock on data losses, we would be utterly buried. So although we can't be held accountable, because we hide behind a clever license that ensures we can't be, we should behave as if we were, because that is nothing less than business, our users, consumers, our partners, and our friends should expect.
Now we are globally aware of the issue, this needs upping to an absolute top priority and a superb response from all vendors, and devs. Step up. No more bull.
Other distro's may get 'instructions', but in the case of Ubuntu, it needs to issue a point and click fix package or update/forced update. Its not a user 'fix' in that distro and others like it.
The good:-
/SMB connection just led to hanging apps, zero responsiveness, burp, hang, burp.
The installation worked without any major problem. GUI installation took a while, but picked up all the hardware on the basic machine used to test.
The various settings and install items were easy to follow and setup.
The look is a little more polished, as one would expect. The new menu set by default is nice, and works well enough.
The installed set of applications looks reasonably balanced. The menu is easy enough to use.
The Bad:-
The network share management seemed nice at first. But this fell apart straight away. Attempting to play media files through any of the multi media programs through
If you can't build a basic desktop that connects and works with servers, what can really be said. Copying the files to the local machine meant the files played without issue (MP3s).
When testing Linux desktops, this one again being no different, the feeling is clunk clunk, clunk. The mouse pointer just has a weird feeling, like its being pulled round on elastic and bungie cables. Of all the systems I play with (Amiga, Mac, Windows, Linux) its the worst, has always been poor and its never improved in Linux releases. It looks like its here to stay. The graphics feel old, even though they are polished. The toolkits leave large areas un-used, and the feeling is just one of ugly disconnection from the desktop. Playing with the KDE themes, the ones supplied varied from one ot two good ones to some really terrible hi vis and hi/low contrast themes. Making changes throughout lead to clucky hanging, and then followed by lots of writing as various files/settings are updated. This works, but is slow, and simply clunky.
I do not know the underlying core issue here. Simply put, the more polish that is applied, the more I get frustrated by the ongoing clunky, slow, 'bad feel' nature of the windows managers. If its going to go on like this, perhaps its time people really considered fixing and replacing X-windows with something better. Ongoing polish is now not covering the other failings.
I hate hitting issues within minutes of install, however I did with this. Tommorow I will spend a little more time on it, but its already dead. If SMB connections and networking *don't* work, or only work in some crippled way, its already a dead stick.
*Note*
I know, many of you won't be bothered by the gremlins, you'll work round them, ignore them, or just pretend they are not important. I simply look at this as anyone from 'outside' would. If basic things don't work, it gets a fail. Right now, you have Vista there, and people are falling down on offering something else that works.
I said switch.
J4865A ProCurve Switch 4108gl
And, we don't use IP6, k, just good old IP Version 4.
For reasons I can't go into, the switches we are stuck with. But what I will say is we have BSD, Linux, Solaris, Other versions of Windows, Mac's, and no end of other kit on the network, and nothing has ever crashed or caused them to crash.
Having tested several versions of Vista, and seeing the same issue, we will keep Vista off the network. The business has no requirement for Vista (and the business is being wound down, fixing for Vista is a none requirement from a business standpoint), XP/Linux will remain as the clients close of business.
Vista is not random. Vista is special. :)
(No, we use a lot of OS's on the network, none have caused this. Its not like Vista has to do anything, its likely plug in network lead and *boom* the main switches crash and loop)
Anyway, its on our to do list. New firmware means we have to put a switch to one side and test the firmware before we could use it live. Its not a 5 minute job and we have no need for vista in the business.
Vista crashes our main network switches here. We did not have a requirement for Vista, so we've banished it until we do an upgrade on firmware project, which will be done on a if/when required by the business (HP pro curve switches).
We found this on Beta and tried to talk to MS, after being passed from piller to post and jerked round (we frankly have real work to get on with) we gave up. We tested with the full release, and, well, until we have time its just barred from the business.
Far as I know, and I am not a specialist in the field but there are two mega quakes that are in line to happen at some stage.
The oceanic plate off northern california / Oregon/seattle and the large plates in the area surrounding turkey, one running right through Istanbul.
In terms of the mega quake, the tsunami is bad, but from the data I looked at, the frequncy of vibration when hitting the landmass would be large and ongoing. Its the ongoing/changing nature of the waves travelling through the ground that would bring down the damaged buildings.
In the atlantic area there is a large landmass waiting to slide, and the potential there is for a larger disaster than the recent cataclysm in indonesia.
Sometimes we belieev we are impregnable and capable of handling any issue, at some stage, nature is as going to send us a reminder we live on a volatile and changing planet.
If they are monitoring that ocena plate and it looks like trouble, they should be moving people away from the coast NOW. There is enough evidence that - if its the plate I am thinking of, there may well be serious issues ahead..
I did'nt vote for that scum, and they don't speak for me, and after the week they have had, they should focus on their own jobs and answering the questions now really raised, not issuing more effing dictats.
Still, they will desperatly attempt to get 4/5s of states to ratify and reach a stage where they can take it to council and make a 'decision'.
Its high time these people stopped lauding the 'commission and friends' - they are not our friends and never will be.
My suggestion would be to create an interesting storyline and bring back Tom Baker. The man would slide straight back in.
He was in the day the best of Dr Who. Avoidance of things like living shop dummies will be required if it is to avoid being canned in future. I can survive ropey first episodes (ex B5 pilot) - but you have to get to a core 'good' part or die. That is evolution.
Would Tom Baker consider it ? I do not know or care. In terms of Julian Clarey or Eddie Izzard, should any such person become the doctor, I shall be watching something else.
The last thing is that they need to move to longer story arcs, and rather thicker work on the bad side. Son of Davros, More Darleks, Cybermen, and generally nasty realities. I'm already getting a horrid feeling as to the flimbsy, weak lines that may be fed ouy way. (cue cancelled series and multi year hybernation)
If a group of these came upon a lone Lion, perhaps a young male, I would not be surprised if they were able to take him down. My own perception would be that one or other side would flee.
Incidently, you need to understand Chips as far as I can see, and Chips are far more brutal and aggresive in using troops and patrols in their area than most people understand. They will and do go hunting other groups for the kill.
There was a recent documentary where the scientists believe human warefare is an extension of the primal behaviour in chips and their territory. Along side this was captured on film a troop of chips that went on a patrol in the pure purpose of hunting down and killing other chips in the area. No ifs, no buts, no maybes.
Would such a tribe allow lions or other predators in their area if they are powerful enough and agressive enough? That remains an open debate. These fearsome creatures may simply be scaring the locals and thus gaining notariety in doings so. As simple a thing as a dead lion and this group of apes can be a case of 2+2 =7
AdmV
During the recent Ject issue, I looked into trying to rip out IE. I have like 120 machines to look after, I don't have the money to active directory, and I have certain limits. I'll use psexec but even so, its a long tedius job maintaining 120 machines.
:shell: made me rather glad I had'nt committed a massive workload in the name of switching to a new bugwridden, secuirty glitched browser.
Now, getting back to IE, yes, I did look at ripping it out. Not so easy on XP Pro as any user who signs in gets linked to the program in default. I could banjax the progam directory, and stop it being used that way, but if I do that, I believe I can still call windowsupdate.com via an explorer window. I presume however, that anyone using the same method uses the same cuplable browsing that impairs IE. Thus I'm not really solving the problem, just fending it off until the users get smart.
In terms of Mozilla and Firefox, sadly I have to say the security failure regarding
Today, I'm told if I had rolled Mozilla, someone's just committed me to a whole sale re-roll out just because they can't patch, they have to fix it in a new install.
I've said it before, I'll say it again, doing this to me just puts me right off even contemplating it. Next week, watch out, the next Mozilla issue will rear its ugly head.
I sadly have to put aside the OSS/MS stuff, because whatever I put out there has to work, and its not about Ideaology, I do not care about Ideaology. Mozilla is a fine effort, but the security side leaves much to be desired. One is hard pushed to claim that its a quantum leap in browser security.
AdmV
People are incredibly ignorant. They allow an autocratic EU state to build, develop, and continually assume that everything will be ok.
The EU citizens cannot vote out a commissioner, nor do they have even the slightest influence on the council of ministers.
The so called democratic 'parliament' is an absolute joke, both watering down ANY democracy, and weakening it by using 'majority voting' and other 'levers' of EU autocracy. Even if your country is going to suffer under a law, it is being weakened daily in its possible influence to stop horrific lawmaking and enforcement. Your courts, laws, judges, employment, social justice, patents, the works are being taken from you.
Its amazing to see haughty europeans scoff and laugh at idiotic american laws, while amazingly lauding the EU, while at the same time, it creades amazingly bad laws, horrific compromises, and all with a mass removal of democracy for its 400+ million 'citizens', man I hate that word, its a word used by evil socialists, communists, and leftists, and implies a slave person who will comply with the stinking new state.
Citizen is oft spoken in the laungauge of Hilter and Stalin-alike scum bags.
If there is to be a Europe, let it truly be democratic, not this bastardised, evil, autocratic, 'utopia' for failed,bend and corrupt politicians.
The EU has not had its accounts signed off in over nine years, and thats by its own auditors, and that is far larger than Enron.
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Having to run a windows site I was once again looking at the ADODB:stream bug and pondering directions to take and look into.
Some of the issues I pondered was if I spent a lot of time ripping out the user access to the none removable IE, and installing either Firefox, Mozilla, or another browser, or a combination of that or similar.
On the browser side, removal of Active X and the IE gubbins brings security, but also none working websites. Perhaps a lot of companies aare going to move back to the standards that form web rather than MS specific technology. I can't blame them, as most people outside tech areas like slash tend to use or aim for market leading pitches. The bulk of users use IE.
That will continue to be the issue, however, looking deeper into this, I looked at machines and figiured I would have to keep IE patched, but in addition, if I role another product or more, I merely add quite possible extra vectors of concern and attack.
All the browsers go through security and exploit issues, at least from time to time. What I settled on was continuing with IE. Its built into windows, there is'nt an easy undo for that.
Somewhere between Sunday/Monday, MS got a patch out. IMHO while this is not perhaps upto the highest levels of OSS error and fix correction, it is'nt bad or horrific.
In the main, so long as they deal with issues quickly and provide answers, I can tolerate them. They are not as bad as some make out.
The history of Mozilla is not as bug free and exploit free as much of the recent comments try to indicate. In truth, we will continue to have security issues with software, and it is how the vendor responds that should be critiqued.
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