My kids use Linux. But sadly, even under Linux, there's no dead-easy kid-friendly way for them to learn programming the way I learned BASIC on my TRS-80 CoCo. I've introduced my one daughter to Tcl, but even that has advanced concepts compared to 1980s-era BASIC.
I've also ordered a 130-in-one electronics kit for my daughter because I remember how much fun I had with mine. Alas, Radio Shack no longer sells them... they've given up on tinkerers and hackers too.
Re:For once, I'm fine with being locked out...
on
Does Santa Hate Linux?
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· Score: 2, Funny
That "Christian fairy-tale" you are whining about is responsible for more joy, laughter, wonder, and good will in this world than anything else you can name.
We both publish and use SPF records. We publish them in an attempt to limit backscatter from joe-jobs, but that's not very successful. Nevertheless, I like the idea of being able to declare which machines are legitimately allowed to send mail for my domain.
We also use SPF records, but in a careful way. We add lots of points for SPF "fail" results from certain domains like paypal.com, ebay.com, etc. We add a moderate number of points for SPF "fails" from domains not in that list. We subtract points for SPF "pass" results from certain trusted domains.
We certainly do not subtract points for SPF "pass" from some random domain; we have no reason to trust it. In fact, for a while, an SPF "pass" result was a mild indicator of spam, as spammers registered throwaway domains and published SPF records.
I use OpenVPN plus SSH. Of course, I tell my family and friends not to bother me for help unless they're running Linux, so that simplifies my life (and theirs) tremendously.
I would not enter such a contest unless the prize were at least a year's salary. The amount of effort required for a real security assessment is worth a lot more than a month's salary.
While cracking the machines would prove that they are insecure, failing to crack them proves nothing. It only proves that one group of people at a particular time couldn't crack them.
There's this magical invention called a "pencil" that goes well with another magical invention called a "notebook". Combined, the two will let you keep up with the lecturer.
If, later on, you have the overpowering need to be 1337, you can transcribe the notes at your own pace into your computer.
Unfortunately, it's not easy to find Linux-only netbooks. I tried buying an Acer Aspire One online with Linux installed; couldn't find one anywhere. I ended up buying the "Starling Netbook" from system76. Even places I'd bought a Linux Aspire One from a few months ago no longer carry it.
Microsoft has been very successful in shutting down Linux netbook sales, unfortunately.
In a stunning new development, Apple revealed itself to be an anal-retentive control-freak of a corporation, with delusions of monopolistic grandeur. Video at 11.
In other news, it was revealed that the Pope is, in fact, Catholic, and that bears tend to defecate in the woods.
So, Chicago was spared an expensive boondoggle. It won't have to shovel its homeless off the street just before the Olympics. It won't have to deal with corrupt IOC officials or drug-addled athletes.
The problem is that if a global patent system were devised that were more sane than the US system, the US would say "screw you; we won't tolerate this violation of our sovereignty" and continue with it's own broken patent system.
So a global patent system is guaranteed to be no better than the US system, and likely to be worse.
@interval1066: Absolutely. I have let ASUS know (on the EEE forums and via e-mail) exactly why I am no longer buying ASUS products. My company bought a netbook as a prize for a tradeshow recently, and we bought a Linux-loaded Acer Aspire 1, and I made sure to let ASUS know.
It's good to get the refund, but IMO FOSS types should boycott ASUS. I own an EEE-701, which was the original category-killer. Linux propelled netbooks to fame, and then ASUS weasled out with their "itsbetterwithwindows" campaign.
There are plenty of companies willing to sell netbooks with Linux pre-loaded (Acer makes a very nice model) and we should patronize them.
But I run OpenVPN. The first thing I do upon connecting is create an OpenVPN tunnel to our corporate server. I then route all traffic over the VPN connection (except for the actual encrypted OpenVPN packets themselves, of course: those need a special host route.)
I use an IP address to connect to the OpenVPN server so spoofed DNS won't affect me, and once connected, I of course use our corporate DNS servers.
LaTex doesn't translate easily or cleanly into HTML
Actually, Tex4ht does a superb job of translating LaTeX into readable HTML. We use it internally to produce HTML versions of our product manuals. (We ship both PDF and HTML.)
Any decent VPN software will have the ability to auto-configure the DNS server settings once the VPN link is up. Just have clients use your internal DNS server over the VPN.
Note that contrary to what other posters are saying, it's not necessary to tunnel all your traffic over the VPN. Just make sure DNS requests go over it.
Actually, in the Cisco client it is NOT a client option. The server can override any and every setting in the client, including that one. Our Cisco VPN concentrator, for example, disables split networking the instant you connect.
OK, you go along believing that the client can't change that and be happy...:-)
If you have root on the client Linux box, it's trivial to undo the server-"enforced" security.
So Catholicism rejects certain notions because they are "logically absurd", but it's OK with a virgin birth and a guy who was killed on a cross but miraculously arose a few days later?
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My kids use Linux. But sadly, even under Linux, there's no dead-easy kid-friendly way for them to learn programming the way I learned BASIC on my TRS-80 CoCo. I've introduced my one daughter to Tcl, but even that has advanced concepts compared to 1980s-era BASIC.
I've also ordered a 130-in-one electronics kit for my daughter because I remember how much fun I had with mine. Alas, Radio Shack no longer sells them... they've given up on tinkerers and hackers too.
We go to the movies.
That "Christian fairy-tale" you are whining about is responsible for more joy, laughter, wonder, and good will in this world than anything else you can name.
Not in my house. The Tooth Fairy trumps all.
Oy, gevalt. Vot a tregedy. Vot an awful ting to vorry about. My knishes are in a knot and my borscht is bleeding.
We both publish and use SPF records. We publish them in an attempt to limit backscatter from joe-jobs, but that's not very successful. Nevertheless, I like the idea of being able to declare which machines are legitimately allowed to send mail for my domain.
We also use SPF records, but in a careful way. We add lots of points for SPF "fail" results from certain domains like paypal.com, ebay.com, etc. We add a moderate number of points for SPF "fails" from domains not in that list. We subtract points for SPF "pass" results from certain trusted domains.
We certainly do not subtract points for SPF "pass" from some random domain; we have no reason to trust it. In fact, for a while, an SPF "pass" result was a mild indicator of spam, as spammers registered throwaway domains and published SPF records.
I use OpenVPN plus SSH. Of course, I tell my family and friends not to bother me for help unless they're running Linux, so that simplifies my life (and theirs) tremendously.
I would not enter such a contest unless the prize were at least a year's salary. The amount of effort required for a real security assessment is worth a lot more than a month's salary.
While cracking the machines would prove that they are insecure, failing to crack them proves nothing. It only proves that one group of people at a particular time couldn't crack them.
There's this magical invention called a "pencil" that goes well with another magical invention called a "notebook". Combined, the two will let you keep up with the lecturer. If, later on, you have the overpowering need to be 1337, you can transcribe the notes at your own pace into your computer.
If you want a Linux only netbook you can get one
Unfortunately, it's not easy to find Linux-only netbooks. I tried buying an Acer Aspire One online with Linux installed; couldn't find one anywhere. I ended up buying the "Starling Netbook" from system76. Even places I'd bought a Linux Aspire One from a few months ago no longer carry it.
Microsoft has been very successful in shutting down Linux netbook sales, unfortunately.
In a stunning new development, Apple revealed itself to be an anal-retentive control-freak of a corporation, with delusions of monopolistic grandeur. Video at 11.
In other news, it was revealed that the Pope is, in fact, Catholic, and that bears tend to defecate in the woods.
Now tell me how many other government agencies or private employers and services have access to your fingerprints.
Zero.
So, Chicago was spared an expensive boondoggle. It won't have to shovel its homeless off the street just before the Olympics. It won't have to deal with corrupt IOC officials or drug-addled athletes.
The problem is that if a global patent system were devised that were more sane than the US system, the US would say "screw you; we won't tolerate this violation of our sovereignty" and continue with it's own broken patent system.
So a global patent system is guaranteed to be no better than the US system, and likely to be worse.
@interval1066: Absolutely. I have let ASUS know (on the EEE forums and via e-mail) exactly why I am no longer buying ASUS products. My company bought a netbook as a prize for a tradeshow recently, and we bought a Linux-loaded Acer Aspire 1, and I made sure to let ASUS know.
It's good to get the refund, but IMO FOSS types should boycott ASUS. I own an EEE-701, which was the original category-killer. Linux propelled netbooks to fame, and then ASUS weasled out with their "itsbetterwithwindows" campaign.
There are plenty of companies willing to sell netbooks with Linux pre-loaded (Acer makes a very nice model) and we should patronize them.
But I run OpenVPN. The first thing I do upon connecting is create an OpenVPN tunnel to our corporate server. I then route all traffic over the VPN connection (except for the actual encrypted OpenVPN packets themselves, of course: those need a special host route.)
I use an IP address to connect to the OpenVPN server so spoofed DNS won't affect me, and once connected, I of course use our corporate DNS servers.
Problem solved.
LaTex doesn't translate easily or cleanly into HTML
Actually, Tex4ht does a superb job of translating LaTeX into readable HTML. We use it internally to produce HTML versions of our product manuals. (We ship both PDF and HTML.)
I'm waiting for followups from all the sheeps.
Terrific way to educate students. Bribe them to show up to class.
Any decent VPN software will have the ability to auto-configure the DNS server settings once the VPN link is up. Just have clients use your internal DNS server over the VPN.
Note that contrary to what other posters are saying, it's not necessary to tunnel all your traffic over the VPN. Just make sure DNS requests go over it.
OK, you go along believing that the client can't change that and be happy... :-)
If you have root on the client Linux box, it's trivial to undo the server-"enforced" security.
So Catholicism rejects certain notions because they are "logically absurd", but it's OK with a virgin birth and a guy who was killed on a cross but miraculously arose a few days later?
Okaaaay.....