* Posts by Fatman

2400 publicly visible posts • joined 6 Apr 2008

Frontier: Yes, yes, we've filed for bankruptcy protection, but that's not stopping us giving key staff $38m in bonuses

Fatman

Re: Verizon sold wire line knowing this outcome

Absolutely!

Verizon didn't want any part of wired service; they wanted a transformation into a wireless carrier. They used their copper assets to launch a wireless company, then ditched the wireline business, in the process.

Fatman
FAIL

One of Frontier's problems

Is people abandoning landlines, and going to a cell phone for their calls.

I decided to ditch Verizon back in 2013 when their single locally limited landline went beyond $40.00. Once you add in the fees charged to get any kind of long distance service tacked on top of that already expensive cost, you were getting close to a 'price pain point' and one had to wonder if a copper landline was worth it.

At the time I looked at Virgin Mobile PayLo plans which allowed calling costs to drop to as low as $25.00 a month.

Decision was simple - good fucking bye Verizon.

I resisted Verizon's constant pleas to switch to FiOS, but I had reservations about Verizon's intentions. In my market there were competing local exchange carriers who were operating by renting Verizon's wires due to the Telcom Act of 1996; but I was quite certain the Act did not cover those subscribers who cut loose the copper in favor of FiOS. I never trusted Verizon to act in the consumer's interest unless they can tack on all kinds of fees and surcharges.

One last thing, I was so dammed lucky that I did not experience all of the bullshit former Verizon customers got once Frontier took over in our area:

https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/can-frontier-communications-get-over-its-fumbling-takeover-of-verizon-fios/2271934/

It is clear that Frontier's executives have forgotten one very basic rule: excessive debt will drag you down. In times where revenues come up short, you still have to service debt.

Three things in life are certain: Death, taxes, and cloud-based IoT gear bricked by vendors. Looking at you, Belkin

Fatman
FAIL

Re: Never buy IoT kit

AMEN BROTHER!!!

Icon for Belkin.

As nice as Pai: FCC chairman comes out in favour of Ligado Networks' 5G proposal, despite criticism from airlines and military

Fatman
WTF?

Re: The US industry watchdog

<quote>The US industry lapdog</quote>

More like "The US industry ass kisser".

This machine-learning upstart trained software to snare online drug dealers. Now it's going after fake coronavirus test equipment peddlers

Fatman
Joke

random tweets

<quote>However, we fear the kind of person who believes a random tweet about a miracle cure won't listen to reason from experts.</quote>

Do you mean Trump supporters???

Signal sends smoke, er, signal: If Congress cripples anonymous speech with EARN IT Act, we'll shut US ops

Fatman

RoTW telling the USofA to....

<quote>When I was born the possibility that this could happen would be inconceivable to most people (many seem unable to grasp that fact even now) but it is the case. It must seem as inconceivable to must USians but, having watched it happen to the UK, I have no difficulty visualising it happening to the US.</quote>

It will be a shocking day when the rest of the world stands up and tells the US Gubmit to

"FUCK OFF!!!!"

An appropriate icon: https://c7.uihere.com/files/534/152/58/the-finger-fuck-decal-youtube-youtube.jpg

Cops charge prankster who 'corona-coughed' on aged officer and had it filmed

Fatman

Re: "the woman police officer was 71 years old"

<quote>What kind of barbaric country requires people to work when they should be retired ?</quote>

Many of the school grossing guards in my area are older, and likely semi-retired people.

Fatman

Re: The professionalisation of Management

You forgot:

"Expect a larger bonus for dealing with this unanticipated surge in users."

IT services sector faces armageddon as COVID-19 lockdown forces project cancellations – analysts

Fatman

Re: That's one point of view

<quote>Having a decent emergency cash fund on hand has its advantages.</quote>

Are you sure that it is still there??

Perhaps Manglement raided it in order to increase C-suite bonuses.

First impressions count when the world is taken by surprise by an exciting new (macro) virus

Fatman

Re: Interesting, but another which is closer to "on call" than "who me?" - perhaps "why me?"

That sounds more like Computerworld, where Its Shark Tank column has had to resort to only 4 postings a week, instead of it previous 5.

Google reveals the wheels almost literally fell off one of its cloudy server racks

Fatman
FAIL

Re: Swapping whole racks out

<quote>Any server farm worth using would have at least one spare rack already in place just waiting to be connected, powered up and configured. Then the faulty rack can be removed to a workshop for attention.</quote>

Said the beancounter:

"You can not do that as it represents an unnecessary CAPEX cost, which does not increase shareholder value. Budget request denied."

How's this for a remote support fix? Solar storm early-warning satellite repaired with million-mile software update

Fatman

Re: To today's kids ...

<quote>Sad, isn't it.</quote>

No, just a simple commentary on today's throw-away society.

BOFH: Gosh, IPv5? Why didn't I think of that? Say, how do you like the new windows in here? Take a look. Closer...

Fatman

Re: Optional

<quote>the world's first pneumatic suppository – so the Boss understands firsthand what a pain in the arse is</quote>

I have a better suggestion for demonstrating what a pain in the ass is:

Conceal a 5 HP, 3600RPM motor under the seat of an executive chair with a 12inch diameter concrete drill bit coupled directly to the motor's shaft. Mount this on a pedal operated mechanism to force drill bit upward, through the seat. Convince your victim executive in need of education to take a seat. Fasten restraining straps. Fire up the motor, and finally demonstrate exactly what a PITA (he/she) is.

While hype merchants push chatbots, CIOs are saving up pennies while expecting a recession, reckons study

Fatman

Re: They Know A Recession Is Coming In 2020?

<quote>Clearly the worlds governments need to be talking to these chaps.</quote>

There are many who believe that certain world governments are behind the looming catastrophe.

HP Ink: No way, Xerox. We're not accepting your takeover. Well, we'd never say never. Maybe even maybe? Hello, you still there? Please?

Fatman

Re: Sorry for the ink sales drop

Me Too!

At home, I have a very low volume printing requirement, and just wasting ink """cleaning the ink cartridges""" suddenly didn't make sense; especially after taking a look at the cost of ink. So I went for a low end Brother wireless lazer printer, and tossed the HP inkjet into the garbage can.

There's got to be Huawei we can defeat Chinese tech giant, thinks US attorney-general. Aha, let's buy stake in Ericsson and Nokia

Fatman
WTF?

Re: Hardly the US way, is it ? State subsidies and all that.

Actually, the saying goes:

You socialize the risks and privatize the profits.

Case in point:

Progress Energy (now a part of Duke Energy) bribing providing campaign contributions to lobbying Florida Legislators to allow billing customers in advance for a nuke plant, which was never built.

Some background (if you are interested): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levy_County_Nuclear_Power_Plant

At last, the fix no one asked for: Portable home directories merged into systemd

Fatman

Re: " And if it turns out to be someone OVER IT's head, like an executive?"

Or a faulty lift!

So you locked your backups away for years, huh? Allow me to introduce my colleagues, Brute, Force and Ignorance

Fatman
WTF?

Re: QIC tapes as backups.

Do you remember the days of using QIC tapes as backups???

One day, after a catastrophic hard drive crash, I had to rebuild a system from scratch. First load the operating system on a new drive, and then restore the system with the most recent backup.

I put in the O/S install tape, did a re-tension, and the fucking band snapped. Stopped dead in the water because of a 1/8 inch wide tension band.

Luckily for me, another company locally used the same hardware system, and I was able to use their install tape to load the O/S. Saved my ass!

After that, and making sure that manglement understood where I was 'coming from', we started purging all QIC tapes older than 3 years from routine backup use.

Apple calls BS on FBI, AG: We're totally not dragging our feet in murder probe iPhone decryption. PS: No backdoors

Fatman

Re: Which one is the bad apple?

I have always thought that Apple was rotten to the core, and the FBI were the good guys.

But in light of the FBI's latest antics, and the general behavior of US Government since 9/11, it looks like the positions have switched, and the US Government is now rotten to the core.

Fatman
Thumb Down

Re: downvotes

It has been a while since I have seen any comment with a downvote number slightly under 100.

Latitude 9510 lappy has a speakerphone so you can tell the conference call all about your 30-hour battery

Fatman

Re: Marketing spin

We all know what distortions of the truth Marketing types are capable of.

I wonder if the timing of this announcement was made to put pause to plans to spend budget cash on hold awaiting its release ("Oh, look at what is coming soon, hold that purchase order.") Me cynical? Of course!

Two missing digits? How about two missing employees in today's story of Y2K

Fatman

Re: real issues

I had that problem with CTIX (Convergent Technologies Unix) for their S-80 "miniframes" (a Motorola 68020 based system). I hated to reboot that machine after 1/1/2000. What a PITA to get the date correct.

El Reg presents: Your one-step guide on where not to store electronic mail

Fatman
Joke

Re: New Icon for `Deleted Items` folder...

Should be a shredder.

'nuff said.

BOFH: 'Twas the night before Christmas, and the ransomware struck

Fatman

Re: How dare they hide something from him!

I think you forgot an important word, a corrected version is shown below:

<quote>He's probably in senior management somewhere. Sounds like he has the proper personality.</quote>

'Supporting Internet Explorer is hell': Web developers identify top needs – new survey

Fatman

Re: Local preference

<quote>Perhaps the article forgot to mention the survey was conducted in St Petersburg?</quote> Russia??

Fatman

RE: Keep the web in it's little sandbox please.

<quote>Keep the web in it's little sandbox please. It's already dangerous enough visiting web pages!</quote>

Like those web sites that issue calls to $DEITY knows where for ad slingers to infect your system with all kinds of shit???

This isn't Boeing very well... Faulty timer knackers Starliner cargo capsule on its way to International Space Station

Fatman
Thumb Up

Re: CONTEST: Starliner will be heavily loaded with ...

<quote>Donald Trump</quote>

$DEITY knows that I wish I could UPVOTE you a thousand times!!!!!

London's Westminster Council wins appeal against phonebooth-cum-massive-digital-advert

Fatman
Thumb Up

Re: Advertisers and marketers are parasitic scum.

Wiser words have never been spoken!!!

Vivaldi opens up an exciting new front in the browser wars, seeks to get around blocking with cunning code

Fatman

Re: I'm puzzled...

<quote>You can have your Netflix, or you can have a browser without DRM.</quote>

I will take the latter any fucking day of the year.

Das Reboot: Uni forces 38,000 students, staff to queue, show their papers for password reset following 'cyber attack'

Fatman

re-use infected hard drives

<quote>If you don't need to keep them around for forensic reasons or "just in case" the crypto is cracked, then you can re-use them.</quote>

Just hope that the malware didn't infect, and alter the hard drives' firmware; otherwise you just might be royally fucked.

FYI: FBI raiding NSA's global wiretap database to probe US peeps is probably illegal, unconstitutional, court says

Fatman

Re: Read the 14th amendment

You have left out that subset of law enforcement that believes that most US citizens who are """not like them""" are also enemies of the state.

FCC proudly wastes $90m getting data-capped, pricey satellite internet to tiny percentage of US population

Fatman

Re: The hits never stop

<quote>Pai's lies are a Neverending Story.</quote>

He isn't the only one. His """boss""" just got a Christmas present courtesy of the (US) House of Representatives.

Post Office faces potential criminal probe over Fujitsu IT system's accounting failures

Fatman

Re: Ooooh first post....

<quote>All the best to the SPM's, my advise is when your opponent is down on the floor, thats absolutely the best and right time to administer a damm good kicking.</quote>

You forgot:

in the nuts!!!!!!

Then do it again, and again for good measure!

Deadly 737 Max jets no longer a Boeing concern – for now: Production suspended after biz runs out of parking space

Fatman
FAIL

Re: Airbus, take heed

<quote>....but the senior management really should be behind barsfacing a firing squad. There needs to be severe certain punishment.

There, FTFY!!!

It's 2019 so, of course, this Wells Fargo employee accused of stealing customer cash posed with wads of dosh on Instagram, Facebook

Fatman

Re: How many trainers?

Rack up one vote for the latter. (Dumb and Dumber)

No box shifting, no Buck Rogers. Bezos-backed Blue Origin blasts off once again

Fatman
Happy

Re: Is it just me

Perhaps they should license a smaller version of the design for personal use.

Go champion retires after losing to AI, Richard Nixon deepfake gives a different kind of Moon-landing speech...

Fatman

Re: Other dishonest and untrusworthy political party leaders

I nominate the current occupant of the White House to that `club`.

Not to Nokia, but someone's seeking a third Huawei: Openreach hunts supplier number 3 for UK's FTTP network

Fatman
Joke

RE: there is no point checking it twice?

Actually, one should.

You might find out how the Huawei engineers found, and disabled the embedded NSA spying code.

Intel end-of-lifing BIOS and driver downloads for dusty hardware

Fatman

Re: About time

<quote>Keeping those giant bios files on the server must be bankrupting them. This will free up billions for the support of more current machines, or notexecutive bonus pool.</quote>

FTFY

What do you get when you allegedly mix Wireshark, a gumshoe child molester, and a court PC? A judge facing hacking charges

Fatman

Re: Jeez

<quote>You say that like there was a 'correct' way to do it?</quote>

Actually, there is. Especially, in her case, after all, she is a judge. And, that way is to contact the FBI, and let the Feds handle it. IF the DA is spying on her without the backing of a court order, then (s)he (the DA) is in a lot of hot water, and could face Federal charges.

I cannae do it, captain, I'm giving it all she's got, but she just cannae take another dose of bullsh!t

Fatman

RE: Imagining a 'device'

<quote>Can we imagine a "device" – the functional equivalent of a microspectrometer – for truth?</quote>

You don't need to,it already exists - a bullshit meter!

BOFH: Judge us not by the size of our database, but the size of our augmented reality

Fatman

RE: "stack of ideas"

<quote>"Well, I've given you a stack of ideas and you've shot down every one. How about YOU suggest something to bring this company out of the dark ages?!"</quote>

BOFH: "Hand in your resignation, today!"

Hey ElReg, why isn't there a `boot in the ass` icon?

Would you open an email from one Dr Brian Fisher? GP app staff did – and they got phished

Fatman
Pint

Re: Proof reading fail

Don't kick yourself too hard.

Shit happens. We all suffer from fat finger syndrome from time to time.

Have one on me. -------------------------------------------------------------------->

Microsoft and dance partners coordinate firmware defenses with Secure-core PCs

Fatman

RE: Intel ME

<quote>Personally, I'd like to see Intel ME disabled by default. Anyone who needs it for any reason can enable it.</quote>

I would rather see Intel's ME ripped out.

Fatman
WTF?

Re: "The operating system must be Windows 10 Pro"

As I was reading the piece, these thoughts: "What is Microsoft up to? Are they playing the next card in their Secure Boot hand? Coming up with a new way to lock out alternative OSes?"; came to mind.

I am extremely skeptical of this move.

Think your VMware snapshots are all good? Guess again if you're on Windows Server 2019

Fatman
Thumb Up

Re: Backups

<quote>I'd upvote for it being a reasoned point of view as well if I could.</quote>

Since I agree (with the 'reasoned point of view' part) with your point, I cast an up vote on your behalf.

See you in Hull: First UK city to be hooked up to full-fibre broadband

Fatman
Joke

Re: Deceptive marketing

<quote>one is provided for by OpenReachRetch.</quote>

FTFY

Class-action lawsuit claims DXC 'selectively timed' job cuts to inflate short-term profit target

Fatman

Re: "Being made redundant"

<quote>The reasonable answer is "no", of course, so the industry needs a better euphemism than "redundant". Try the simpler, "laid off" or "fired" repositioned at a new employer in an effort to increase the executive bonus pool, instead.</quote>

FTFY!

Remember that security probe that ended with a sheriff cuffing the pen testers? The contract is now public so you can decide who screwed up

Fatman

Re: it's a test of law more than penetration

<quote>Just invoice for the time spent in custody.</quote>

Don't forget to charge time and a half for "over time" (in excess of 8 hours/day).

GitHub gobbles biz used by NASA, Google, etc to search code for bugs and security holes in Mars rovers, apps...

Fatman

Re: "Software security is a community effort..."

<quote>have to find one hole in the dyke</quote>

Did you use the wrong word, or are you tempting LGBTQ retaliation for your choice of word??

Watch out for the PC police.