Posts by a_yank_lurker

It's time for a discussion about malvertising

Re: There's still proper investigative journalism out there

The issue is not avoiding ads but avoiding malware from ads. The problem for any user is they can not tell the difference until it's too late. Thus, ad-blockers are used to stop all ads which is a brutal and tends towards overkill. If one can trust the ads and they are well behaved (no pop-ups, no autoplay, do not take over the screen, no false claims of infection, etc) then ad-blockers are unnecessary. But that is not the case.

The real villain is the users who protecting their kit but the advertising firms for allowing malware and user abuse to occur in the first place. Personally I do not like running any more background stuff than necessary because each additional process adds to the work the computer has to do. So I run an ad-blocker out of necessity to protect my kit not because of existential hatred of ads.

Re: Thank you

Trevor, you hit a couple of sore points for users; subscriptions add up fast and ad malware is serious problem. There only so much money one can spend on subscriptions especially when one is not a regular reader. News sites must also realize that subscriptions include sites such as Netflix, Office365, etc. Money spent on those sites is money one can not spend on a news site. This is probably a solvable problem with some creativity such as services like Blendle. The more difficult problem is the ad malware which means most users should be using ad-blockers to protect their kit.

Also, you noted that older people are more likely to still subscribe to a fishwrap than younger people. This generational shift in habits means news organizations need to change how they get paid. But most news organizations seem to be run by technical illiterates who refuse to change because these methods worked in 1920. Even dinosaurs were smart enough to evolve into birds.

@Doctor Syntax - KISS principle works here, simple static ads are not worth blocking or worry about the bandwidth they use.

WhatsApp chats not deleted

Re: Very remiss

It pays to read the documentation.

Windows 10 pain: Reg man has 75 per cent upgrade failure rate

Re: Linux...

Peripheral support by OSes is often flaky and depends on the OS, the vendor, and the age of the device. I have had hardware the would not work on later version of 'bloat work fine with Linux and other devices lack any driver. Generally though I have seen Linux support some incredibly old peripherals which the last 'bloat does not have a driver for but newer kit tends to be more touch and go with Linux though it is improving.

Re: Boils...

"Marketing do not acknowledge that this situation exists." - It usually takes a couple of hours to backup the data, do a distro install, and reload their data plus a brief tutorial. And they are quite happy to pay me about $50 to do it. Some need a little hand holding but many seem to grasp Cinnamon quite easily.

Re: Boils...

"Most likely this is because they're hoping that the bricked PC" has a fatal flaw which is not everyone can afford to rush out and buy new computer. I know several who can not and need to get a current OS. A couple have moved to Linux Mint because they needed a computer but could not afford new kit.

What's ordered in Vegas, doesn't stay in Vegas? $6.7m of printer ink 'stolen by office worker'

accounting 101 anyone

Did anyone bother to audit the books? Ever?

My Microsoft Office 365 woes: Constant crashes, malware macros – and settings from Hell

Re: What's Wrong with Slurp?

I think a stable suite with a feature set about Office 2003 or 2007 is what most people need. The only other issue is that should open a wide variety of file types. There are several suites that do this; both FOSS and commercial. The problem is software does not really wear out like car which is why software vendors are slobbering like a bunch of mangey mutts over cloudy subscriptions. However, subscriptions tend to be a pain for customer so many will deliberately limit the number of subscriptions to those they believe are critical and find another solution for the others.

What's Wrong with Slurp?

Slurp seems to have forgotten the reason people have computers to do something other than fighting with constantly changing GUIs, default settings, and document version incompatibilities.

Also, I got the impression that Office 2010 (or possibly earlier) had all the features needed by Trevor. Office and many other applications are mature, feature rich already and it is highly unlikely that a new "must have" feature will be added. This the problem for Slurp and other software vendors is how to get your money into their pockets when you have no real need to move to the latest version.

Dem-owned-crats: Now its congressional committee is hacked

Real Problem?

Could the real reason the donkeys are getting hacked is that they badly botched their server security? There seems to be an overly quick assumption that Ivan's spooks must be doing this when it is quite possible a combination of donkey stupidity and moderately competent hackers did this.

No need to panic, says SwiftKey, as email addresses, phone numbers appear on strangers' screens

Re: Funny...

Is it deliberate? Remember this is the commercial front for the NSA and other feral spookhauses.

Windows 10 Pro Anniversary Update tweaked to stop you disabling app promos

Re: Matters Arising...

Not part of the class unfortunately, Linux on all devices with a couple of old W7 partitions floating around.

Re: "PROfessional" or "PROsumer"?

Business users typically use a very limited number of applications. The are not good targets for app store purchases, ads, and should be very allergic to spyware. They need an OS that allows them to run their applications without too much fuss. Winbloat 7 and its predecessors did a good job here. Winbloat 10, however, is becoming a disaster for both the home user and small business user. For many Linux or OS X is viable option.

Cats, dogs starve as web-connected chow chute PetNet plays dead

Imbecile of Things - Cat edition

The designer never had a cat. Mine will tell you when its time for the servants to feed him 24/7. Whenever he gets hungry the on duty servant shall feed or else.

Yahoo! She said yes. Verizon confirms $4.8bn acquisition

Re: @Marissa

Definitely offered too much. lol.

The very latest on the DNC email conspiracy. Which conspiracy? All of them, of course!

Whodonit?

The DNC and their lackies are claiming this was sophisticated intelligence operation by the Russians. Personally, I would bet the "operation" a group of competent hackers aided and abetted the DNC's own incompetence. Saying the Russians did not is a lame attempt to shift the focus from their own unethical if not illegal behavior.

US standards lab says SMS is no good for authentication

Not just the carriers but users who insist on having a banking type app (or equivalent) on their not-so-secure and easy-to-lose smartphone.

WikiLeaks fights The Man by, er, publishing ordinary people's personal information

Another Point

In the last two Presidential campaigns there have been charges that the donkeys deliberately set up the online donations to allow anyone including foreigners (out of country even) to donate. If true, this is a serious violation of feral campaign financing laws. So it is possible the Wikileaks crew was looking for evidence of this.

Again this was rumored at the time. But given the some of the endemic political corruption over here with campaign financing (on both sides) it is likely someone would try to find evidence of these rumors.

This does not mean that Wikileaks and donkeys should be let of the hook for their respective crimes and stupidities.

Cyanogen Inc 'axes 20%' staff

Re: sad but predictable

This makes me wonder if they ever had a real business plan. Understandably, a new venture is likely to lose money the first few years of existence but there better be a well thought out, realistic plan to make a profit. Too Silicon Valley business plans see to be nothing more than buzzword bingo combined with idiotic sales projections of how many will buy a product most do not need nor never heard of.

Free Windows 10 upgrade: Time is running out – should you do it?

Re: am i the only one resisting this

If DX12 is the only real advantage of 10 over its predecessors than for any none gamer there is no real reason to upgrade. Gamers are about the only group that could possibly benefit from using it.

White House to bung electric car industry $4.5bn in loans

Overlooked Problem?

While having enough charging stations will help, there is still the problem of recharging times and basic thermodynamics. The faster recharging occurs the more of temperature build up you have; just touch any recharging battery. Depending on the battery design this will limit how fast you can safely recharge.

One point not mentioned if rapid battery recharging was as easy as many think, submariners would be all ears. Diesel-electric boats are extremely quiet on electric motors but have to be at snorkel depth to recharge. The longer the boot is at snorkel depth the more vulnerable it is. So a very rapid charging battery would be tactically advantageous to allow for a short recharge time.

Microsoft ordered to fix 'excessively intrusive, insecure' Windows 10

Re: Apple

Apple seems to understand the consumer market better than Slurp. This may be due to Fruit being a hardware vendor first and providing software to make their kit work out of the box. As a hardware vendor, software sales is less important to them. What Slurp forgot is how they became dominant. It was combination of marketing, illegal deals, luck, and competitor blundering. This is likely to be a one time effect for Slurp. Fruit has survived and Chocolate Factory is well aware of Slurp's history.

As far as future market share, I suspect Fruit will grow some but not to 50%. The OEMs will be looking for an OS to push and some Linux distro/derivative is a good candidate for them. Many are testing the waters with Chromebooks.

Re: Faint hope... very faint....

Faint hope, yes. But if one regulator starts making serious noises will others be far behind. Slurp's antics have left them vulnerable to some regulators legitimately poking around not liking the stench raised.

Nitwit has fit over twit hit: Troll takes timeless termination terribly

Twitter's problem

Twitter has a problem with trolling because of its design. Very short comments do not lend themselves to any insight but more to snide cracks. Either more are banned or Twitter faces the problem of declining users; who wants to be snidely harassed all the time?

How's this for irony? US Navy hit with $600m software piracy claim

In the best of hands?

What else are the ferals mucking up because they can not conveniently keep proper records?

An anniversary to remember: The world's only air-to-air nuke was fired on 19 July, 1957

@Mark 85 - Given the size of a bomber formation 300 meters does seem like it would take out more than a handful of planes. However, the warhead would have more efficient than WW11 flak as it would more likely for one warhead to take out 2 or 3 planes completely.

If this was nuclear strike, one question I have always had, what happens to the bombs and warheads on the destroyed bombers? Presumably they are already armed.

Your antivirus doesn't like Ammyy. And fraudsters will use that to RAT you out (again)

Re: I dunno if this would work...

No system is completely foolproof but repos/app stores allow for some degree of policing and verification beyond what users can do.

Drone bloke cuffed after gizmo stops firemen tackling forest inferno

@Mark 85 - Sooner or later one of these morons will cause the death of someone because they interfered with aerial firefighting. Great footage is not worth someone's life.

What's big, blue and red all over? IBM. Profit, z Systems down, cloud up

Re: Things will get better next quarter

Buzzword bingo translation - We have hit an iceberg and are sinking. However, the pumps are slowing the rate of sinking. We will take 3 hours instead of 2 hours to founder. Also, there is not enough lifeboat capacity so someone get here soon.

US gov open data, code push

Lip Service

The ferals will be the last to ditch Slurp and other closed source wares. They do not understand how to spec and purchase software.

Happy 50th birthday, optical fibres for telecoms

%0 years old

I did not realize fiber optic cable was that old, happy 50th!

Windows 10 a failure by Microsoft's own metric – it won't hit one billion devices by mid-2018

Re: analysis of the CEO and management style

There are two different customers for Winbloat or any OS. The OEMs are one and they want to sell hardware. However, the end user is a customer, if indirect, because if they do not purchase hdware with your OS the OEMs are not selling hardware. The OEMs are then faced with a choice, lose sales because of the customer resistance or find something else the customers might buy. End user complaints about W10 are probably making the OEMs very nervous.

Re: I'd add

@Steve Davies 3 - The average probably can not install any OS without serious help. So if they are moving to Linux I would recommend finding someone they know to handle the actual install. If I am installing Linux for someone I put home on its own partition so I can do a clean install of the distro when needed.

Re: Perhaps ....

"That users object to having to relearn to use a PC because some idiot has changed the interface but don't object to having to learn something new to use a new type of device should not be surprising, except to those who've really lost the plot." - Users also do not like changing a perfectly functional interface because some clueless PHB says there must be one for all devices.

Re: I am not budging

"the only cunt who has any say on what happens there is me" - Only if Slurp would listen. Failing to understand the customer paid good money for their hardware and they own it not Slurp. Winbloat and Linux are guests on my hardware. If you disobey my rules, I have the right to remove your products from my kit.

W7 is the last Winbloat I will get and I have several valid licenses floating around. For the two programs the I must have Winbloat for (actually SWAMBO), a VM or dual boot works will with no Internet access allowed. I have switched to Linux and have found that there more than adequate replacements for the Winbloat applications I would expect the most problem with.

Re: Apple Upgrades...

Apple also is a hardware vendor so they have the option to tailor their OS and applications to the hardware and much easier time testing for hardware compatibility. But still, informing users and letting the user decide when to update/upgrade is a better policy.

Re: Perhaps ....

@Wade, I think today most people are familiar enough with computing devices that having a different OS is not as big a deal as it was to many back in the 80's. Also, many now realize that they are not usually working on company stuff on their home kit but on company kit. It is quite possible for someone to use 3 or 4 different OS families in a day without any problems.

The real issue for companies is their legacy applications that only run on Winbloat and the conversion to another application will atrocious once it occurs. Home users, the issue is often making sure there is an application that can read their files not that they truly need a specific application.

Re: Perhaps ....

I live near a college and my informal, not very accurate survey at the local coffee shops is Apple has about 50% of the market with college kids.

1 Billion?

With markets shifts and device maturity Slurp might hit 1 billion active installs by 2020 or so. The key will be how much new kit is sold that replaces earlier 'bloat versions and how market share erosion occurs.

Did mock cop bot trot on fraught tot? Maybe not

Re: Careless Parents

I think the later, trying to shake the manufacturer for some easy money but probably do not realize the evidence is likely to be against them.

FTC lets Nest off the hook over Revolv IoT hub bricking shame

"Ponzi scheme" it is not. There should be some consideration or reasonable scenarios such as:

1. Company goes bust. - How are consumers protected and software maintained

2. Subscription fees. - If charge how are consumers protected if they later can not afford the subscription and must the vendor provide at a minimum in updates and patches.

3. Software vs Device obsolescence - Many IoT devices could have a usable service of decades even though the model is no longer in production. How long should should vendors be required to provide support and once support has ended what is the default device functionality (will the IoT fridge default to a dumb fridge).

Re: Home Server

Or better yet start with FOSS to begin with. IoT devices are a combination of physical devices and software/apps. The physical device, say fridge, can have a lifetime of decades so using FOSS to begin with might make keeping the software patched easier. Appliances can have a lifetime 10+ with some money spent on maintenance.

McCain: Come to my encryption hearing. Tim Cook: No, I'm good. McCain: I hate you, I hate you, I hate you

Re: Technology and US Constitution Illiterate

The US ruling class hates the Constitution because it gives the peasants the legal ability to muck up their attempts to impose their diktats. McCain is a nominal Elephant member of the ruling class.

Re: Clinton who should be in jail.

US law on protecting classified information is very clear. If you know any classified information it is your personal responsibility to protect the information. Setting up an insecure email server in your closet is not protecting the information thus by law a very serious feral felony. There is not wiggle room for intent. If you have ever held or smelled a US security clearance this is drilled into your head from day one. And this is a lifetime responsibility. Thus, many over here, particularly those who know the law, are angry that Hildafelon is not wearing an orange jumpsuit especially designed for Club Fed residents. Voting for Trump for many then becomes not an endorsement of Trump but an attempt to keep Hildafelon out.

The current choice between Blowhard and Hildafelon is between bad and disaster.

Re: Theatre. Nothing more.

McCain si proving that Congress critters of all strips are so stupid they can not grasp that 1 + 1 = 2. Of course the committee can subpoena Cook. But it would show to anyone with more brains than a Congress critter that this is nothing but theater to "prove" encryption is bad because the doughnut eaters are too lazy to do real gumshoe work.

Starbucks bans XXX Wi-Fi

Crassy or classy

I understand why many places would block porn sites they are more victims of some very crassy people.

One in five consumers upgraded to Win10 for free instead of buying a PC

Re: Why would they have bought a new PC?

I doubt OS upgrading had much effect on PC unit sales for the simple reason most PCs bought in the last 5 to 8 years are probably still quite functional. Thus no need to buy new kit. Also, applications are mature products so a 5+ year old office suite is still quite functional for many so again no need to buy new kit to run the latest version of many applications.

A somewhat tangential story is the laptop the originally had XP, upgraded to 7 now has Linux Mint on it. The hardware is perfectly functional but the owner (a friend) wanted to set it up lor small kids. One bit of recycled kit meant no hardware sale.

Dear Tesla, stop calling it autopilot – and drivers are not your guinea pigs

@Mark 85 - Others are showing the correct way to develop autonomous automobiles; slowly and carefully in specially designed test vehicles. These vehicles are operated under controlled situations even when on public streets by trained staff. They are not operated by untrained owners under any and all conditions which is what Tesla is doing.

The technology is several years away from being deployable safely to the masses. Driver assist systems that handle emergency braking, etc. are deployable because the driver is still actually driving the vehicle.

It's not our fault we don't hire black people, says Facebook

Probably not seeking qualified people from outside their preferred network. The problem is many companies will hire from a selected group of universities and majors for their technical staff and ignore anyone who is competent but lacks the degree from the "proper" school. I would not be surprised if Facebook is not doing the same.

What happens is the pool they choosing from is not very representative of the whole pool but instead of looking outside their pool they moan about not finding minorities.