Posts by bombastic bob

5 reasons why America's Ctrl-Z on net neutrality rules is a GOOD thing

" what values instilled as a child - leads someone to be able to stand up in front of the entire nation and make provably false claims"

**_WHAT_** "provably false claims" are you referring to?

Sorry, I do not *feel*, I *THINK*, and I also think you're full of crap on this.

Ajit Pai is RIGHT. De-regulation is CORRECT. it is NOT the business of the FCC to take over internet as if it were a telephone system, using ~80 year old laws to govern it.

Question: If _YOUR_ ISP was filtering your content or not allowing you access to things, would you STAY with them? Do you not have a CHOICE? If ISPs in *MY* area were doing things like that, not only would I find a boatload of investors to create a NEW ISP, I'd *RUN* the thing myself and make sure that NEVER happens! The customer, not the gummint, not special interests, but THE CUSTOMER, would determine the level of service, and COMPETITION would quickly weed out the 'bad actors'.

Have you not considered the possibility that those who so loudly claim they want "net neutality" (and Obaka-era FCC regs were NOT 'net neutrality' at ALL) are often those who do not want to PAY FOR what they ACTUALLY USE ??? And the BIG BUSINESSES and CORPORATIONS that "the snowflakes" seem to HATE so much (Google, Facebook, Microsoft) have LOBBYISTS working for them, *CRAFTING* the Obaka-era regs JUST FOR THEM, while SELLING IT as "freedom" (when it's *NOT*), and then YOU ALL REALLY *FEEL* [not think] that THEY are not behaving as you FEAR the other corporations (ISPs) are???

The snark of the article was disappointing. Well, time will prove *ME* (and Mr. Pai) correct, I'm sure, because the principles of "light touch" regulation, smaller government, lower taxes, and MORE INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM *_ALWAYS_* works EVERY time it is tried! And heavy-handed socialistic "equalize outcome" "everyone gets the same" thinking ONLY creates MEDIOCRITY and DIS-SATISFACTION and DISAPPOINTMENT! And the "haves" will STILL ALWAYS have what THEY want [through lobbying and corrupt political maneuvers], but the have-nots will simply NEVER be able to get what the "haves" have, if they cannot BUY it. Heavy-handed regulation, SOCIALISM, and GOVERNMENT CONTROL will _ONLY_ make sure that individuals, YOU, stay IN YOUR PLACE, and *NEVER* advance to the point where you have ANYTHING that resembles what "the elite" get to have. You're not WORTHY of the "elite" life style, because THEY know what is BEST for YOU [so it becomes "shut up and eat your mediocrity"].

Critical US mass spying program scrutiny lost amid partisan nonsense

Re: I'm so sick...

"people cry out about their privacy then proceed to publicly post an incredible amount of personal data"

welcome to "teh intarwebs".

Here's something fun: ~10 years ago I worked for a company that did business with a company in Russia. People from Russia would come visit the U.S.. I shared an office with 2 Russian engineers for a month or so. It was kinda fun trying to figure out what they were saying, as we were all working on the same project.

What was funny is that they preferred using the ENGLISH version of Linux (and various software), as the Russian translations were ambiguous and often just wrong [the language is part of the reasons for that, I was told]. But they had Russian-made computers, which was interesting. I wouldn't mind buying one of those, if you could. Russia should export laptop computers, compete with China. and they'd probably be pre-loaded with Kaspersky software, etc. (or maybe come pre-loaded with LINUX ???)

Re: My take on spying

"All evidences from spying should be illegal"

True. And it should NOT justify a search warrant. [it COULD, however, be 'probable cause' for police action, particularly in the prevention of a crime - a fine line to walk, yeah, but could be justifiable].

The problem with post-9/11 thinking is the PARANOIA and the willing accomplices in gummint, because too many people are willing to give up their rights and freedom for even a SLIVER of a sense of security.

I miss just walking into an airport, buying a ticket, getting on the first plane that 'goes there', and going someplace just because I wanted to [without the lines and taking off my belt and almost losing my pants EVERY! TIME! because I have no ass, and the shoe removal, etc.] I've done that sort of thing a few times, in the past. Not any more.

But yeah. If you are convicted because of spying, or warrants granted because of spying, you should get off on appeal. If the spying led to additional police investigations (not the actual search warrants) that were INITIATED because of the spying, I'm willing to allow it.

On talk radio today the concept of 'unmasking' was brought back up again, and the idea that the FBI and other 3 letter agencies COULD (using their potential 'twisted interpretations' of the law) justify spying on U.S. citizens if they were in any way connected [even barely] to a foreign national. So let's say you do business with someone that has overseas connections, or talk on the phone to someone who occasionally talks on the phone to a foreign national (let's say). A 3 letter agency COULD try and justify spying on YOUR calls because of that 'once removed' foreign national, first spying on your friend and, consequently, YOU. If U.S. citizens are DELIBERATELY targeted in this manner, it's CLEARLY an abuse of the law that was intended to allow 'spying' on foreign nationals (for national security reasons, and that's SUPPOSED to be it).

And THAT kind of ABUSE must STOP. But I don't want to stop all spying. Sometimes you just need to do it. The U.S. Constitution is supposed to protect citizens from "blanket searches" and "fishing expeditions" by requiring certain legal procedures (like search warrants), but when the laws get twisted by law enforcement to allow ABUSE, we become a "banana republic" or a fascist regime.

Re: the so-called "partisan bickering"

"the DNC did pick up the tab after WFB lost interest."

interesting detail. I was unaware of that part. Also worthy of mention, the involvement by the Clinton campaign [which I did not mention earlier]. It was supposed to be part of an 'October Surprise' type of dirt on Trump, after all, along with the allegations of sexual stuff, etc. [business as usual in the world of filthy politics].

I mean - seriously - hiring Russian hookers in a Russian hotel to PEE ON A BED that Obaka had slept in?

Although it WOULD be funny, in a way...

the so-called "partisan bickering"

the so-called "partisan bickering" is REALLY about corruption within the department, and an exposure of how they (the FBI) used a FAKE DOSSIER (which is KNOWN to have been bought and paid for by the Democrat National Committee) as "evidence" to justify a FISA warrant to THEN "collect data" (aka SPY upon) the Trump campaign headquarters regarding "Rusian Meddling" in the 2016 election.

But "the dossier" is KNOWN to have been a FAKE. But it was TREATED as if it were REAL, by PARTISAN members of the FBI and justice department, to "get Trump" in the subsequent Muller investigation into alleged Russian election meddling based on a FAKE "Russian dossier", by a renegade small number of Demo-Rat partisan "hacks" within the D.O.J. that are hell-bent on undermining the Trump presidency. And the Muller investigation has turned into a 'witch hunt' that's designed to simply "get Trump" on whatever they can possibly find (like some kind of rectal exam looking for poo).

And THAT level of corruption, and the senior people involved, is a BIGGER scandal than Watergate EVER was!

So yeah, ABUSE of FISA is a BIG deal when it comes to the gummint spying on citizens. We can't avoid THAT part of what's going on.

And if the FBI and CIA want to spy on U.S. citizens WITHOUT the FISA warrant, that's even WORSE.

But as for the data collection I agree: it needs to STOP. Any evidence collected on U.S. citizens without a warrant violates the Constitution and would without a doubt result in acquittals and overturned convictions in the appeals courts if a proper warrant is NOT obtained for any evidence that is used to convict a U.S. citizen of a crime. And "unmasking" of U.S. citizens via the FBI, CIA, NSA, or any other '3 letter agency" is EQUALLY un-Constitutional and in violation of the law, and several g-men HAVE illegally unmasked people, including members of Trump's campaign, in 2016. And that, too, needs an investigation.

There's a stinky swamp at the U.S. Justice department, and it needs to be DRAINED. But don't think that the poignant questions from the Republican side of the isle are in any ways "partisan", except to uncover that DEMO-RAT partisanship has been driving the (now blatantly obvious) anti-Trump "resistance force" within the DOJ, and THAT is a serious violation of the law, and needs to be STOPPED immediately.

OK, OK, MIRA-I DID IT: Botnet-building compsci kid comes clean

Re: Not even Putler?

"Which is worse DDOS & click fraud or running huge paedo imagery websites for ages after uncovering them"

yeah, the grey areas of law enforcement. I'd like to look the other way, if the 'honeytrap' actually works. Otherwise maybe the high-up that authorized it needs a permanent vacation...

Funnily enough, no, IT admins who trash biz machines can't claim they had permission

If it had been the 9th circus court...

If it had been the 9th circus court (San Francisco) he'd have succeeded in his appeal... because SOME of these activist judges [which infest the 9th circus court] would actually GO with something stupid like this.

(So yeah, I'm glad the appeal attempt failed)

criminals are idiots, and APPARENTLY believe the rest of us are the same way. And it wouldn't be the first time someone with a criminal mindset would try to wrap the world around his finger and manipulate like that.

when I was in Jr. High there was this one THUG [a short kid with a mean attitude and 2 oversized 'not so smart' goons following him everywhere] had the school counselor MANIPULATED around his finger, because the school counselor was a touchy-feely-liberal of the 70's, who FELT everything (instead of thinking) and wanted to UNDERSTAND the thugs, and not EXPEL them. Predictable things followed, and that included the involvement of the police. [the cops fixed it]

Intel to slap hardware lock on Management Engine code to thwart downgrade attacks

Re: AMD?

@Mycho

thanks for that article link (about firmware updates to allow disabling PSP). I'll put off making a particular motherboard and CPU choice until AFTER this is all ironed out...

/me wonders if Linux and the BSDs might some day include a method of disabling management engines...

Re: So...

(regarding AMD's management engine)

"But not their main stream desktop CPUs"

I certainly HOPE so, that AMD CPUs for desktops don't ALL come "equipped" with a management engine like Intel's!

This sort of thing makes it UNNECESSARILY hard for ME, having to do "that level of research" into new hardware...

(from the article)

"patches to kill off the security holes in the code are gradually being made available to organizations and people to download and install."

How about "patches to PERMANENTLY FLIP THE HAP BIT" (as mentioned as a solution near the end of the article).

I, Robot? Aiiiee, ROBOT! RSA TLS crypto attack pwns Facebook, PayPal, 27 of 100 top domains

Re: So..... People Using Libraries Are Liable To Get Pwned

"For a start many of them do not know how to program"

ack - I once had someone submit a patch to a simple stand-alone C language utility that consisted of badly written "unelegant" code and (worse) GLOBAL VARIABLES (rather than using function parameters).

I didn't even bother testing it, and wrote something better myself that implemented an equivalent functionality.

so, yeah.

icon, because, facepalm "everyone thinks he can code"

One per cent of all websites probably p0wned each year, say boffins

"What percentage of these were sold"

I would also be interested in seeing the kinds of spam-mailings they received (and from whom, and what the privacy policies were supposed to be, etc.).

he gets his 'facts' from the same place as Breitbart CNN and MSNBC, no doubt!

Fixed it for ya!

IETF protects privacy and helps net neutrality with DNS over HTTPS

Re: Chickens and eggs?

ok nice logic puzzle except that the DNS server is usually supplied as an IP address, not a name.

made me think a bit, though.

Re: DNS scales ...

(from the article)

If, for example, you're trying to download a Web page which embeds sa dozen external links, that's a dozen DNS lookups slowing down the load.

As I recall you can look them all up simultaneously with a single DNS query to a non-authoritative (cacheing) name server if your DNS request packet has multiple "questions" in it, but it's highly likely that most web clients don't actually do that (or won't) because they tend to split processes up into WAY too many pieces (like some kind of a coding bureaucracy), and so the pieces don't know what the other ones are doing...

But THAT particular problem (the 12 DNS lookups for a single web page) is REALLY between the web developer's chair and the keyboard.

read: WHY in the HELL must YOUR web page query 12 COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SERVERS in order to display YOUR content?

^^^ put THAT blame where it belongs

Re: Now this would be a great idea...

aside from the "pay the toll" CA cert assignments for https, it's not a bad idea. It WOULD help to prevent MITM attacks on DNS. Not sure what DNSSec does to mitigate THAT one.

but yeah, why invent a NEW protocol if an EXISTING one does the job? Let's just implement the existing one first, and see if that needs to be fixed/updated/enhanced/whatever...

Put down the eggnog, it's Patch Tuesday: Fix Windows boxes ASAP

Re: IE and Edge

"it was the only browser that gave 1080p on Windows 10."

downloading videos and watching them offline with VLC or mplayer gets me whatever resolution is available for the content on FREEBSD and LINUX [and without the slurping].

Re: Wrong title

"disabled by default on modern Windows versions."

a good number of people are probably STILL running XP because of how SUCKY "Ape" and Win-10-nic are. [yes, didn't take long to take the opportunity to get some 'digs' in on Win-10-nic]

and I wouldn't call anything newer than 7 "modern". That term has been used in such oxymoronic ways that it's lost its real meaning.

Microsoft asks devs for quantum leap of faith

Re: Parallel..erm...ograms?

how do we KNOW that the simulation engine creating those simulated qubits aren't just pseudo-random algorithms, such that calling your 'whatever' function (that's supposed to entangle them) isn't just forcing them into the next predictable number in the sequence?

Just wanted to point that out.

also just as bad if they're 2 parallel threads looking at the EXACT! SAME! ENTROPY!!

not much "entanglement" there, yeah...

icon, because, "black box" doesn't help them.

Re: Quantum? You couldn't even get the basics right, Microsoft.

"Remember WinFS"

My guess is that it smashed itself up against the wall of reality, and MShaft discovered how grossly inefficient it was [like the registry, not to be confused with 'El Reg'].

ReFS (the new 'WinFS' incarnation, apparently) doesn't sound like it's going to be much better. It sounds like MShaft's attempt to embrace, extend, and extinguish ZFS [which wouldn't surprise me]. but I can boot FreeBSD from a ZFS-only file system. I bet you [still] can't do that (boot windows) with ReFS.

Re: Racehorses? Gorillas? Any ideas ...?

"we'll have to refer to sheep, goats, and ..."

Ken's suggestion of 'cats' is a good answer.

Or we could use anything invented by the mind of Lewis Carol.

"Why not simply make a typescript compiler for Q#"

It's the "pound" part, like C-pound, F-pound, and now Q-pound, intended to lock you into using Micro-shaft solutions. And when I look at it I see too much "magic stuff" and it bothers me...

I'd prefer a lingo called 'Q' that had a gcc or clang back-end. I really do NOT want to be locked-in with a Micro-shaft "solution".

Kaspersky dragged into US govt's trashcan as weaponized blockchain agile devops mulled

Re: Sigh... it's geographical as well a geopolitical, innit.

"Why single out Kaspersky?"

it's mostly an 'N.I.H.' thing, related to national security. If _ANY_ national security stuff relies on "outsourced" tech, it's a potential problem. I think Trump just wants to promote U.S. business while simultaneously NOT relying on Russia-tech.

I also point out if they switch to Linux or BSD or some other open source OS for gummint desktop computers, they won't even NEED something like Kaspersky's products...

NASA says New Horizons' next stop might have a moon

Re: Not again...

what do you call it when a moon has a moon?

Trump to NASA: Fly me (or some other guys) to the Moon

Re: Trump is thinking of the possibilities.

actually... Trump's billions devoted to a moon casino might actually MAKE IT HAPPEN!

it's nearly 2018 and we don't have a moon base. This is probably because space exploration has been hampered by politics, government budgets, and over-regulation. In the last few years, de-regulation has allowed Musk (and others) to join the game, but there are still "gummint subsidies" (in a way) that are involved.

Once PRIVATE money is driving the game, and PROFIT becomes the motivation (not getting re-elected or 'giving' money to those that give money to you), you'll see more ways in which businesses try to get you to spend your money on what they have to offer, and I have NO doubt that enough people WILL want those things in order to make them happen.

I know _I_ would. I'd love a vacation on the moon! Heinlein wrote a short story that involved tourists flying pedal-driven aircraft in a large volcanic cave on the moon. Gotta love it!

[putting on my conspiracy theory hat, I'd say "we" have been deliberately "held back" "for our own good" by some puppeteer that saw how fast we WERE advancing and wanted to put a STOP to it... while politicians THEN deliberately re-shape budgets to enhance their re-election rather than moving forward]

Re: Obviously this guy wants to emulate JFK

JFK was the last decent Democrat president (note I didn't say 'Demo-Rat' this time).

a) JFK was a SUPPLY SIDE ECONOMIST - like Reagan and Trump

b) JFK knew that space exploration was important, and that America should lead with it.

c) JFK was an anti-communist [unlike modern Demo-Rats, who are extreme socialists and might as well BE communists], and so was Reagan, and to some extent, Trump.

d) JFK was considered to be a bit of a 'maverick' within his own party, which is why they paired him up with LBJ (a "traditional Demo-Rat") so they could capture more Democrat votes. It worked.

JFK was right about a LOT of things like these. And so was Reagan. And so is Trump.

Yes, America SHOULD be challenged to develop better space propulsion, and a colony on the moon, and manned trips to Mars. [A moon base has a much better chance of allowing for construction of deep-space vehicles anyway, including atomic engines and developing other radical propulsion methods that can't operate in an atmosphere]

Re: Caveat

"We have known for a long time that CO2 is correlated with warming"

as an INDICATOR, not a CAUSE, like when a soda gets warm, it goes flat [because it can't hold as much CO2 in the water]. Hence, warmer water = higher atmospheric CO2 concentration (and NOT! THE! OTHER! WAY! AROUND!!!)

How come *I* know this instinctively, yet so many other people IGNORE this obvious FACT ???

icon, because, facepalm

Re: Caveat

"also wants it to do less work looking at Earth"

they're NASA. it's not about GEOLOGY. It's about SPACE exploration.

besides, all of that "fake science" hasn't explained why temperatures are NOT boiling the planet right now, and NOT lowering sea levels right now, and NOT thinning polar ice right now, which AlGore apparently "predicted" in his book with the 'hockey stick' chart (starting in the 70's, when temperatures were at a 70 year cycle LOW point, and comparing to 30 years later, when they're at a 70 year cycle HIGH point, hence 'hockey stick', ignoring ALL past history to manipulate people with those "statistics"). To the best of my knowledge, he predicted these things, anyway...

Point is, the science (focusing on Earth) is interesting, but we don't need NASA to be funded to do it. Sure, let NASA (and universities) continue to build satellites and launch them, but let university professors and independent scientists do the analysis. Then, put it all up on 'teh intarwebs' for peer review, and get GUMMINT FUNDING OUT OF IT. Because when "the funders" are paying for "an outcome" (drain the swamp to get rid of those agenda-driven "scientists" I say), you'll get LOTS of research that's focused on "an outcome", because people are being PAID to do it. But if you just COLLECT THE DATA, and let science be SCIENCE, then we'll get better models and understanding, etc. out of it.

/me facepalms because it only took a few posts before it became politicized...

Juno's July fly-by gave NASA a close-up of the Great Red Spot

Re: 500 K at 350km below the surface

"Earth has an iron core so Jupiter could have one too"

Well, Jupiter's magnetic field suggests SOMETHING like that. But I think it may be an ice core, since Jupiter is like a 'failed star' in a lot of ways. If it had been a real star, it probably would've gone 'bang' and shed most things that weren't hydrogen, early on. Instead, it has a lot of hydrocarbons, and probably oxygen as well, though it would've combined with the hydrogen like it did with the carbon, and now you'd have water at the core [as ice or super-compressed liquid].

At least, that's how _I_ see it. Being "that deep" it probably wouldn't show up on a spectrometer, either, just like we only recently found out about the 500k temperatures at the bottom of the red spot.

also Jupiter emits RF radiation, and has a very powerful magnetic field. So there's _something_ going on down there... and an 'ice' (or super-compressed liquid water, more accurately) core that rotates differently from the rapidly spinning planet COULD create one, as water is slightly polarized, and related to hydrogen bonding and all of that. Otherwise you need molten iron and/or nickel, which is considerably hotter.

(one more thing, with 'that many' moons, Jupiter has a LOT of tidal forces on whatever might be down there, particularly a solid+liquid ice core, and that could be 'an energy source', maybe even enough for the 500K temperature under 'the spot')

Re: 500 K at 350km below the surface

500K? yeah, that's kinda surprising. what's the energy source for that kind of heat?

it also legitimizes the possibility of liquid water and/or some kind of life in the vicinity of "the spot", like bacteria that live near (but not in) underwater volcanos...

Developers, developers, developers: How 'serverless' crowd dropped ops like it's hot

"Magic Pixie Dust"

yeah, thinking of 'magic pixie dust' [the entire concept, IMBO]

Consider the "magic re-use of existing term" 'Lambda Function' - I wonder how long it will take before its existing definition is displaced in online searches with this "new, shiny" version...

Re: Lambda functions much be completely composable. No exceptions.

worthy of mention, it's "yet another definition" for what "lambda function" does...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_function

(note that I really don't like their usage and prefer the 'declared class member function' method in Java, or the use of virtual member functions and/or function pointers in C++ (or C for that matter)).

But yeah, THIS won't cause CONFUSION in the world of IT.

[It's almost as bad as calling 'SQL' "Sequel" and having people go 'sequel to WHAT?']

Tired of despairing of Trump and Brexit? Why not despair about YouTube stars instead?

Re: Despair over Brexit and Trump?

"are about to elect an accused child molester into the US Senate."

If I accuse YOU of child molesting, with no evidence to support my claims, should THAT make a difference as to whether or not YOU get hired?

Exactly. It should NOT. Accusations are just that - accusations.

I say this: if he's GUILTY, then INDICT. Otherwise, STFU. It's most likely NOT true, on that basis alone, I say.

besides - 16 is "age of consent" in many U.S. states, LIKE Alabama, and NOT "child molestation". [that would imply actual pedophilia, which is recognized as an attraction to PRE-pubescent children, not teenagers - that would be different - though certainly illegal if sexual contact is made]

Also, in at least one high profile case, the claims against Judge Moore includes a FORGED MESSAGE (and signature) in a yearbook. INfamous attorney Gloria Allred won't release it for forensic analysis, either. Suspicious, much? Does THAT not point to the "fake claim" nature of the situation?

Yeah, liberals and lefties *LOVE* to use emotion-bombs 30 days out from an election to sway people's votes. It's "matter of course" for these *MANIPULATIVE* *BASTARDS*.

All of these "new moralists" and SJW's and the hypocritical fake-concern about "the children" makes me reach for the pink liquid again...

Icon, as appropriate.

Re: I don't get it.

some games are like interactive movies. It's almost entertaining (almost) to watch a good game player breeze through everything, almost (almost) like watching an action flick...

just trying to explain - the word 'amuse' comes from 'a-' (not) and 'muse' (thinking/creating). So it's "amusing" i.e. entertaining without you having to do much thinking [or any at all, for that matter]

reading/commenting El Reg articles, on the other hand...

Re: Adverts?

I think "youtube-dl" skips them (so I don't see them, either)

Re: So?

"...and getting knighthoods for just Reading Out Aloud!"

Or a Nobel Peace Prize for "just being there"

Re: "vote for the better one of two very bad candidates.

"Banana republics have only managed to accomplish one or the other."

yeah, the idea of Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obaka, Clinton, Obaka, Clinton is rather FRIGHTENING, that's for sure...

None of these people are conservative, small government, nor libertarian-minded, they're ALL "globalists", and were willing to sacrifice the USA's strength for whatever global agenda they (or their puppeteers) had in mind.

NOTE: the above sequence is what *they* wanted: Bush I, Bill Clinton, Bush II, Barack O., Mrs. Clinton, Michelle O., Chelsea Clinton - do NOT doubt me, this IS what *they* wanted! And the grandmaster puppeteers remain safely behind the scenes, safely out of the public eye, and outside of the possibility of scrutiny or any kind of negative impact on their personal lives...

the thing about a banana republic is that their "dear leader" often _IS_ the puppeteer. But not always. I wonder, sometimes, about N. Korea, if someone else is pulling Kim Jong "Fatass" "Cartman" Un's strings.

Re: Despair over Brexit and Trump?

"many of us think they are the two best things to have happened in 2016"

AC - my sentiments as well. Nobody's seemed to notice that the world is actually improving at the moment... because we're deluged by Trump-hate reports (except on Fox News and Rush's radio show, things like that).

And when the USA does well, so does the rest of the world, "rising tide lifts all boats" and all of that kind of thing. People in the UK should be _happy_ about that.

I personally favor Brexit, because the UK shouldn't have to live with some of the stupid-stuff coming out of Brussels, so I was happy to see the Brexit vote.

But for some reason El Reg has a _LOT_ of VERY vocal people on the OPPOSITE side of the fence on these kinds of issues (readers AND authors), and like howler monkeys, they gang up on you, out-shout you, and sling poo, often in the form of massive down votes... [it makes their numbers look a LOT larger, and that's why they do it]

Personally I would have preferred it if the article had not even MENTIONED Trump nor Brexit. But it's in there, in the article and the title. It was kinda funny in the title, though, as it compares "desparing" about Trump/Brexit with "desparing" over youtube video producer incomes.

But then the article had to say: "Still, it has to be better than following Trump's Twitter feed."

Seriously? Saying that Trump's twitter followers are dumber than those who watch youtube videos of people screaming profanities while playing a video game?

That kind of statement is sort of like a fart in an elevator, lingering on and creating discomfort way after it "passes". And it wasn't funny. It was "pandering to the perception". [if it HAD been funny I would have laughed]

Now, here's a fix:

"Still, it has to be better than following despairing over Trump's Twitter feed."

Now, THAT's COMEDY!

(there are no 'get your digs in' with THAT version, which is why it IS funny!)

I'm surprised the editors missed the opportunity to make it thematically similar to the title, and funnier at the same time.

'facepalm icon' again

Re: If you think that is stupid

"Of course you may have to dumb it down a bit and show the Reg journos doing stupid things in the office but think of the money."

I think this sort of thing was tried with 'Salmon Days' - which (unfortunately) wasn't funny enough to survive. I still like the BOFH vs Clippy, uh, "clip". There are lots of other examples (not just 'Salmon Days') of what COULD have been uproariously gut-busting laugh-a-second material, which ended up being *yawn* *lame* .

(it's also why I don't watch sit-coms)

Anyway, GOOD humor/satire is based on truth. 'pander to the perception' stuff is lame. Too much of the latter these days. And it seems youtube has too many people trying to be 'Gumbies' (and doing it wrong) and getting money for it, anyway.

/me plays 'Money for Nothing' by Dire Straits

icon, because, facepalm

So you're 'agile', huh? I do not think it means what you think it means

Re: agile with a lowercase a

"Its not rocket science to create a system and agile gets to the BECOMES the crux of most of the problems."

fixed it.

"Which is what you are supposed to do"

(etc. - snip rest of nauseating touchy-feely motivational phrases)

You forgot "work smarter, not harder". And all of the rest of them.

/me reaching for pink liquid now

icon, because, nausea

Re: By Bullshitters, For Bullshitters

some arsehole thinks that "testing starts at day one"

and even the TRIVIAL things, like 1+1=2, MUST have a test function to verify it STILL works!!!

if I developed test functions for EVERYTHING I wrote, the test suite would probably be LARGER than the actual code. AND, there would be no value added. Because, when testing is needed, I do that separately, then put the function in place ONE TIME, shelve the "test the algorithm" console mode program [in case I ever need to look at it, which I never seem to] and document how the function works in case someone ELSE has to work with it. No need to re-re-re-test it EVERY! STINKING! TIME! because it WORKS.

And, if all functions (that aren't trivial) are tested in this manner, are well documented, and guaranteed to do what's on the tin, then you're fine.

[and also assuming that the project isn't shotgunned across way too many files with way too many trivial functions calling even more trivial functions ad infinitum so you can't even see the code flow any more without having 67 files open at the same time, JUST so you can do "unit tests" on EVERYTHING]

icon, because, facepalm

Re: The main issue are those who turned it into a sort of religion...

"with the Scrum Certified High Priesthood and all the related dogmas."

Ah, yes. "The Scrum". Let's cram everyone into a single room and let JUNIOR PEOPLE get THEIR ideas heard, too. Because, as we all know, JUNIOR PEOPLE *ALWAYS* have "the best ideas"®©™ that us SENIOR and GURU level people *NEVER* think of... [or reject outright, because they SO reflect the inexperience of the person who said it].

But, but, but, we HAVE to let the junior guys "share their ideas" because THAT way, they'll FEEL better!

And once the 'F' word "FEEL' gets injected into the process, the INCOMPETENCE, INEFFICIENCY, and SLOPPY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES are predictable.

I have an idea: Let's get some SENIOR PEOPLE and MANAGERS in on PLANNING a project before you start working on it, with a prototype to work out most of the problems, and then SPEC IT OUT, and if you go halfway through and realize that you need to CHANGE THE SPEC, you just *DO* it. But you won't be changing it every day, and probably NOT without approval of the design team (i.e. the managers and senior people).

You know, like WATERFALL!!! Except waterfall doesn't have "a cool name" like Agile. Or blackjack. Or hookers.

Re: Agile

"I've seen maybe 2 or 3 projects that really do Agile correctly. They don't actually seem to turn out code that's any better, or any cheaper to do, than waterfall"

that would be my prediction just from reading ABOUT 'Agile', and not actually participating in it.

Although, at a used-to-company, I developed a prototype in 3 weeks for a potential product, doing it by myself [it involved a linux netfilter kernel module]. I spent another week (or so) tweeking it over a short period of time, because my proof of concept code was being used to DEMONSTRATE IT FOR POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS. Meawhile, 3 people (one manager, one senior guy, one junior guy) proceeded to 'start from scratch' using Agile-style principles for managing the project. A YEAR LATER [they were still demo-ing with my prototype] I'm brought back in to "help finish up" in a couple of weeks of 3-way programming effort (and then the junior guy was laid off) followed by nearly a MONTH of paired-up programming effort.

That's right, fixing the "Agile" code took LONGER than WRITING! THE! PROTOTYPE! FROM! THE! BEGINNING!!!

At that point, I had some cash stowed away, and I saw the writing on the wall, and left [after the project was 'working", that is]. Back to business for myself [no more commuting+wageslave].

Needless to say, I have a very *LOW* opinion of "Agile" and things like it. BUZZ-WORD of the day, market-speak and manager-incompetent-speak [manager hears a new word, MUST implement!].

Let's just call "waterfall" something else, in case the term has been POISONED too much by Agile-fanbois, and get people to go back to determining what the specs are FIRST, like is SUPPOSED to be done. Build a prototype, work out the bugs, and then SPEC UP THE PRODUCT, like is SUPPOSED to be done, and make it work according to the spec, as is SUPPOSED to be done.

We could call it: "Common Sense"®©™

FCC backtracks on helping with neutrality fraud investigation

Re: Anyone else?

Are you appealing to the howler monkeys to play "me too" and "sling poo" (at anyone who disagrees) ?

"just stalling" - that's what DEMO-RATS do, using the court system and "temporary injunctions". I recall the Supreme Court overturning one of those, recently... was it related to the TRAVEL BAN? I think SO!

And from the article: "But it doesn't appear Pai or the two other Republican Commissioners intend to listen"

Oh, I'm sure they listen. They heard EVERYTHING being said. And DISAGREED WITH IT. And so do I.

"Not Agreeing" is not the same thing as "not listening", except to people who FEEL instead of think...

because, after all, there are VERY GOOD REASONS to DISAGREE with so-called "net neutrality". The most fundamental one: SOCIALISM is JUST EVIL! And net neutrality is like SOCIALISM - all equally MEDIOCRE, because NOBODY gets to be BETTER any more!

one day some guy [not a woman, a guy] decided he would "help" me by "counseling" me for something stupid, like NOT agreeing and "going along" with feelies and lefties, NOT pursuing excellence [because it intimidates people], yotta yotta. Well, aside from him being VERY arrogant for even DARING to 'take me aside' and JUDGE me like that, I was inexperienced enough at the time to tolerate his mini-speech. After that he said "you're not listening" and I repeated back (in summary) every point he had made for the last 20 minutes or so, and then said "and I disagree with you". Intimidated [which was the intent], he shut the hell up and stopped it, and never tried again.

[summary, to counter the "you are not listening" ploy, just repeat back what was said and DISAGREE with it, without reservation. *NUKE* *SLAM-DUNK* *BEAT-DOWN* *SCORE* - argument OVER]

Being an ALPHA MALE is a GOOD thing, after all. And being INTOLERANT to BABBLY TOUCHY FEELY socialistic CRAP is ALSO a good thing. "Not listening". PHEH! *SPIT*! What a pantload of CRAP *THAT* is!

icon, because, facepalm the lameness

Don't rely on us to protect the open internet, warns FTC Commissioner

"I'm guessing ms McSweeny is a leftover of a bygone era..."

Hopefully NOT for much longer... being a Demo-Rat and part of "the swamp", she gets 'drained' some time in 2018 - buh, bye! Though I expect this won't actually happen. Trump is NOT all that partisan like OTHER presidents have been (consider who he's left in key positions over at the DOJ and FBI). Then again, priorities being what they are, the swamp's gonna get DRAINED. And Socialist Demo-Rats in key position in high ranking positions within federal agencies (like the FTC) should be getting pink slipped... at least, that's what I *HOPE* for!

"Net Neutrality" is named that way in order to MANIPULATE PEOPLE into wanting it. But it's not about 'neutrality' it's about GRABBING POWER so that the Interwebs can be REGULATED for CONTENT. This way, the Googles and Facebooks can INCREASE THEIR STRANGLEHOLD, by lobbying the regulations in THEIR FAVOR. That's how "the swamp" works. And if you want to TAKE AWAY THEIR POWER, you DE-REGULATE. It's also good for competition to DE-REGULATE. Watch and see!

and please, no more FUD. k-thx.

Re: UUCP2

"ISPs will be able to just straight-up block VPNs (or any other traffic) if they desire."

ISPs *ALREADY* block certain ports as part of their normal practice, and tell you that you can't run a web server, and block incoming ports for mail, DNS, http, https, yotta yotta ALL OF THE TIME. And that's WITH the "net neutrality" rules in place.

So why the FUD?

Re: Why is this a surprise?

"It's called transfer of wealth."

the transfer of wealth to the "top 2%" (as you stated) usually happens when things are OVER-regulated, and NOT when they are DE-regulated.

Please explain how "allowing a fast lane" transfers wealth from the 98% to the 2%?

This whole "net neutrality" thing is NOT ONLY mis-named, it's become EMOTIONAL.

I'd also like to see proof of what everyone who complains about net neutrality seems to fear: the THROTTLING of traffic to the end user.

I've heard of this being done to business connections, so that you pay more to get a fatter pipe. But I've never heard of it being done to individual users, except those with extremely high usage rates [and then it would be 'throttled' to comply with whatever your contract allows for]. But that's being done NOW, under "net neutrality" regulations, right? Cell carriers do that when you reach your 'bandwidth cap' for the month. And of course, THAT would be "in the contract".

So I continue to read the hype, see the emotion-based arguments, and AGREE WITH PAI, that it's NOT the FCC's business to regulate CONTENT, but instead to provide for standards implementation, regulate frequency band usage, and avoid RF interference, so that "all of those services" using various wired and wireless media are cooperating with their signals, and not stomping on one another.

Socialism and excessive gummint regulation DOES separate the "haves" from "have nots". If you want the "have nots" (aka the '98%') to become MORE wealthy and have MORE cool stuff, get the gummint OUT OF THE WAY. Otherwise, if you try to equalize outcomes (in this case 'net neutrality' where EVERYBODY has the SAME QUALITY OF SERVICE) you're only going to make everyone have equally MEDIOCRE service.

And I don't want MEDIOCRE. And if some rich guy gets 10 times the internet traffic as me, because he PAYS for it, then so what. "Class Envy" is stupid. I'll just BECOME "that guy" so _I_ can have THAT level of service! (and interestingly enough, more revenue for faster means the telcos can compete for THAT market, and use the revenue to IMPROVE things OVERALL, which they do).

Japanese quadcopter makes overworked employees clock out

Re: Hovering targets

or use the opportunity to test that binder clip trebuchet you hacked up using pencils, rubber bands, old batteries, and tape

"Working as I do in a large company in Japan"

I would assume that SALARY employees don't get overtime pay in Japan, either?

in which case, the boss's paycheck won't be affected if you deduct overtime pay from his pay [because there won't be an overtime bonus for the employees staying late to finish up or whatever].

Also, is it that competitive for well-paying jobs in Japan, that people are COMPELLED to look like they're working harder/better/faster than everyone else? Just curious.

Re: How many points...

"I can hardly wait for Simon's take on all the opportunities here"

Simon would be at the local pub, when he leaves at 30 minutes before beer-o-clock. However, a cardboard cutout of him (mysteriously connected to an automatic timer device) will conveniently be in his chair, to be spotted by the drone between the hours of beer-o-clock and "time to go home".