Posts by bombastic bob

As Trump signs away Americans' digital privacy, it's time to bring out the BS detector

I'm not convinced it's BULLSHIT yet

not 'BULLSHIT' yet, i.e. the idea that the FTC already has protections in place for BASIC privacy. Like banks, credit cards, and merchants, for example. They're the ones that are supposed to be making THOSE kinds of rules.

The FCC rules were more restrictive, for sure, but didn't apply to Facebook, Google, etc.. It was also a serious OVERSTEPPING OF AUTHORITY, which is why I am glad it's GONE. It's _NOT_ the business of the FCC to suddenly re-classify the internet as "something else" and REGULATE CONTENT and its usage.

But the next phase might just be to MAKE IT RIGHT, by having the FTC put the ISPs under the SAME privacy and data protection rules that financial institutions already are, regarding "the things we access". Same with Face-b[itch,ook] and Google, for servers located in the USA at any rate. A simple privacy policy [that's enforced] and an opt-out will do (just like my bank has to honor). FTC, yeah.

And as long as there are no 'man in the middle' attacks going on, I think https might be sufficient to protect you the rest of the way. Just make sure you don't use a "poisoned" DNS (from your ISP) that begs you to install new certs... it adds credibility to using google's free DNS service, or your own bind implementation.

Alabama man gets electrocuted after sleeping with iPhone

I was hoping for more snarky comedy

maybe I should just come back tomorrow...

phone != teddy bear (don't sleep with it)

/me imagines some lawsuit because the instructions did not say that

Ubuntu 17.04 beta FACT: It's what's on the inside that matters, not looks

"You learn something new every day

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_(philosophy)"

yeah, about that... kinda disturbing, but the software is still good. Except 'Unity'. Which stinks on ice.

Re: *ubuntu

just install Mate (apt-get install mate-desktop as I recall) and you'll be fine. That's what I've been doing for any Ubu install I need to do. Getting to a shell is cumbersome in Unity, but you can always mash 'enter' during the grub boot and use a recovery console...

Head of US military kit-testing slams F-35, says it's scarcely fit to fly

Re: $ 391,000,000,000

"a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed."

BOOO! mega-thumbs-down for sounding like a HIPPY.

Perhaps this needs a leitmotif consisting of "Hearts And Flowers" played on the world's smallest violin, coupled with a slight change to the lyrics: "Oh, my heart, it bleeds, for you! I am such a sucker, for emotional, manipulation!" etc.

Seriously, when you PAY PEOPLE to STAY POOR, you PURCHASE POVERTY. At least, spending "that kind of money", we're getting some AIRPLANES.

Don't forget we existing in a dangerous world, which is ultimately governed by the aggressive use of force. We don't have 'Atilla the Hun' and 'Ivan the Terrible' and other infamous marauders going around raping and pillaging because we have STRONG MILITARY FORCES to stop them.

And, NOT maintaining a military edge on our potential enemies would only allow THEM to advance past us and then NUKE us until we glow (and shoot us in the dark). I don't want Iran, N. Korea, ISIS, or any other potential force of evil, to do this to any of us, thanks.

Re: and then some...... need to have 2 helmets with you.....

"removing one of the two installed visors"

spare visor? OK maybe it needs one of 2 new features instead:

a) a liquid crystal that forms a polarizing filter when electricity is applied;

b) a 'varilux' lense, similar to eyeglasses, that automatically transitions from light to dark

and maybe

c) an easily snapped-on replacement stored in the ejector seat, behind the pilot's head (in case of damage)

a reasonable solution to this shouldn't be too hard, yeah.

(or keep a set of sunglasses in a storage pookah on the dashboard)

Re: Phew, bullet dodged.

USMC also flies Osprey (tilt rotor) which had a LOT of problems early on. People died in accidents, etc. And now it's working. So maybe an example for F35, to work with it for a while, until the bugs are squashed? [let's hope nobody dies, though]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accidents_and_incidents_involving_the_V-22_Osprey

well, the Osprey IS a kind of helicopter. Helicopters are just unstable (particularly during takeoff and landing). I've heard that flying a helicopter is like juggling while riding a unicycle.

Actually German WWII "over engineered war machine" lesson is more about numbers vs high tech solution. Sure, the kill ratio would have been better for a Messerschmidt vs Allied plane (they had fuel-injected engines, as an example) but the Allied designs were cheaper to build in mass quantity. So while the German tech was better, they couldn't build them fast enough to maintain that advantage.

At the same time, Arthur C. Clarke's "Superiority" is really about completely replacing the old, reliable tech with new, unproven tech, for the sake of doing so, and for no other good reason. THAT danger is real, if the "military industrial complex" gets its way.

The obvious solution to the F35 problem is to NOT put all your eggs in the F-35 basket, but keep some older (proven) designs around, and active, and well maintained, etc.. [and continue development of these airframes for upgrades and fixes]. THEN, work with the F35 long enough to get the bugs out, do a complete re-design as "something else", or re-define its role more consistently with its design [and build something else to fill in the mission gaps]. So apply lipstick to the "oinky" end (as someone else recently posting to an El Reg forum might say).

Now, if some mensa-candidate dim-bulb were to replace EVERY U.S. (or U.K.) military aircraft with an F35, YES, you would be correct to say "It will pay dearly for it one day".

[hopefully THAT never happens]

Re: There have been planes like this before.

"Just think of the compromises needed on a multi-role aircraft between the attributes needed for low level versus high altitude, dogfight versus strike, stand-off versus close support, speed versus strength, endurance versus performance, carrier versus land ops, SVTOL versus runways, stealth versus aerodynamics and control...."

there is a Russian-developed analysis method known as 'Triz' that attempts to "resolve contradictions" such as those. Worthy of mention.

Yes, it may be impossible to really "do it right", but I think they're optimistic about making it "good enough". Who knows, with enough tweeking, a bit of luck, and good feedback from the military pilots, they can upgrade this thing into a workable airframe. But yeah, it does NOT seem to be ready for prime time at the moment.

Still I'd favor deploying a percentage of aircraft using F35, so long as the older ones aren't retired (until it's proved). And let's keep the updates/upgrades coming for A10, F22, and maybe even F18 while we're at it. The B-52 got a LOT of usage for half a century, and so if it works, why not keep using it?

(obligatory reference to Arthur C. Clarke's "Superiority" and WW2 aircraft, allied vs axis, and who won the war [and why])

Re: Oh wonderful

"We need a 'Farages Law' no matter what the subject is being spoken about someone will always drag it to Brexit."

or U.S. president, or any political person/issue in general, or 'popular target of the moment', or ...

As for the F35, at least it seems that the lipstick is being applied to the 'end that goes "oink"'. The "contradictions" of stealth vs vertical take-off vs supersonic operability still haven't been resolved. it's almost as if an "all in one" solution really isn't possible, yet they're doing it _ANYWAY_.

SpaceX wows world with a ho-hum launch of a reused rocket, landing it on a tiny boring barge

Re: Amazing

..."fly-back airbreathers"

Cannot, yet, get to the altitudes nor speeds required for anything that requires orbital speeds.

True, but getting part-way there might be a nice compromise, like Virgin did with theirs. 'Stage zero' air-breathing boosters up to about 100k feet...

WONTFIX: No patch for Windows Server 2003 IIS critical bug – Microsoft

Re: I did

Debian: good choice!

(not "too bleeding edge", well-tested packages in the stable branch, lots of community support, easy to use packaging system)

one of my favorite distros

Re: "not because of any technical reason"

"If budget is a concern, use Linux."

Assuming you mean licensing and not TCO

THAT myth again? *facepalm*

Re: "not because of any technical reason"

"Modern windows does have better protections than 2003."

how about "Linux has WAY better security than ANY windows.". Then do a one-time conversion to LAMP, and save money over time with maintenance, security, licenses, etc..

(post edit, should've already credited you for mentioning Linux)

Y'know CSS was to kill off HTML table layout? Well, second time's a charm: Meet CSS Grid

Re: <table>

"IMVHO, using tables for tabular data like in that article is totally fine, but using it to lay stuff out is not. What are your thoughts?"

it would depend on a lot. A simple way to center a quote, for example might be like this:

blah blah blah textᐸbrᐳ

ᐸtable align=center width="95%"ᐳᐸtrᐳᐸtdᐳ

ᐸbᐳblah blah blah quoted areaᐸ/bᐳ

ᐸ/tdᐳᐸ/trᐳᐸ/tableᐳ

blah blah continuing on

(I used 'ᐳ' for '>', 'ᐸ' for '<' to avoid HTML filtering, re-interpretation, whatever)

All of that could be typed in with a regular text editor, no special authoring tools, by someone with a basic knowledge of HTML and formatting.

simple, fast, effective, LOW BANDWIDTH. what more do you need?

Re: Formatted email messages

However, on the subject of HTML emails, I'm just going to leave this thing I've noticed happening amongst some of my clients here.

(re: link) good article on e-mails. I particularly like the section that shows the *WRONG*-ness of top-posting. I included the link in my quote for reference.

I believe HTML e-mail to be evil. It is MOSTLY a source of infections, phishing scams, unwanted bandwidth waste, crufty chain letters [with ads at the bottom], lame humor, spamming, and unnecessary irritation. Any e-mail that says "you must view this in HTML to see the content" gets an automatic 'mark as spam' or deletion from me. I only view e-mail in plain text. It's part of "safe surfing", too.

In my corporation, it would be a company policy to ONLY sent plain text, NEVER top post, and configure all e-mail clients to view/compose in plain text only. And it would probably save space on the mail server, bandwidth on the intarwebs, and time dealing with interoffice communication.

"So web developers will *still* be having to write 2 sets of code, one for Microslow browsers and one for the rest."

an old standard, put a small banner at the top "this site looks best in Firefox or Chrome or Safari" with links to the appopriate packages. SHAME Micro-shaft into doing the right thing.

Re: Finally!

I use table for general formatting a lot of times. it's more convenient and renders consistently everywhere I look. Let's hope 'table' doesn't get dropped from the HTML spec as a result of a CSS alternative. That would be like dropping 'C' as a programming language in favor of C-pound or Objective C... no, wait.

Apple Store in Pennsylvania hit with discrimination complaint

"If it sounds stupid when you do that, it's probably racist."

your definition for racism appears to have a broad scope. no WONDER so many people are tired of claims like THIS one. SJW indeed.

Re: There's your problem...

yeah, religion doesn't require proof (therefore it's religion). but I doubt the complainant's religion had ANYTHING to do with how Apple treated him, except 'religious discrimination' claims. Perhaps I should take up daily meditation on my navel and claim my religion requires me to do this 5 minutes out of every hour, and when it disrupts the work day and I'm fired, sue and claim that my religion is being "discriminated"...

(or join a religion that legitimately uses drugs, and come to work stoned all the time - same idea)

nearly all of the religious people I know are decent human beings that don't act like ass-hats.

I've never known an 'Adventist'. I think they go to church on saturdays. I don't know of anything else they do that's particularly weird, although David Koresh was an Adventist of sorts.

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

Re: Better diversity

the term 'guest' is often used in the hotel industry, as an example. it's a way of emphasizing that you'd treat a customer the way you'd treat a guest in your home, assuming you're gracious and a decent host.

I suspect Apple is innocent here. If any actual discrimination against customers were happening, you'd think a company like Apple would be on it like hyenas. Or vultures. Same idea.

I suspect the claim is being tried in the public because it has no real evidence behind it.

Reg now behind invisible HTML5 Bitcoin paywall

Re: Obvious

fixed: "A plugin is required to view this content"

/me self-slaps and grabs coat

Re: Disappointed in El Reg

"And do you know what it costs to file a patent?"

It's under $1000 last I priced it, if you can manage your own paperwork and patent search and are filing as an individual, not a corporation. Yeah 'paper bag' needs to be re-invented, especially in Cali-fornicate-you. Nice Job!

/me needs to re-invent "wheel" next

"I imagine bit coin mining has got to the point where it probably isn't worth the effort"

let's look for space aliens instead...

Re: Saturday

I almost fell for it. then I saw the date on the comments and I'm like "o...k..." and I bothered to look at the links. Suffice it to say that the patent link was EQUALLY brilliant, and the other ones, amusing at the least.

Well done El Reg, it made me smile.

Good Guy Comcast: We're not going to sell your data, trust us

FTC is supposed to protect privacy

consumer privacy is SUPPOSED to be the jurisdiction of the FTC. Is everyone ignoring that?

I get regular (annual) statements from banks and credit card companies regarding my privacy rights and how to "opt out" of various kinds of 'information sharing'. If existing FTC regs do not ALREADY apply to computers and networks (and especially MICROSOFT GOOGLE FACEBOOK and ISPs), then they SHOULD.

The FCC overreached quite a bit under Obaka. THIS recently passed legislation is just putting the FCC back in its place.

Yee-hacked! Fired Texan sysadmin goes rogue, trashes boot business

Re: Amateur...

"If you're good enough to set that up, you won't be sacked."

Or, you'll be called in after the time-bomb detonates, to help with the forensics and cleanup. At Month:day or week:hour ratio consulting rates, of course! And, if you play your cards right, they'll not only be HAPPY to sign the checks, they'll call you in periodically for other things, too.

Re: Properly designed security

role-based access... "someone" still needs to set that up. They fire "that guy" and he retaliates. now what?

Re: AD...

"He could easily have dumped the entire user database and have access to every single account."

right, and STILL have low-level access via some obscure user account, which [with the right tools] can get you admin access, depending on installed patches and running software, or a carefully installed back door (that would do it for sure). He ALREADY added a secret login with admin privs, so why wouldn't he put in a back door (or two) as well? [this is a good reason for "get new computer, re-build from scratch" to fix this]

To add back doors, you could re-compile system stuff from modified source, or install your own dummy applications that run the real ones, or tack on 'virus-like' extensions to various programs that run in the context of 'root' or 'system' or 'administrator' and/or just install something that LOOKS like it belongs there, even signing it with your own certs [when needed] that you install [easy to do] when THAT kind of thing is necessary, yotta yotta yotta. Nothing new under the sun. These things are _EASY_ to do... which is why senior admins and/or managers need to watch out for that kind of crap.

(but a lazy crooked sysadmin would probably install some "toolz" purchased off the darknet)

"As for the Muppet who did it, good luck in your new career, since nobody will touch you for IT roles now."

well after 10 years in the Iron Bar hotel, he'll be 50-something and recently paroled, 10 years out of touch with the industry (no 'recent experience' in anything), and didn't even do anything famous/brilliant enough to get a consulting gig (to fight off other wanna-be hackers). So yeah. He's pretty much UNEMPLOYABLE in the IT field. And if his firing was for a really really good reason (like incompetence), there's that, too.

new hardware + new software is probably EASIER than cleaning the mess up, too. Overall cost (when you include time and number of people involved) very well could be WAY cheaper than the alternative. No hidden back doors, either.

Trump sets sights on net neutrality

Re: What happens when the 1% has all the money?

I think you are assuming that rich people aren't going to buy things with their money, that they fill a vault and dive into it like Scrooge McDuck or something. Rich people BUY THINGS and HIRE PEOPLE, and boost the economy and probably help YOU to keep your job. After all, you don't go to a POOR PERSON when you're looking for work or need investors for your company.

obligatory negative comment about rich asshats like George Soros who (unlike most rich people) step on other people to get ahead [like currency manipulation], and use their ill-gotten gains for evil purposes [like paid demonstrators/rioters and moveon.org].

(didn't Soros contribute heavily to Mrs. Clinton? Isn't he _WORSE_ than The Russians? And what about the Clinton foundation these days? Just sayin')

Re: Missing the point....

Erase Obama from all history -- President #44 will read "Illegitimate Kenyan".

wishful thinking, yeah, like blotting out or mangling his 'cartouche' wherever it appears [Egyptians would do this on occasion].

I'd rather leave it as an example of what _NOT_ to do.

Re: This explains it

that's an interpretation, not an explanation. 'discriminate' is used because it carries the connotation of things *LIKE* racial discrimination, which everybody hates. No such "discriminatory packet filtering" happens (assuming "by content" discrimination) anyway. Any ISP that did that would be dropped by its customers. Except in China, where that happens all the time (i.e. "the great firewall") and probably in Russia and Saudi Arabia, too.

Re: President Swoop and Poop

"plunge the US into years of depression, social conflict, and global economic sanctions"

In 3+ years, once Trump's agenda REALLY starts to kick in, how would you like your crow, sir? I suggest deep-fried with KFC dipping sauce.

I see more parallels between Trump and Ronald Reagan than I do with any other world leader. The main difference between Trump and Reagan is who their political enemies are. It seems Trump has to fight Republicans as well as Democrats. Well, when you hire a consultant to go into a company and clean it up, nobody really likes the guy until he's done fixing things.

As for 'net neutrality', the way it's being defined is COMPLETELY bogus. Getting rid of the Obaka FCC's definition, which basically dumbs ALL traffic down to an "equal" mediocrity, and allowing PRIORITIZATION (at a cost, naturally) of "certain traffic", can only help in the long run. [Of course the rules would have to prevent high-pri traffic from congesting out the rest, but that's what debate is for]. In the long run, having Netflix "pay extra" to deliver your movies allows providers to purchase upgraded gear to HANDLE that extra traffic. And so the entire system improves. That's how _I_ see it.

So "GO TRUMP!" when it comes to GETTING! RID! OF! THOSE! ROTTEN! REGULATIONS!, and let's allow the FREE MARKET to determine how to fix things. THAT is what _I_ want!

Creators Update gives Windows 10 a bit of an Edge, but some old annoyances remain

Re: Aaah Win 10

"Are you sure it is the marketing division and not the people who are straight out of college with no real world experience and who have never talked to people outside their bubble?"

Them, too. Some people call them "4-inchers" as in "they view the world through a 4 inch screen" via Faceb****, Tw*tter, and other 'social media'. Yeah, they are the ones that *FEEL* (no thinking involved, just emoting, widdle snowflakes can't think any more) that everyone using a computer is a MARKETABLE CONTENT CONSUMER and needs to be "guided" (read: herded) into doing things "the Microshaft way" because, superiority complex like a bunch of brown-shirts. OK maybe not like brown-shirts, but you get the idea...

yeah, blame THEM too. mega-thumbs-up for pointing it out.

Re: Regedit Address Bar

yeah, that makes 2 improvements in Win-10-nic. The first was integrating multiple desktops.

/me slow-claps

Re: Creators Update?

"wake me up when the "Power Users & Privacy Advocates Update" comes out ..."

compared to YOU, Rip van Winkle will look like an INSOMNIAC when you consider how long you'd be asleep before THAT happens. Heh.

Re: LTSB is the only version I would let anywhere near me

All other Windows 10 editions can FOAD

fixed. you're welcome.

"Option to install apps from Store only"

And next version, it will be "Option to be able to install non-store apps."

Next will be:

a) Option to allow Win32 API applications to work [followed by complete blockage, "signed" UWP-only from "the store" only]

b) Option to allow compiling from source on your own computer [followed by "disallow this renegade behavior"]

c) Option to keep your existing version without paying a subscription, followed by (you guessed it) monthly rental of the PRIVILEGE of using Win-10-nic on YOUR computer.

d) Option to allow ANY! OTHER! OPERATING! SYSTEM! on ANY! hardware upon which Windows could _POSSIBLY_ run. Then (you guessed it) the Micro-shaft Monopoly

time to abandon Micro-shaft, for "a proper operating system" without "allow you" nor "prevent you" in it.

(see icon for what I'm recommending, k-thx)

Re: Auto Wastebasket purging based on date?

I usually rename 'Wastebasket' or 'Trash' or whatever, using a Navy term.

Back in the 3.1 era I had a shareware application called 'Toilet' that would flush, with (poorly done) animation and sound effects. when items were in it, the water was green [and of course the lid was up]. otherwise it was blue. And the lid would slam shut during the flush process, just because.

Re: WS_EX_TOPMOST

"I hear the next version of UWP brings back CGA graphics compatibility."

To go with the 'worse than Windows 1.0' 2D FLATSO FLUGLY no doubt. We don't *NEED* more than 4 colors!

Microsoft wants screaming Windows fans, not just users

Re: I have a Win10 laptop

naw, ME is better than 10. It's not 2D FLATSO FLUGLY and lets you change colors, etc. and doesn't have the Metro 'Settings' nor "the Start Thing" nor the SPYWARE nor the ADWARE...

and I think it consumes LESS CPU to do simple things like render to the screen.

Re: Never had an issue...

you forgot the icon (I'll do it for ya, heh heh heh)

Re: 'If you want to influence MS you probably have a better chance joining the insider programme'

"That only works if you believe they'll listen"

ACK. they don't.

FYI I tried to influence Win-10-nic early on by joining the insider program months before Win-10-nic hit the shelves. The end result is that I was threatened with a ban (along with MANY others who were equally vocal and many were banned from the insider forum), not for "TOU" violations (which I was careful to avoid), but (apparently) they were JUST tired of me pointing out all of the flaws, repeatedly, and with great "enthusiasm" (in order to get them FIXED) and looking for an excuse to GET RID OF ME. You know, things like going into detail about the spying and adware, the _FACT_ that 3D appearance is preferred 2:1 over 2D FLATSO, the FACT that "the Metro" Settings just LOOKS BAD and adds confusion to configuring the system, that the uber-thin window borders and default light blue on bright white is HARD! TO! READ! for OLD! EYES! [making it an "assistive technology" issue, right off the bat], yotta yotta yotta.

I was "pooping their party" with simple things like THE TRUTH.

But, obviously (now) THAT EFFORT was just "spitting into the wind" because Micro-shaft *ONLY* listens to the fanbois any more! And, they seek to SHUT UP and BAN everyone else. It's obvious, because they _DID_ _JUST_ _THAT_ !!!

"Instead we need to pressure shoppers who go into stores to demand Linux or just walk out."

Well, that is unfortunately NOT the right tactic, though I don't DISagree with you.

The right tactic, unfortunately, would cost a lot of money. It would involve a MARKETING CAMPAIGN for desktop Linux, along with software vendors of major products that are willing to produce LINUX VERSIONS so people can still use their favorite software on the new Linux machines. [in the case of Intuit products, I think they're already using JAVA so it would be somewhat simple, you'd think...]

Re: Windows makes me scream too

"I've got 3 W10 boxes and my wife has 1."

you have my sympathy, pity, and condolences.

Re: Maybe...

"If they would just keep the appearance the way it is"

NO. Back to 7 or XP or even 2k or the '98 look for me. I *HATE* 2D FLATSO FLUGLY THE METRO!

"But MS keep forcing me to use Linux"

ACK on _that_ one.

lately their attitude has been utter contempt for their own customers.

and that pretty much sums it up!

Robots are killing jobs after all, apparently: One droid equals 5.6 workers

Re: Analysis?

The mistake is trying to "make someone into someone else". THAT choice belongs to the individual.

Does anyone pity the poor "buggy whip" makers, when the automobile displaced the horse? Or livery stable operators? Or how about when computers took over BANKING, and you no longer needed rooms full of 'calculators' with adding machines? Yeah, it's a lot like THAT.

In a free society, individuals are responsible for their own destinies. No need to read 'extra stuff' into THAT one. no need to "retrain them" either. Let people retrain THEMSELVES, relocate to where the work is, and be responsible for their own lives. And that's how it SHOULD be.

Besides, we ALL know that cheap labor in China (and other places) is taking away the low-skill domestic manufacturing jobs anyway. I'd just as soon see robots do that level of work, with domestic employees building (and/or maintaining) the robots (at a higher wage).

Re: jobs aren't entitlements

no, I just want gummint out of the way, a total "free market" system, and for the SJW's to just STOP it with the "bull-roar". FYI everybody 'works' so all of us are 'workers', even CEOs and bankers. It's why I use the term "employee" because it's not an SJW or Marxist term.