Posts by bombastic bob

Why I had to sue the FCC – VoIP granddaddy Dan Berninger

less gummint regulation is nearly always a good thing

just sayin'

FCC shouldn't classify the intarwebs as 'Title II' just so they can later TAX it or regulate content (it's just a power grab). Instead, just let ISPs charge extra for prioritization (which VoIP and streaming video services kinda need). then they can use the extra $ to improve the infrastructure and grow their businesses. The FCC might regulate the percentage of total packets that CAN be 'priority', but even THAT much is likely to be TOO much. Instead, let ISPs themselves make that determination, and let the free market decide.

That way, EVERYBODY wins! (not just the regulators and controllers)

Talk of tech innovation is bullsh*t. Shut up and get the work done – says Linus Torvalds

No mention of 'Agile' in Linus' process

did anyone ELSE notice how 'Agile' (aka FRAgile) wasn't mentioned in Linus' development process? It sounds kinda "top down" to ME! And it's SUCCESSFUL!

That kind of success requires leadership and proper management. Maybe Micro-shaft can learn a thing or two from Linus? (but they probably won't)

Global IPv4 address drought: Seriously, we're done now. We're done

at least we're not running out of MAC addresses...

hey we might be running out of IPv4 addresses, but at least we're not running out of MAC addresses. yet.

Until then, just make the cheaper IPv4 networks use NAT and the 10/8 block for DHCPv4 assignments. And offer IPv6 for everyone. Once people get used to it, things should shift on their own that way.

(that assumes that Micro-shaft gets their collective heads out of their collective RECTUMS and fixes all of the open ports that are unnecessarily exposed by IPv6 to the world)

As Microsoft touts Windows Insider for biz, let's take a look at W10's broken 2FA logins

"Meanwhile, advances occur in our understanding of the software process."

as well as a complete 'about face' and 'forward march' over the cliff (read: [FR]Agile)

Upvote for the rest. just wanted to snark about the *kinds* of bureaucratic B.S. are likely to be stifling workflow within the Halls of Redmond.

Keep in mind that 32-bit Windows (and NT specifically) were most likely designed by the architect of VMS (you know, HAL is to IBM as VMS is to WNT) that went to work for Micro-shaft back in the 90's. And so THAT kind of experience came from a time where 'top down' design was THE way to do things, and NOT an overly-object-oriented bass-ackwards way of doing *EVERYTHING* (like ".Not" for example).

I can see the potential of excessive 'unit tests' of trivial functionality (while missing the big picture test of overall usability), the endless SCRUM meetings where "junior guy" gets equal time for whatever half-baked ideas he has (reflecting inexperience), and the other "usual suspects" that have NOTHING to do with getting high quality product shipped before a customer EVER sees it. "Analysis Paralysis" and the usual outcomes of running over the cliff at full speed while doing something that's incredibly DUMB, with smiling faces and positive attitudes and gung-ho advertising/marketing to go with it.

'Cultural Rot' in other words (only in THIS case, the culture of successful software development). Perhaps it's time for Micro-Shaft to "drain the swamp" ???

Revealed: Web servers used by disk-nuking Shamoon cyberweapon

Re: And all because

"VBScript is designed to be a secure programming environment"

/me commences hysterical laughter

it all reflects the _USUAL_ vulnerabilities in Micro-shaft software. The MS Word doc with the nasty payload, 'opened' by some low-level HR dweeb, or merely previewed in "Virus Outbreak" (aka 'MS Outlook'), sent by a spear-phisher with a fake identity, etc. taking over a windows box because the user is logged in with "admin" credentials for no good reason, because Micro-shaft sets the defaults "that way".

Bruce Schneier: The US government is coming for YOUR code, techies

Re: Well, maybe we should not put software in everything

"Or maybe we should just code everything outside the grasping jurisdiction of the US."

Or, for those inside the USA, to express OUTRAGE to politicians when necessary (in the form of direct mailing - a well crafted independent hardcopy snail-mailed letter actually has a pretty good impact, because you took the time to do it), and to put everything you do in public places so it can't be erased, EVAR.

and include some legal disclaimers like "AS-IS" and "NO LIABILITY" in the accompanying docs.

GPL already has something like that in there, last I looked.

it's not easy to govern against the will of the governed. it ultimately FAILS. And the LAST thing we need in the world of SOFTWARE is GOVERNMENTIUM. The 2nd last is a tollbooth, but Micro-shaft seems hell-bent on making THAT happen with their 'certification', but I digress...

GoDaddy CEO says US is 'tech illiterate' (so, yeah, don't shut off that cheap H-1B supply)

A 'STEM' degree is HIGHLY overrated. An experienced programmer (without a degree) is AT LEAST as likely to be the next great hire as someone coming out of a college that managed to get enough credits to graduate. That's ALSO because U.S. colleges are wholly INADEQUATE at educating people in tech. Yeah, they're too busy churning out socially indoctrinated SNOWFLAKES instead.

Meanwhile, people who left college because they couldn't STOMACH THE LIBERALISM, or had career opportunities open up immediately (think Bill Gates), and THEN went on to become highly successful engineers, and NOW have decades' worth of experience PROVING their abilities (note: college graduation is proof of POTENTIAL, but not SKILLS), are being REJECTED by _CLUELESS_ HR departments and CEOs that *FEEL* "a degree is necessary", because "ACADEMIC ARROGANCE".

I suggest there are PLENTY of qualified programmers and engineers out there, without the 'STEM' buzzword on their resumes, nor a handful of letters after their names, nor other academic pedigrees. It's just that the LYING CEOs of these Silly Valley corporations aren't looking in the right places [deliberately, to justify H-1B, most likely].

Morons.

Russia and China bombard Blighty with 188 cyberattacks in 3 months

Re: That's weird

"So why mention just these two?"

it's popular?

Re: Security snowflakes?

"A Russian official revealed that the country is the target of hundreds and sometimes thousands of cyberattacks every day,"

it's almost expected, yeah. 'Spy vs Spy'.

But when you get economic sanctions because of alleged 'hacking', it should be backed up with some REAL evidence. Just sayin'.

Munich may dump Linux for Windows

Re: Sales

"So they are running unlicensed software and get fined for it and the expense is at the fault of Microsoft?"

I think you missed the point. Ernie Ball, like many during that time, was suddenly subjected to a "license audit" and was FINED because a handful of machines still had old copies of software on them (whether they were being used or not). the idea is that a secretary with word processing software gets a new computer, re-installs the existing software onto that computer, and does a "hand me down" of that computer to another department (who may or may not even care that the word processing software is on there). This is a frequent occurrence within a reasonably sized company. THEN they "get audited" and Micro-shaft FINES them with threat of lawsuits or something to enforce it.

Now the CEO of Ernie Ball became *ANGRY* at Micro-shaft for being ASSHATS, regardless of whose fault it was that the licenses weren't all paid up. THAT prompted the shift to RH Linux, so that would NEVER happen again! He, as a customer, did NOT like his company being treated that way. THAT's what it is all about, really (and he says so). (but I thought this was obvious)

Re: Replacing Linux with Windows, based on *cost*?

"there's almost no momentum behind Thunderbird and Evolution."

Just because they're not MOVING TARGETS does NOT mean they're not USEFUL nor POPULAR.

And consider the cost of "training" on Win-10-nic and its predecessor, Windows "Ape". Micro-shaft "just changed XXX again" - need to RE-TRAIN. THAT as opposed to something that's stable, doesn't change a lot, and just gets bug fixes and tweeks.

Re: Sales

"So now there is no longer any doubt that Linux costs more"

I think their 'cost analysis' is PURE BULLSHIT. There have been OTHER cost analyses done in the private sector, like THIS one, showing that Linux costs a LOT less than a windows-based solution. Ernie Ball saved enough in one year to pay the FINES for the "surprise software audit" that angered the CEO _SO_ much, he said "no more Microsoft in my company" (or something like that).

But we're talking GUMMINTS here, and the potential for payola, and maybe Micro-shaft is slipping some deuch-bucks to the right bureaucrats to get their 'hooks' into the gummint computer systems, and forever dominate their destiny! Yeah, I can see THAT coming.

University DDoS'd by its own seafood-curious malware-infected vending machines

Re: Also

"Apparently your single sign-on for windows will be enough to make sure you get the appropriate access"

I _HOPE_ they're not excluding Linux and FreeBSD (or even mac) by requiring a 'single sign-on for windows'... or maybe I'm just reading too much into this.

Anyway, separately firewalled subnets for IoT might help. Or not.

That guy using a Surface you keep seeing around town could be a spy

"Oh no, I'm in a coffeeshop, using my government issued Surface Pro. Does this mean I am a spy?"

yeah that cleartext user/pass over the publically accessible wifi, while running Win-10-nic, really helps with THAT image...

All of Blighty's attack submarines are out of action – report

Re: Ok, what's the Trident money really been spent on?

just to point out...

A while back, the USA decided that building the Seawolf class of submarines was WAY too expensive. So, they had the subs re-designed to incorporate a number of 'more modern' design concepts, like modularity, and computer-aided design, and VR for seeing inside a digital mockup [so you don't have to build one out of wood], and things of that nature, and SIGNIFICANTLY shaved down the cost of building a new boat, so after building only a very small number of Seawolf classes, the US Navy started buying Virginia class subs, which are supposed to have very similar capabilities but at a much lower cost per boat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia-class_submarine

This might be a good way to go, to keep costs down, yet continue to meet the needs of a WORLD POWER like the UK. Or is it being done already?

Re: When are we goint to stop pretending...

UK _STILL_ _IS_ a world power. At least, that's how I see it. Things ought to look more interesting post-Brexit. No worries.

Re: Buy the German U-boats

"Diesel-electric subs are good to patrol around the coasts"

which gives them an effective mission close to home.

They could also be effective as escorts, if it's possible to refuel them from a fast oiler that's part of an operations group. But they'd have to surface periodically in order to do that, which goes against modern submarine operating philosophy.

Windows 10: What is it good for? Microsoft pitches to devs ahead of Creators Update

Re: Getting bored of Linux bores clogging up MS discussions.

"It's dull and irrelevant. Give it a rest."

dull to YOU maybe, irrelevant to YOU maybe.

To me, it's nice to see an ALTERNATIVE to the Micro-shaft market-hype about how "great" the experience is with Win-10-nic, how much "better" it is than before (and all of the apparent shills who echo it). The positive comments about Wine motivate me to try it out again [I've had bad experiences trying to get windows stuff running in Wine, so I gave up on it a few years back, but if it's FIXED, or at least BETTER, it's worth a try again].

Frankly, I'd like to see MORE LINUX PC's and more NATIVE LINUX APPLICATIONS, as a proper alternative to Micro-shaft's "chimera OS excreted from hell" known as "Win-10-nic".

And the 'Outlook' thing, too. Making THAT go away should be high on the list of things to do. I'm surprised RH hasn't already done it. Oh, well.

Re: Bug fixes ? For decade-old windows bugs ?

"Or aren't there enough developers at Microsoft to work on silly old stuff like that "

They're too busy:

a) doing [FR]Agile "development" and SCRUM meetings

b) trying to make "the Metro", UWP, and Windows phone crap actually *WORK*

c) coming up with NEW user-customization features to *REMOVE* (so EVERYone can be "the same" because it's fair or something, just another brick in the wall, one size fits all, no individuality, unity mind)

d) hacking out ways to STOP people from disabling MANDATORY updates

e) rifling through all of our OneDrive stuff, looking for PR0N

f) shilling on various blogs, forums, and comment web pages to SHOUT DOWN all of those anti-Windows voices, and make it look like a MAJORITY *loves* Win-10-nic!

g) re-re-re-inventing the wheel, even if the old one was really, really good. Because, Micro-shaft.

h) coming up with even MORE "reasons" for users to NOT use Windows 7

i) marketing, marketing, marketing!

j) changing directions as often as possible, abandoning as much as you can on each direction change, including developers who drank your coolaid and believed your HYPE

k) Embracing, Extending, and Extinguishing LINUX

that oughta do, for now...

"desktop-centric approach in Windows 10"? Seriously?

In the article, you said Micro-shaft did a "U-turn" with a "desktop-centric approach in Windows 10".

We're not talking about the SAME WINDOWS VERSION, are we?

Win-10-nic is HARDLY "desktop centric". "Desktop centric" would be everything PRIOR to Windows "Ape" (8). Win-10-nic is INFAMOUS for its "turn your desktop PC into an oversized phone" with the following "features":

a) the "Start Thing" and it's alphabetized "all CRapps" list.

b) "the Metro" in general, spattered throughout.

c) the 2D FLATSO FLUGLY, a GUI DOWNGRADE "dumbed down to the level of a phone" so that the poor phone CPU won't "feel inadequate" NOT having the horsepower for a PROPER GUI. Except that a 386 SX worked pretty well with Windows 3.0 as I recall... (so the logic behind the 2D FLATSO FLUGLY it is just plain STUPID)

d) Cortana, the hands-free "assistant" from HELL. Probably meant as an echo to Siri, which is a PHONE feature, since phone GUI keyboards are cumbersome.

(I could go on but I'm running out of really obvious things to mention)

NONE of these "features" in ANY way enhance THE DESKTOP and how people use DESKTOP computers. Instead, it's aimed at the "4 inchers" who view the world through their 4 inch screens, taking selfies everywhere, and "consuming content" instead of CREATING it.

Win-10-nic - dumbing your desktop DOWN since 2015.

Grumpy Trump trumped, now he's got the hump: Muslim ban beaten back by appeals court

Re: "SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!"

"it plays into his narrative perfectly"

Don't forget the supreme court challenge. that's next. Nobody thought the leftist liberal elitists would lay down and allow Trump to have his presidency, and this is just an example of what's to come, it seems. George Soros has a LOT of pocket change to disrupt everything and create the chaos into which loudmouthed liberals can "take charge" and dismantle what freedoms we have left... by ABusing the legal system.

Want to come to the US? Be prepared to hand over your passwords if you're on Trump's hit list

just don't use social media

just don't use social media. it's highly overrated anyway.

then again there are old school things like USENET and IRC, for which no passwords are needed.

NASA's Curiosity puts cat among the climate pigeons: Lack of CO2 sinks water theory

"When if ever was it that way, and what were the component gasses that weighed down and provided that pressure?"

well, it's all conjecture for sure. you have canyons and what not that were apparently cut by flowing liquids (assumed to be water). And you have frozen water underground in places that suggest that tidal bulges were at one time present on mars, suggesting the presence of oceans. Of course we'd need a time machine to go back a few million years (let's say), but then there's the discussion of how Mars may have had a thicker atmosphere: The same way EARTH does.

a) volcanic activity putting gasses into the atmosphere (generally absent on Mars now)

b) a strong magnetic field preventing solar wind from blowing all of the atmosphere away (not so much on Mars, now)

Mars has sufficient gravity (as I understand it) to supprt an atmosphere, but without 'a' and 'b', it slowly dwindles to the point it is now. That's the theory, anyway. It's a good model, because it fits the data. And, so does WATER VAPOR as a greenhouse gas, keeping the temperatures up. You know, like on a cloudy night on earth, it's WARM. The water vapor IS a greenhouse gas, and the word 'perhaps' was in my original paragraph as a tweek. In fact, I've made the claim that water vapor (because of infrared absorption spectra and its concentration in earth's atmosphere) has up to 100 TIMES THE EFFECT of CO2. CO2 _does_ work on Mars, because CO2 absorbs IR for temperatures below about -50 (C or F, pick one) extremely well, but for temperatures ABOVE that, it's as clear as glass (and has very little effect).

Anyway, this hyperfocus on CO2 being a greenhouse gas is the major FLAW in their theory.

"most greenhouse gases we know like carbon dioxide and methane"

you forgot WATER (the 'other' greenhouse gas, the one nobody wants to remember)

Re: "which was supposedly a lot thicker"

"They assume there had been liquid water because theyinterpret surface features"

there is other evidence as well, the frozen tidal bulges being the most compelling. I can't remember exactly where I heard about that, but it was based on the detection of possible subterranean (or subMARSenean) ice using some method of detection from orbit. Apparently there's a bit of a 'bulge' around the equator in the thickness of the ice that suggests tidal bulges. But even if that's completely wrong, there's a lot of other evidence as well, much of which is discussed here:

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

(yeah wikipedia, but it has references)

"That is the reason why we try to limit our CO2 production rather than our H2O production."

You miss the humor in that statement. HOW can you LIMIT H2O PRODUCTION (atmospheric H2O I assume) when H2O _FLOODS_ the planet? 3/4 is covered by water, last I looked...

And have you looked at the infrared absorption spectrum of CO2 lately? I don't see it absorbing ANY IR ENERGY above about -50 deg (F or C). Not very effective holding in the FROZEN TEMPERATURES, except maybe to keep Antarctica from getting frozen CO2 snow like Mars might get on occasion...

Re: "which was supposedly a lot thicker"

"I find myself wondering if there could have been some Chlorine-based gasses that could act as a warming blanket."

As I recall, Venus has sulfuric acid clouds causing its thermal effects. so yeah, good point.

Re: Orbital Disruption

not a bad theory. any proof other than what you stated?

Re: Carbons not the only greenhouse gas

"Another climate change denier I see. You believe in a static earth don't you?"

NO, I believe in _REAL_ science. And if you continue to be a "MMGW is pseudo-science" DENIER, then take a peek at THIS:

NOAA Scientists manipulated temperature data

yeah, the U.S. gummint is NOW part of "the conspiracy" of MAN MADE GLOBAL WARMING.

So is it ANY surprise that NASA scientists would be DESPERATELY SEEKING 'proof' on Mars?

Re: Carbons not the only greenhouse gas

exactly, and I'm happy others can see that, too.

NASA scientists need to get their collective heads out of their "man-made-climate-change" asses and look at REAL SCIENCE instead of desperately seeking for proof of the PSEUDO-science, specifically for evidence on Mars to fit their inaccurate models.

instead, the model should FIT THE DATA.

And then the mystery will be solved!

Perhaps it was the WATER VAPOR in the atmosphere that kept the planet warm, back when it had enough of an atmosphere to allow for liquid water on the surface AND clouds in air.

Elon Musk joins anti-Trump legal brief

Re: Contempt...

"It would be a brave judge who calls Trump out on his comments"

they can do that ALL DAY LONG and it won't matter. Here's why: while in office the President of the USA (as well as congress, by the way) is EXEMPT from prosecution, for the very reason that you can't allow activist judges to DO THAT. They can "order the U.S. Government", and that is within their power (federal judges anyway), but they cannot "go after Trump" personally.

The recourse for that, however, is IMPEACHMENT, where a president, judge, or congressman is tried in the Senate to determine if he should be removed from office. Once removed, the courts can go further. But the impeachment process has to happen first. And that's a good thing, because of BULLCRAP like THIS.

NOTE: it's well known that in the Wash. D.C. area, illegal parking happens ALL the time. Generally, it's a congressman or senator, knowing he can flaunt those pesky little laws that don't apply to them, being congress-critters. At worst they get their cars towed. But paying the fine? NO WAY! Those kinds of _inconveniences_ are for "the rest of us" to deal with, not THEM.

"Which of those were introduced by '"Obama's Democrats'?"

yeah, that WAS a bit of a stretch. I think it made reference to all of the executive orders that Obama did, that Republicans and conservatives generally objected to, SOME of which were said to have exceeded his authority (and I generally agree about those kinds of EOs), and there WERE some lawsuits in progress over a few of them, last I heard.

The case over THIS one, however, seems WAY too politically charged. Assuming that the 1965 law is applied in SIMPLE terms, which l[aw]yers seem ALL! TOO! EAGER! to CORRUPT into something overly COMPLICATED, Trump has THE AUTHORITY to determine who enters the USA, and who doesn't. Yeah, the Cold War is over, but TERRORISM is still happening, is happening in the EU, and in a few MAJOR cases in the USA [one of which was a gay night club in Florida, so the left should REALLY want that kind of thing stopped, ya know?], and I have to wonder if Obama had done the same thing, would ANYONE be objecting to it? I wouldn't. Even BILL CLINTON did similar things. (I heard some interesting Clinton quotes on the radio yesterday, wish I could remember the details better, but it was the same KIND of thing Trump is trying to do).

"There are democratically elected congressmen/senators who should be asked to vote on measures like this."

They _DID_, back in 1965, and Lyndon Johnson (a FLAMING DEMO-RAT) signed it into LAW.

Re: @Neil Alexander Chilling

"Maybe these companies need better lawyers?"

Actually they're playing both sides of the political fence. Right now, they "appear to oppose Trump" so that all of the lefties can have a joy-gasm over it. And yet, it's highly likely to be COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE. A good number of these companies have gummint funding, and contracts that COULD be lost for one reason or another. I don't think Trump is the type to play THAT game, and apparently THEY don't, either. But for now, they "look good on camera" for their "fan base".

Parents have no idea when kidz txt m8s 'KMS' or '99'

teen/tween slang has half-a-generation lifetime anyway

It seems that once every tween becomes an adult, the 'teen/tween' slang has been completely re-invented. Keeping up with THAT would require a clever group of spies.

Re: Too bad...

"parents don't have a resource to look up the slang. Perhaps a system of tubes could be created."

I might be able to get one running on a babbage engine... programmed by Lady Ada herself!

Re: Too bad...

"All I got were episodes of Get Smart."

Sorry about that, Chief.

A non-Standards Soviet approved measure of weight? Sod off, BBC!

furlongs per fortnight

it was mentioned in one of Murphy's Laws.

Big Tech files anti-Trump brief: Immigration ban illegal and damaging to business

Re: ...

"If the president feels "

I doubt FEELINGS have ANYTHING to do with this. This is a decision to stop a SERIOUS security problem for the United States' borders, allowing foreign nationals into our country from nations that either have NO government (through which they can be verified), or a PRO-TERRORIST government, and STOPPING people that might be coming into our country to perform TERRORIST ACTS (like they have in the EU), or in any way endanger the USA. It's a TEMPORARY ban. It's supposed to be OVER after the immigration policies have been re-structured properly to deal with this, although immigration from countries like Iran and Syria may NEVER be restored.

NOTE: if we want to TRULY help refugees, then we do whatever Trump's people recommend after their 30 days' time to "come up with a plan to defeat ISIS". Then they can stay where they are and NOT have their lives threatened. Isn't that the best way to deal with it?

Re: time for CA to CAEXIT from the Union?

"This is going to go to the Supreme Court who will settle the argument."

which is why "the left" will attempt to block all of Trump's supreme court judge nominations. Hopefully only the one will be needed.

Re: time for CA to CAEXIT from the Union?

well, if California decides to exit, I might head for the nearest military base and ask what I can do to help defend the USA. There are several bases in my area. The Miramar jets fly over my house sometimes, and I occasionally hear Ospreys and helicopters.

As for the "howler monkey pile-on" from all of these tech companies (with well known political ties to "the left") jumping on the "it hurts me" bandwagon, let's consider which countries are involved, for which immigration is being TEMPORARILY banned (until such time as potential immigrants can be PROPERLY vetted), in order to help prevent the *kinds* of terrorism we're seeing in Germany and other places, and see JUST how many people they're hiring from IRAN, or SYRIA, or YEMEN, and so on that would actually AFFECT their ability to do business. ZERO did you say? *EXACTLY*!

How about we RE-PHRASE what they're up to in more relevant terms: They want *CHEAP* *LABOR* and to UNDERCUT the CITIZEN employees with LOWER wages, so THEY can INCREASE their PROFIT. [this kind of collusion is not new, it's been well documented within the last few years, RIGHT GOOGLE?] (In some contexts, this kind of thing is referred to as 'hiring scabs')

Now: Isn't THIS the *kind* of thing that LABOR UNIONS were formed over? Don't you think that Donald Trump is *PRO* *EMPLOYEE* and *ANTI* *EXPLOITATIVE* *MANAGEMENT* in this case?

I mean, *SERIOUSLY* now, when the tables are turned, HOW! CAN! YOU! LEFTIES! SUPPORT! THOSE! COMPANIES! AND! THEIR! POLICIES!!! They're like the *EVIL* corporations you so often DESPISE, except when they're "anti-Trump".

And now, I'll just SIT BACK and LAUGH at the hypocrisy!

Pentagon anti-missile-on-missile test actually WORKS, for once

Accept the science, but NOT the PSEUDO-science

"No worries. As long as it results in weapons, science is actually okay for him."

that comment, and the not-so-subtle subtitle in the article regarding Trump's acceptance of science, are both examples of poor attempts at humor that use misconceptions as "fact" for the purpose of parody, and fail MISERABLY because of it.

Good parody is based in fact and truth, and NOT popular misconceptions.

FYI - I'm sure Trump is good with science. It's the PSEUDO-SCIENCE (aka man-made-global-climate-whatever) that he does NOT accept. And the same for *ME*.

Here's an example of a good parody: "Trump today accepted 'science' and acknowledged that global climate change scientists were the primary cause of a small amount of man-made global warming, due to scaring the crap out of everyone, which causes an immense number of people to heat up, breathe hard, and exhale more CO2"

As the world quakes over Trump, CGI has dollar signs in its eyes

War/Peace is good for business

think like a Ferengi and succeed! 'Rules of Acquisition' indeed.

On a related note, it's nice to hear SOMETHING positive (the CGI positive outlook, for example), other than just the news about Trump going down his list of campaign promises and going check, check, check... [and I'm like YES! every time he does it]

I guess if he gets everything done in a MONTH he can legitimately go golfing for 3.9 years.

Microsoft's device masterplan shows it's still fighting Apple

Re: The PC market is nearly dead

"Manufacturers are still making the same mistakes they have for years and pushing sub-standard machines for Windows"

which would work JUST FINE if they had LINUX on them...

Actually the single BIGGEST problem is something I've been SHOUTING about for quite some time: People do NOT PERCEIVE the 'new machine' as BETTER than the 'old machine', *ESPECIALLY* when the 'new machine' has a *SUCK* OS on it like Windows "Ape" or Win-10-nic!

And THAT is what allegedly 'killed' the PC market. It's a combination of MurphyMoore's law no longer making next year's machine 50% FASTER/BETTER than THIS year's machine, the market FAIL of Vista, the market FAIL of "Ape", and the "let's eat our vomit and see if it will stay in our stomachs this time" ABSOLUTE FAIL of Win-10-nic.

that and the stinky economy, but I digress...

I propose that if PC makers started SHIPPING WITH MINT on them, and Intel+Dell+Lenovo+others _INVESTED_ in software vendors producing LINUX versions [and they DID so in a short enough period of time], that the PC market would RE-VITALIZE within a YEAR, and Micro-shaft would be FORCED to deal with it!

Because, THEN, people would see Linux as a VIABLE ALTERNATIVE, wouldn't be in any way 'scared' of it, could run ALL of the software they normally use with it, would get a BETTER "user experience", MORE security, and ultimately LOWER cost for comparable performance to whatever they might otherwise get.

It's a TOTAL WIN. Right?

afterthought: a utility to 'upgrade' their OLD OS into a virtualbox VM to run legacy applications with

Re: The future for MS is grim

"Win10 scares the fucking shit out of me. It's not an operating system, it's a cunt."

with teeth like a lamprey

Re: I dunno what MS have been smoking

whatever it is, everything is now sky blue with cloud-colored writing on it

Trump's new telecoms chief bins broadband subsidies for the poor

Re: The dead hand of Obama lives on...

"Free education" and "Free healthcare" (described as 'means' to allegedly 'lift everyone up') are NEVER *FREE* because *SOMEONE* has to pay the teacher's salary, the doctor's salary, the cost of maintaining the buildings and keeping the lights on, yotta yotta yotta...

And WHERE does that money come from? Right. You just TAX "the rich" (which means "the middle class", actually). Or let's just say it straight: TAX the PRODUCERS in society, and GIVE to the MOOCHERS and LOOTERS.

Wouldn't it be BETTER of people just EARN enough to PAY for things, the way it's ALWAYS been up to the point that SOCIALISM was thought up? Otherwise, WHERE is the motivation to EARN?

"I'll just get whatever for free, so now I'll sit on my ass most of the time and spend the REST of my hours standing in bread lines"

(that's a short description of COMMUNIST SOVIET RUSSIA - both sides of the iron curtain, you should've SEEN that happen, right?)

Obviously those NOT STUDYING HISTORY have FAILED to LEARN from it!

(and revisionism that denigrates "trickle down" aka SUPPLY SIDE economics, via FAKE NEWS and FAKE "FACTS" is just, plain, stupid)

Re: The dead hand of Obama lives on...

"you can't have either without a little bit of socialism, and communism."

*WRONG*

"A rising tide lifts all boats" - Ronald Reagan

In other words, you do not LIFT UP the poor by TAKING AWAY from EVERYONE ELSE and *GIVING* them something they did *NOT* *EARN*. You LIFT UP the poor by LIFTING UP EVERYONE SIMULTANEOUSLY!

All socialism and communism can do is *TAKE* *THINGS* *AWAY*, and after excising a small percentage for those "oh, so, wonderful" BUREAUCRATS in the middle, "give away" with SUCH "compassion" and "caring" to those who SHOULD! BE! EARNING! THEIR! OWN! MONEY! TO! BUY! THINGS! but for some reason are *ADDICTED* to the *PUBLIC* *TEET* from the soon-to-be-delapidated-SOW of PUBLIC PORK PROGRAMS!

There. I said it. because not ALL of us can become GREECE and EXTRACT WEALTH from every OTHER member of the EU, like they DESERVE it or something, because of BAD SOCIALIST POLICY. *SOME* of us are *STUCK* *PAYING* *FOR* *ALL* *OF* *THAT*!!!

(actually, that would be MOST, because all socialism can do is DRAG EVERYONE DOWN to benefit a VERY SMALL MINORITY OF PEOPLE who are generally ADDICTED to WELFARE and won't lift THEMSELVES up!)

Tails Linux farewells 32-bit processors with imminent version 3.0

32-bit compatibility, vs "64-bit only"

I see a potential pitfall here.

While 32-bit application compatibility *might* create the need for additional files (aka the 32-bit libs) to be loaded, making EVERYTHING 64-bit is not necessarily an improvement.

64-bit code is typically LARGER in the binary than 'otherwise identical' 32-bit code.

64-bit code ALSO runs "just a tad slower" because of it. You fill up your L1 cache faster. You have to occupy more RAM. Operations involving memory structures that, for some reason, occupy MORE space now [let's say "pointers"], can also take longer. And so on.

The logic used in the past (by Micro-shaft no doubt) is that "the computers are FASTER now, so they can SUPPORT running the less efficient code without people noticing"

And as far as memory footprint goes, think about it: how many applications _REALLY_ _NEED_ more than 4GB of addressable memory space? OK Chrome and Firefox, because of all of that @#$% javascript CRAP, but I digress...

Anyway, abandoning 32-bit entirely might be a mistake. There are still SOME advantages to running 32-bit instead of 64-bit, especially for small applications that don't need >4Gb of addressable memory space.

Ubuntu Linux daddy Mark Shuttleworth: Carrots for Unity 8?

a definition of insanity

"so that it runs as both a touch and a desktop experience"

Thanks, Micro-shaft... Uh, I mean Canonical!

The obvious Windows "Ape" and Win-10-nic connections were already in the article, yeah.

I just want to point out that it is _A_ definition of insanity, to repeatedly try something that has failed before, expecting different results. THIS time. Because YOU are not "them". "No, no, we'll re-package it and do it _BETTER_ *this* time, because, we're not THEM!"

Good luck with THAT. 'Unity' (and its clones) is the only thing I've *hated* in the Linux world. You're not making it better by placing LIPSTICK on the BOAR. Again.

(I've only DESPISED what gnome 3 has become. Unity is something I truly *HATE*. Fortunately Ubu has Mate, and Mint exists)