Posts by eionmac

AI can't replace devs until it understands office politics

Re: It's going to happen : Banking and Cobol

Except a number of aged persons with COBOL experience are highly paid to keep legacy banking applications working.

User unboxed a PC so badly it 'broke' and only a nail file could fix it

Re: fixed a keyboard related 'fail to boot' remotely re wife?

I without my hearing aids in my ears cannot hear my wife speak. This is great agro creator in mornings.

However she might bank my keyboard and type out LISTEN!

openSUSE deep sixes Deepin desktop over security stink

Re: Change.... Europe orientated

A Europe orientated system is welcome. I kept on openSUSE due to its European 'SuSE' background.

Computacenter IT guy let girlfriend into Deutsche Bank server rooms, says fired whistleblower

any security? ?

Does this action not reek of a total lack of business security and ethics to the bank's own customers?

How can any record of bank actions be 'secure' and 'true' if a person has had unauthorised access to bank's servers.

Microsoft mystery folder fix might need a fix of its own

Re: Quality control - yes we’ve heard of it

We thank Linus daily, for a system that works; without problems.

AI training license will allow LLM builders to pay for content they consume

Re: Times change, laggards are left by the wayside

My estimate is that 90% of all books in a book laden household are second hand. Purchased from stalls, 'hospital pay 50P take one' tables etc.

HP settles fake discount lawsuit for just $4M. Don’t expect much of a payout

Oki printer

Having had a HP printer from family , I found it was not a good working product (regularly failed, and ink cost high). A friend suggested the small commercial office printer from OKI. I bought one, it lasted 14 years. I am now on my second OKI printer (Black & White printer only) after 3 decades of home printing. By not using colour and restricting to Black ink printing I find I get machines that work and have a long life cycle.,

America's National Science Foundation tells DEI, misinfo studies: You're fired

Re: Science is now settled

UK SC = United Kingdom, Supreme Court

Need a Linux admin? Ask a hair stylist to introduce you to a worried mother

long term

When a customer asks for an employee to be on their job, you have two things. One long term customer or if you do not support that employee well enough, a former employee and a new competitor.

Trump tariffs forcing rethink of PC purchases stateside

Re: Who will pay the tariffs?

Eggs do not need to be stored in a fridge.

We used to wipe them in 'lard' (meat fat) and store for up to 20 weeks.

Arrr! Can a sailor's marlinspike fix a busted backplane?

Re: Nuns!

This made me laugh. Also remembering in an old site that was sex segregated in a foreign country, being allocated to the female dormitory along with some other lads (I was in my teens) as we were wearing kilts! That caused some problems.

Microsoft eggheads say AI can never be made secure – after testing Redmond's own products

Re: Nation Shall Speak Peace Unto Nation .. Otherwise CHAOS* Prevails and Does a TakeOver MakeOver

AH! a new definition of the word or abbreviation "CHAOS"

Re: Say no to PyRIT software. OpenSUSE LEAP

My wife has used openSUSE LEAP for many years on a old (was MS Vista) computer, bought circa 2004

I installed it, she updates it via the easy control tool YaST.

Microsoft declares 2025 'the year of the Windows 11 PC refresh'

How to wean Grandma off of Windows?

How to wean Grandma off of Windows? Grandma's muscle memory and memory are all fully slave to MS system she has used for last 20 years. Likewise schools , firms, organisations as no one wants to be the one to change things from what works.

Over to a Linux distro then.

As Microsoft has damaged its relationship with customers by Windows 11. I have one Windows 11 machine used as contractor to the organisation owning it, so have some 'experience on Win11 system. It was enough for me to fully move all house stuff to Linux to avoid Win11 'upgrade'. Now work from home on my machines.

Guide for the perplexed – Google is no longer the best search engine

Re: This was predicted - in El Reg - years ago.

Only family or privately owned and deep funded businesses [*1] can really take a long term view, as the owners are not always 'this year's dividend amount' driven. They can look to the long view for results, provided they can cover their annual expenses.

[*1] Chinese government companies or government supervised companies can always take the long view provided it meets party requirements.

Apple Intelligence summary botches a headline, causing jitters in BBC newsroom

I do want a "No" option

All response lists should have a "No" option.

'Corrupt' cop jailed for tipping off pal to EncroChat dragnet

At leastr they were caught!

Being caught is the best deterrent to others.

BOFH: The Boss pulled the plug on our AI, so we pulled the pin on him

Russia.

We are not in Russia. We have properly closed windows here.

Linus Torvalds affirms expulsion of Russian maintainers

Finland - Russia , History makes the present.

As one who has visited Russia (since USSR days) and Finland, I am aware of the tensions inherent in folk of Finish residence or descent to Russia. Memories are long and family talk of history enfolds the young and moulds attitudes. We should not be surprised at Finish attitude to Russia; however we can try to help both sides obtain toleration.

Parents take school to court after student punished for using AI

Re: I'm an Engineer.

A"good" engineer will always review his/her predecessors results. Once during a practical exam, we were asked if a bridge we examined could take a truck and its load safely. On examination and calculation of its support beams we thought it could not support its own weight!

We were then enlightened, that what we thought were cast iron beams were in fact wrought iron beams, but the maker's mark on beams was 'copying' the method of marking on a cast beam, as was the 'fashion' of the time. The examiner then asked a centurion military tank driver to drive across the bridge. The tank [weighing well above the weight limit for cast iron support beams] did so! Example taught - do not always believe marks put by makers on items. Check it.

Correct use for context.

There is a use for calculators , including spreadsheets with 12 significant figures, and there is a use for slide rules with 3 significant figures. However in slide rule use you must know the approximate answer to get the decimal place in the right place, so mental arithmetic is also involved.

Dangerous sandwiches delayed hardware installation

detonators & explosive on separate persons.

At one time I used to make a lot of 'big bangs', think demolishing unexploded ordnance or what seems like them. To do so we always travelled as two convoys, one with detonators, another with explosive. To keep detonators at safe temperature and humidity, as they were a wee package about wrapped up 3 cigarettes size, I carried them either in my oxters (damp, humid, constant ltemperature) or in my groin (likewise) where risk of collision with other things was unlikely. Big 'Explosive' label on Land Rover. Got stopped by police who asked us to demount from vehicle, I replied only if you want all of us to be blown up, I sit still until engine is switched off for a few minutes. Policeman got angry. I removed a detonator, gave it to him and said, "if you shake that you lose your hand!", then rapidly moved away as did my driver. We lay flat on ground. Policeman was shocked. Stood still, another policeman came up (he was we think ex -army). Told him in no uncertain terms to not even breath, while he got others to gradually remove detonators from policeman. Long talks, all our paperwork was in order, our vehicle had appropriate warning signs, we departed leaving one policeman advising another in some basic explosive handling techniques.

Singapore's banks to ditch texted one-time passwords

Re: Back in the day

Here we can still get cash from local Post Office, by using a bank card. Whether the post office staff 'know me' by sight is doubtful.

Likewise no smartphone

The assumption all persons have a smartphone is not a good assumption. Hard of hearing and bad eyesight make a dumb phone with large text messages better.

Outback shocker left Aussie techie with a secret not worth sharing

Laugh

As in lab training on a work bench.

melt 6 inch long 1 inch diameter fuse

Once when operating and installing "Roots Type Air Compressors" a safety outlet bypass pipe was blocked by Seagull Guano as they (the gulls) had 'nested' in the warm outlet pipe, and the nests built up to cause a big restriction to air flow.

When called to fix motors switching off, all fuses blown, shortly after every start-up. I removed all pipe connections to blower and its motor and ran it for many hours continuously without any fault or failure thus proving not a problem with motor or compressor. Re-attached normal air flow pipes, started up, and blew fuse on main district sub station (about 6 inch long 1 inch diameter fuse), cutting supply to many households. We then inspected pipe line, and found no faults but organisation would not let us on roof where bypass outlet was situated. We 'demanded' to inspect the pipe outlet on roof. "No, not a problem, it is open to atmosphere' was the answer. After much hassle we got on roof (many 'indemnities signed etc.) Inspected pipe outlet and found about three quarters of bypass outlet pipe blocked by seagull guano. They had found a very warm place to build their nests. Seagull guano when hard is very difficult to break up. We replaced the pipe and put a wire frame over the end.

Help! My mouse climbed a wall and now it doesn't work right

Re: Wow Female

We had what were called 'female mice' Big Red Balls were on top , moved by palm of user. (aid for handicapped folk)

As opposed to ball on underside mice 'male mice'.

We never agreed to only buy HP ink, say printer owners

Due to reports on HP, and experience of buying a second hand HP printer costs to run, many years ago when I started to use printers at home, I enquired for small home business printers and I was recommended OKI printers by a PC Magazine and friends. Now 40 years later I am on my second OKI printer (Black and White LED type called 'laser'). Good value, and if wanted I can get 'replacement toners' from 3rd party supplies that work.

However my printing is down from 400 pages or so per week, as I have now retired so I think my current older machine will see me out, as i buy the large volume toner (10,000 pages rated

Did i say I use OKI and they are OK.

Support contract required techie to lounge around in a $5,000/night hotel room

Re: failed meeting

A major agricultural irrigation system failed due to USA folk not understanding UK pint is 20 fluid ounces but USA pint was 16 fluid ounces. It cost a lot of time to sort out. Since them I always annotate pump curves as "USA units or UK units". 'Pint' causes problems.

SAP hits brakes on Tesla company car deal

Re: Legacy Automakers and EVs

Milk floats work well as Electric vehicles.

Limited range, overnight charging,centralised base depot, spare vehicles held on stock. In 1950s and 1960s these just worked.

IT consultant fined for daring to expose shoddy security

Re: Payroll PI

Assuming he had British war medals after the war, I assume he put both the German and British war medals on when he was on 'display parade' duty.

I once read an article about a Finn who has 'carried a rifle' for the Russian Czar, Finland and Germany which was possible because of the dates he served.

HP customers claim firmware update rendered third-party ink verboten

Re: "If a printer is connected to the internet, the update downloads automatically"

Using OKI printer (8 years old) not connected to internet. Third OKI printer in about 18 years. One worn out. Another was physically damaged in a move.

Toner change about every 8000 sheets.

Workload written by student made millions, ran on unsupported hardware, with zero maintenance

Re: Proof Of Concept Business --- Audit

Passing the audit is much more important than actually knowing why!

Mistakes allowed as long as audit passed.

Self cancelling errors are never found usually , until one is removed for obscure reasons.

Techie wasn't being paid, until he taught HR a lesson

Re: Fancy pants surname

I understand the pain. I have Mac Donald, but use all combinations to suit culture I am in . Thus M'D... in Africa , they are used to names like M'Bana.

In Germany it gets simple like von F so works as mac Donald. In UK I end up as Donald, Which reflects my school as about 90% of pupils began with Mac or Mc or M' or Mhic; so the school always indexed under second part of name. OK but explain how name is on certificates when needed in England is a pain.

BOFH: Cough up half a grand and we'll protect you from AI

Re: Its a cunning wheeze

Or their 'billions'. Thus drug under dose or over dose by 1000 times.

Waymo robo-car slays dog in San Francisco

Re: In the UK, this would be criminal

Thanks for that image. It crowds my mind.

Re: In the UK, this would be criminal

A cat is your master, A dog is your servant. Law of Master and Man.

BOFH: Good news, everyone – we're in the sausage business

Re: The _real_ AI

Having watched a few 'pig parades' at agricultural shows, I know who is boss. You do not argue with the leader pig. (Unless you have at least two men and each has a strong pig shield.

Windows XP's adventures in the afterlife shows copyright's copywrongs

3.5" to tip (Dump).

Ah! How relevant, yesterday I took to the council tip (waste dump facility) about 350 number of 3.5 inch floppy discs. Spent a few hours removing the metal sliders for the metal only dump. I came across my MS Windows 3.1. memories.

Laid-off 60-year-old Kyndryl exec says he was told IT giant wanted 'new blood'

Age Paid Well

The company retired some folks. We left. Hired younger ones to do job. Big problems as no 'experience under fire'. One year later asked us to come back. Some charged about 3 times the previous salary. (No problem to pay that now!), we then stayed until we wanted to leave.

Ministry of Justice rapped by ICO for old fashioned data leak

Sometimes rules go wrong with unintended consequences. The 'clear out old paperwork' that destroyed the landing cards of legal Caribbean immigrants and caused some 'deportations of supposedly illegal immigrants', was a notorious problem with great human consequences for some humans.

Rigorous dev courageously lied about exec's NSFW printouts – and survived long enough to quit with dignity

Re: Never had good luck working for family owned businesses

"Clogs to Clogs in 3 generations", they say up north.

Cop warrant orders Ring to cough up footage from inside this guy's home

Re: Meanwhile in London

The internet would have been the Stasi's biggest dream. The card index systems worked but slowly, with a most useful phrase 'a disorderly sex life' on some cards.

The crime against humanity that is the modern OS desktop, and how to kill it

Re: It does suck

Some users in offices do not have laptops. Small factor desktops (under desk) with a single small say 22 inch monitor, keyboard and mouse on a very cramped desk space .

Cleaner ignored 'do not use tap' sign, destroyed phone systems ... and the entire building

Re: Water and IT

Russia winter games? Power to site was commissioned only a few weeks (hours?) ahead of start.

Re: Water and IT

I "discovered the hard way" that a plasticsink drain pipe made a vertical to horizontal right angle in our Kitchen ceiling space.". Elbow leaked. Plasterboard ceiling now has a 40cm by 30cm irregular artistic hole with vibrant coloured edges where water reacted with the paper glue of alongside paper dressing to roof.

When management went nuclear on an innocent software engineer

Re: Next time

It is a long time since I read of folk eating folk a.k.a "long pig"

Hive to pull the plug on smart home gadgets by 2025

Re: Thanks for the money but your stuffed.

As HIVE controls our gas boiler, its demise will put death from CO poisoning a nor-remote possibility.

Choosing a non-Windows OS on Lenovo Secured-core PCs is trickier than it should be

while an organisation I work with has L______ computers, I only use De__ to ensure I can use Linux

distros. Maybe De__ market share will improve?