* Posts by Ali Dodd

112 publicly visible posts • joined 12 Apr 2018

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Broadcom starts beta for VMware Cloud Foundation 9, the release it reckons will douse user anger

Ali Dodd

still rubbish support

Can't even set their TOTP secondary auth properly - you either use their rubbish proprietary tool or you own choice of TOTP generator. If you do the latter the QR code is not even configured correctly as it comes up as 'Default'.

Documentation on their suite less than a month old has links to blank pages, utter mess. If I could get us to move off their platform I would.

Boom's XB-1 jet nails supersonic flight for first time

Ali Dodd

Re: My opinion

more that we have an excellent idea and either the US nicks it (Computers, Jet Engine, Radar, etc) or we have a great idea and are too short-sighted or for political reasons it gets the funding cut - Supersonic Flight, UK orbital rocketry (seriously the only country to put a working satellite into orbit and lose the ability ON THE SAME DAY??).

Tech support fill-in given no budget, no help, no training, and no empathy for his plight

Ali Dodd

Universities are the absolute worst for shadow IT

Shame the IT dept. were basically not supporting the users properly but I'll bet that thing chugged along till it didn't, which was probably after this chap left and then was dumped on IT with no information whatsoever but had to be fixed.

Seen that before (and much much worse), glad I no longer work for a Uni..

Miscreants 'mass exploited' Fortinet firewalls, 'highly probable' zero-day used

Ali Dodd

Re: Question

one issue with that, the modem a& device is at a remote site with no people on site - how do you turn it on?

Hulk smash Musk and Zuck! Actor Mark Ruffalo and non-billionaire pals back network tech underpinning Bluesky

Ali Dodd
Coat

Re: Nobody's mentioning the Mastodon in the room

"Echo chamber are not interesting, regardless of your political bias.. What's the point of reading stuff to which you already know the response..

If the goal is to read actual articles or having decent public debates, interviews etc, then Social media is the wrong place to start with."

Am on mastodon, it's not an echo chamber unless you make it one for yourself & it's a nice friendly place to chat, catch up with things you are interested in and be well social in may ways. For modern social media it's pretty damn social really.

However if you are just looking for an argument that's another room, this is abuse*..

*obligatory python**

**not that one

UK gives Openreach £289M for 4 rural broadband contracts in 'gigabit by 2030' push

Ali Dodd

33? would love that

we get 14 tops here, nearly 3 miles from exchange and its bloody unreliable. The only solution for any decent speed is Starlink.

Fibre is always 'next year'

'That's not a bug, it's a feature' takes on a darker tone when malware's involved

Ali Dodd

I suspect Mossad may have a hand in it with some deep implanted assets..

Broadcom says VMware is a better money-making machine than it hoped

Ali Dodd

margin up by 70%

but support ability has been slashed, almost impossible to get hold of support now (published phone numbers not even working!) and they take weeks to respond to issues. If I had the choice I'd be dumping them asap.

Doctor Who theme added to national sound archive to honor innovation, longevity

Ali Dodd

Re: We don't honor anyone

oh u!

Microsoft holds last Patch Tuesday of the year with 72 gifts for admins

Ali Dodd

Re: Update week

Adobe made a bloated mess of reader years ago. Numerous flaws and bugs and now they've added 'AI'...

Europe's largest local authority settles on ERP budget 5x original estimate

Ali Dodd

Re: Pretty much every large software implementation

'but we've always done it that way' is not a practical reason to NOT change it - you may not know how it's broken or at least bent/inefficient and you shouldn't decide not to change until you do evaluate the process properly. Pig headed people who want thing to stay exactly as they are will kill a project.

Ali Dodd

Pretty much every large software implementation

I've ever witnessed started with we'll change our processes to fit the system and ended up with trying crowbar the system into working how the organisation' processes work. The reality should be a little in between but never is. There's a lot of "we can change" (but don't) and usually it's because people want to do everything 'how they've always done it' and won't accept that that's not a reason to carry on that way, Change is good ffs.

DoJ wants Google to sell off Chrome and ban it from paying to be search default

Ali Dodd

As if when Apple can't pay for Google they don't compete

If they did compete you know that Apple would lock all iDevices into their own search engine and behave exactly as Google has.. Why not a ruling that affects the MARKET not just the dominant player so it stops anyone pulling this shit in future.

Will passkeys ever replace passwords? Can they?

Ali Dodd

watch out for MS Authenticator

the backup process is bloody terrible and you may have a nice list of authenticated account on restore but that's all it is a list and you need to reset them ALL up again. That has happened to me in the past.

Authy is good but been bought in the last couple of years and they have stopped various good features like the desktop version. Been most impressed by Authenticator pro, great set of backup options (and secure export - no lock in!), easy to use and even has a smartwatch option so I don't even need to get my phone out to view a TOTP.

NatWest blocks bevy of apps in clampdown on unmonitorable comms

Ali Dodd

Good start Natwest

Now it should be enforced across all banking by the regulators, no disappearing evidence please.

BUT more importantly use of disappearing messages should be banned in any Government role including ALL MPs with the crime of TREASON attached to breaching this. It is unbelievable that the criminal just threw away shedloads of evidence with no repercussion

What might a second term of Trump mean for the US space program?

Ali Dodd

Re: Oh to Mars!

"It is impossible to properly sterilise a human and have them survive the process."

True is we were to put an unprotected hum on the surface of mars, but that would kill them. I would say it's possible to sterilize a sealed suited human, otherwise effectively we have likely already have buggered it up with everything we sent to the surface so far..

Reaction Engines' hypersonic hopes stall as funding fizzles out

Ali Dodd

damn shame

great tech, and as usual we throw it way just for others to buy it up and make money.

Musk, Bezos need just 90 minutes to match your lifetime carbon footprint, says Oxfam

Ali Dodd
Mushroom

punative world-wide taxes on billionares

only solution, every country gets involved asap.

China's top messaging app WeChat banned from Hong Kong government computers

Ali Dodd

Re: hmm

or it's a bone to pretend that HK has any sort of independence as it's such a minor thing to have control over - Look we don't allow this Chinese thing, meanwhile crackdown on any democracy...

National Public Data files for bankruptcy, admits 'hundreds of millions' potentially affected

Ali Dodd

"although the business pulled in $1,152,726 in the last financial year"

So what were the costs of a one man band to runt his business as he obviously wasn't spending it on equipment or security? Where has a million dollars gone Mr Verini?

Deno 2.0 looks to backward compatibility to move forward

Ali Dodd
Joke

All going so well till the end

"Deno is secure by default, like the web."

Microsoft veteran ditches Team Tabs, blaming storage trauma of yesteryear

Ali Dodd

As someone pointed out to me a while ago

Tabs are the answer as they are the only solution to be inclusive. Spaces do not work well with screen readers. So if you respect all the possible recipients of your code you use tabs and only tabs.

Don't be a jerk.

Fintech outfit Klarna swaps humans for AI by not replacing departing workers

Ali Dodd

"Maybe you can become an influencer," the Klarna chief quipped.

For that comment he should be tarred & feathered and run out of town. Prick. I'll bet the majority of the money saved will go to the director's pockets not the rest of the staff too, if it's equitable I'll eat my hat.

Missing Fujitsu PCs? It's back with a fresh lineup of 16 models

Ali Dodd

Notebooks start at $2,370 ??? Sorry?

Choose Your Own Adventure with Microsoft 365

Ali Dodd

Re: knowing whats in these levels of supscriptions (which is pretty easy to find out)

no limits as if you know what you want you ask for it and can have it.

This is just a suggestion tool mainly aimed at removing those who don't have the need. Those with an IT dept would probably want the top level (if they can afford it) and would do due diligence to select their level. Implying this is somehow malicious from MS is disingenuous at worst

Ali Dodd

knowing whats in these levels of supscriptions (which is pretty easy to find out)

Actually points to MS trying to NOT fleece customers for once. The top sub comes with a load of features and tools which are useful to a larger organisation with dedicated IT staff who will be able to get the most of of these additional tools, which would otherwise never be used or implemented correctly causing issues. For example, Intune is in the premium which without serious IT skills is a waste of time for most businesses, as is Entra ID and Purview.. these are not in basic or standard and that makes sense as they are deeply technical and need proper implementation (and the equivalence of cloud = 'no it skills needed' is about as relevant as Tesla autopilot = no driving licence needed).

Missing scissors cause 36 flight cancellations in Japan

Ali Dodd

Re: The ghost of 9/11 casts a long shadow

The server meals in first and business class with METAL knives. Obviously a terrorists only ever fly cattle class. Also as pointed out lots of plastic items could be used as a very effective knife, not to mention things like mirrors allowed in carry on can make really REALLY good blades with very little work.

Its theatre and bloody stupid.

Report: Tech misconceptions plague the IT world

Ali Dodd

people will believe any old rubbish

and I'm not just talking about the trolls here spouting cr*p.

"Twenty-five percent stuck their smartphone in a special cover so hackers couldn't steal their data" Really? Might as well not step on the cracks in the pavements as otherwise they will swallow you up.

Serious lack of critical thinking around right now, not to mention the anti-science idiots. What doesn't help that we have in our purview to stop is bad naming and explanations of our stuff, like incognito

Japan stops measuring train crowding by ease of newspaper readership

Ali Dodd
Joke

I have a suggestion for 250%

Exceedingly close and uncomfortable as unable to avoid eye contact with other passengers

Infosys denies it owes $4B in taxes to India

Ali Dodd
Flame

Re: "a fine worth around one year's profit"

Think it's all their non-india clients so a total of 4billion is tax. It's a interesting test case because are they paying tax of those earnings in the country they are billed in - if not then sure India should charge it. If they are then in theory no. However that's the slight absurdity of international tax that allows companies to get away with paying a pittance anywhere, like Vodaphone using Luxembourg for tax purposes despite earning a huge profit in the uk for uk services (think they still do that?). Tired of this corporate(and billionaire) tax evasion bull, if you charge for work in a country, pay tax in that country as you are making money due to that state so should have to contribute to the running of that country - do not care if you are headquartered on the moon. The fact is if you earn from a country you should pay towards that country, same goes for if you live in a country or have citizenship of it you should support it and pay taxes.

Shuttle Columbia's near-miss: Why we should always expect the unexpected in space

Ali Dodd

Re: Understatement there.

Crivens?

UN telecom watchdog wags finger at Russia for satellite interference

Ali Dodd

Re: Russia is waging non-conventional war

yup and that's because they have a megalomaniac dictator who has nuclear weapons and a desire to make his mark on history, which could get even messier... Kid gloves are required (or some really clever assassination plan which needs to be perfectly handled to not blow things up even more)

Oracle Java license teams set to begin targeting Oracle users who don't think they use Oracle

Ali Dodd
Devil

Oracle

not much different from a loan shark/Drug dealer.

Google datacenters in Nevada to go full steam ahead with geothermal energy

Ali Dodd

methane probably as easier to transport and supply without spending MORE energy to crack it to Hydrogen.

Microsoft bigwig says the Feds catching Chinese spies in Exchange Online is the cloud working as intended

Ali Dodd

Re: MTG does not decode

Walk back? no that's not the Maga playbook that MTG worships, she'll just double down.

Microsoft offers China-based engineers an option to relocate

Ali Dodd
Mushroom

Hydorgen for anything like the solutions electricity is good for is a leaky pipe dream

Hydrogen to replace natural gas will not work as it leaks from everything. The space programme can't solve their issues with it leaking how in earth will terrestrial distribution?

Hydrogen is also less efficient by a considerable margin and is it exceedingly unlikely to ever have party with charging technologies - mainly due to conservation of energy.

Hydrogen production I'm sure can be improved, but again why spend energy creating it from water to just turn it back into water, CoE again losses. From Methane it's never going to be efficient or not have CO2 issues.

Hydrogen is fundamentally not the most common solution, might do a fraction but still it's difficult to work with & harder to store.

UK law gives green light to self-driving cars from 2026

Ali Dodd

Re: Waiting lists

cyclists being two abreast if there is two of them means an overtake needs LESS road than if they were in single file and is safer than forcing them into the gutter - it's always been 'allowed' and now it advised. Roads are not just for cars..

Angry mob trashes and sets fire to Waymo self-driving car

Ali Dodd

Re: Related to Chinese New Year and the robot trying to drive on a crowded street?

Indeed this is the actual cause, I head the street was effectively closed to traffic for Chinese New Year and the robocab didn't understand this so as they seem to want to do it tried to barge through and was met with more than just Fireworks outside the vehicle

Boffins demo self-eating rocket engine in Scotland

Ali Dodd

Re: An interesting idea...

don't think it's like a glue gun, it's just riding along the tracks and attached to the top of the engine so as that eats itself it pulls it along towards the engine.

I think it's great, much more likely to be used in military rocketry I suspect to extend range of those with the low thrust size they are planning.

NASA makes purrrr-fect deep space transmission of cat vid

Ali Dodd

for those wondering

The distance was:

1.4 billion Brontosauri or boringly 80 times the distance between the Earth and the moon.

FCC really, truly won't give SpaceX nearly a billion bucks for Starlink rural broadband

Ali Dodd

UK price is £75 pcm

thats a flat rate no 'installation' direct from Starlink. Must be sold cheaper in Spain as more rural areas more competition + standard internet is much cheaper as gov has properly invested in it unlike UK where a few quid is shoved at BT who do a little and then wring their hands saying it's hard can we have more cash.

Bank's datacenter died after travelling back in time to 1970

Ali Dodd

Re: Yearly tasks....

modern email/organisation systems (as they are more than just email if they contain a calendar system) should have a Shared Calendar facility so you don't even need a fake user to handle it, which could expire or be purged in "tidying up" by accident..

User read the manual, followed instructions, still couldn't make 'Excel' work

Ali Dodd
Facepalm

common

Saw a similar thing long time ago, someone trying to change language settings in office (multinational staff in company). IT writes guide and emails it to staff. Staff member has problem with it and another techie goes to help. Brings up the guide email and in the email itself (not even full screen) tries multiple times to click on the screenshot menu (despite the actual menu showing above the screenshot!). Fails and gives up going to get help. Other non IT staff member points out issue and correct menu & user fixes it themselves and tell techie it's all fine now.

Massive fail by techie who has left that profession now and moved onto project management. Probably for the best as same techie didn't know what a heatsink was, slight lack of technical aptitude.

Microsoft's bug bounty turns 10. Are these kinds of rewards making code more secure?

Ali Dodd
Thumb Up

"Announce that you will give any unspent funds in the bug bounty pot to the dev team, a set period after product launch"

ONLY if no bugs are found... or reducing by 10% per bug detected before that time.

European Commission loves Oracle enough to sign six-year cloud deal

Ali Dodd

"less risk and cost."

and less he'll break your windows and knees "systemise speaking" than them try and move off Oracle systems. Oracle acts like a less morally focused drug pusher, once you are in you'd better keep buying or you are screwed by the dealer, let alone the drugs...

Microsoft's 11-year itch: The uncelebrated anniversary of Windows 8

Ali Dodd
FAIL

They don't seem to have learnt tbh

I didn't mind the Metro and it was great on a touchscreen. Improved in 8.1 but yeah a simple choice would've helped & the odd hide the close X issues did not help at all. Shame they have not learnt as the WORST thing about Windows 12 is again it insistence of hiding all your apps in the start menu, Painful.

Zoom CEO reportedly tells staff: Workers can't build trust or collaborate... on Zoom

Ali Dodd
Coat

Re: Context is everything

don't the German pay for their country-wide local transport ticket by taking profits from running UK railways badly?

On a serious note the studies that say making public transport free (or seriously cheap) reduces poverty, reduces car travel massively and increases productivity and general population health so the country benefits even monetarily way more than it costs?

Microsoft signs 1.5 million seat contract for Office 365 and more

Ali Dodd
Windows

Not an MS apologist

but an astonishing amount of comments here don't seem to know that MS Office is the new name for the entire online service formerly known as Office 365 - not 365 apps which is what the new name for Office suite(nothing like a confusing Microsoft renaming!). So this is 1TB of storage online per user plus unlimited email archiving (effectively) plus everything else so sounding like telephony inc VoIP via teams to standard lines, Intune, a large threat protection suite (which isn't actually that rubbish) for Mail, documents and connected machines AND a load of other bits too which some are quite useful (not all..).

Certainly not the equivalent of the £60 pa personal plan, more likely the e5 full caboodle which is more like £50 pcm normally.

Sounds like a good deal, excepting the usual MS 'changes' and the eggs in one basket side of things but for normal users on windows it's actually rather sensible. NOW if the NHS had it's own build of Linux and internal team to support that plus a good telephony provider for VOIP, etc, etc.. we'd have an alternative (so wish this would happen, they are so big it would revolutionise the use of Linux in the workspace for ordinary users).However, as it is the 6m pound gorilla who we know and can publicly be shamed to some extent will have to do and is not the worst solution possible.

Keir Starmer's techno-fix for the NHS: Déjà vu disaster or brave new blunder?

Ali Dodd
Alert

NHS Linux

Designed to be secure by default, run in house for NHS. Can build connectors/convert to legacy systems and bring them on board to remove legacy shite. Stop paying MS billions for licencing and forced upgrade paths.

Software for the NHS by the NHS and not external consultant companies wanting some of the pork.

Support THAT and you might help Kier. It'll take time but it'll make a huge difference. With modern builds of Linux the users 9 out of 10 times don't even need to know they are not on MS

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