* Posts by The BigYin

3080 publicly visible posts • joined 25 Mar 2008

Hero corduroy overpowers US school gunman

The BigYin

My maths teather...

...was a 3rd Dan in Karate (Shotokan I think). Quite frankly he scared the shit out of me (and most other pupils).

Probably explains why we were rather good at maths though!

Way to go Corduroy-ka!

Microsoft aims thin clients at the classroom

The BigYin

Thin clients?

Rockin' out like it's 1970, yeah?

They'd bloody well nt have tried to patent it....

Ubuntu's Lucid Lynx to Facebook and Twitter you

The BigYin

Sure

But the Dell Ubuntu landing page is *VERY* anti-Linux!

http://www.dell.co.uk/ubuntu

Aaaaaaand they have one model.

And it's pants.

HP sell Linux PCs too, although they make them nearly impossible to find (probbaly under pressure from MS).

Just buy what you want (after doing some rudimentary hardware compatibility checks)

Reject the MS EULA

Drop on the penguin of choice

Reclaim the Microsoft Tax (around €70, YMMV)

Or consider Frostbite Systems, System 76...

The BigYin

Sort of agree...

...but I'll just uninstall all that bollocks. It'll be easy enough.

Am I the only one on the planet left without a Facebook, Twitter, MySpace etc account?

I'll confess to being on LinkedIn.

BBC iPlayer rejects open source plugins, takes Flash-only path

The BigYin

I shall update...

...and check at the weekend. I have an old xBox, so I doubt it has the jucie to handle Flash.

Thanks for the ray of hope!

The BigYin
FAIL

Troll much?

So because everyone else decided to cut their own legs off and stab themselves in the eyes before the big race, it is not a "Good Thing"(tm) that the BBC has done the same?

FFS.

The BigYin
FAIL

BBCtards

What a bunch of morons. I love using my old xBox to watch iPlayer (I live in the UK, I pay my license fee) and now I can't because some ass-hat is sucking the Adobe phallus.

We need DRM like we need a freaking hole-in the head. With the coming of HTML5, hopefully the world will wake-up to what utter crap Flash is and we can move on. but probably not.

The BigYin
Flame

Google...

...they should release the On2 v6 codec (Ogg is based on On2 v3) under an irrevocable free license. Then we can all standardise on that and tell Adobe to ram Flash where the sun doesn't shine.

The BigYin

No license

"In the UK this means you don't need a TV license."

Potentially wrong.

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/

The BigYin
FAIL

This has nothing to do with...

...watching overseas (that's done by checking your IP).

This has everything to do with breaching standards and applying DRM where it doesn't need to be.

Luckily we are outside the DMCA in the UK, so hopefully a patch will be forthcoming.

Citizens rail against government data sharing

The BigYin
Flame

Trust

As a techie, I can see the advantage of centralised records and data sharing. Putting all issues of privacy to side for one second, it should bring massive efficiencies, reduce time wasted etc.

However...

Our government (all 3 major parties) have shown themselves incapable of delivery any reasonably sized IT project, incapable of respecting the law, incapable of protecting privacy, incapable of coming clean and quickly fixing problems; basically, incapable of being trusted.

And that is also ignore the massive levels of corruption within the greater EU.

Because of this staggering ineptitude and corruption, any data sharing, retention or centralisation must be opposed because of the vast levels of abuse that will happen. So despite the potential advantages, we must forgo systems simply because we cannot trust our employees to use them correctly.

MPs bash broadband tax

The BigYin

I don't mind the 50p...

...as such. The money has to come from somewhere.

And it would be nice to think that this 50P will evaporate in a year or two once the roll-out is complete.

What I do mind is the fact that this 50p will grow in size and become permanent. Thus we will all end up paying £15 a month (or whatever) for a "internet fund license" which will actually go to pay for first class train tickets etc and not be used for what it was originally intended.

ODF's doomed mission to break into Microsoft Office

The BigYin
Thumb Down

And if you send it in...

...OOXML will they have that? Or the old binary format? Maybe, maybe not.

This is exactly WHY standards are needed (and one standard for one thing - we did not need OOXML as ODF was there first). Now we have the VHS/Betamax wars AGAIN (just like BluRay/HD). The people who lose are the consumers through inflated prices and the devs who have to do everything twice.

And once again the arguably inferior standard will be the one that ends up getting adopted.

The BigYin

OOXML...

...*IS* the competing standard!

The BigYin

Title wrong?

Should it be "Microsoft Office continuing to have poor standards support", or something along those lines?

Polygamist Microsoft picks Amazon as latest Linux wife

The BigYin
Thumb Down

Claiming is easy...

...I can do it to: MS violates all of my patents.

See? Nasty MS patent violators. *waggles finger* Where are my millions?

Of course there are three things to not about the above claim

1) I make no statement as to *what* patents;

2) I provide no proof; and

3) I don't actually hold any patents anyway.

Is it perhaps time for the FSF (or some other body) to challenge MS over these claims? File a suit of malicious falsehood or whatever? I'm pretty ignorant of USA law, so maybe that is not possible.

Either way, MS should either put up or shut up when it comes to these claims. If they have solid proof, then there should be no problem with making that proof public and allowing scrutiny. It's not as if this would show anything "secret" after all, they are claiming it has already been copied and is already in use.

McKinnon gets a date for 'final' appeal

The BigYin

Because...

...we are not afraid of Israel, we do not owe Israel billions, we are not dependent on Israel for trade, we are not dependent on Israel for protection.

It's quite a long list.

Swedish mother-daughter saint skulls are ringers, say boffins

The BigYin

Years ago...

...people saw pixies and fairies.

Then it was angels, demons, Jesus etc.

Now it's aliens.

It's all the friggin' same if you ask me. OK, I don't think Jesus was big on anal probes like the aliens apparently are, but you get my drift. It's all some general brain-fart (hallucination, waking dream, genuine insanity, etc). or just plain, money-making fraud.

PHPers prefer Windows desktop to Linux

The BigYin

Real programmers use...

...the best tool for the job.

No point in using a sledge hammer to drive nails, is there?

The BigYin

Interesting

Linux desktop penetration in the normal world is usually considered to be sub 1% (although it might sneak over 1% depending on which survey you look at). 38.5% is a significant increase on that, as is the 19.1% for Macs over their usual 5-6%.

One wonders how many of the remaining Windows users (42.4%) are using it out of choice. Most developers will work in a corporate environment where their desktop OS is dictated to them and no variance permitted (because they MUST use Outlook, MUST use Office Communication Server etc). For the non-Windows OSs to reach these levels of penetration is a significant achievement.

Or maybe 38.5% of PHP monkeys just love the command line?

(Relax, I'm joking)

MPs, Lords ask if Mandybill is human rights friendly

The BigYin

Court

If the sharing breaches the copy-holders right and they have the evidence to back that up, then they take the offender to court or they convince the police to arrest and then it goes to court. Just like any other crime, pretty much.

Anything else is inexcusable and a serious attack on what we take as legal process in this country.

I don't illegally file share - quite frankly I can buy enough cheap DVDs legally and record enough legally over the air to struggle to keep up!

OpenOffice 3.2 is on tap

The BigYin

Did you have to dig for this?

If so, THAT is the problem folks are moaning about.

Thanks for the like though!

The BigYin

Have you logged a feature request?

Or gotten involved?

Or looked at the code?

Or sponsored someone to do this?

It's all very well moaning that it doesn't do X, but if you don't ask for X (and get involved in delivering X). This is the big difference between FOSS and proprietary. FOSS is only ever as good as the community involvement, and it moves in the direction that the community wants. If you are not in that community...then you only have yourself to blame really.

Personally, I am looking forward to giving 3.2 a bash at home (I am stuck using MS at work).

Chip and PIN security busted

The BigYin
Flame

It was never about security

It was only ever about shifting liability back on the customer. That's all.

EU commissioner warms up for body scanner probe

The BigYin

How can scnaner be off the list?

I thought it was an EU law that required us to implement them?

US judges leave definition of obscenity to Amish, Kansas

The BigYin

It's the feckin' internet!

Just like TV, if it offends you simply stop watching! Jay-zuz.

I you are concerned enough that an actual, bona fide CRIME has been committed (not just your own morals attacked) then report it. That would cover child pr0n, incitement to violence etc.

Google will build 1Gbps fiber networks to the home

The BigYin

FFS

It's not that Google will or will not do DPI.

It's not that it is even Google per se.

It's because ONE ENTITY (Google in this case) is content aggregator, content provider (to an extent), device provider, DNS provider, hosting provider, connection provider etc. this gives them the POTENTIAL to engage in massive invasions of privacy on a scale never before known.

ANY entity given that kind of power needs very careful observation.

Even my government own doesn't have that kind of power over me!

Cambridge Council denies iPad plan

The BigYin

Ah, LibDem...

..at 28 seats with Labour having 11 seats.

I must say I am surprised.

And how does an iPad make one "green" anyway? Apple still have a poor rating according to Greenpeace.

Activists unleash Operation Titstorm on Aussie.gov

The BigYin

Why worry

If Haystack is good enough to by-pass the filtering in Iran, why don't the Aussies just use that?*

Or Tor?

Governments will have to learn that no matter what they do, they cannot compete with an legion of frustrated geeks with entirely too much time on their hands. :o)

*I agree it's the principle of the thing that's important.

Microsoft tests show no Win 7 battery flaw

The BigYin

Simple answer for MS

Backport.

Add the module (through Windows Updates) to XP and Vista, then people can see for themselves if this is "caused" by Win 7 or not.

How about a Reg-Off? Unscientific I know, but two new lappys; same model, same specs. One with XP (or Vista, if you must) and one with Win7. Then use a scripting to tool to run through the same operation repeatedly until the battery paps it.

As for batteries....any good with a soldering iron? Pop the battery open (it's often LiOn AAs or similar inside), note down the serial number of whatever is inside, order new ones, unsolder the old, solder in the new. So long as you have a reasonably steady have (and a multimeter to check connections...) you should have a new battery pack for better than half price. Heck, if you know your electrickery, you might find a way to "upgrade" the battery.

Reminds me...I have a laptop I need to do that to.

Gov tempts young London onto ID database with booze, 'games'

The BigYin

New boss...

Just like the old boss...

Labour and Tories are the same. They are both upper-class. Both out of touch. Both in the pockets of big business. Both corrupt.

You think having the Tories in will change anything?

You need to think again.

Pupil database claimed to be breach-free

The BigYin
FAIL

I know how this goes.

BM: We have not found any leaks

Me: How hard and often did you look?

BM: No need, we have mechanisms in place for stakeholders to report any leaks.

Me: So you don't look?

BM: As I said, we have stringent policies in place to gather this sort of intelligence.

Me: But you don't actually, y'know, LOOK; do you?

BM: I have already answered that question on more than one occasion.

Me: Fine then. How about running simulated attacks. Y'know, test your own defences.

BM: That would be in contravention of our stringent, industry leading policies and a complete waste of tax payer's money as we have no leaks.

Me: But how do you know?

BM: None have been reported.

Me: Oh ffs.....

H.264 video codec stays royalty-free for HTML5 testers

The BigYin

Wow, make way for the ego!

You're blaming OSS for you lack of a job? Strange...I and everyone I know uses OSS at some point in their job. OSS is, by and large, the "Lego"(tm) bricks...you still have to know how to put them together (and there lies the money, fella-me-lad; just ask Red Hat).

I suggest you look inwardly and conquer your own ego. Contsantly blaming an external entity you cannot control won't get you anywhere. It's a bit like blaming a hill for getting one out of breath, rather than accepting that one is simply unfit.

And working on OSS is still seen as "experience", you don't necessarily need experience in the language or tech - even testing or proof-reading the docs is good. It's better than doing nothing and shows more gumption that just sitting about getting fat. Guess what "skill" an employer likes most?...yup, getting off yer arse and doing something.

If you can do that, everything else is just reading.

The BigYin

Please define "free"

I make videos of something (funny kittens, I dunno)

I put them on the web at no cost to the end-user (free, in other words)

I do not syndicate or otherwise make any money directly from the videos (still free)

But....I do make money from advertising on my pages.

The video is the draw that gets people to view and click the ads I serve.

So whilst my video is still "free", is it making me money?

Would I fall foul of the "no fee" MPEG-LA offer?

I think I would, to be honest.

Ogg Theora, A.N.Other, I don't care. Just make sure it is patent and cost unencumbered.

Microsoft's IE 8 misses Windows 7 updraft

The BigYin

Please tell me...

...where I can get my free copy of IE that will run on my OS (I do not have a WIndows license)

What's that, I have to pay for a Windows license so I can run IE?

Not free then, is it?

Google reveals nonexistent Chrome tablet

The BigYin

The idea...

...of making it even easier for Google to track and index every aspect of my like gives me the screaming shits.

When will governments have a look at what Google is doing?

Oh, wait; the governments are. That's where they are getting their ideas from!

Retailers fooled by fake and borrowed IDs

The BigYin

Eltit

Control the children, and you control the future.

UK moob jobs rocket 80 per cent

The BigYin

The Big Yin's Moob-be-gone 3 step program

1) Stop eating fast-food shit, start eating more veg

2) Stop drinking beer, enjoy up to 4 glasses of quality wine a week

3) Take some friggin' exercise you fat berk

With this simple regime, you too could be moob free in 1 month. You also get fringe benefits!

1) Decreased illness due to the intake of more vitamins etc

2) Increased lifespan as liver returns to something resembling normal

3) More money in your wallet

4) Less chance of death or disfigurement, no surgery required!

Yes indeed, join The Big Yin's Moob-be-gone program now an say good-bye to inappropriate fun-bag blues.

Steve Jobs dubs Google's 'don't be evil' motto 'bulls**t'

The BigYin

Which dip-wad dinged this?

I don't know about Apples, but if you want to finger about the only piece of software that can bring an entire Linux box to its knees, it's Flash.

That is not the fault of Linux, Gnome, KDE, Canonical, Novell, Red Hat or anyone else. It is 100% the fault of the donkeys at Adobe for not writing their code efficiently.

HTML5 held out some hope of removing large amounts of the parasite that is Flash from the web, but Google dropped a clanger and moved away from open standards, preferring instead patent-encumbered bullshit (or should that be, load of crap?) just as Apple do.

Thus Flash will be around for ages yet and we will continue to hear dual and quad cores scream in agony as they chew through the quagmire that is Flash code. Flash does have it's place, and that place should be the dustbin of history.

Firefox-based attack wreaks havoc on IRC users

The BigYin
FAIL

Because...

...Mozilla hold all such reports in the open, not in down the stairs to the basement, in a filing cabinet in a disused lav with "Beware of the leopard" on the door as MS does.

Windows 8 possible July 2011 release?

The BigYin

Exabytes?

That'll be office 2014 then.

Adobe sounds off on iPad's Flash slap

The BigYin

I'd agree

It does have a place, but it should not be treated as some DHTML/WEB2.0 standard-by-proxy.

I can play full screen video on my aging PC just fine, but even a small amount of video in Flash kills it (I don't use Windows, so the Adobe support is even worse). I am having a look at Gnash to see if that is an option, but as Flash is a closed "standard" it takes the Gnash team a while to reverse-engineer.

Right tool for a job and all that.

Happy Data Protection Day

The BigYin

Privacy?

What are you trying to hide, citizen?

Ubuntu Firefox shuns Google for Yahoo! search

The BigYin

Irony?

MS have been at the forefront of democratising IT and empowering people to leverage their hardware. If it wasn't for MS we'd be back with IBM and only six computers worldwide! MS "funding" Linux is just an extension of MS's drive to bring quality, affordable IT products to a world audience. MSs browser is goog enough for Google to take into markets like China, what more prrof do you want?

[The above may be a pathetic attempt at irony, verging into sarcasm]

Mozilla buries heels on un-YouTube open video

The BigYin

Heh

You want a "bestskinever" you do. Got one on my Sansa e280.

The BigYin

If the patent world-wide?

If not - release browsers that can cope in areas not covered.

Does the patent cover compiled code or source? Is a "workaround" for individuals to compile the source themselves? (not hard on a Linux platform)

The best answer is, of course, to adopt a fully-open standard. But as the open types can rarely flash the wonga, that won't happen (no bungs to the top brass). Still - it would take just one manufacturer (let's say nVidia for the sake of argument; they're pretty open source friendly anyway, unlike ATI et al) to do it to show off some kind of "extensible video acceleration architecture" or something and...well...blammo. There you go.

An open source standard would stimulate innovation, competition and lower prices to consumers. Sure there are problems with the various Ogg formats; the great thing is if Apple (say) don't like something it does, they can simply proffer the fix, job done.

I use Ogg wherever I can as it (generally) gives equals (usually better) fidelity for a smaller file size when compare to MP3; important when you want to cram as much onto your player as possible.

I feel most sorry for the iPod users out there. The iPod is lovely to look at, well made but jeez - so locked down it is untrue.

Verified by Visa bitchslapped by Cambridge researchers

The BigYin
FAIL

Then you are to blame

I utterly despise MC SecureCode, it is utter crap and a total inconvenience. I have lost count of the number of times it has had some fit and blocked my purchase and just returned some meaningless exception code.

You phone the card company, they can't help.

You phone the retailer, they can't help.

So you use a different card and say "FUCK OFF" to MC SecureCode.

Also, the MC SecureCode shit is very badly integrated and my browser throws a fit as 85% of the time it detects MC SecureCode potential XSS. My, that really boost my confidence in MC SecureCode.

Take my advice - boycott retailers that use MC SecureCode/VbV and keep you life simples.

Defects in e-passports allow real-time tracking

The BigYin

Nice as that may be...

...but deliberately hobbling the RFID chip will be taken as a sign that you have something to hide and lead to the police giving you a full cavity search in public (or whatever it is RIPA lets them away with).

There's been too many stories of people not co-operating 100% and immediately with any inane plod request and then getting in deep-kaka because of that.

You will obey the law.

You will obey the police.

You will obey the machine.

Labour has spoken - you have no choice.

The BigYin
Big Brother

Farady wallet

Or Farady pockets?

Whilst I can accept that in certain place it should be a requirement to identify oneself, I object strongly to be identified and tracked against my will, and especially in a public place without my consent and without probable cause.

Still, there is little sense in going to great lengths to protect your identity like that and then using a credit or debit card. They can just track you that way.

Tin foil hat, please.

Google Toolbar caught tracking users when 'disabled'

The BigYin

What is it for anyway?

I've got the plugins I want to play with on my customised (native) toolbar, I have my search box (where I can change sources) and I have my address bar (well, "Wow bar" or whatever).

WTF does Google toolbar give me? The weather? Don't need that; I can look outside, check clock in the panel or have a glance at conky.

Security/Privacy? That's what NoScript, AdBlock, TrackMeNot etc. are for.

Local search? Well I appear to have Catfish for that...but I've never used it (yet - I generally have documents in a proper doc management system).

So....WTF does the Google Toolbar give me? Other than an attack on my personal privacy of course.