Re: Gah, that chart hurts my head!
That chart, along with SOOOOOO many web sites that use a light grey text on a slightly darker grey background is living proof that many graphic designers are IDIOTS, and should be taken out back and shot.
2400 publicly visible posts • joined 6 Apr 2008
<quote>All those who banged on about standards compliance years ago please raise your hand.</quote>
You can include MY boss as one of those who should have their hands up.
This saga started around a decade ago, when she was the assistant CIO, getting 'ready' to take over as CIO with the announced departure of her then boss.
Those two could not be more different
HE was a BUSINESS major with some IT experience, and
SHE was an IT major with some business experience.
He ran the department like your typical MBA (mainly brainless asshole); she has run the department like any IT (intelligent thinking) pro would.
HE wanted to lock the company further in to the Microsoft ecosystem, while SHE wanted to insure that we would not ever be chained to the deck of the MS Titanic if it were ever to slip beneath the waves. HE wanted to 'insure' that his departure """left the company certain of its future""" while she wanted to insure that the """company had a future not dependent on Microsoft""". SHE bided her time, and got the CEO to hold off on replacing an aging bolted to Windows ERP system, with its latest and greatest version while we explored our options.
Over a period of 18 months (six months before his departure, and 12 after), we investigated alternatives. Several departments were used as guinea pigs for testing out potential replacements. A lot of people were "rubbed the wrong way" during that testing, and many executives never hesitated to complain like hell.
One of her requirements was that any 'solution' be web based, and be capable of being moved to alternatives to Windows Server. We would NOT be locked to a Microsoft only platform, and she got her wish. The experimentation was worth the effort as we now have a system in place that our employees actually like to use. All of that foresight came into play when tablets started to find their 'place' within the company, and some of her detractors started whinging that we 'missed the boat' on that one.
She asked the lead whinger for his tablet, and entered the (internal) url into its browser, and the login screen appeared. She told him to log in, and once he did so, the main screen of our ERP application appeared. His mouth just fell wide open. She reached over the table, grabbed his tie and yanked hin over toward her, and stared him in the face and said: "I think it's about time that you SHUT THE FUCK UP!" as she let go of his tie. Message delivered.
So, PHB 'involvement' isn't always a BAD THING(tm).
(PS - Hey ElReg, why doesn't HTML entities like ® work anymore???)
<quote>But.. Every time Adobe $VENDOR changes something, she has to learn things again. How long can this go on before she realises that she can use another product, eg Gimp $ALTERNATIVE, to achieve what she does without having her workflow changed every time some twit at Adobe $VENDOR has a brain fart and shits all over the interface?</quote>
Now, let's see how we can use global find/replace?
$VENDOR, $PRODUCT, $ALTERNATIVE
Microsoft, Windows, Linux
Microsoft, Internet Explorer, Firefox
Mozilla, Firefox (w/ Australis), Pale Moon
and the list goes on....
<quote>"Other operators without the benefits of this nationwide fixed-line infrastructure must rely on KPN’s network in order to compete."</quote>
My recollection of the introduction of electricity and telephone service in many parts of 'Merika in the late 1800's was the duplication of investment in infrastructure was an undesirable event. Municipalities did NOT want multiple sets of:
water lines
sewer lines
electric lines, and
telephone lines
so the concept of a regulated monopoly was introduced. This worked well for quite some time, but in more recent years, breaking up these monopolies has been the focus of activists.
One would expect the incumbent to want to continue to 'milk that cow' until it runs dry, and do everything possible to prevent a competitor from taking hold.
That is where the (fixed wire) infrastructure that provides the service needs to disconnected from the service provider (KPN). KPN should be required to divest itself of the fixed wire infrastructure, and become a service provider only who, like its competitors, must """rent"""" the infrastructure.
....getting what they truly deserve.
I shed shitloads of crocodile tears for those unethical, money grubbing bastards.
"Take their houses away, but where will the poor dears live?" a fool might ask.
I can think of the most perfect place for them, it is a large concrete building replete with lots of steel bars dividing the interior space into these little, small windowed rooms with a stainless steel sink and toilet. The walls of this 'retreat' are quite high, and topped with barbed wire and in strategic locations, men armed with guns, are stationed to keep those inside from escaping their """home""".
Hell, I even found pictures typical of such accommodations:
Here are pictures of the outside:
http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/primeval/images/1/12/Prison-4.7-exterior.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130528185650
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/11/19/article-2235213-161CF302000005DC-953_964x494.jpg
http://www.signplanning.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Bop-ext-ps.jpg
And of the inside:
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/03/19/article-2584306-1C69971600000578-694_634x421.jpg
http://electls.blogs.wm.edu/files/2010/04/1-jail-cell.jpg
http://cdn.thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Jail-toilet.jpg
http://www.biocleanservices.com/images/jailcell.png
It would be so very nice if they could be accommodated for the next 20 years or so.
</sarcasm>
<quote>We have FF and Chromium on our PC, so that my wife and I can keep our bookmarks and login names separate, but 99% of the time there is no difference. </quote>
Very easy to solve:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-where-firefox-stores-user-data
TL:DR version
When invoking Firefox (or Thunderbird) use the follwoing:
<path to Firefox executable> -profile <path to profile folder>
In the case of my Linux box, it is:
/opt/stable/28/firefox/firefox -profile /home/fatman/files/profiles/bob/firefox
FF28 because I am SICK of that Australis CRAP!
<quote>Sure, if you are a FuseBox developer - make no mistake, before IT managers Executive Damagers have an idea about the difference between Java and JavaScript there must be a half-a-million Billion years pass.</quote>
FTFY!!!
On other topics, I just graduated to a silver badge. How nice!!!
<quote>
My new computer ritual is easier:
1) Insert pen drive containing Linux Mint.Remove OEM installed hard drive infected with Windows; and install new hard drive. Obtain Linux distro of choice and place on a flash drive.
2) Turn on, and follow instructions.
3) Copy home directory from old computer (optional).
4) Enjoy.
Takes less than half an hour, but it's worth it if you want to actually make use of your computer.
</quote>
5) When you have decided to replace with new, remove existing Linux hard drive, and reinstall the Windows infected original OEM hard drive.
6) Dispose of old computer.
FTFY!!!
Side benefit, NONE of your PII is left on the old computer as you get rid of it.
It will *NEVER* happen!!
The 'Misuse of Computers Act' only deals with Joe Sixpack's misuse of computers.
$BIG_CORP'S misuse of Joe Sixpack's computer is perfectly legal. It's a 'free speech' sort of thing, and $BIG_CORP is free to spread his speech any way $BIG_CORP wants. BTW, one of the ways $BIG_CORP """expresses""" his 'right to free speech' is in the form of 'campaign contributions'.
<quote>Sadly most taxi license plates are not owned by the driver, because they cost between $350,000 - $500,000 although the value has been declining since the entry of Uber. A taxi driver working for the owner typically receives 50% of the fare and the owner receives the other 50%.</quote>
Sadly, in many areas of the USofA, that (the section in italics) is not true. In my local area, those drivers actually lease the cab from the owner; and must fork out the daily lease payment before they make ANY money. A slow day may end up actually costing the driver money when you take into consideration the lease payment and gas.
Since the cab owner gets a fixed revenue from the daily leases, they have no incentive to use fuel efficient vehicles, and often purchase retired (gas guzzling) police vehicles at auction.
Then again, there are exceptions, like the one owner-operator who bought a used Toyota Prius and put it out on the street as a cab. He most certainly likes the 40+ MPG he gets out of it, when they typical Crown Vic ex-cop car struggles to get 10 MPG. But, then again he is an exception to the typical cab operator.
<quote>Come now, you don't expect a US legislator to use common sense do you?</quote>
No, but you can easily see him pandering to a certain block of voters.
In the aftermath of the Paris attacks, I have seen reports of attacks on Muslims in the US.
What these stupid rednecks do not comprehend is that attacks on Muslims, and blatant hatred of all Muslims is EXACTLY what ISIS wants. How else can you approach other Muslims in these countries, except by pointing out that they are not welcome, and radicalize them??
One could make the case that Christians should be persecuted in the USofA because of abortion clinic bombers. So, go after the terrorists, not all believers of a specific religion.
<quote>Generally it only takes two managers being demoted to car parking duties for the rest to get the hint.</quote>
Nahhhh!
Around here, we just send them on a new career trajectory, using one of these:
http://www.timeref.com/castles/trebuchet.htm
"put their ass in the sling, and give them a fling...."
<quote>... but unless you can get the brains behind it all ...</quote>
How?? Would a .357 hollow point suffice??
I could not help but notice the name of one of the corporate defendants - Spanning Source LLC.
Did they deliberately make a typo in selecting that name (when it """should"""" have been SpaMMing Sopurce LLC)???
<quote>That's the hardest bit, because none of this huge effort has anything to do with the ordinary day-to-day running, and it takes a leap of imagination is not conducive to increasing shareholder value that which is often sadly lacking among the sole focus of upper management...</quote>
FTFY!!!
Alan,
I wish more people understood what you do. For the PowerPoint educated masses, allow me to """bullet point""" what you have said:
1) Airpower can suppress opposition but
2) ground forces are needed to drive them out and
3) political will is needed to keep them out. (Didn't the USofA get schooled in that lesson in VietNam?)
4) You can't indefinitely occupy a country whose inhabitants don't _want_ to be occupied and (Soviets in Afghanistan?)
5) you don't win hearts and minds by dropping bombs on some bystander's family (again USofA in Iraq and Afghanistan)
6) (on the other hand, doing so is one of the best recruiting tools for terrorists that exists) case in point: ISIS
What is a shame is the USofA's BIG DICK military mentality.
<quote>So what is it about an estimated range of 1km that makes this so suitable for IoT devices??</quote>
A very good real world case:
A close friend of mine is the manager for an apartment complex spread over 120 acres in multiple buildings.
Currently either time clocks or photocells control the dusk-dawn security lighting, and the issues BOTH have with keeping the lights in sync are problematic. Old fashioned electric clocks suffer from being out of time sync with real time as well as one another; and photo cells suffer from inaccurate light sensitivity settings. This manifests itself with some buildings being "lit up" while others are dark, resulting time wasted on resident complaints about "non functioning lights".
Ditto the exact same scenario for the multitude of irrigation system clocks that control the sprinklers through out the complex.
They have looked at HARDWIRING that whole mess into one main controller, but bailed on the cost of having to trench the entire complex.
NOW, imagine a series of devices replacing the existing time clocks or photo cells, and the later extended to the irrigation controllers, and
you have a winner.
NOW, do you see where the range and lower bit rates could be quite usable?
<quote>My advice to anybody who thinks, as I did, that they can go in to one of these places and make things better is this: Run and do not look back.</quote>
And spread the word that the company suffers from Damagement Syndrome and employment there should be avoided at all costs.
One of the advantages of these modular PODs is their relative ease and quickness of installation. If installed outdoors, provide power, communications and if required cooling, drop it in and you are done.
IF you did your initial planning correctly, you installed the necessary connections for a second location at the same time. When it is time to "upgrade" bring in the new container, connect it, and power it up. Move everything from old to new, and haul away the old one, thus freeing up the old space for the expected (future) replacement. Much better than dealing with replacing individual boxes in racks.