Posts by Sir Runcible Spoon

"Nope, they were all pretty much the same at the time. "

I don't know what you were looking at at the time, but I have to disagree. I worked at an ISP when Google launched and the brand logo plus search box on a white page literally won people over instantly. I also used to like the 'lucky dip' option which could take you to some very odd places. Wouldn't dare use it now of course.

It was Google's simple interface that won them market share over the other players at the time, and in the early days the search function was pretty good at find stuff.

It's a bloody mess these days.

Re: That's it

"Why don't you just invest in a firewall device that you can configure to block access from the Internet to all those ports Micro$oft love to keep open by default ?"

Well, when my work laptop is connected, it's using split-tunnel so no naught connections to my local network at all once I've VPN'd to the corporate network.

Once connected, my machine is effectively on a DMZ within the perimeter of the corporate security estate, and I know how leaky that is because I used to work for the company that manages it. If I can connect to a network share at the office via an SSL VPN then I can sure as hell get hit by malware using those ports to host-hop.

So, tell me Mr AC - where exactly does the firewall fit into this? I'm more likely to be protected by the IPS solution than the firewall, since the firewall is set to allow those connections that are at risk.

Re: A member of the University Rock Climbing Club

Proper students then, not girly swots like wot usually appear on UC :)

@Adam 52 - You have a silver badge, that means you've been here a while. Cynicism runs through commentards like 'Brighton Rock' through sticks of candy.

Re: Why the focus on point-to-point communications?

@Charles9 - that's a false argument. After all, we do expect this only to be used in a targetted fashion don't we? Therefore if it's targetted, they already know that the communication is suspect.

If we simply accept *they* will decrypt *everything* on the offchance of finding a fish, then we are all criminals and the only recourse left to the free people of Earth is to own it and actually become the criminals they fear us to be.

"So often one finds one's destiny on the path one takes to avoid it."

Re: Farenheit 451

You might be able to use a code, but what message would you transmit if you couldn't read? :)

Re: The legislator's fallacy

Ah, the curse of the grammar nazi icon strikes again..

"learning it by wrote "

should be

"learning it by rote "

and

"though of cause"

should be

"though of course"

Re: The legislator's fallacy

"proven to have as much relevance to the real world as Astrology."

Tony Blairs' wife, who might have had some influence over his decisions, was well into that stuff.

So I agree it might not have much relevance, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have an impact.

Re: Bwahahahahahaha!

If someone was going to start another colony that was comprised of people with a good mind and a good heart they don't need to conscipt me - sign me up now!

Re: A Question of style

"what you want is called "Fences" from Stardock. Lovely little piece of software."

Looks nice, not sure why it took 20 years to turn up though :) I think I missed an opportunity there.

A Question of style

Many years ago I got fed up with the lack of desktop organisation tools so I cobbled something together so that all the grouped icons on my desktop were contained within sectioned areas with relevant headings etc. and it was all nice and clear and no matter how many icons I had I could find what I needed.

Someone from the web team came along and wanted a copy, which I refused at the time (for reasons which will become apparent). I then got into bother for apparently re-programming the desktop and IT stuck their noses in - then they wanted a copy.

In the end I had to admit that I'd created a picture in mspaint and set it as my background, then just dropped icons into the relevant sections :D For some reason everyone lost interest after that.

Re: Not a PC but...

dit-da-dit, dit-da-dit :)

Re: Sea-skimming microwave

My guess would be that at low-tide the birds would flock in to get the tasty crustaceans thus revealed

You're missing the point

5*9's realiability isn't a measure of how long your systems could be down for in any given time period, it's a level of confidence that you are prepared to back with financial compensation should you not meet that target.

It has nothing to do with *actual* downtime that could happen.

"Trouble comes when IT gets overruled by the executives."

Whilst true, there is a counter-measure.

If you are consistent and can always back up your position with well thought out arguments (nothing emotive, but passion is allowed) you can spend a few years building up a reputation of being a no-nonsense troubleshooter who does the right thing, even when it isn't popular.

Then, when you've pulled their nuts out of the fire enough times for you name to be familiar to people at C-Level you get to throw your toys out of the pram on occasion and sometimes you are listened to :) Having said that, you also have to be prepared to leave* and take your 'legendary arse saving' reputation to another firm before they wake up and realise you are serious.

*You don't get to do this often, so you have to pick your battles, and you'd better bloody well be right!

Manage this incredibly arcane ritual properly and you stand a chance of auto-correcting one, perhaps two, major potential fuck-ups in your career. No one will give a shit, only you and a few others will ever know, but your reputation will gain depth and that, my friend, is a bankable commodity these days.

"Paranoia is the highest calling of the IT Security professional."

Have an upvote - it's the first thing I teach the newbies - 'you can't be too paranoid'.

Re: You should never let a company cut your rate

"And if your reputation is good enough you'll be able to walk into another job elsewhere."

100% Agree, although it can sometimes be a bit of a ball-ache when you are vested in the projects you are working on (not the done thing I know, but someone's gotta care).

Also, I sometimes don't push for rate rises (it can make things awkward for the team manager come renewal time); as an alternative I push for things that the team manager has discretionary decision making powers over - such as remote working (which can often be equivalent to a healthy rate rise, in addition to reduce hours travelling etc.) - if I've built up some of those kinds of benefits I find myself reluctant to just push off somewhere else where I'd have to start building the trust again.

Having said that, if things get sticky all that goes by the wayside and I will just bugger off and they know it :)

"IBM India <snip> you pay peanuts, you get monkeys."

<CinemaSins voiceover>

Thaaat's racist

</CinemaSins voiceover>

Re: You should never let a company cut your rate

Every contractors first priority is to secure the next renewal (preferably by fair means, such as making yourself indespensible).

I understand that not everyone gets to fit into that bracket, but if your job security is based on your skillset and ability to deliver (i.e. reputation). If you don't stand up for yourself, no-one else will.

Re: There are some courts that are not toadies of the fascist system

Whilst you are no doubt going to get down-voted, I have to agree somewhat.

America is the first country that we all tend to think of when shit starts rolling downhill, and they are up to a lot of shit, then it all rolls downhill to the rest of us.

However, America is usually the only country that manages to muster up some kind of defence and motivation to challenge the powers that be - unfortunately that doesn't tend to roll downhill.

Eventually America might end up with some degree of balance and checks in their system, whilst the rest of us suffocate under a mountain of rolling shit.

I've often thought that it would be nice to take the positive traights of each nation and roll them into one nation without all the negatives. For example, I love the American positivity in the face of overwhelming reality (but I don't like the arrogance/ignorance that often goes with it).

I liked the British stoicism (don't see much of that anymore sadly) and sheer grit, but I don't like their holier than thou mentality (in the face of overwhelming reality etc. ;) )

The French have (had?) this great militant attitude to authority if it pissed them off. We used to moan about them blocking up the ports and setting huge piles of sheep on fire, but I miss those days - everyone seems to have lost their bollocks, and I know why...

Self-censorship. If you think that you might get a knock on the door in the middle of the night because of something you said that someone in power didn't like (and they'll know because they're spying on everything you say and do) then you adjust your behaviour.

This frog is boiled.