Posts by John Bailey 811 publicly visible posts • joined 7 Jun 2007
"I'm a firm believer in vendors writing drivers properly, and do not contain applications."
And Santa
And fairies.
And unicorns.
And honest politicians.
Reality is... Even with new hardware. The chances of updating Windows and still having full functionality is NOT GUARANTEED. Never has been. Never will be.
NOT A NEW PROBLEM!
So tell me.
Who do you think causes the need for new drivers to exist?
"1) Elsevier does support authors "self-archiving", and had done for years - https://www.elsevier.com/about/company-information/policies/sharing"
1) Elsevier is unable to forbid authors "self-archiving", and has not been able to stop it for years - https://www.elsevier.com/about/company-information/policies/sharing
FTFY
"2) Elsevier just bought SSRN, which is such a site."
So they can get a second dip. Or am I misjudging them, and they are offering this as a free for all to access service?
"@goldcd: Your beef is with the content providers who doubtless threatened to boycott Oculus."
Because the content providers wanted FEWER sales?
I'm afraid your standard "DRM must be present cos content owners" excuse is not applicable this time.
This time, it's Oculus and faceache. Not the eeeville content providers.
"Its not hard, you just stop. If you really want to quit smoking then you will and all you have to do is stop."
Course it is sweetie. Just throw away the chemical dependence, and the decades of positive reinforcement. Piece of cake..
Have you ever beat an addiction, and been honest enough to admit how hard it was?
"The fact is most people who say they want to give up don't really want to and so they find it difficult or look for reasons why they failed."
No.. The fact is.. most people who want to give up, but don't. Are still addicts.And if you are going to dismiss addiction so lightly, then you are not intellectually equipped to hold this conversation,
"as far as I can see, vaping is simply swapping one addiction delivery method for another"
Yep. So look a little deeper.
You are correct.. e-cigs are a nicotine delivery system. Like patches, or gum, or inhalers. Crucially dropping pretty much all the nasty stuff from smoking at the same time.
"but it is at least a healthier way of getting a fix."
Yes. But not only the chemical fix, which is all the other options address.
The addiction has a second less recognised part. The ritual.
The behavioural modification that every smoker goes through. Which is why smoking and other forms of tobacco use has always had such a wealth of ornate or intricate paraphernalia.
The (in my case) 30 year habit of putting a thing in my mouth and inhaling an irritant to get a chemical fix.
This is an excellent example of positive reinforcement.
Do something unpleasant for a happy drug.
Same effect as potty training, exercise, sex, enjoying alcohol, and many other pleasurable things.
But one not addressed by other cessation strategies.
Drinking alcohol is actually quite unpleasant. Beer tastes horrible. But the alcohol reward makes our brains modify our ability to enjoy something. And outside alcopops and possibly liqueurs, spirits taste vile.
Coffee, tea.. Both vile tasting fluids one must acquire a taste for. Because guess what.. Caffene is addictive.
The capcasin in chillies.. Same. Which is why some people like myself, get really into hot foods once we are hooked. To the point where people who have got past the heat, enjoy the different flavours and nuances of the different varieties.
Luckily this is actually a positive addiction. As chilli has a whole range of positive health benefits.
For any smoker.. the chemical dependence is actually a trivial thing to break. Realistically.. the nicotine in your body leaves after a couple of hours. And the chemical dependency is gone in a few weeks.
So why is it not a doddle to quit? Hold out a few weeks, and done.. Right?
Because the nicotine is just the reward.
The hard part is getting away from the feeling that something is missing. Smokers often complain about having nothing to do with their hands, or of feeling incomplete, or being unable to enjoy activities without a cigarette to accompany the act, or after it.
That is the physical ritual part. And it's a bugger to break.
So.. the reason e-cigs are more successful when used as cessation aids..
They address BOTH parts of the addiction.
The lesser chemical dependence, and the much harder behavioural one.
I spent the best part of 6 months on zero nicotine juice before I finally got rid of the behavioural habit.
Now I'm a non smoker.
No cravings, no desire to smoke, no feeling of pleasure from smelling smoke, and crucially.. No psychotic resentment towards smokers.
I don't smoke. If someone else wants to, I'm not going to get all precious about it. Because I'm not fighting an addiction that could reassert it's self at any time.
"Mind you teh down side is that most people sucking on a vape' don't seem to realize just how silly they look :D"
As opposed to the quiet dignity of the smoker, standing in the rain with a tube of burning leaves in their gob you mean.
Or the witty and articulate drunks, peeing themselves to wash away the vomit on their shoes?
Or perhaps the frequently admired crack addicts..
Actually.. when you really look at addictions.. Vaping is kind of mild, is it not?
"I'm struggling to see any significant difference between nicotine gum and nicotine vapour, other than vaping _looks_ like smoking."
Which is the whole problem. It wrecks the whole de normalisation program that has been going on for years with the quit or die mob.
"About Long Term Service Branch (LTSB). Thankfully all our Windows 10 Enterprise Agreement licences are LTSB which means we can move to Windows 10 but run the legacy method of patching rather than going down the evergreen route and then worrying about the inability of our application vendors to keep up."
And if Microsoft decide to forget about it?
So..
You pay a protection fee to Microsoft to stop them updating your computers. And you see this as a good thing?
How is this different to ransomware? Pay more, or we update your system. Over and over and over...
"What is depressing is that when it comes to Parliamentary reform, I sometimes feel that we'd be better off abolishing the Commons rather than the Lords."
What is even more depressing is that you see this as a reasonable statement.
Remove EITHER, and the effect is lost.
House of lords only, a bunch of nobs and rich bastards rule.
Commons only, a bunch of nobs and rich bastards rule.
But crucially DIFFERNT nobs and rich bastards.
The best weapon in the democratic arsenal, is a bunch of awkward old gits being difficult on principle.,
"36 percent really isn't that high a rate"
Yes it is.
"and would preclude lending to many who haven't got a great credit rating."
Good. Because the whole point of a credit rating is an assessment of one's ability to pay the borrowed money back.
Not a license to over charge.
If you can only get a loan at an extortionate rate, take it as a message that you really really should not be trying to borrow money.
"And what of the myriad who outnumber you and don't know better? Would you condemn them to join you in your handbasket?"
What of them indeed.
A revolutionary concept I know.. But how about..
They do the right thing, or.. They face the consequences.
Actions have consequences.
So do inactions.
And denying people the ability to make decisions makes them even more helpless.
"P.S. before you down-vote, how many of you knew of the word "misandry" before you googled it?"
I did. so no need to google it.
Still downvoted you though for being so pathetic.
"My spell checker does not recognise the word, but it has no problem with misogyny."
Nor it seems do you.
Sorry kid. But nobody cares that she laughed when you showed her your little winky. Even though your mummy called you her big boy.
"to which tomatoes, spices, herbs and all manner of tasty things are added as he is slowly cooked to become a pasta sauce.
That will teach him!"
Why? He did the exact right thing.
He handed out a verdict that is in accordance with the goals of Pastafarianism. To end religious exceptions to the rules the rest of us follow.
If you think the Pastafarians lost, you really haven't understood the game being played.
"I'm willing to wager a Cold Refreshing Beverage that every single commenter here has plugged random, or unknown, or found USB drives into their computer."
Mines a Stella
"Whether it came from the woman at the desk next door, or was found in the parking lot,"
It doesn't get plugged in.
"or was purchased brand new,"
In which case, the risk is so tiny, it really isn't worth bothering with. Because if we are going to that level of paranoia, then it is unwise to turn on any electronic device at all. Cos hackers might have altered the firmware, and the NSA may steal my belly button.
"you have NO way of knowing what's on it or what it will do."
True. For a given value of true.
Found on the ground outside work. TOXIC. Hand in or destroy.
Found in the pub.. Seriously dodgy. Hand in to the bar staff. Then it's their problem. Especially as I buy drinks only with cash.
Belongs to a neighbour. Assume digital toilet unless known otherwise. Let them plug it into their computer.
Handed out at a conference, never going to be looked at anyway.
Found in a blister pack at the local computer shop, or a well established reputable online shop...
Reasonably likely to be safe.
One can never eliminate all risk entirely, and only forum warriors try to imply anybody can. One can however, take reasonable precautions to eliminate REASONABLE amounts of risk. It's called not doing stupid things.
I don't solder in a hazmat suit. But I don't hold lead solder in my mouth either, and I long exhale while soldering, or have a low speed fan gently blowing the flux fumes away.
I have soy sauce that is 10 years out of date that I still use. Part of a bunch of bottles of the good stuff I bought years ago. But I'm quite strict about things I freeze. And every bag or box has a date.
In 51 years of life. Zero food poisoning incidents.
"There's no auto-run on Linux. It's a safe practice to plug in random USB sticks. Windows users get what they get."
About that..
If it is running Windows software on an ordinary thumb drive.. Possibly.
But what if it isn't actually a thumb drive?
There is this chip.. An Atmel 32U4.
Dead handy little micro controller... It has a built in USB to serial converter, and get this.. It can emulate a keyboard and mouse.
And runs on 5 volts.. The voltage of..
A USB port!!!
Dead easy to program. Tiny enough to fit in a USB drive body. OS independent.
No drivers.
No OS requirements, other than the ability to recognise a HID device.
Can be programmed to execute any series of key presses you like. Or mouse movements, or hot key sequences.
Commonly available on Ebay as an Arduino Pro Micro. Bout three and a half quid delivered from China. On a tiny little board with a USB socket already wired up, and a set of breakouts along either side.
Explain to me how exactly you stop this from executing any number of command sequences for fun or profit, the moment some prize twit plugs it in..
I use one on my Linux desktop as a volume control, because the keyboard I use doesn't have this function. So I set it up to use some unused hotkeys, and now it does.
Another is the remote input for my Myth box. An IR sensor added, and my HTPC is controlled from my IR remote.
I could just as easily set it up to bring up a terminal as soon as it is plugged in, and type something destructive.
Add a little ESP8266, and I have a wifi operated keyboard hooked up to your computer.
So no. Linux is not actually protected from harm.
Which is why an unattended thumb drive should be treated like a blood stained syringe wrapped in a half eaten kebab, wrapped in a used condom, sitting in a pile of fresh dog crap from a dog with serious digestive issues..
No matter the OS.
NEVER plug a found Thumb drive in.
Walk past it, hand it in at the nearest police station, or bin it.
"P.S. Do the Chinese think that the pineapple is ugly or is this something that has been obscured in translation?"
Different cultures, different aesthetic sensibilities.
Be honest though, on seeing a fresh pineapple for the first time ever, would you immediately presume it was edible? Or assume someone successfully crossed an alligator with a cactus.
"Why are so many of you going on about Apple recycling used phone parts?"
Because the actual technical knowledge of the people positing is pretty much tapped out after signing up for faceache.
"It's the design they're recycling. Why invent a new display when the 5S display will work fine for this phone? They basically took a 5S and updated the processor, and maybe a few bits like the camera. Must've saved tons of time and money on R&D, not to mention that they already manufacture and stock the 5S parts. Inventory reduction is a big cost savings."
But but.. Apple made a robot and called it Liam.. And it's shiny and clean and pretty.. and and.. and
maaaaagical.
Seriously.. Best strategy is to sit back and laugh, They have no desire to be enlightened, and will only hate you for informing them of reality.
In the real world, Apple is a company who drives incredibly hard bargains with suppliers, and gets parts almost at cost, designs products in the most comically over engineered way possible, and generally suck.
In a fanboys mind, Apple makes a real contribution to enrich the lives of everybody they touch, and uses only the best materials, and magical industrial design to create wonderful products that just work.
Tomorrow, they may believe they are a duck.
Quite possibly.
Like OS2 ran Windows software.
Sorry sweetie.. that worked with the old MS. And only in areas they were the biggest.
To make the "extend" bit work, one has to become the dominant player. Any other scenario, it just breaks stuff and pisses people off. Just joining in is not actually enough.
But you did successfully quote a meme.. have a biscuit.
"The "guns are tools" argument misses the whole point."
Yep. Far too rational.
"A well-armed populace employs its government instead of fearing it."
No.. A well fooled populace convinces themselves that they employ their government. And as you lot show all the time.. fear everybody. Because they might have a gun too.
You really should stop believing stuff because it comes with a snappy slogan.
Your government is not afraid of your guns.
Your government is not afraid of you.
Because you are a well conditioned corporation loving, regulation fearing idiot who will do what you are told, and shout down anybody who dares to disagree.
As you will now proceed to do.
"So it would be OK if I were to stand on the pavement outside your house and take pictures?"
Yes. Although it's a miserable rainy day today. Better if you come back in a few months, when it's nice and sunny.
If you know my address though, you can just use Google Street view, and get a nice shot of it while sitting in your arse at home. So why bother.
Why would I care?
The house exists.
It is visible from the street, therefore, it is not actually a secret that it exists, or the post office would have a hard time delivering letters.
I am not famous, or on the run from the police, or engaged in any illegal activity.
If I do not wish to be observed doing something, I will not do it in full public view. There are these marvellous things called curtains. Simple strips of fabric, which, if hung in front of a window from the inside, actually serve to shield the occupant of that room from external observation.
"Somehow I doubt you would have quite the same laissez-faire attitude."
You mean you can't imagine someone not being as paranoid as you?
"That doesn't sound to me like the work of your average slack-jawed scrote playing with his new toy."
Really?
Cos it sounds to me exactly like some slack-jawed scrote waving the thing about in the general direction of a plane, and getting lucky.
The laser only needs to hit for a fraction of a second. It doesn't need to be trained on something specific. Do it often enough and a "hit" is inevitable.
So inspect it in store then. If you are one of the people who insists on actually going there, then make the most of it, and kick up a stink, and save yourself a journey.
Not sure, but I strongly doubt it is legal to sell previously used goods as new. Not that it stops em trying of course.
"3. A long time later an OS update bricks the iPhone.
How is item #3 a security feature exactly?"
It secures Apple's ability to suck every last penny from the gullible.
Silly man, You thought they meant user securITY.. No.. Users securED!
But hey.. It's an iTruth. Everything is for the glory of the fruity fuhrer, or for the protection of the pippinite experience. And look at how their protectors of the RDF are congregating on every forum, and commenting their little hearts out.
"I have been looking at going off the grid and the typical payback time is 10 years. It would have to be someone with very low power usage that requires 24 years to payback the installation cost."
I think the 24 year one is for people buying cheap rate electricity from the grid to charge the battery, and using it during the full price period. The loony option in other words. This does after all, smack of alternative energy, so must be ridiculed, and dismissed as hysterically as possible.
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