* Posts by Mark 85

12880 publicly visible posts • joined 22 Nov 2012

Stern Vint Cerf blasts techies for lackluster worldwide IPv6 adoption

Mark 85

Re: Sure..

And we do what our corporate masters tell us to do. IPv6 will entail some cost (significant in some areas) and the masters love their profits so tech loses.

USA! USA! We're No.1! And we want to keep it that way – in spaaaace

Mark 85

Re: Where do you want to go tomorrow?

Anywhere but Europa is fine....

Mark 85
Headmaster

I, personally, think that a huge part of the issue with both Congress and Senate is that the cost of running for elections is staggeringly high.

Err... the Senate is a part of Congress. Congress has two "houses".. the Senate and the House.

Mark 85

Re: Just wait.

I can't see the "Land of the Free" taking that sitting down.

I can see that happening. Politics and complacency. Most Americans problably don't really care and thus space is at the bottom of the list of things important to them. Taxes, crime, infrastructure are probably higher priority.

Crappy IoT on the high seas: Holes punched in hull of maritime security

Mark 85

Re: Nothing new...

If that's all the computer was connected to, it would be ok. If connected to the system and then that's connected to any type of internet connection... very bad.

Microsoft sinks another data centre with Natick 2

Mark 85

Re: 4-color windows logo visible in photo

But apparently it's easier to set one up underwater, than it is on land. I wonder _WHY_ that is???

Perhaps the plan is to move the data centers out beyond the 3-mile limit. Thus, no government can claim jurisdiction.

Mailshot meltdown as Wessex Water gets sweary about a poor chap called Tom

Mark 85

Re: Rostering is a poisoned challice, strong constitution and thick skin required

The "best" way I've seen it done is once a year, a survey of "which shift would you prefer?" and then priority on some benchmark like "time of employment" where senior people get their pick first except for manglement duties and those with specialized skill sets/job duties that required a fixed schedule.. Those types usually rotated schedules among themselves. Generally, very few problems as almost everyone got what they wanted or could live with.

UK military may recruit wheezy, alcoholic keyboard warriors

Mark 85

Nice try, Arlo. It's the jumping up and down and yelling "Kill, Kill, Kill!!!" that will get you rejected.

RoboCop-ter: Boffins build drone to pinpoint brutal thugs in crowds

Mark 85

Re: I suspect this system will pick up dancing as violence too?

This system would definitely have a problem with a Headbanger's Ball then. The idea of drones might work for outdoor events but indoor events would require a multitude of cameras. I'm just a tad skeptical about the whole thing and living in a world of constantly being watched. Then again, the 5-eyes and everyone else has ramped up that bit of paranoia. The question is: will the average person care that they're being watched? If Facebook, etc. are any indication, the answer is "no".

No lie-in this morning? Thank the Moon's gravitational pull

Mark 85

Re: How large of a tide would that have been?

It would have been impressive to sit on the beach and see that huge moon hovering over the ocean, until you saw that huge wave coming at you like a tsunami and you had to run for your life!

Cowabunga!!!! Surf's up!!!! But the downside is all the volcanic activity from the Earth's crust being pulled.

In World Cup Russia, our Wi-Fi networks will log on to you!

Mark 85

I daresay that those who will go the games from other countries aren't, shall we say, tech smart. They'll never read nor hear about the insecurities and if they do, they won't really give a crap as they're "entitled". Meh....

Australia wants tech companies to let cops 'n' snoops see messages without backdoors

Mark 85
Big Brother

Re: It's simple

What is it about elected officials that they don't understand the term "secure communications" and why they are used? Seems every country wants a way to bypass encryption that anyone with half a brain would understand that it can't be done and still be secure. There's no magic bean that will let only law enforcement take a peek. Are these clowns really that stupid?

There's clueless and then there's political clueless which is a whole new level.

US govt mulls snatching back full control of the internet's domain name and IP address admin

Mark 85

Maybe that's what ICANN wants so they can go have their junket meetings on someone else's dollar? They really don't want to kill off Whois or cripple it because access to that is money in their bank account according to the reports.

Maybe just kill off ICANN completely. Burn it the ground and start over with "new" people, tech types, running it.

Amazon scam trio primed for prison stretch after million-dollar fraud

Mark 85

a hard life with security checks,

I'll hope you mean a long time in prison. For all the fraud they did, I think they got off rather light.

UK's first transatlantic F-35 delivery flight delayed by weather

Mark 85

Re: "It won't"

Even worse, our planes are the wretched F-35B, sacrificing over a third of fuel capacity to the Heath-Robinson lift fan, so you have a lot of refuelling for a plane whose operational range was already pitiful

I don't think these are the "jump jets" for what has been called "carriers", but the land based version. No blowhard fans, a tad lighter and more maneuverable with a bit more range. And lot fewer maintenance headaches*.

*Not saying the non-jump version doesn't have maintenance headaches... just a comparison.

Mark 85

Re: Remember the war

I suspect that some of this is flag-waving and PR for the aircraft company. There's been a bit </sarc> of bad press about this airplane and it's problems. If one goes down, the bad press gets a bit worse. If they all make it, win-win. For the pilot's sake, I hope they all make it across and land safely.

Mark 85

Re: Carriers??

I believe the US have been more picky about this in the past, until selecting the F35C. However this may be because modern engines are a lot more reliable.

Might be that but part of the original reasoning was combat damage.

Four hydrogen + eight caesium clocks = one almost-proven Einstein theory

Mark 85

Re: Homeopathy placebo NOT ok

They might get worse, possibly to the point of permanent harm that can no longer be helped by Real Medicine. Look no farther than Steve Jobs, who let an easily cured (when it was found) cancer grow while he tried new-age quackery. He finally turned to Real Medicine after a year or two, but it had spread too far and was incurable.

Reminds of a certain religious group... if you die you didn't pray/believe hard enough. (I'm looking at you Christian Science).

John McAfee plans 2020 presidential tilt

Mark 85

Ya' think?

McAfee might not be exactly up to speed this time around. ®

Not news but still a very good observation. So when was he ever "up to speed"?

DIYers rejoice: Hitting stuff to make it work even works in space

Mark 85

Re: full circle....

Bashing other people gives you whatever they had before you bashed them.

Bashing a keyboard gives you ...........Facebook!

Bashing the computer gives you a feeling of satisfaction along with some peace and quite when done.... and turns off Facebook.

You blithering Ajit! Huawei burns Pai for FCC sh*tlist proposal

Mark 85

Re: I never thought I'd say this but...

So, they're no different than any other smartphones, then. I don't see why Chinese companies should be singled out when everyone else's hands are just as dirty.

Well.. the difference is that with a Chinese company phone, your data all goes to China instead of American companies. Then when the data is sold to advertisers, China gets the money instead of American companies.

I do note that it's a thin murky line as to which is worse and since American companies just rebrand the Chinese stuff, data still flows.

Uh oh! Here's yet more AI that creates creepy fake talking heads

Mark 85

Re: Let the world burn.

There should be such a thing as common sense.

Been said before... "common sense isn't common anymore".

Microsoft commits: We're buying GitHub for $7.5 beeeeeeellion

Mark 85

Re: Shite

How will they FUBAR github? They'll implement the #1 thing that Micro-shaft seems to be interested in at the moment:

Use your github login to TRACK YOU online.

So the Google/Facebook modus operandi then. No surprise here.

Mark 85

Re: Shite

As much as anything, it's the negative feeling that it engenders. Unless they do something really stupid like making private repos accessible to M$ 'for usage statistics' etc then there's not much they can do.

Well, they can force ads for starters and insist on "user tracking" perhaps. Possibly even wanting a % of any code ownership. This is MS we're talking about and they WILL find a way to monetize it to their benefit at a cost to everyone else, A benevolent despot they are not. I'd very much be afraid.. very afraid.

UK Foreign Sec BoJo asks tech firms to save endangered species

Mark 85

But what about governments busy running extermination programmes against wildlife to protect the interests of farmers their own populations or "enemy" populations?

FTFY. There's much that needs addressing in this world. If they won't protect critters, they won't protect people either.

Did you test that? No, I thought you tested it. Now customers have it and it doesn't work

Mark 85

Re: Worse still ...

Isn't that the way MS is doing things: "Our customers are our testers."... ?

The more things change, the less they really do.

Mark 85

@Thomas_Kent---Re: Indeed on the pork ...

Same here (USMC though) except for the wire-rim glasses. They required the elastic straps. Also, no neckties, and for some things (high voltage equipment like radio transmitters) no belt buckles.

When I started work in engineering, my job required lab and field testing. So same rules which irritated manglement as they were insistent on ties, etc. Until one of them nearly died when his necktie got caught. Rules changed quickly within days of that happening.

You have suffered without red-headed emoji for too long. That changes Tuesday

Mark 85

I thought that since emojis in general are a steaming pile that they were all poo.

Mark 85

I guess more emojis are needed because people can't write anymore? Pretty soon they're will probably be a Twitter for just emojis and no text.

'Moore's Revenge' is upon us and will make the world weird

Mark 85

Re: Mob-mentality

For a moment there, I was thinking he was talking about people, not tech. Seems to apply either way, though.

'Tesco probably knows more about me than GCHQ': Infosec boffins on surveillance capitalism

Mark 85

Facebook as ID or character reference....

She argued that getting people off Facebook isn't a terribly good idea because not being able to volunteer a social media profile can make someone the subject of suspicion in countries such as the US.

This says quite a lot about the mentality of people and governments in general. FB isn't a form of ID or character reference that I'm aware of (or at least is shouldn't be). If someone regards my not having nor ever visiting FB as suspicious than who has the real problem? I'm suspecting that certain agencies have staff are getting lazy as FB is just such easy pickings. I'm still awaiting the 1984 type of "5 minute hate" sessions that are mandatory.

Ex-US pres Bill Clinton has written a cyber-attack pulp thriller. With James Patterson. Really

Mark 85

Bootnotes... no tech required.

You know what your problem is, Apple? Complacency

Mark 85

Quality probably isn't equal to bloat

Sadly, no OS maker (be it desktops, phones, etc.) has much interest in getting rid of the old dead stuff, etc. inside the OS. So for them, or any other maker, to yell about quality and how they're improving it, leaves me thinking that marketing is running amok and engineering is buried.

Telegram users get their stickers back as Apple passes update

Mark 85
Trollface

Maybe a fig leaf for nudists and a raincoat for flashers?

G Suite admins need to RTFM – thousands expose internal emails

Mark 85

I'm guessing that the manual was outsourced instead of being done in house. Either to interns who are clueless as to manuals or some place that's cheap.

Uber 'does not exist any more' says Turkish president

Mark 85

Re: Alternative

Refunds? From a government and for license fees? That would be a first....

TSB meltdown latest: Facepalming reaches critical mass as Brits get strangers' bank letters

Mark 85

Re: Hi kids

I wish, you wish. But the limpwrists at the ICO have already said that they're going to go softly softly on enforcement this year, preferring education and improvement.

I wonder if ICANN will try to say they are a bank...

Activists hate them! One weird trick Facebook uses to fool people into accepting GDPR terms

Mark 85

Re: Genuine question

If you'd like facebook to remove your shadow profile, yes.

There's a Catch-22 in this. You have to open a Facebook account to kill off the data slurpage or at least the data have on you up to that point. But, that might be changing.... doubtful though. Numbers of "users" (active or not) are their stock in trade.

Facebook's Trending news box follows fired freelancers out the door

Mark 85

Re: See what's trending

Reminds of the clickbait headlines some "news" pages have; "The Internet is going wild over (fill bit goes here)....". Really, the whole Internet.. world wide. Hmm.... oh look.. ads (paid content), more BS.. etc.

Smart bulbs turn dumb: Lights out for Philips as Hue API goes dark

Mark 85

So the smart bulbs are really dim bulbs after all.

Facebook stockholders tell Zuck to reform voting rules as data scandal branded 'human rights violation'

Mark 85

This reminds me of bitcoin...

More like a Ponzi scheme.

Mark 85

Re: Meh

Exactly how will walking away from FB hurt a user? If the users walk, FB dies a slow and lingering death. Last I heard, MySpace is still alive.... barely, but still alive. Has this caused anyone great harm other than the shareholders/owner?

There's too much self-importance attached to FB and the next "big thing" is probably in the not too distant future.

Your F-35s need spare bits? Computer says we'll have you sorted in... a couple of years

Mark 85

Re: I'll have some of that business please

£23m includes the cost of the extended warranty and a premium rate phone call to the customer care team at Lockheed Martin. that's been outsourced to India

FTFY.. Boob will be taking the calls this week.

Half of all Windows 10 users thought: BSOD it, let's get the latest build

Mark 85

@saskwatch -- Re: Rolled out != working users

Is this of any help to you?

http://www.openprinting.org/printer/HP/HP-DeskJet_9800

Windows free since 2003!

Thanks for that. I'll test it this weekend.

Experts build AI joke machine that's about as funny as an Adam Sandler movie (that bad)

Mark 85

Re: The PC Brigade Sub-Routine

He is to many of those under the age of 10, I think, but that may be pushing things a bit.

Hello, this is the FTC. You have been selected for a free lawsuit... Robocall pair sued

Mark 85

Why would they want to avoid addressing the mark directly?

We hang up rather quickly. Most answering machines won't let you delete a message without listening to it.

Mark 85

Re: No fines collected?

Then, the directors, owners, etc. should be liable for the fines and the law should be amended to permit that. But this is 'Merica, the home of lobbyists and special interest groups so that will never happen.

Facebook finally fully embraces GDPR – Generally Derailing Pages Recklessly

Mark 85

Re: A win for the dark forces?

Maybe this is what you get when you have semi-baked support automation. No support is a guaranteed part of our service.

So the semi-baked support automation is just as bad at "outsourced support" then.

ZTE can't buy chips from America – but can still get sued for patent infringement in the US

Mark 85

This whole thing with ZTE just smells bad... on both sides. They steal and if DownUndaRob is right, then they're getting hit by a patent troll.

As a solution, maybe ZTE needs to "close up it's doors", declare themselves bankrupt and in a week or two start again under a new name. Seems to be the way it's done here in the States.

Foolish foodies duped into thinking Greggs salads are posh nosh

Mark 85

@jake --Re: "explain rustlers microwave burgers?"

Good point. But didn't rustlers only get the slow ones from the herd? The fast and healthy would get away?