* Posts by Mark 85

12880 publicly visible posts • joined 22 Nov 2012

Tesla, GitHub, tech bro VCs... Silicon Valley sexism row explodes as more women go public

Mark 85

Re: Just Silicon Valley?

Not just Silicon Valley. The news lately not only name politicians but news anchors. I'm sure there will be more articles for other careers coming. My impression and what I've heard about a various workplaces suggests this is pretty much a problem everywhere. Not just the US but worldwide.

Brit teen accused of running malware factory and helpdesk for crims

Mark 85

Re: @Doctor Syntax

Add "honest politician" to that...

New work: Algorithms to give self-driving cars 'impulsive' human 'ethics'

Mark 85

@LeeE -- Re: Save the women and children first!

And even if the Samaritan law could grant you immunity from criminal prosecution, could it also grant you immunity from civil prosecution?

It might grant you immunity from those things, but what about the human angle? In other words, the angst and perhaps guilt that you made the wrong decision even if it was made with the best of intentions? Humans are not computers and thus, these "tests" are really meaningless except to rationalize something that really can't be rationalized at an emotional level.

MH370 researchers refine their prediction of the place nobody looked

Mark 85

Re: What can be learned of the crash at this late stage?

What others have pointed out can be learned.

However there's also the human factor. The families should know. They've been told by some that it was aliens who took the plane, or that it was "hijacked" and is now on a secret island. One of the things about humans is they have "hope" and the families will and have grasped for any hope. I believe a little closure is necessary here.

One thought equivalent to less than a single proton in mass

Mark 85

Re: Confused units

I think the same as the Alderaan run...

Mark 85

I was wondering if scientists ought to be examining Katie Hopkins brain.

First... they would have to find it before they can examine it. Electron microscope?

SpaceX halts Intelsat 35e launch twice in a row

Mark 85
Pint

Re: Better safe than sorry

Not where I am. We get plenty of out of staters (from CA) coming north to buy them. It'll be a long night tonight of barrages and drunken frivolity in these parts.

Icon ---> well it is a holiday, what more can one expect? Since I can sit in back yard and be entertained by all the neighbors launching things into the sky, I can all the beer I want.

Happy 4th of July: Norks tests another missile

Mark 85

Evidence around the world indicates that you can't keep a lid on the democratic aspirations of an increasingly wealthy population in the longer term.

NK has been under oppression for so long, I'd wager that most folks there haven't a clue about democracy. Or consider Russia.... yes, they're trying to figure out how democracy is supposed to work, but with Communism being in place for so long, the knowledge of the masses is lost and needs to be re-learned. China is going through this also. It may work, or may not. Depends on how hard the government clamps down and keeps control. And I should add, governments do not give up their power easily.

Constant work makes the kilo walk the Planck

Mark 85
Coat

Re: Lego?

I thought the Planck was just a really large ruler.

It could be, but I thought it was something that pirates made certain people walk....

Kaspersky repeats offer: America can see my source code

Mark 85

I still believe what I said before, but I'll add this: use Kaspersky in any part of government EXCEPT the US military.

https://forums.theregister.co.uk/forum/1/2017/06/30/us_senators_want_kaspersky_shut_out_of_military_contracts/#c_3222395

NASA: Bring on the asteroid, so we can chuck a fridge at it

Mark 85

Ok.. so this "test" changes it's orbit and not for the good.... The next time it comes around, NASA will have the real thing fired at it. Hopefully with the orbital mechanics sorted out...

I do wonder why no one asked Mr. Statler the obvious question in response to his answer: "Would you stake your life on that statement?".

Wanna tap 3 million phone calls? All it takes is one measly warrant

Mark 85

Re: I know better, but...

Sadly, like anything else.. follow the money. This war isn't a war, it's a cash pipeline for power (FBI, elected officials). If it were to stop tomorrow, what would the "law and order" candidates run on? What would suddenly happen to the FBI's power and budget?

Go back to history and look at Prohibition and who made the money and got the power. It certainly wasn't the guy on street selling the illegal booze.

Shock: NASA denies secret child sex slave cannibal colony on Mars

Mark 85

Just when I thought the world couldn't get any crazier.

Wrong... craziness is an unlimited, unregulated resource. The mere fact that these "people" make the news regularly and the claims get more outlandish each time would be proof of that.

Fresh cotton underpants fix series of mysterious mainframe crashes

Mark 85

Re: Don't give me no static ...

while in others holding said trigger is so important that it's illegal to do it yourself and you have to employ someone for the sole purpose of doing it properly.

This isn't usually about "safety"... it's about employment and making sure no one drives off without paying.

US Senators want Kaspersky shut out of military contracts

Mark 85

Once upon a time...

I'm old enough to remember when the military never, ever, used equipment, etc. from another country where mission critical security was needed. Paranoia? At the time, yes, but it was just a step to ensure that things that needed to be secure were kept secure and that if someone decided to cut off the supply (the other country's leaders) then the military wouldn't be compromised.

The software might be secure but there's no guarantee that it will stay that way. I'll get my tin foil hat and have a lie down in a few.

Mark 85

Re: Military is presently out of control

So what's your point? The US and Russian air forces have been doing this to each other for a long time. It's also done by just about every country out there. It's not just one-sided as you seem to be saying. Next time, use the Troll icon.

Five-eyes nations want comms providers to bust crypto for them

Mark 85

@ John Smith 19 -- Re: Your 12 year window includes 7/7 and that resulted in 56 deaths on its own.

Well said and thought out. As with any "war" or even "crime" give in and you lose. Unfortunately, we have tons of snowflakes on both sides of the pound which seem to be from parents raised as 'flower children". They will shout down any rational argument and maybe sing "Give Peace a Chance" in 3 part harmony.

Mark 85

As is the way of political communiques, there's a carefully-crafted lack of detail (sufficient, for example, for plausible deniability) about what exactly is planned.

In other words... we're about to get shafted as far as encryption and privacy go and they won't tell us until long after it happens.?

Virus (cough, cough, Petya) goes postal at FedEx, shares halted

Mark 85

Re: Well, MAYBE this will get their attention

Nah... won't happen as the bean counters will say "don't spend money on prevention because the fixes are a better tax rightoff" or some such malarkey.

Amadeus airline booking system TITSUP and it's not ransomware

Mark 85

Re: So...

I was wondering along the same lines except thinking that there's an awful lot of planes flying empty of passengers then.

Everything you need to know about the Petya, er, NotPetya nasty trashing PCs worldwide

Mark 85

Re: And people still continue to use windows

Sadly you can't get idiots admins to push simple patches, let alone radically review OS policy.

I think most would say it's a waste of time on the policy review or even trying to change corporate OS. The Board will override anything that costs money such as the time and effort to configure and then install a new OS. Then there's training and manglement muppets who would protest that they don't have time (time = brains in this case) to learn a new OS.

I can't fault the admins on this as many haven't any experience on other OS's nor the inclination to be shot down in flames by manglement.

Mark 85

Re: Let's blame Obaka's "revenge"

Bob, I hate to tell you this, but Obama isn't running the show anymore. Your guy won.

So tell him to get off Twatter, the golf course, etc. and do his fucking job. I'm sure with his superior knowledge and staff/advisory panels, etc. all the problems including this one could quickly be solved.

Mark 85

Re: Backups

Who is the Data Protection Advocate at your company? Maybe get to know them.

We had once. Once. It was clerk in the IT Management Office. All they were capable of doing was sending out the same emails over and over about not clicking on links, etc.

Ride-snare: Lyft ruse helps cops cuff suspect in tech CEO murder case

Mark 85

Re: Would that be a MITM attack then?

I think you need to get this copyrighted and maybe some legal advice. Your post has the hallmarks of on a made-for-TV movie and you should reap the benefits.

We'll drag Microsoft in front of Supremes over Irish email spat – DoJ

Mark 85

Last year, the appeals court said: no. Instead, the DoJ should have gone to the Irish authorities and obtained a warrant in Dublin for the information.

That seems reasonable to me. The equivalent would be the DoJ seeking the right to go knocking on doors and arresting people outside the boarders. But, IINAL nor LEO.

Robocall spammers, you have one new voicemail message: Cut it out!

Mark 85

Re: Wow

Well, then maybe the company should base themselves in India or Pakistan. Seems I've getting an lot of calls from the Microsoft Support Branch Office over there lately. If weren't pissing me off so much, I'd find it funny that all the calls lately are coming in between midnight and 3 a.m. I wish they'd use a real number so I could auto-forward them to.. say... Pai.

And yes, the Do-Not-Call list seems to be universally ignored. I've had calls come in that start with: "We know you're on the Do-Not-Call list but have a fantastic deal we know you won't want to miss." Like who buys aluminum siding for a brick house?

Tremble in fear, America, as Daesh-bags scrawl cyber-graffiti on .gov webpages no one visits

Mark 85

Re: So basically, the Josh Mandel campaign website must be...

I'd say that currently it only is appealing to a sub-set of one party of voters given the verbage he used. Just another "Freedom, "M'erica, Hell Yes" muppet.

Humanity is doomed: We watch 45 BILLION hours of YouTube a month

Mark 85

Re: Keep the masses entertained on vapid nonsense for free

Ok.. I'm with you. So we don't fit the "profile" of the average user. But yes, there's better things to do than watch videos on Youtube. I don't "stream" music, I play CD's. "How to Videos"? Meh.. most are crap. Ah... time to go sit in the garden with a cup of coffee and enjoy silence.

Not Apr 1: Google stops scanning your Gmail to sling targeted ads at you

Mark 85

Strategic withdrawal followed by....

I'd be willing to bet that this just a simple strategic plan to get more users on Gmail. As published here on El Reg, response to Gmail has been less than stellar so this "no scanning, no ads" ploy might just get them more users. Once the magic threshold has been reached.... that policy will change.

I daresay, the old saying about "Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts" applies heavily in Google's case.

UK and Ecuador working on Assange escape mechanism

Mark 85

The worst thing in the world for Assange...

would be for the US government to just ignore him. The second worst thing would be the press to ignore him.

Lordy! Trump admits there are no tapes of his chats with Comey

Mark 85

Re: Still don't understand this bullshit

Given the reputation for making nasty things happen to people by certain past Presidents.... one can't be too careful lest they end up dead. I can see why Comey might have done this.

Mark 85

Re: The Truth?!

I'll take your Trump bash and add: "It's not just him. It's ANY politician."

Canadian sniper makes kill shot at distance of 3.5 KILOMETRES

Mark 85

Re: Canadians vs Americans

The Amercians would have more than likely going in all gins blazing and hoping for the best that something good gets hit.

Nope... a sniper is a sniper is a sniper. They don't blast away (gins blazing) and hope. They're careful and methodic.

'No decision' on Raytheon GPS landing system aboard Brit aircraft carriers

Mark 85

The UK taxpayer has spent quite enough on useless American military tech for one Millenium.

Apparently not if we watch the posturing, etc. of both Brit and US defense industry types.. They obviously see a few more billions to suck out on this project from you and even more from us in the US.

In the week Uber blew up, Netflix restates 'No brilliant jerks' policy

Mark 85

Re: Jerks need not apply

Shame there is no blood test for being an arsehole.

I take a different approach. "I'm glad there's no blood test for being an arsehole". There's way too many places would actively seek them out.

PLATO mission to find alien life is given the thumbs up

Mark 85

How long do they focus on a given star? I'm curious because if the planet is on the "backside" of the star away from us, I'd think it wouldn't be detected. Or do they go back and recheck every few months just in case?

Ego stroking, effusive praise and promise of billions: White House tech meeting in full

Mark 85

Re: Wow

The old saying applies: "If it looks like bullshit and smells like bullshit, don't step in it." Sadly, the last election was a bullshit swamp with no safe terrain.

US is Number One! In sales register hacking attacks, at least

Mark 85

Re: Target....

This store takes the cake, biscuit, whatever. During the whole mess with the data theft, the clerks kept on asking if I wanted to sign up for a Red Card. After responding about the hack, the typical response was "didn't know that, no one said anything" and they'd ask the next person if they wanted a card. Muppets all of them!!!!!!

US voter info stored on wide-open cloud box, thanks to bungling Republican contractor

Mark 85

@Kernel -- Re: Data mining?

What you say is true but it's almost universally ignored. Kind of like speed limits on the roads.

When corporate signage goes BAD

Mark 85

That is a classic. Thanks for the link. Oh.. someone owes me a monitor and keyboard...

Backdoor backlash: European Parliament wants better privacy

Mark 85

Re: Excellent

While I agree this is excellent, I believe it will be ignored overall. There's just too many "leaders" screaming for backdoors, etc. because of, you know... terrorism. Pity that logic and sound reasoning gets shouted down by those either in power or seeking to be in power.

BOFH: Halon is not a rad new vape flavour

Mark 85

I have had cold sales calls to a domestic line, on the TPS list, from salesmen like this. They get abusive if you say no.

What the hell are the sales droids on these days.... ???? The only thing I can figure out is that either they sleep through Sales101. Get abusive with me and many IT types that I know, and the word will get spread to every department that might get called.

Mark 85

@Kimo

On an unrelated note, always be sure that before you take your freshly restored MGB for a "test drive" turning donuts in an empty University parking lot, be sure to secure the fire extinguisher in the trunk.

That sounds like the voice of experience.

You wait ages for a sun, then two come along at once: All stars have twins, say astroboffins

Mark 85

Is it possible that they joined?

Probably a big "if" but worth asking anyway.

You'll soon be buying bulgur wheat salad* from Amazon, after it swallowed Whole Foods

Mark 85

@jake -- Re: Horrible store

Cheese! How could I forget cheese?

If you have one nearby, try Harry and Davids.

As for your post before this one... it sounds to me like it a similar to Trader Joe's but a lot bigger...

Mark 85

@DrXym -- Re: Horrible store

Wholefoods Market for anyone who hasn't been one is like a giant health food shop. One where everything is horribly marked up and expensive. It appeals to the hipster demographic. It's a shame because some of the produce is reasonable, but not for that price.

Ah.. that explains why there's not a Whole Foods around where I live in southern Oregon. The hipsters have all been sent north to Portland.

Facebook has a solution to all the toxic dross on its site – wait, it's not AI?

Mark 85
Angel

Re: Expensive...

I wonder if they forgot the lesson from AOL of about 20 years ago... get volunteers to do the dirty work. It will give everyone a sense of "community" just like it did back then.

Banking websites are 'littered with trackers' ogling your credit risk

Mark 85

Re: Are there any legitimate uses for client side scripts on a banking website?

I'm thinking some developer talked them into it for a nice fee for "updating" and "modernizing" their website.

You're all too skeptical of super-duper self-driving cars, apparently

Mark 85

Re: I'm in charge of me

I take it you don't fly then? Or use public transportation in any shape or manner? There are times when we don't have control of our destiny. Even vehicles we drive ourselves can have issues beyond our control like throttles suddenly going wide open, etc. These things have consequences not just for ourselves but others.

However, I do appreciate the sentiment. I'd rather do the driving of my car.

Internet hygiene still stinks despite botnet and ransomware flood

Mark 85

Re: Not crisis enough yet.

Add in that "average Joe User" either doesn't have a clue or reads only the mainstream news and because it's "technical" doesn't do a damn thing to protect his equipment. Yet, they will be the first to scream for help when the crap hits the fan. I'm essentially just telling "friends" that unless they get more proactive, they're on their own and will get eaten alive by the monsters out there.