Posts by David Roberts

Developed from Unix?

Back in the day there were two main variants of Unix - AT&T System (most Unix boxes) and Berkley Systems Division (mainly used by Sun).

From reading the comments, FreeBSD is a free version of the Sun Unix.

So when did it stop being Unix?

Icon in case this is a dumb question.

Messy article, messy comments.

As far as I can tell someone has demonstrated that a malicious extension can hijack reputable extensions and do bad things (the implication being that reputable extensions have the power to do bad things but don't ).

For context, some of the most popular (vulnerable) extensions were listed.

Cue commentards promptly slagging off various extensions, apparently missing the point that you also need to install the malicious extension for harm to happen.

Isn't the real message that the extension framework in Firefox is unsafe by design so be very careful about adding extensions?

Just to join in the general slagging off, I've given up on Firefox on Windows and Android because it is so bloated and slow.

Can't be passed to another person?

So something more sophisticated than just a card, or even a card with a password. Not like a credit card you can send someone else to the shops with. Fingerprints are allegedly easily fooled by a picture.

So, need a sample of your genes?

Can you all say "bio-aware implant" children?

If Apple have no sense of humour..

..then the obvious challenge is to produce a show which appears to champion "core values" "brand excellence" and other such wonders but laces it with subtle sarcasm. See how many episodes you can produce before the sponsors twig.

Although what is really needed is the equivalent of "Yes (Prime) Minister" where the public think it is so unreal that it is ludicrous (but funny) and the insiders keep asking "Who told you about that?".

Titled...ummm...."Yes PM (Program Manager) {all pigs fuelled and ready to fly}" where the politicians are replaced by clueless suits with no IT knowledge, the Civil Service by Sales and Marketing...there is loads of scope in Government IT.....

Well, no, that is starting to look more like a depressing tradgedy than light hearted comedy.

Expect a lot more charges

Once someone discovers a way to work the odds, the word will spread like wildfire.

Illegal, but far too tempting when it feels like a victimless crime.

A variant on the "If you bang the machine just here you get free candy.".

Immediate temptation and an anonymous victim.

This does, of course, make you wonder how they test these machines.

Of course it was satire.......

......just not very good satire, sadly.

Sigh. Windows vs Linux again.

I'm struggling with this at the moment.

I've bought a new HP colour laser printer (Ethernet connected) and I'm trying to get it to work with Mint.

Despite the support being added to the generic HP printer support software the version in Mint is two releases behind. Denied that there was an HP printer on the network.

I've hand upgraded to the latest version via the command line complete with warnings that my version of Mint is not on the suported list so it may not work. The software now admits that there is a printer there, but can't print to it. I will soldier on because it is a challenge.

[Note that I had the same issue with an older version of Ubuntu I played with briefly before wiping, so it is not a problem specific to Mint.]

Under Windows (7 and 8.1) IT JUST FUCKING WORKS!!!

Now I don't hold evangelistic views over which OS is better, more moral etc. but until you can take common hardware and just have it work with Linux then most large organisations are likely to opt for Windows because it is the first (and often only) OS that equipment suppliers implement against.

I am a long term Unix and Linux user and it is a good choice for many implementations.

However Linux will never become a leader on the home user desktop unless/until GUI based support for consumer hardware is supplied at the time of hardware launch.

It will never take over in complex environments like hospitals until manufacturers of specialist equipment include Linux support. Which may never happen given that some kit won't even work with Windows later than XP.

Now thoroughly depressed.

Endless scope for fun

I was kind of hoping it would be named the Black Pig. For endless crew name puns.

However I would go with the leading suggestion if they recruited a Mr. Skipper to be the commanding officer.

Skipper Skipper of Boaty McBoatface has an undeniable ring to it.

[Or even Skipper McSkipper.]

Right to request?

As far as I know I have the legal right to request a 10 meg connection now.

I can also request may other things that people are not obliged to supply me with at a cost I am prepared to pay.

If the wording included "and to be supplied with at a reasonable cost" it might make more sense.

Damned African migrants.

Taking over our rubbish tips without permission.

Never past Calais!

Yes, look --->

Anyone who snaps a picture.....

......of me on the toilet is in a world of hurt and will need professional counselling.

Hang on, is IoT Internet of Toilets?

Mine's the one with the extra soft toilet paper in the pocket ->

Surprise, surprise.....

.....the average computer user in the police force is just like any user anywhere else.

Not enough resources to meet the arbitrary targets (in this case make a go/no go decision within 25 days).

System that deletes the biometric evidence after 25 days.

Outside auditor currently kicking up a stink about biometric evidence being deleted when the suspect hasn't been cleared; is still under active investigation although this has taken more than 25 days.

The Catch 22 is strong in this one.

Amongst all the police bashing nobody seems to have considered that most of the computer wrangling is probably done by civilian back office staff who are simultaneously being told to meet their targets and keep the data. Cue immense pressure to find a "third way".

As with all target driven systems, especially in the NHS, the situation where you are measured on targets not outcomes generates enormous pressure for mis-reporting when the targets are just not achievable due to circumstances outside your immediate control.

On a pure IT front, show me an IT person who has not been pressured to under report hours worked on a project to keep to the "plan". Used to be the bane of my life come project planning and costing time. How can you plan and cost realistically when your resources lie to you?

Anyway, this story to me just demonstrates a broken system with unachievable targets. So the process and targets need reviewing. And fixing. Probably by increasing the available resource until realistic targets can be achieved (see NHS).

All being blurred by bad experiences with the police.

Simple first demonstration....

....follwing traditional mainframe practices manufacturers sell one engine which can provide a wide range of performance options enabled by a simple "fix" but costing the customer a significant amount of money.

A simple "ramdom" function which flips the switch and sends out low performace cars with more "oomph" and high performance cars with boy but no racer would provide endless amusement and could be quite hard to track down.

Especially when the slowed car gets taken to a different garage to fix the problem.

Reminds me of the good old days when a dropped EDS (exchangeable disc, not the firm) could be progressively walked round the drives to try and diagnose the fault, damaging each drive in turn and any undamaged disc packs used to cross check results.

Why would they?

"The body recommended the government stop changing its basis for estimating SME spending"

Consistent figures to measure targets? Get a grip!

Corporate culture?

Perhaps the poor unfortunate who sent the information was regularly shouted at for not responding quickly enough?

A few instances of "Of course it's from me! Are you too stupid to read an email address?" will override any nebulous security policy which senior execs are far too busy and important to read.

Followed, of course, by "How could you be so stupid? Of course it wasn't from me!"

Followed by the poor unfortunate being blamed and fired.

Or worse, if some commentards have their way.

All I've worked out so far..

..is tha Bob is back dooring Alice.

(I think).

Bang paths?

From the crusty recesses of my memory, wasn't that forced routing originally through UUCP?

Adopted by RFC 821 again to force email routing through specific servers?

All went away with MX records in DNS, possibly, although it should still work......

Proportinate response?

Government is dependant on the big ad agencies.

Just look back over who runs the election campaigns and who get honours afterwards.

Consider also the FTSE100 firms which rely on advertising.

Given that, it doesn't pay to totally piss off the ad agencies because of the influence they yield.

Users are adopting add blockers in droves.

Soon they will either be banned or circumvented.

So placing an ad filter on your device is a compromise which might work.

Oh, we don't mind YOUR adverts. Just the ones from the bad people.

Is it a protection racket? Could well be. Is it worth the price? Probably for a little while.

The check on the white list sellers is that there are always total ad blockers out there.

They have to please both the user and the advertiser.

Censorship and the Great Firewall

In lands where the occupants (often misguidedly) consider themselve both free and civilised they are quite happy for their free world web sites to be viewed in countries where they are illegal.

For instance the web site may be dedicated to gay people. In some parts of the world being gay is a crime.

There is great outcry if there is any attempt to block access. Human rights are often quoted.

Here we have two sites in Europe where the laws are different.

Judging by the former example, we should all be suporting the laws in the country where the web site is hosted. If you are not comfortable with the laws in the country hosting the web site then close your account. Look for a web site in your home country. Or accept the rules of the hosting country.

Seems to me that the arguments don't follow logic or the law; same arguments used in opposite directions depending which outcome you favour.

We should all obey the law. Except that one, of course. It's obviously silly.

Or go with the USA approach. One of our people used you web site so our laws apply.

Incoming!!

Beer because it is Friday and I just cashed a load of tokens at Tesco and got 8 big bottles of Leffe for £1.

Only really useful...

....to someone inside the infrastructure. Targetting an individual.

That wil be all the TLAs then.

Oh, and ISP is a TLA.

So using HTTPS and a VPN will not protect you against the snoopers charter

So they bribed the SEC

To accept their bribery in China?

Normal cost of doing business, and apparently legal as well!

Sniping apart..

..does this mean that you can have drive IDs apart from A-Z which are invisible to most if not all utilities?

The suggestion is there but not much detail.

As long as Raspbian...

...doesn't try to auto-update we should be O.K.

Not really trying?

The UK doesn't seem to feature in the pie chart for originating attacks.

Are we more cyber aware or just mainly on the receiving end?

Or just lazy?