My Archives: May 2004
Saturday, May 29, 2004
It seems forever since I've ranted about Microsoft and their products. Well, Michael Robertson of Linspire.com (formerly Lindows.com) has saved me the trouble this week. Does this strike too close to home?
It's a sad time when people are afraid of their own computers, but that's where Microsoft Windows users are at currently. It's reminiscent of Hal from Space Odyssey. Computer owners fear that if they launch the wrong program, visit a 'bad' website or simply view an email, they will trigger an unstoppable torrent of emails and virus spewing from their computer. Then comes public humiliation and chastising for not having performed the mandatory daily software and virus update routine (which often times wouldn't have prevented it anyway).I don't endorse his vague implication that Congress should step in, but I do agree with his main recommendation, which is to buy something else.
More experiments on the email front. Long-time readers will recall that, at the start of this year, I revamped my email addresses, cutting my spam down from 2000 messages a week to about 12 a day. Since then, it's crept back up to 20-30 a day. So much for the loudly touted "Can Spam" Act; it's now reported that 80% of email is spam, and increasing. [more]
Posted by brad @ 12:19 PM EST [Link]
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
After a long absence from blogging, it feels odd and a bit uncomfortable to be back but there is nothing for it but to take a leap of faith and plunge onward in the belief that the old blogging fever will return.
Warning: the following lyrical attack on Rush Limbaugh is not only a long download but also a great deal more vicious an attack than I am usually willing to post. So why is it included? I am outraged at Limbaugh's trivialization of the torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison, which he has likened to a fraternity prank -- (some fratboys ought to register their disapproval of being linked to the cigarette-dangling, leash-tugging, sado-masochistic Lynddie England). For those with better sense than to listen to Limbaugh, here is a sample of his commentary. "Folks, these torture pictures with the women torturers, I mean Marv Albert looking at those pictures would say, "Hey, that doesn't look so bad." You know, if you really look at these pictures, I mean I don't know if it's just me but it looks like anything you'd see Madonna or Britney Spears do on stage. Maybe you can get an NEA grant for something like this. I mean this is something you can see at Lincoln Center from an NEA grant, maybe on Sex in the City: the Movie. I mean, it's just me." But, if you easily offended, skip down to the next paragraph and avoid the evisceration of Limbaugh.
[more]Posted by mac @ 09:41 AM EST [Link]
Thursday, May 20, 2004
A friend sent me this news item about DidTheyReadIt.com, a company which promises to let you know when and where a recipient reads an email you send him. Alarmed? You should be -- but don't worry, it's easy to block. [more]
Posted by brad @ 01:13 PM EST [Link]
Saturday, May 15, 2004
We are now back from travels. I have a lot of catching up to do on the IT News -- most of the "Sasser" outbreak happened while I was on the road -- but I should now be blogging more regularly.
A digression into programming philosophy today...so feel free to skip it if this subject bores you. A friend has referred me to two Devil's Advocate articles,
Why computer security's so primitive and Design software before you build it, and wonders how these relate to Linux. [more]