tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349792011-12-15T16:08:57.254+13:00perspectives on the Open Source community vs MicrosoftNicholasnoreply@blogger.comBlogger791100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-68023293622413457512009-08-06T10:20:00.002+12:002009-08-06T10:37:32.019+12:00

It seems to me that Microsoft were the original language developers for microcomputers way back when. In fact I bought the Bascom Compiler from Microsoft when it was just Bill Gates and about 10 staff - all developers of the language that would become QuickBasic and eventually VB (Visual Basic). Microsoft were early wizards in the computer language game. But they were outdone by Borland.

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-50561523473549072162009-03-16T07:49:00.002+13:002009-03-16T08:12:11.346+13:00

Apple's iTunesApple manifests as absolute genius when it comes to user interfaces. Being used to the paradigm of WinAmp and often put off by the need to intervene - music is not management of things. The update install failures over years gradually accumulate and you start to think - this software is not going anywhere. My friend with a Mac - well he managed a huge music library with iTunes.

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-90742790165774657282009-03-15T22:30:00.002+13:002009-03-15T22:50:34.464+13:00

I went to microsoft seeking information about a product registration for an old product that i had not used for a while and to my horror I could not find the product registration page. First of all I was distracted by the Media 11 download - and I thought - why not? So I downloaded Windows Media Player 11. I had Media player 10. What the hell is this latest monstrosity? Well it installed

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-45667539059716818392008-12-22T09:49:00.003+13:002008-12-22T15:00:25.994+13:00

The Linux/Windows debate was overtaken by the PC or Mac madness. Frankly it is the same argument, but a machine is more visual than an OS, which being the product of thought is completely invisible. Making the argument as to which is better - PC or Mac based entirely on what the user is considered to be (i.e: a cool person vs a stunted person) is simply examination of the wrong thing. Is it

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-71741713873513885232008-05-04T13:43:00.002+12:002008-05-04T13:59:33.411+12:00

Posted this comment on the New York Times 26 minutes after news broke that Microsoft was withdrawing its bid for Yahoo, Inc. #21.May 3rd,20089:40 pmIt seemed an attractive aquisition until they, at Microsoft, realised they were purchasing a company that represents what they compete with, namely Open Source initiatives that demonstrate a business dependence on Windows is naught but smoke and

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-28681168134122615262008-03-08T00:09:00.000+13:002008-03-08T00:09:39.923+13:00

Why obsess over how old hardware runs new OSes? | Hardware 2.0 | ZDNet.comI would add to this list:Why partition a disk drive for multiple OSs when it is just as easy to boot from different disk drives with no risk of file schema corruption with possible serious consequences.The same is true of "invisible" disks being present which are not addressed by an alternative boot operating

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-14822721938771654442008-03-01T13:49:00.000+13:002008-03-01T13:49:03.489+13:00

Windows 7 to get more touchy-feely | Beyond Binary - A blog by Ina Fried - CNET News.comA Microsoft insider posts about "Windows 7" late last year and now, 1/6 of the way through this year, we hear Microsoft has reduced the price of Vista - their "most successful rollout" ever.All this while Linux has been quietly taking over the world. Ubuntu here, Red Hat there. Check out the new OS-X. All

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-67900677934035313112007-09-27T15:50:00.000+12:002007-09-27T15:56:05.373+12:00

I keep reading of those who find Vista to be less than they expected. I would be interested in reading comment from those who think Windows Vista is better than XP and why. The reason that I ask is that I can not accept that 5 years of Microsoft-time is going to produce something that is less than it was. My guess is that 64 bit applications will redefine the space an application can use

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-34399374996469888122007-09-04T13:28:00.000+12:002007-09-04T13:28:39.786+12:00

Timeline of Web BrowsersThis railtrack (as opposed to a roadmap) of web browser development is subtle proof that user catchup with latest versions means that update inertia affected Windows/IE users still using IE6 are using technology developed in 2001, when tardy updaters of Firefox, Safari and Konquerer (most common browsers on the Linux platform) may be using 2004 or 2005 versions.Our advice

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-12596207607325240542007-09-04T10:54:00.001+12:002007-09-04T10:58:32.780+12:00

There are several distributions for Linux. Like the soul of Linux, Mr Linus Torvalds - I prefer Red Hat Fedora (current version is 7). As Linux distro's go - its standard feature set is good for a programmer whereas for a user, I would recommend Ubuntu.

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1164032876425782422006-11-21T03:26:00.000+13:002006-11-21T03:27:56.820+13:00

Finally, after all these years of resistance to Windows XP, I am a user. Software still crashes more often here than it does under Linux, but granted, more is possible. Less work gets done. Too many distractions, not enough virtual screens!

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1152080448074293522006-07-05T18:16:00.000+12:002006-07-05T18:20:48.460+12:00

I read today that the SCO case trying to lay ownership and copyright claims against IBM for, do we all remember - for 5 billion dollars - seems to be falling down. Apparently not many, except perhaps Microsoft support the SCO endevour to lock down Linux as tho it were their own. Having used SCO Unix, and SCO Xenix and Microsoft Xenix, it occurs to be that the SCO product is nothing like Linux,

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1150956508894747472006-06-22T18:07:00.000+12:002006-06-22T18:08:29.560+12:00

It occurs to me that the best of both worlds is a rapidly evolving concept. If you can not beat them, join them! Windows ain't all that bad - but Linux has improved considerably. These days, all serious work at sfsw.net is done in Linux, except Flash which is developed under Windows.

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1146553413924538672006-05-02T19:01:00.000+12:002006-05-02T19:05:23.223+12:00

With the advent of Windows Vista approaching (forever) a much less ballyhoo'ed release is that of Fedora Core 5, by Red Hat.Microsoft are hiring and firing the bright sparks of the industry to create the best desktop possible. A horse that runs on any course. The fastest and bestest there is.Meantime, Linux has gone from being a baby, through a bit of an adolescence before being considered mature

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1105081162473400022005-01-07T19:59:00.000+13:002005-01-07T19:59:22.473+13:00

Blogger: User Profile: LinuxNotes admin

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1104530136521530182005-01-01T10:55:00.000+13:002005-01-01T10:55:36.520+13:00

I.T. Vibe - Microsoft to abandon Passport service Passport dropped Dinosaurs become extinct in a semiotic sense, due to an inherent flaw, a lack of adaptability, a lack of a certain sophistication actually required to survive the dangerous changing world. It is like that with operating systems. If we called them operating universes, it would be more accurate. Security is the sum of the

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1090089013390503032004-07-18T05:58:00.000+12:002004-07-18T06:30:13.390+12:00

The State of Linux Download and use Red Hat Fedora Core 2 - as an operating system it is more stable and more usable than Windows XP, except for games. It goes on 4 CDs. Or email me, and I will burn you a set for - $US15 ">

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1089281025653071302004-07-08T22:03:00.000+12:002004-07-08T22:03:45.653+12:00

The New York Times > Technology > Circuits > Q & A: Keeping Old Favorites With a New Browser Dump IE - its official If the New York Times can be called an official source, what we have advised our clients and readers for the last 3 years - Microsoft's most popular browser programme - Internet Explorer - has a basic design flaw that seems to require continual plugging in the security department.

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1088171051404993242004-06-26T01:44:00.000+12:002004-06-26T01:44:11.403+12:00

InSourced - Microsoft gets under your skin - patently! News Site Sub Reality Look, Ma, no Hands! Microsoft's line of thinking in using various frequencies with nano powered connections between devices that use the natural salinity of the skin to provide the network. This would allow the interation, over the skin, of data. A sort of exterior pseudo nano-bot technology. The patent may

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1087168522102800892004-06-14T10:11:00.000+12:002004-06-14T11:15:22.103+12:00

Open Source Licences Intellectual Property and Open Source can work together. An Open Source development can be adopted and marketed by an organisation and royalties paid to the originator of the Open Source module that is being put to use in that way. Open Source software is best written "unbranded" and then adopted by third parties who place their marketing identification and support

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1086200303398509162004-06-03T06:18:00.000+12:002004-06-03T06:18:23.396+12:00

Switching Version In PCWorld.com - Free Agent: Hard-Core Fedora Mathew Newton describes the very easy upgrade between one version of Linux and another. It is a good guide for the average Linux user on how easy it is to use an operating system that is built in a modular fashion. With Linux, your applications can reside on a mountable (think network mountable) module. Combine this with a

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1082146514994080172004-04-17T08:15:00.000+12:002004-04-17T08:19:08.436+12:00

The Evils of Linux Microsoft may have a point. Are Linux empires built on the ideals of a negative aspiration? Windows XP is better than what came before it. And it is better at so many things. Linux is a good software development environment. That is why we have Open Source. Windows costs more to develop for, it takes a larger team. But some things simply work on more platforms with

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1080420596970290252004-03-28T08:49:00.000+12:002004-03-28T08:53:23.500+12:00

Microsoft to write program (a search engine) Steve Balmer's biggest regret is watching anyone else get rich doing anything he could do better, and so now Microsoft plan to dominate in the searching world by inventing a second generation search tool. Google perhaps gave the world its first taste of useful search results and how that could make the web into something that formed a kind of

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1079989145548653732004-03-23T08:59:00.000+12:002004-03-23T09:02:25.390+12:00

Security Pipeline | News | Witty Worm Sneaks Through ISS Firewalls BlackICE Danger Internet Security Systems' BlackICE firewall has been attacked by a dangerous new worm called "Witty" due to a comment in its code. This worm is particularly insidious as it requires no interaction on the part of the user, but invades through UDP port 4000 to infect the target machine. It features an

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1079295999715196222004-03-15T09:26:00.000+13:002004-03-15T09:29:49.403+13:00

Open Source Boom Linux is a creeping success. And no wonder. Millions of developers who like to have control of their work use it to create software and now users are starting to get wind of the productivity pay off of Open Source Software. People in both Open and Propriety system camps look to the deficiencies of the other rather than seeing a hetrogenious world where both breeds of

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1078982770559564882004-03-11T18:26:00.000+13:002004-03-11T18:38:23.076+13:00

Horses for Courses Cliche´s are fun. So are computer operating systems. Windows XP is a good operating system but is still far too often the subject of security concerns. Earlier versions are innovative but crash too often. In this article a techie tries to justify why the Linux desktop does not quite measure up to the Windows desktop. Fair enough. Every office in the world will

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1076956948423935922004-02-17T07:42:00.000+13:002004-02-17T13:11:08.843+13:00

Operating System Wars The company that owns SCO is called Canopy Group. It was started in 1995 by Ray Noorda. Canopy Group funds technology companies out of Utah. It seeks companies to fund into a mature growth. Back in the 80s Digital Research came out with DR DOS - a much improved incarnation of MS DOS functionality without using its code. Indeed, it was written from the ground up and

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1076467214710531732004-02-11T15:40:00.000+13:002004-02-11T15:42:41.030+13:00

MyDoom The writer of MyDoom may be covering tracks by placing the source code of the virus onto every target desktop. In a gesture that is structurally like poker play, the writer is putting the cards on the table and winning the hand by doing this. Not only that but the writer and Microsoft have demonstrated a capability of the Windows network nobody has thought of before. Now if

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1076223675577911752004-02-08T20:01:00.000+13:002004-02-08T20:43:41.966+13:00

myDoom virus Microsoft friendly? The myDoom virus was thwarted in its supposed attack on the Microsoft website. Although some degredation was experienced, for the most part the attack was thwarted. Discuss or let us know your myDoom experience

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1075651593788271312004-02-02T05:06:00.000+13:002004-02-02T06:27:51.483+13:00

MyDoom virus SCO Website brought down? MyDoom defeats the company that purports to own the Linux system while Microsoft will be able to take measures to prevent the more virulent version from taking its website down as it, no doubt, has much more control of the IE browser and can patch it so that it stops viruses fairly easily. Whereas Microsoft has dominated through whatever guise of

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1075293995811827842004-01-29T01:46:00.000+13:002004-01-29T01:48:43.890+13:00

Computer Viruses In this article, a spokeman for SCO (the ultimate target of today's virulent email worm. MyDoom aka Novarg), Blake Stowell said, "SCO was the victim of three such attacks last year, and one of them was apparently orchestrated by a Linux sympathizer". "Linux sympathizer" sounds like the language of war. And it seems that is the way that things are. Someone living under the

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1075234469057065742004-01-28T09:14:00.000+13:002004-01-28T09:27:17.716+13:00

Virus Attacks There are two things that are stupid on the internet. One is Microsoft's ActiveX components that provide a distributed virtual computer that can do things its should not. Windows is proving itself an unsafe internet operating system. It is a great application platform. It is not the best internet connection. The other is our attitude that it really does not matter.

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1073566033208197402004-01-09T01:47:00.000+13:002004-01-09T01:48:55.110+13:00

BBC NEWS | Technology | Microsoft's software targets TVs New York Times | Future of Portable Video Players Different views Steve Jobs muses about personal video players with a contrite smugness. No, Bill, I did not get sucked into that one. Bill Gates sees the dollars and sense in taking over Television, already a medium that ruins most of the art it carries with petty slogans for small

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1073164330601733262004-01-04T10:12:00.000+13:002004-01-04T10:13:46.640+13:00

Apple Review In The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: It's time to rate Apple's performance in 2003 - a review of Apple's 2003 performance we see the inevitable rise of a Unix implementation done well. [...]IEEE 802.11g wireless standard, which Apple dubbed AirPort Extreme, and which offers 54 megabits per second of wire-free networking. Apple kept up the pressure, shipping Panther (Mac

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1072149408039856742003-12-23T16:16:00.000+13:002003-12-23T16:18:08.576+13:00

SCO's fatal error? By claiming copyright in the "Copyrighted Binary Interfaces" of C language header files, SCO is rendering its claim into the land of virtual fiction. Header files do nothing except label things for compatibility through a system but as such they do not implment binary interfacing - they are ASCII files, not binary, and they only define common names between one useage and

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1070661568871956312003-12-06T10:59:00.000+13:002003-12-06T11:04:31.293+13:00

Ownership of intellectual property See Lawrence Lessig on the Latest "Clueless" SCO Letter (LinuxWorld) Some of us have an issue with SCO and its stand against Linux, Open Source and the Free Software Foundation. They believe that the "progress of science" is best advanced by protecting authorship rights and the rights of investors to earn a profit from their work. Some of us would like

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1066424541289657002003-10-18T10:02:00.000+13:002003-10-18T10:14:30.756+13:00

Linux licencing SCO's standover tactics, attempting to emulate Microsoft by billing the world for an Operating System that they already have and raise a large fortune by doing so, have attracted a speculative $US50million investment by BayStar Capital Management. Speculative as it appears a high risk / huge return punt. It may look like the same kind of pet project obsession that seems to

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1064967774110141882003-10-01T12:22:00.000+12:002003-10-01T12:22:54.080+12:00

Disaster Recovery We are moving sites over from existing services due to a serious outage that looks to us to be a denial of service attack. A HUGE amount of very evil fake Microsoft support notices (like one every hour for a few days) with a 145k attachment was sent out to one of our published email addresses in the hope that we would activate it. We took one look at it and decided to use

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1063746884864684422003-09-17T09:14:00.000+12:002003-09-17T09:14:44.936+12:00

Micro Soft Security Security must be designed into an operating system from the ground up for it to be fully secure. That is the basis of the Microsoft Trusted Computer Platform, earlier known as Palladium. This platform essentially means that computer instructions are verified as okay before they are carried out through a series of cunning methods of hiding what these instruction say. By

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1063138830658087472003-09-10T08:20:00.000+12:002003-09-10T08:20:31.673+12:00

The Register The Reason for Copyrights When a giant like Microsoft uses someone else's technology (which was an early goal of Object Orientation, the ability to introduce new code into an existing system environment). Imagine Old Blue Bill himself at a meeting with his Microsmurfs...."use their technology! That is what it is there for, no, you are not copying anything, you are distributing

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1062892539523136462003-09-07T11:55:00.000+12:002003-09-07T11:55:39.533+12:00

Microsoft: Asia not playing fair over OS | CNET News.com The Measure of Domination An entity seeking to totally dominate its environment as core Microsoft vulnerablities that, in my very humble opinion may be due to the environment and culture Microsoft created itself being suddenly subsumed by the Internet. They had the hearts and minds of 90% of PC users, and we want to stay with our dear

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1062885421875125852003-09-07T09:57:00.000+12:002003-09-07T10:20:43.803+12:00

vnunet.com Users set to ignore SCO's Linux threat Intellectual Property There is a storm brewing. Linux is essentially being accused of being Unix and Windows is threatened in the far East by Government intervention. Operating Systems are in trouble and at war. A better Operating System came along called Beos. It featured the best features of most others, was sleek, fast and handles

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1060285880448842282003-08-08T07:51:00.000+12:002003-08-08T07:53:48.723+12:00

Counter Suits SCO has not yet put its cards on the table, and revealed publically what their suit is about. The FUD factor may be starting to bite into the Linux market, and market leader Red Hat has put up a fighting funds of $1M to help Linux developers fend off actions by SCO that seek to prevent Linux use. Big Blue are also counter suing SCO, but include violation of 4 IBM patents and

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1059940712110893332003-08-04T07:58:00.000+12:002003-08-04T08:18:00.166+12:00

Worried about Linux? Read this! A lawyer dissects SCO's claims against Linux users. Note, Adobe Acrobat is required for the above link.

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-1059862246418364122003-08-03T10:10:00.000+12:002003-08-03T10:22:39.660+12:00

SCO FUD without prejudice (personal opinion only) SCO's claim to some of the code in the Unix Kernal makes little sense. By licencing their own Linux serving in Caldera Linux their claim is invalidated, indeed a counter claim could be launched as a class action by the Open Source community. What makes it okay for SCO to violate the terms of the GNU (a vastly larger and more modern

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-957162112003-06-17T02:03:00.000+12:002003-06-17T02:03:27.850+12:00

More Open Source FUD Is Linux Doomed? SCO Unix was once an industry leader in Unix. Microsoft made Xenix and we supported one site that used this character based operating system. Do not get me wrong, it was pretty good in its day, but that day was over long long ago. If SCO does have a case against IBM, and if it ain't a vapour claim, then does the Linux world have that much to worry about

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-956613532003-06-15T02:47:00.000+12:002003-06-15T02:47:56.673+12:00

Who invented what? The ownership and licencing of software is a relationship that has more rules per square bit of code than most. Lawyers, took a percentage of the growth from the IT megaboom of the nineties by inventing all sorts of Intellectual Property rights laws that seem to need to be tested in court. Do the presence of licence agreements form an extended contract of the terms of use

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-946438672003-05-21T06:06:00.000+12:002003-05-21T06:06:03.966+12:00

Fear War Is Microsoft backing the SCO suit? If Microsoft now attempt to tie the rights of Linux up with legal nonsense, they will be doing great harm to an industry dominated by the great monopoly. It is a fact. Linux is a better OS for many kinds of work, and now it starts to eat at what was exclusive Microsoft territoriy of intimite binding of extreme of hardware capability to DirectX

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-940730672003-05-10T08:57:00.000+12:002003-05-10T08:59:23.000+12:00

More Windows Fun As we predicted, security is not best evolved by a single supplier. It is the presence of lots of ideas from which the best ideas brew, and moreso software development. A danger with a generic payment system like passport is that any successful abuse to its mechanism has a global effect. Of course, Microsoft may have forseen this and built in plug-able security layers,

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-918132042003-04-02T14:45:00.000+12:002003-04-02T14:45:53.046+12:00

MS Security not trusted In surveys conducted by Forrester Microsoft does not appear to be gaining the trust of IT managers. We wonder if the upcoming Palladium system will allay security fears, or not.

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-916203882003-03-30T10:12:00.000+12:002003-03-30T10:12:37.420+12:00

Virus Scanning Office 93 does not help virus scanners to efficiently look for viruses in the millions of files you make. The virus makers want an XML tag that tells them where the macros are. I think this is really silly. If you can use XML to embed a macro inside an object, that makes alot of sense. Just then add to the bundle a checksum that makes sure that before any code is executed,

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-910276052003-03-20T13:36:00.000+12:002003-03-29T15:03:03.000+12:00

Another Windows Security Flaw Ok, this one sounds pretty nasty. So Windows users - updates are available on the internet (Microsoft makes it relatively easy). Linux users - err... just be careful with security. Ok?

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-903083182003-03-08T05:46:00.000+13:002003-03-08T05:46:42.530+13:00

Usability You could perhaps be forgiven for thinking that an old toy that has been around for a while could outperform a new toy which has been redesigned several times. The new toy is more fun, but when it breaks, it stops the world. Its creators did not trust reality with an anomonly because the innerds were complexly linked by many thousands of developers under the intellectual fist of a

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-901287042003-03-05T09:00:00.000+13:002003-03-05T09:00:12.640+13:00

MS Office on the Linux desktop (look ma, no Windows) If your career depends on getting MS Office onto your Linux network you now can. Or you can use Sun's free Office productivity tools. Either way, believe it or not, Linux can be used for real work. Techheads and Nerds beware. Once they start using Linux, they will not want to use Windows. They will start asking "how do I do this?" and

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-900899682003-03-04T16:44:00.000+13:002003-03-04T16:44:30.280+13:00

sendmail exploit As if it were news. So many sendmail exploits have been discovered and patched over the years that in the Linux world, sendmail is known as a security risk at the best of times. But without it the internet would be pretty useless. Whatever one does to ensure the ISP has up to date sendmails one should do. We will check our hosting and ensure that sendmail is up to date.

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-891113542003-02-15T10:12:00.000+13:002003-02-15T10:21:20.000+13:00

IBM Certifies Linux "Federal agencies are increasingly interested in Linux because of its reliability, ability to reduce information technology costs, and its portability across different computing platforms..." Linux is not owned by a self-interested (or self-obsessed) monopoly that has history of refusing to allow anybody (including IBM) to compete with its product. IBM invented OS2 in a

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-881100772003-01-28T08:10:00.000+13:002003-01-28T08:10:29.413+13:00

Linux Grows, Microsoft Wilts With the latest security outrage being a hole inside a Microsoft SQL Server program, it seems that the user community are starting to wake up to the simple fact that Microsoft is an investment in complexity. If your computer is going to crash all the time or a problem is hard to define let alone fix, then it follows that the system becomes a cost rope around the

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-862961922002-12-20T14:21:00.000+13:002002-12-20T14:21:07.606+13:00

Viable Alternatives to IE/Outlook To stop using IE and Outlook (or Outlook Express) you simply need to download either the Opera 6 browser and/or Mozilla Version 1.2 now available. Both are now more productive than IE. Opera (without Java) is very fast to download and more secure than other browsers. And generally safer for you to use on the web.

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-861336672002-12-17T11:56:00.000+13:002002-12-17T12:04:55.000+13:00

Windows created its market by giving us a need for a "desktop". In fact what we have is a recession based around a whole lot of people playing with their icons, playing solitaire (the real Windows killer ap!) and generally wasting time. Of course Office is important to businesses, but when Linux can run Office ... is not the key. When Linux can run Counter Strike - that is also not the key.

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-843870292002-11-12T12:38:00.000+13:002002-11-12T12:50:01.000+13:00

&thesubsection=general"> NZ Herald NZ Linux acceptance. We responded to the above article about a branded version of Linux being made available, which is similar to packages being offered overseas. We have received a response, saying that Dick Smith did incorrectly state that IHUG was the only ISP offering Support for Linux. Our reply: NZ's may conclude that Linux is a badly supported OS

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-824783322002-10-04T06:58:00.000+12:002002-10-22T21:48:57.000+13:00

More Microsoft Security worries Would you open it? Aye but would not the Windows world be what it is without IE targetted viruses such as this little terror from the deep, then? Aye these viruses come in as many colours as Willy Wonka has flavours. Ok that was a commercial site and NOT for office surfing as its LOUD. Go on have a listen, I can wait. I am not giving them links for

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-820103842002-09-24T08:56:00.000+12:002002-09-24T09:25:43.000+12:00

ZD News Open Source Security Secrets When asked the way out of the Labrynth, the King of the Goblins made it seem very difficult indeed. No instruction book or picture diagrams were laid out in front of the hapless victim of his eternal puzzles. The King of the Software Empire has similarly hidden the pathways and passageways around his mortal tomb. If you can be so boring as to wade your

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-813263712002-09-09T09:16:00.000+12:002002-09-09T15:34:37.000+12:00

More MS Vulnerabilities This sounds a bit like the end of the world, doesn't it? A while back when Linux was nearly brought to its knees by a flaw in Apache (yes, folks, just one), the defenders of the MS faith railed that the Penguin was not water proof afterall. Geeks were never very good at metaphor. Why a Penguin, for goodness sake. Why not a killer whale? The carrion bird of the

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-809182282002-08-31T02:44:00.000+12:002002-09-09T15:35:12.000+12:00

Models of thought To closely model thought we have a one dimensional medium. It seems Science is best served by thinking in a stream; So is Art better serviced by thinking in a sea? The two dimensional media escape all but a few. The ability to draw or present web sites would be good examples of two dimensional media. Anything that leaves an image that is singular in nature during its time

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-795909992002-07-30T23:57:00.000+12:002002-07-30T23:57:29.673+12:00

Linux on XBox What a strange thing. While the warriors of Open Source seek to break the monopoly Microsoft has enjoyed on Operating systems for far too long, a group of talented programmers are making Open Source Linux run on the X-Box. If nothing else, it is a recommendation for Microsoft as a producer of fine hardware worth such an interesting effort. Or is this anti-Microsoft

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-790755592002-07-18T07:41:00.000+12:002002-07-18T08:10:27.000+12:00

In this discussion, the Linux and Windows camps seems severely divided. Why don't they just all fess up and realize that both operating systems have their advantages. Reliance on Windows obviously is becoming more expensive in Microsoft's grande solution to overuse of its weaknesses in the internet and security arena since their OS was designed to be friendly to consumers rather than ideal for

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-788836232002-07-13T11:40:00.000+12:002002-07-13T12:14:45.000+12:00

weblog now at blog.sfsw.net

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-787545312002-07-10T13:06:00.000+12:002002-07-10T13:06:46.486+12:00

Microsoft buys in Arcot Systems and effectively starts to compete with PayPal. In a move heralded as what online shoppers will finally accept, Microsoft patches together three components. For one you get the Passport security (complete with its older RSA technology) and its 14 million users, interfaced with credit card clearance. more

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-781950692002-06-26T09:54:00.000+12:002002-06-26T09:54:33.736+12:00

Today I prefer Windows, not for any logical reason, but just a feeling that battles are bruising experiences. Creativity does not stem from war. Creativity stems from a desire for fun and something different. I suspect that using Red Hat 7.1 is a dead end and I have to get the upgrade. Too many hours to risk being online. Perhaps someone I know has CDs. Now Linux once again feels good. I

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-780953032002-06-24T02:23:00.000+12:002002-06-24T02:23:11.790+12:00

More on Linux security Okay, Linux is easily rebuilt, got the Apache patches. Now the little bits of housekeeping to make a workbench and restore the data. It is so amusing to read the articles defending and attacking Hackers for exploiting exploits and being the 15 year old immature posers that they may just be. Nothing to get upset about here, boys, okay? Examined the attack. Log file

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-780812952002-06-23T14:04:00.000+12:002002-06-23T15:02:41.000+12:00

Analysis of the attack Now I understand the blip in the financials. Why confidence in technology dried up. We evolved computer viruses and hackers to compensate us with vulnerabilities we never expected to have, perhaps as some of us became intollerably rich. So what can we do to evolve further. How about looking at what the hackers do, and learning from them? The confrontational

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-780648982002-06-23T03:12:00.000+12:002002-06-23T03:12:15.853+12:00

dmoz to the rescue Styled in the same fashion, dshield.org has a method of fighting back! They provide good logging of intrusion, and allow you to anonymously or as a member become involved in dialog with ISPs to deal with the offending source, most often these are viruses. Having read one article in attrition.org that complained that anyone over 40 will only install 'off the shelf'

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-780624762002-06-23T01:02:00.000+12:002002-06-23T01:03:43.000+12:00

Interesting. A web board I found via netscape site told me what happened to my Linux server and probably many others. The insecurity was not Mozilla. It was an attack from within a bug recently discovered in Apache. Next time I am online, I will have the patched version. So that may work until the next vulnerability is exploited. Kind of like a playground with bullies bearing menace. Like

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-780589062002-06-22T20:21:00.000+12:002002-06-22T20:21:35.336+12:00

Linux may not be fully secure, at least one of our RedHat 7.1 boxes just got munched via an attack which seemed to start with anon ftp. Life. I think I will switch that machine to being a DVD player and stop working for now. Hackers are really just sad thugs and bullies behind a keyboard. A few of them get hired by corporation and given Porches, fat cat salaries and lots of CPU power.

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-779602932002-06-20T14:08:00.000+12:002002-06-20T14:11:21.000+12:00

Linux use in Aotearoa (New Zealand) This is a little country of individualists and do it yourselfers who value independence and expect to excel in the world. Witness NZ accomplishments: The America's Cup, Lord of the Rings, Shrek. Linux had more than one hand on the rudder of this country's success, yet it has perhaps felt in the past that to deviate from "standards" (actually evolutionary

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-776455882002-06-12T19:54:00.000+12:002002-06-12T20:04:43.000+12:00

I rebuilt Linux again, and then discovered it was probably the Mozilla browser and some spam merchant that was probably behind the intervention. So I went to the friendly red dinosaur site and downloaded release 1.0 "Candidate 3". And tightened up the firewall and installed tripwire. No problem since. Touch wood. But there is a problem. Not since before I instaled Zone Alarm on a

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-770458162002-05-28T14:16:00.000+12:002002-05-28T14:35:42.000+12:00

Downtime (from sfsw.net) Zone Alarm After posting articles supporting the growth of the Linux operating system, maybe, someone possibly rejects my wild claim that Linux is a more secure system than Windows. And maybe I am wrong. What I mean I guess is that Linux is a more trustworthy community as it is generally populated with a slighly older mix perhaps, but the basic essential detail that

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-769393612002-05-25T09:59:00.000+12:002002-05-25T09:59:12.246+12:00

FREE Upgrade to your keyboard My keyboard dropped to the ground and the space bar fell off. I put it back upside down so it slants down towards me, and suddenly I have a truly more erogonomic keyboard.

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534979.post-769380162002-05-25T09:14:00.000+12:002002-05-25T09:32:10.000+12:00

Interesting Developments The media seem to have redefined "middleware" to encompass those parts of Windows which are not strictly "OS" but additional value technology that allows us to run high speed video applications. Middleware is involved in running these applications, but it is not the application itself. DirectX is a collection of Middleware tools. Microsoft's ploy is logical enough.

Nicholasnoreply@blogger.com