Comments

• Needs Sunlight

  2009-02-11 17:14:47

  When there was a major, cascading power outage on the east coast of the US, Windows was initially implicated. For about a day, as events unfolded, it looked every hour more and more like Windows was at the bottom. Suddenly all discussion and investigation appeared to stop and no further coverage of the cause was provided afterwards.
  
  So it's not just now, during the recession that Gates has been putting salt on the wounds, he's also been helping make the cuts, too.

• Ty

  2009-02-12 03:23:51

  That reminds of of the less serious but similar story about my state government not allowing anyone in the government to go on Myspace or Facebook. NOT because it is a waste of time but because of an uptick in Windows viruses from the sites.
  
  So instead of recommending that staff and officials get Linux or even get some Macs so the officials can post on their myspace and facebook pages, the IT security dept just wholesale blocked those sites and others!
  
  Stupid in my opinion!
  
  Quote:
  
  "We realize that this may be an inconvenience and we apologize," Office of Legislative Information Systems Director Michael Gaudiello wrote in a note to the affected parties. "But it is essential that the integrity of the Maryland General Assembly computer systems and facilities are protected."
  
  http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-te.facebook07feb07,0,1339786.story
  
  "It puts the General Assembly in the Stone Age" Said Del. Christopher B. Shank (R-Washington).
  
  "This is like China" Said Sen. James C. Rosapepe (D-Prince George's).
  
  http://mobile.washingtonpost.com/news.jsp?key=348270&rc=tech#___1__
  
  Sad. People don't learn.

• Roy Schestowitz

  2009-02-12 03:30:51

  For similar reasons, USB devices are banned in some places.

• Needs Sunlight

  2009-02-12 10:50:17

  USB devices are only present anyway because Windows got into the infrastructure and makes it impossible to have networked file sharing. So it's back to good old sneakernet, this time instead of 5.25" floppies or even 3.5" floppies its a dog-leash around the neck with a cluster of USB sticks.
  
  It's damage by M$ from multiple angles there.
  
  Ban M$ products, and penalize the turds that deployed them, and you clear up 99% of today's security problems. Of course that will mean a greater problem from web 2.0, but throw away all useless client-side scripting, flash and flash-like animations and you will clean up that vector as well.
  
  For years everyone stayed away from client side scripting cause it sucked and was insecure. It still is both. Some say that the only reason web 2.0 is to compensate for the move away from the permeable M$ products and add holes.

• Roy Schestowitz

  2009-02-12 11:35:53

  What is "Web 2.0" really?

• Ian

  2009-02-12 18:00:59

  @Needs Sunlight
  
  Are you serious, or just goofing around?
  
  USB devices are only present anyway because Windows got into the infrastructure and makes it impossible to have networked file sharing.
  
  Have you ever heard of CIFS or SMB or Samba or Windows shares or NFS or FTP or NCP? You do understand that you can transfer files over a network between two Windows boxes or a Windows box and a Linux box..right?
  
  Ban M$ products, and penalize the turds that deployed them, and you clear up 99% of today’s security problems.
  
  That's an ignorant comment. Does Microsoft have a good history with security? Not really. Will everyone switching to Linux suddenly make admins impervious to leaving services turned on or not configuring firewalls correctly? Don't make the mistake of thinking Linux boxes don't get rooted.
  
  Some say that the only reason web 2.0 is to compensate for the move away from the permeable M$ products and add holes.
  
  That doesn't make any sense. Web 2.0 is nothing more than an evolution of web design. It's not a Microsoft thing, it's not a Novell thing, it's not a Linux thing, it's not even a Google thing.
  
  Look, you hate Microsoft. That's fine. But don't make things up.

• Roy Schestowitz

  2009-02-12 18:28:00

  I think s/he was referring to escape from desktop-bound applications.