Month: May 2000

Yes, I remember the discussion, and I think Dave Winer is ‘not getting it.’ As Ken MacLeod says (and I echoed in the conversation):

“As a reminder, firewalls are only a perimeter tool, site security is a combination of perimeter, network, external connections, host, application, and user education issues.”

This is called, in the FIREWALL FAW calls this “Defense in Depth” which is what I think is the best. Do not rely on every machine being secure cause users are stupid and will let crap in that you just can’t help. On the other hand, perimeter defense will similarly, as Winer points out, let viruses and other nasties in.

As in most things, a heterogenous defense is best.

Damm! I forgot to put the ScarleTeen image and link up yesterday. Thanks to genehack, also forgetting, I have rectified my errors. ScarleTeen is a great site, especially for the intended audiance. Education is the way. It is scarry how little adults know about sex let alone teenagers, no wonder people are so stupid about sex sometimes.

mattl.com

“Yep. Believe it or not folks: the good games people of Mattel have officially spanked me with a 10-day Cease and Desist order.”

Hey Matell, grow up and stop being pissy.

IF OPERATING SYSTEMS RAN THE AIRLINES

UNIX Airways
Everyone brings one piece of the plane along when they come to the airport. They all go out on the runway and put the plane together piece by piece, arguing non-stop about what kind of plane they are supposed to be building.

Air DOS
Everybody pushes the airplane until it glides, then they jump on and let the plane coast until it hits the ground again. Then they push again, jump on again, and so on …

Mac Airlines
All the stewards, captains, baggage handlers, and ticket agents look and act exactly the same. Every time you ask questions about details, you are gently but firmly told that you don’t need to know, don’t want to know, and everything will be done for you without your ever having to know, so just shut up.

Windows Air
The terminal is pretty and colorful, with friendly stewards, easy baggage check and boarding, and a smooth take-off. After about 10 minutes in the air, the plane explodes with no warning whatsoever.

Windows NT Air
Just like Windows Air, but costs more, uses much bigger planes, and takes out all the other aircraft within a 40-mile radius when it explodes.

Linux Air
Disgruntled employees of all the other OS airlines decide to start their own airline. They build the planes, ticket counters, and pave the runways themselves. They charge a small fee to cover the cost of printing the ticket, but you can also download and print the ticket yourself. When you board the plane, you are given a seat, four bolts, a wrench and a copy of the seat-HOWTO.html. Once settled, the fully adjustable seat is very comfortable, the plan leaves and arrives on time without a single problem, the in-flight meal is wonderful. You try to tell customers of the other airlines about the great trip, but all they can say is, “You had to do what with the seat?”

I just read the piece about dissolving Microsoft. While compeltely unrealistic, I think it is actually the best idea someone has had in a long time. We (that is, many states) give the death penalty to people, yet allow companies to do even more far-reaching and devastating actions than an individual vould ever do, yet they are allowed to survive forever.

Kill them. They have blatently broken the rules, they have brushed off the sprit AND letter of the law.

Harry’s Review Of GLADIATOR

“For geeks that love CONAN THE BARBARIAN (which has a better score), EXCALIBUR (which is better photographed) and THE SWORD AND THE SORCEROR (which does nothing even closely approaching the quality of this film, but I still love it anyway)… this film is for us.”

Mac06
The POSIX compatible OS for MacOS