Big Brother Microsoft

Let me pose a hypothetical scenario: let's say someone put spyware on the web, but with some modifications which made it virtually impossible to suspect: let's say it pretended to be from your software maker, Microsoft. In fact, it has the word "Genuine" in the title. And let's say that it sets itself up so that it cannot be uninstalled, and so that it must be running in order for you to download important security updates. Sound scary? It sure does to me.
Actually, this software does exist. It's called Windows Genuine Advantage. Well, you might be saying, what a smart idea those spyware-makers had, pretending to be Microsoft. There's one catch: it isn't pretending to be Microsoft. It is Microsoft. Our good friend Bill Gates has information on any Windows user who has updated in the past month.
It's things like this that make me glad I switched to Linux: I can live without the iTunes Music Store knowing that my web history (which websites I visited and when) is not being read by the company which makes my OS and which I should supposedly trust.

Stupid People

Why are people so stupid? This never makes sense to me. People know that one thing is better, but they do something else without stopping to think. Plenty of drivers believe that it would be better for the environment if they took public transportation. They can even explain exactly why it would be faster and no more expensive. And yet they drive to work every day. Why? Because they have been given a voucher for free parking at the parking lot four blocks away from their office, farther away than the nearest subway station. Of course, even with this voucher, it is faster and just as cheap and better for the environment to take public transportation, but they choose to drive because it makes them feel that they are saving money.

Standardization

Standardization is the key to making modern Linux a reality. It's not so much a problem today of not many programs being available for Linux. It's a problem of there being too many different versions of Linux out there. When I went to download Audacity for Linux, there were no less than 7 different versions for different distros of Linux. This is getting ridiculous. Remember that someone must have had to work on 7 different versions of one program. Often I cannot download a program because it is made for Red Hat when I use Ubuntu. I must say I can't blame people who choose not to switch.

A Normal Person's Guide to Geek Politics

If you have been wondering what I've been talking about the past few posts, click on the title of this post. (it's a link)

The easier it is to be right...

The easier it is to be right, the less excuse there is for being wrong. We've all said that we would do something if it was easier. Well, it's easier than ever to switch to Linux. Ubuntu 6.06, better known as Dapper Drake, has a live CD with a graphical installer. My old excuse, and the one most people still use, is that Windows is much more compatible than Linux, so switching completely is out of the question. And a year ago, you couldn't really double boot unless you had some training in partitioning, and you would probably have had to configure the boot menu yourself. Today, with Dapper, I was able to partition my drive on my own. I can now dual boot Ubuntu and Windows, and I have a 107 GB shared partition which I can write to with both OS's. All of that took me 30 minutes.

Random Quotes

In the beginning there was nothing. God said, 'Let there be light!' And there was light. There was still nothing, but you could see it a whole lot better. - Ellen DeGeneres

The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is that in a democracy you vote first and take orders later; in a dictatorship you don't have to waste your time voting. - Charles Bukowski

English

It bothers me that I have to write this blog in the language spoken by the President. I'd write in Esperanto, Spanish, Yiddish, Nahuat even if there was someone who could read it. But as far as I know my readers, if I have any readers at all, speak only English.

Tamiflu

My aunt is seriously considering buying enough Tamiflu now to hold her over should there be a bird flu pandemic. Her doctor has refused to give her a prescription but a cousin who is an oncologist probably will be happy to. Personally I don't think she should be stockpiling the stuff, and we engaged ourselves in a lively debate which she refuses to let me record. I will, however, attempt to convince her to type some comments on this post.

Me: Stockpiling is unfair because if someone cannot afford to stockpile and they get infected there may not be any Tamiflu left, while those who stockpile may not get infected and therefore may never need it.

Her: But Roche plans to make enough for everyone in the world.

Me: If they make enough for everybody, why do you need to stockpile it? If not, then who gets medication should be decided by who needs it, not by who can pay for it before the epidemic even reaches the continent.

Unfortunately, right about there she left the room, so no more dialogue. But the saddest thing is that she isn't really doing anything wrong by wanting to stockpile. Inevitably, those who don't stockpile will be unsafe. This is the prisoner's dilemma. Altogether it shouldn't be done, but individually everyone feels that they have to do it to survive.

P.S. Please comment on this.

The Dead

Doonesbury will always be a reminder of reality. Check out this Sunday comic. I will add to that page every Sunday until he finishes.

Audioblogger

Audioblogger is finally free! Check this out!

Ubuntu the Penguin

Little Ubuntu the penguin lived in a small cottage near a forest.

One day, Ubuntu went for a walk. He saw a man who looked very tired. “Who are you and why are you so tired?” asked Ubuntu.

“My name is Bill the Gatekeeper, and I am tired because I have just been fighting with that apple over there.”

Ubuntu walked over to the apple. “Hello apple,” he said. “What are you fighting over?”

“Do you see that silver castle over there? That’s the castle of wealth. Whoever lives there will be the happiest person in the world.”

“I want to live in that beautiful castle,” said Ubuntu. “But I don’t like to fight.”

Then he heard something. Was someone talking to him? It seemed to be coming from above. Ubuntu looked up. The sun itself was speaking to him. “There is another castle, you know,” said the sun. “The golden castle of happiness. Whoever lives there will be the happiest person in the world. But it lies deep in the dark forest, and even my light cannot get there. You will need a guide.”

Ubuntu went to Bill the Gatekeeper. “Will you help me find the golden castle of happiness?” he asked.

“Go away,” said Bill. “Never mention that castle to me again. It doesn’t exist.”

Ubuntu went to the apple. “Will you help me find the golden castle of happiness?” he asked.

“I’d love to,” answered the apple kindly. “But I have to keep fighting Bill the Gatekeeper.”

“I can help you,” said a shy voice behind Ubuntu.

“Who are you?” asked Ubuntu.

“I am Firefox, who brings light into the darkness. I can light up the forest path for you.” And indeed, his tail was alight with flame.

So they set off into the forest to find the golden castle of happiness.

They came to a young man in a red hat. “Hello,” said Ubuntu. “Can you direct me to the golden castle of happiness? Or do you want to come with us?”

“It’s that way,” said the young man. “But I can’t come with you.”

“Why not?” asked Firefox.

“You see,” answered the young man. “I want both the silver castle of wealth and the golden castle of happiness. So I live in this little hut exactly halfway between.”

“That man was too greedy,” said Firefox as they walked on. “He wants more than he can have, so he gets nothing at all.”

Finally, they reached the castle. But the door was locked, and they couldn’t get in.

“Let me help,” said a large horned animal. “I’m a gnu, and these strong horns can break through any lock.” He ran at the lock a few times and it fell off cleanly.

Ubuntu, Firefox, and the gnu entered the castle and lived there happily ever after.

Linux standards

Can Linux standards ever be specific enough that people will be able to develop universal software without letting a Microsoft-like giant have a monopoly? Anti-trust laws have the disadvantage of destroying standards. And let's face it, Apple and Red Hat would be just as bad as Microsoft if they could.

Phil Plait's Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions: Richard Hoagland's Nonsense

How can people be so stupid?

Read more at www.badastronomy.com/ba...

Free Speech

"If we don't protect freedom of speech, how will we know who the assholes are?"--The Onion

Iran: A Terrorist Threat or Another Excuse?

Please post comments to this! I want to know what people think. Is Iran going to destroy the US? Is the Bush administration going to invade?

For Bush, it's a matter of having an excuse to get rid of the country he still claims is provoking resistance in Iraq. Iran has been a threat since 2003 because it shares a border with Iraq, so Bush probably will invade for his own reasons.

While it's true that the US army would wipe out Iran long before it could do much to the US, it might appeal to the Jihadist mentality to take as many "infidels" with them as possible.

Libby Points the Finger

Libby finally admitted it! Bush gave him permission to leak. Let's hope this leads to a complete loss by the Republican Party of all important senate and house seats, and the presidency in 2008. Note: the heading should be a link.

Hudson School Environmental Club

The Hudson School Environmental Club, which Quintin founded, finally has a website! Check this out, its not that bad.

Freeway Blogger

Go to this page, and scroll down to the "know your history" bit. It's a bit scary, but many Americans actually beleive this kind of thing. We either ignore the truth or make mountains out of molehills: I seriously doubt that Fidel Castro is as dangerous to the US as Ali Khamenei, leader of Iran. And who do we embargo? This is rediculous.

AdSense

I wonder what kind of Ads I would get if I made an AdSense thing on this blog. Amazon.com: Communist Manifesto at new reduced price? Socialist: find exactly what you want on eBay? This?

What's up with Google?

Don't be evil. Apparently, this only applies to Google when it's not doing something fairly evil itself. Is it really possible to be a benevolent corporation? Why is Google helping the Chinese but not the US? Not that I'm in favor of censorship in either country, but why China, which will probably misuse the ability to control search results?

Still, some companies have continued to help humans as much as themselves: I'm thinking of Red Hat Linux and Sun Microsystems. And even Microsoft, may its name be blotted out, has links on its site to some free or open-source programs. So just because Google Pack lets one download open-source software, we have to keep in mind that Google is out only to make money. One of the Google Pack products is the trial version of Trillian, an IM client that does not support Google Talk unless one spends $25 on the full version.