suvmfggy on Tripcrazed

Lost in the Bozone: Damn Computers

Well, it seems my computer has picked up some kind of extortionist bug. I am now using my ancient Windows 98 pc I hurriedly hooked back up and punched into action so I would not lose my so far excellent track record of actually posting everyday in a row for this month.

I had written up a wonderful rant about flag waving, State Law, Holy roller political God fearing interventionist assholes from afar and Gorham High School. Not a great post, but it made my point. And I felt better once I had vented. To finish it off as I do almost all my posts, I went looking for the appropriate Picture to hang up top of the post. I googled "Gorham High School, Maine, Images. Google predictably pumped up an insane number of hits based on those words. Sadly the images that always turn up as thumbnails at the top did not have a picture I liked. So I began opening the suggested sites in order from the top down. About halfway down, all Hell broke loose after I punched up a site. "Warning, you have been infected." And umpteen hundreds of pop ups began to dance around. I kept punching the close X but each time two new ones would replace it. I could not get out of it. I could not turn off the computer either. It was a form of computer Hell.

Now that all else had definitely failed, I reached deep into the short bag I have of computer tricks and unplugged the damn thing. I did not care after ten minutes of serious frustration and quickly over heating bile whether or not I did any harm to any fragile tidbit or kernel inside the computer. I was pissed and I knew for sure one way to get those pop ups off my screen. And pulling the plug had never failed before. It did not let me down this time either. There you bastard, take that.

After a moderate amount of time passed and I had calmed down, I plugged the computer back in. I ran all my scans, virus, ad, glad, and mad. Found some infections and according to the reports from each, all were summarily expelled, killed, or extradited to wherever it is they send those damn things. Turned off the computer in the civilized way by shutting it down politely and with care. Waited again another few moments and punched it back into life.

No go. I can load an Internet page, but in a few seconds the page is replaced by one that says "The page you are opening is probably contains spyware, adware, etc. Your system might be at risk, Click here to protect your system with Antivirus 2009".

First of all, I love the grammar skills of the losers who wrote the program. They can't write a clean sentence, but they sure as Hell know how to screw up some one's computer.

Next I notice from the addresses of the various pages in this extortion scam, it appears to be one of Microsoft's own sleazy set ups. They want $49.95 for antivirus 2009 and they assure me I will be all set. Even though all the up dated anti everything programs I have indicate that any problems have been eradicated.

I do not care if $49.95 will solve my problem. It has gone way beyond a fifty dollar divot in my pocket. I will be damned if I am going to pay some outfit $50 to release my computer from their clutches. I'll toss that damn computer in the dump first. But before I do that, I will sleep on it. Get up in the morning, punch it up again and see if things have gotten better. If they haven't, unplug , unhook, and haul it down to our computer guy. If anyone is going to get $50 bucks for fixing my computer, it is going to be someone local.

So there you have it, another post on another day, with Life in the Slow lane here in Maine suffering a bit of a back up. I am so glad I did not haul this computer to the dump yet. As bad as this old Windows 98 set up is, it sure beats what the newer one is doing right now. Small screen, slower than Hell, the keys on the board stick, and the mouse has a mind of it's own. But it does work as long as I am patient and honor it's idiosyncrasies.

I will close now. I have about had it with the high tech World for awhile.

Later.............

Okii Living: Is Linux ready for the average user? My wife thinks so

In the beginning, as we all know, Linux was an OS that was limited to those of us who had the time and patience to spend all night getting things to work. As the OS has progressed the user friendliness of the OS has increased dramatically. Now here we sit on the cusp of 2009 and there are numerous mainstream vendors such as ASUS, Dell, and HP offering pre-loaded Linux desktops and laptops, which brings me to my story.

My wife has been asking me for a small form laptop that she can use to access the Internet, check e-mail, type some documents, look at some pictures and listen to some music, which is what most average users do. Up until now small form laptops were very expensive but products such as the ASUS eeePC brought the price down to levels I was willing to pay. I actually purchased an ASUS eeePC for my wife but quickly sold it, another post for later, and purchased a Dell Mini 9 as soon as I saw the ad on the Dell web site.

Now to say that my wife is computer challenged is putting is nicely. She has killed more than a few of my computers over the years, mostly Windows. So it was with some trepidation that I ordered her Dell Mini 9 with Ubuntu. I have been an Ubuntu users for almost 2 years now so I felt confident the OS had matured to the point that I could get my wife using it without too much problem. So I took the plunge and ordered the PC.

We have had the Dell Mini 9 now for about 3 weeks. I set the PC up for her, added the Japanese character input as my wife is Japanese, set the OpenOffice default type to .doc so she can send docs to her friends, and set up the network printer and then let her have at it. In the 3 weeks we have had the laptop she has not had one single complaint. Everything works just fine.

So is Linux ready for the average user. My wife sure thinks so and if I can get my wife to use Linux without complaint, I can get anyone to use Linux.

Cerebrosus Lens Geek: This is why i love LINUX

No Piracy No Creak: Free AntiVirus

As computers become more and more integrated in to our lives, we end up leaving many sensitive data on our computer-from passwords, official email id, bank account to personal notes, business plans and other confidential information. So, good security software is a must for every one. Here is a list of 11 free anti-virus software and its common features which you can select (home users) for your online security. All are listed in alphabetical order

Avast Antivirus– Avast is one of the best free anti-virus software available that provides a complete protection against security threats. This full-featured antivirus package has the following feature: Built in Anti-spyware, Anti-Rootkit, Web shield, Strong self protection, P2P and IM shield, Anti-Virus kernel, resident protection, Network shield, Automatic update, System integration, Windows 64 bit support, Integrated Virus Cleaner

AVG Antivirus – AVG anti-virus free edition provides basic antivirus and anti-spyware protection for Windows. Following features included in the free edition:Anti-virus , anti-spyware and Safe surf feature

Avira AntiVir Personal - Avira is a comprehensive, easy to use antivirus program, designed to offer reliable free of charge virus protection to home-users. Features included are: Protection from virus worms and Trojans, Anti-rootkit, Anti-fishing, Anti dialers

BitDefender - Free Edition uses the same ICSA Labs certified scanning engines found in Pro version of BitDefender , allowing you to enjoy basic virus protection for no cost at all. Features includes: On demand Virus Scanner and Remover and Scheduled scanning.

Blink Personal – An all-in one security suite with antivirus limited for one year. Blink personal Security suite features – Antivirus and Anti spyware, Anti root kit, Built-in Firewall protection and Identety protection.

Calmwin antivirus–An open source, free Antivirus program for Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003 and Vista. Features include - high detection rates for viruses and spyware; automatic downloads of regularly updated Virus Database, Standalone virus scanner. It does not include an on-access real-time scanner.

Comodo Antivirus - has all the functionality of a paid AV without the price – Features includes- Detects and remove viruses from computers and networks. On Access Scanning conducts a real-time, scheduled virus scan. Host Intrusion Detection allows you to Intercept viruses, spyware, and other malware before they infect your computer.Get updates of the latest virus definitions everyday so you can stay protected against the latest threats.

Moon Secure Antivirus - Aims to be the best Free Antivirus for Windows under GPL license. It offers multiple scan engines, Net shield, Firewall, On access, on Exec scanner and rootkits preventions plus features from Commercial Antivirus applications.

PCTools Antivirus- with PC Tools AntiVirus Free Edition you are protected against the most nefarious cyber-threats attempting to gain access to your PC and personal information. It protects you fromVirus, worm, Trojan and has Smart Updates, IntelliGuard Protection, file guard and email guard.

Rising Antivirus – Rising Antivirus Free Edition is a solution with no cost to personal users for the life of the product while still provides the same level of detection and protection capability as RISING Antivirus 2008. It protects your computers against all types of viruses, Trojans, worms, rootkits and other malicious programs. Ease of use and Smartupdate technology make it an "install and forget" product and entitles you to focus on your own jobs with your computer.

Threatfire Lite – Provides Comprehensive protection against viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, rootkits, keyloggers & buffer overflows. And have Real-time behavior-based malware detection, malware quarantine & removal, etc.

Source: jkwebtalks.com

Blog of helios: Enough is Enough. Higher Education...? Wake Up

It has been gratifying to see the number of businesses and personal computers moving to Open Source software and the Linux Operating System. In our organization alone, the numbers, while small on a grand scale, are quite significant from where we stand. We've installed hundreds of Linux systems in the past two years and the retention rate of those systems are what we get excited about.

However...

I have received a spate of emails in the past 60 days, complaining about various universities and corporations that are disallowing most anything but Windows to access their systems. A good focal point for this can be found on a recent article here. Further evidence of public ignorance about Open Source Software was uncovered in the "Karen" donnybrook. In the most recent article reflecting the same subject, Carla Schroeder nailed it dead between the eyes.

I'm not writing this to bemoan the facts...I am going to write this in hope that we can get the attention of some people that can change this trend. We can only hope.

Many of you are not deserving of a tirade...you are simply conducting business the way business has been conducted since computer networking became a part of your operations. Hopefully we can work together. Some of you however are digging in your heels and refusing to smell 21st century air.

You are the people that I want to talk to.

First off, let's dispel a couple of things. I have sat in meetings with principals and school administrators and listened slack-jawed as system administrators (mostly MSCE's) told their employers that it was illegal to remove Windows from their current computers. They didn't say it violated their contracts or licenses...they said it was illegal.

That's either so uninformed that it raises the question "Why are you doing this job?" or it undeniably stands as a bold-faced lie.

Look. You are not only barring thousands of students and customers from your systems, you are forcing them to use an operating system that is inherently weak. In addition, you cry about your operating costs then when the tears dry, you write the check to Microsoft for the latest licenses.

We're dealing with "Higher Eduction" here, right?

Not so far as I can tell.

I have recently seen the depths of ignorance when it comes to Open Source Software and on a personal level I can understand it, but you get no such pass. Do you realize that by demanding that your students or customers use Windows, you are subjecting them to this? I want you to justify that to me. As the people making decisions as to how and by whom your systems can be accessed, I want you to justify it. I must subject myself to attacks like this for the privilege of accessing your site?

It's just one of a never-ending line of viruses and spyware tools that your system administrators have to battle. I know you are "invested" in Microsoft products...I realize that. I also know that your system administrators are deathly afraid of losing their jobs because they don't know the first thing about Linux. Many of them anyway...there are a number of them that are running Linux Servers behind your back because it makes their jobs easier...and that's a good thing. But for the ones that hold Microsoft to their breast and swear their undying loyalty?

Learn or leave....you are holding the world back from what is inevitable. Open Source will have a place in our technology...on a large scale.

Open Office documents send and receive .doc and exel spread sheets just fine. As in the story noted above, the uh...young lady lamented that she couldn't use anything but Microsoft Office because the formats on her Ubuntu computer were incompatible...?

Absolute nonsense. I am suspecting one of her professors told her just that. I have specific reasons to believe it.

I would expect a first year college student to be this ignorant, but as administrators of entire universities and server systems, I would expect a bit more breadth of knowledge.

Silly me.

I don't usually do edits once an article is posted but in this case it is important enough to make an exception. One astute and knowledgeable reader left us a link to an extremely successful migration of an entire school. No one is asking you to go to this extreme but it is posted just so you know that no one is asking you donate a kidney here...just some common courtesy in letting a popular alternative system gain access to what they need. You can see the success story here.

I had a conversation with an English Professor at the University of Texas today. He stated that his insistence his students purchase the "student discounted" copy of Microsoft Office to be more out of his laziness than for his real need for that particular program. Turns out that he just doesn't want to change his syllabus to inform his students they have a choice.

News flash Prof. Some folks just don't have a spare 150.00 laying around to sustain the Redmond Giant. You won't be able to tell a Linux-based .doc from a Windows-based one.

Now, we won't get specific here....for obvious reasons. Your "secure" system can be owned by about 17 people I know right off the top of my head...you just haven't merited their attention. Let's hope you stay below their radar. Your argument that Linux is only secure because it is obscure is also urban legend rubbish.

Take a look at this...

Now, we're going to be following up on this. Seems a certain University in Indiana is forcing some of it's students to purchase Microsoft Office or they are not being allowed to enroll. That's the report we are getting.

We'll be having a discussion with them this week. Hopefully we will report back that this was just a silly misunderstanding.

One of the questions we will be asking is this? Why do you capitulate to using or buying additional software so that the software you've already purchased will work as designed? Oh you don't do that?

Got anti-virus?

We'll also be asking a major medical center in New York why they insist that a growing number of Linux users cannot access their logins. We know why...it's a piece of proprietary software that they demand be used prior to login. Windows-based proprietary software.

We'll be talking to them as well and we'll publish the names of the organizations and the people we talk with. we'll also publish the conversation verbatim if possible.

Enough is enough.

This isn't an argument or discussion on which operating system is best. It's a statement that thousands and thousands of people are making the conscious decision to take control of their computers. I notice with a bit of humor that some of you boast of supporting Mac machines? That's nice. Some numbers indicate that Linux has surpassed Mac in user numbers a while back. Different entities will dispute this statistic and with good reason.

Linux is free so there are no real sales numbers to go by and internet polling is all over the place. Some show it as number two, others as a distant third. While that may be the case, there is sufficient evidence to show that Linux is growing in popularity by the day, and I mean substantial growth. One focused advertising effort by Linux and those numbers will change without any dispute.

Even Microsoft, in it's annual report to the SEC, cited Linux and Open Source software as the number one threat to their profit margin. I didn't see any mention of Mac in there at all. So you will support the number 3 system but number two gets the cold shoulder? We are talking millions of users in the US alone.

That leaves us with a couple of questions.

Who appointed your entity as the gatekeepers of our technology? You may not perceive yourself as such, but actions are leading some to think you are just that... the gatekeepers barring us from your sites. Linux users are growing in huge numbers and those numbers get bigger daily. I am hearing from Linux users about you at a disturbing rate.

Look, no one is asking you to embrace this thing fully, just tweak a couple of things to allow Linux users equal access to your portals and sites. Heck, pay my travel and one night's lodging, buy me a meal and I will come do it myself. I'm serious, I will be happy to do it and I am fully qualified to do so.

Why are you denying computer users simply because they choose to use a more secure operating system? In a short period of time, I will not be the only one asking you this question.

We'll be speaking shortly.

All-righty then...

suvmfggy

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Monday, 24 August 2009

Lost in the Bozone: Damn Computers

Okii Living: Is Linux ready for the average user? My wife thinks so

Cerebrosus Lens Geek: This is why i love LINUX

No Piracy No Creak: Free AntiVirus

Blog of helios: Enough is Enough. Higher Education...? Wake Up

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