(standards,criminal) Opera to MS: Get real about interoperability, Mr Gates

Opera to MS: Get real about interoperability, Mr Gates | The Register

So, Mr. Gates, writes Hakon Lie [CTO of Opera], you say you believe in interoperability. Then why, pray tell, doesn't the web page of your interoperability communiqué conform to the HTML4 standard as it claims to? Why does the W3C validator diagnose 126 errors on your page ?

You say you believe in interoperability. Then why is your document served in different versions to different browsers? Why does your server sniff out the Opera browser and send it different style sheets from the ones you send to Microsoft's own Internet Explorer (WinIE)? As a result, Opera renders the page differently.

You say you believe in interoperability. Why does the Hotmail service deny Opera access to the same scripts as Microsoft's own browser? As a result, Opera users can't delete junk mail .

I guess he only meant interoperating with Microsoft software :-)

(malware) Contempt!

Microsoft's contempt will be returned - ZDNet UK Comment

Distrust and distaste are powerful forces that persuade many people to move to open source, and by its reaction to the EU ruling Microsoft is doing superbly well at fuelling both.

(funny,security) the weakest link

From Bruce Schneier's cryptogram, Feb 2005 issue:

kurios119.jpg (JPEG Image, 472x435 pixels)

(FOSS,criminal) open source biology!

Cool! Looks like the open source model isn't hurting just Microsoft, but soon another giant with an M name (Monsanto) will start getting worried.

Wired News: Genetically Modified IP Launched

Researchers who want to develop technologies based on this kernel can use it as they wish if they agree to a flexible license issued by Biological Innovation for Open Society, or BIOS.

(WTF,malware) XP must be rebooted daily, says MS blogger

Reboot daily, Tablet users advised | The Register

"There are also other reasons for rebooting XP daily, as Microsoft blogger Robert Scoble explains:

"I shut down my Tablet PC most evenings and start it up from a fresh boot. Why do I do that? Because I've been using computers for 20 years and have learned that's the best way to work."

Correction. He's been using Microsoft operating systems for 20 years. None of the others need to be rebooted daily!

Hide Your IPod, Here Comes Bill

Wired News: Hide Your IPod, Here Comes Bill

"The Microsoft manager said he's heard from several executives who dutifully bought Microsoft-powered players, tried them, failed to get them working, and returned them in favor of an iPod."

More choice quotes from the article:

a very unusual sharktank item

For those of you who don't know, the sharktank (no stable link, but the current episode is linked from computerworld's opinions page) is a place to hear funny, true, stories of stupidity in IT. When you feel cynical about wherever you work and how things happen, get a load of the shark, and you'll realise you're actually in good shape :-)

I'm blogging this one because it's most unusual in that it's more heartwarming than funny.

Shark Tank: Sometimes it's not just PCs that get upgraded

(funny,malware,FOSS) feeling left out, fellow linuxers?

You'll always be :-)

NewsForge | Running Windows viruses with Wine

"Linux just isn't user-friendly when it comes to viruses. You have to work to find and run them. It doesn't happen automatically as it does with Windows. The GNU/Linux folks really should improve this glaring discrepancy."

(criminal) ultimate irony -- spyware infections through DRM tech

DRM is digital rights management -- technology that is supposed to prevent piracy of (usually) media files like music and video.

Too bad MS' implementation of it is now just another route for spyware infections :-)

Media Files that Spread Spyware

"All told, the infection added 58 folders, 786 files, and an incredible 11,915 registry entries to my test computer."