Windows, bad for education, good for Microsoft

Sinister Midget wrote:[color=blue]
> Chris Ahlstrom claimed:
>[color=green]
>> DFS don't get no respect. When DFS was a kid [snip][/color]
>
> When DuFuS was a kid, his dad called him [snip][/color]

Guys, for all it is worth, DFS is a nasty ad hominem troll and by
its trolling has provoked on many occasion angry responses from
the COLA community. He has certainly left me with a feeling of
anger, desire for vindication by his nasty posts over the years.

Inasmuch as the temptation is there, we don't need to stoop to
his level of denigration.

Several years ago, several advocates staged a clean up crusade
and sent LARTs (documented complaints) to various troll Usenet
and originating ISP's. The clean up was dramatic, it is time
again ....

Just food for thought, if you want to do a good service,
recommend LARTing again. I return the programming of this
station back to you ....

--
HPT

Rob Schwenk wrote:
[color=blue]
> I think you are the liar.[/color]

DooFuS never denies he's a liar. Because he can't?

DFS <nospam@dfs_.com> wrote:[color=blue]
>
> Netcop [for anything but credible threats of harm] is the lowest form of
> Usenet life.
>[/color]

Even though you're a ****tard, I have to agree with you here.

On Sat, 08 Nov 2008 09:09:31 -0700, High Plains Thumper wrote:
[color=blue]
> Terry Porter wrote:[/color]
<snip>[color=blue][color=green]
>> Driving back to my workplace, I wondered if the teachers would be in
>> that position with Linux where the Browser is DEFINITELY NOT tied to
>> the GUI, and with Linux, the teachers would have been the ones in
>> charge, NOT the students.
>>
>> Linux would allow total control of the students PCs, in a hundred
>> different ways. Controlling what kids see and do on a PC, is a piece of
>> cake with Linux as the same high security that keeps crackers out,
>> keeps kids in line.
>>
>> Windows ... which education dollars would you like to waste today ?[/color]
>
>
> Ernie Ball found out that Linux improved the productivity in his
> company, by removing distractions from the work place.
>
> [url]http://news.cnet.com/2008-1082_3-5065859.html[/url][/color]

<snip>
Exactly!

Ernie discovered that he could easily supply clerks with a Linux box with
NO browser because they only needed a local sales entry application etc.

This is unlike Windows where the browser is TIED into the OS, by
Microsofts own admissions.

Linux ... no distractions, no risks, no worms, viruses or trojans.




--
Linux full time, on the desktop, since August 1997

After takin' a swig o' grog, High Plains Thumper belched out
this bit o' wisdom:
[color=blue]
> Sinister Midget wrote:[color=green]
>> Chris Ahlstrom claimed:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> DFS don't get no respect. When DFS was a kid [snip][/color]
>>
>> When DuFuS was a kid, his dad called him [snip][/color]
>
> Guys, for all it is worth, DFS is a nasty ad hominem troll and by
> its trolling has provoked on many occasion angry responses from
> the COLA community. He has certainly left me with a feeling of
> anger, desire for vindication by his nasty posts over the years.
>
> Inasmuch as the temptation is there, we don't need to stoop to
> his level of denigration.
>
> Several years ago, several advocates staged a clean up crusade
> and sent LARTs (documented complaints) to various troll Usenet
> and originating ISP's. The clean up was dramatic, it is time
> again ....
>
> Just food for thought, if you want to do a good service,
> recommend LARTing again. I return the programming of this
> station back to you ....[/color]

Actually, my hope is that DFS gets a chuckle out of my jokes about him.

I sure get a chuckle out of his non-stop, demented spewage of Ubuntu problem
reports and chronic cackling about "You're all liars! You're all
scumbags!" I'm just returning the favor.

You see, HPT, these guys have one up on us: they don't care.

If they did, they would eventually stop.

--
In Pocatello, Idaho, a law passed in 1912 provided that "The carrying
of concealed weapons is forbidden, unless same are exhibited to public view."

Chris Ahlstrom wrote:
[color=blue]
> Almost makes me want to uncloak him. However, I get too
> tempted to answer his inanity. Some of his less demented
> trolling plays right to my weaknesses. So, I just have to
> hope some of DFS's funnier material shows up on the flip-flop.[/color]

Why not? After all, the trolls have been disrespecting Linux
advocacy posters by posting their personal information in the
newsgroup. You don't have to go to that extreme, but associating
a name with a nym would not hurt.

--
HPT
Quando omni flunkus moritati
(If all else fails, play dead)
- "Red" Green

Chris Ahlstrom wrote:[color=blue]
> High Plains Thumper belched:
>[color=green]
>> 7. Asus Eee PC 4G Netbook - Intel Mobile CPU, 802.11b/g
>> Wireless, 512MB DDR2, 4GB SSD, 7" WVGA, Webcam, Linux, Pearl
>> White Item #: A455-7212 The new Asus Eee PC 4G brings
>> portable computing to the next level. At 7-inches and
>> weighing only 2 pounds, you can take the Eee PC anywhere.
>> $369.99[/color]
>
> Target has them cheaper on the shelf, in the store.[/color]

I am sure there are other places that have them cheaper. Also,
sales come and go. Not all places have Target, hence why I do
Internet mail ordering more often. I bought my daughter's EeePC
4G from TigerDirect.com, when they had them at $349 US.

--
HPT
Quando omni flunkus moritati
(If all else fails, play dead)
- "Red" Green

Terry Porter wrote:[color=blue]
> High Plains Thumper wrote:
>[color=green]
>> Ernie Ball found out that Linux improved the productivity in
>> his company, by removing distractions from the work place.
>>
>> [url]http://news.cnet.com/2008-1082_3-5065859.html[/url][/color]
>
> <snip> Exactly!
>
> Ernie discovered that he could easily supply clerks with a
> Linux box with NO browser because they only needed a local
> sales entry application etc.
>
> This is unlike Windows where the browser is TIED into the OS,
> by Microsofts own admissions.
>
> Linux ... no distractions, no risks, no worms, viruses or
> trojans.[/color]

(Is it time yet for Linux advocates to do like Mr. Ballmer, break
out in a deep sweat jumping up and down on the stage yelling,
"Linux, Linux, Linux"? May be throw a couple chairs whilst at
it? :-)

Ernie also eliminated other distracting software; one did not get
the OpenOffice suite if they did not need it.

--
HPT
Quando omni flunkus moritati
(If all else fails, play dead)
- "Red" Green

After takin' a swig o' grog, High Plains Thumper belched out
this bit o' wisdom:
[color=blue]
> Chris Ahlstrom wrote:
>[color=green]
>> Almost makes me want to uncloak him. However, I get too
>> tempted to answer his inanity. Some of his less demented
>> trolling plays right to my weaknesses. So, I just have to
>> hope some of DFS's funnier material shows up on the flip-flop.[/color]
>
> Why not? After all, the trolls have been disrespecting Linux
> advocacy posters by posting their personal information in the
> newsgroup. You don't have to go to that extreme, but associating
> a name with a nym would not hurt.[/color]

By "uncloak", I meant only taking him out of the kill file.

Sorry for the misapprehension.

I'm a big fan of live and let live, really. DFS was decent with me much of
the time in conversations with him. I don't bear him any ill will anymore.
He's just a severe nut-case when it comes to Linux.

--
Never forget what a man says to you when he is angry.

After takin' a swig o' grog, High Plains Thumper belched out
this bit o' wisdom:
[color=blue]
> Chris Ahlstrom wrote:[color=green]
>> High Plains Thumper belched:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> 7. Asus Eee PC 4G Netbook - Intel Mobile CPU, 802.11b/g
>>> Wireless, 512MB DDR2, 4GB SSD, 7" WVGA, Webcam, Linux, Pearl
>>> White Item #: A455-7212 The new Asus Eee PC 4G brings
>>> portable computing to the next level. At 7-inches and
>>> weighing only 2 pounds, you can take the Eee PC anywhere.
>>> $369.99[/color]
>>
>> Target has them cheaper on the shelf, in the store.[/color]
>
> I am sure there are other places that have them cheaper. Also,
> sales come and go. Not all places have Target, hence why I do
> Internet mail ordering more often. I bought my daughter's EeePC
> 4G from TigerDirect.com, when they had them at $349 US.[/color]

Target.com had the low-end Eeee PC for $270+shipping.

--
Lord, what fools these mortals be!
-- William Shakespeare, "A Midsummer-Night's Dream"

Rob Schwenk <rschwenk00@gmail.com> writes:
[color=blue]
> On Sat, 08 Nov 2008 11:13:19 -0500, DFS wrote:
>[color=green]
>> High Plains Thumper wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> Ernie Ball found out that Linux improved the productivity in his
>>> company, by removing distractions from the work place.[/color]
>>
>> This is a lie.[/color]
>
> [url]http://news.cnet.com/2008-1082_3-5065859.html[/url]
>
> :: The other thing is that if you look at productivity. If you put a
> :: bunch of stuff on people's desktops they don't need to do their job,
> :: chances are they're going to use it. I don't have that problem. If all
> :: you need is word processing, that's all you're going to have on your
> :: desktop, a word processor. It's not going to have Paint or
> :: PowerPoint. I tell you what, our hits to eBay went down greatly when
> :: not everybody had a Web browser. For somebody whose job is filling out
> :: forms all day, invoicing and exporting, why do they need a Web
> :: browser? The idea that if you have 2,000 terminals they all have to
> :: have a Web browser, that's crazy. It just creates distractions.
>
> I think you are the liar.[/color]

No. You are and High Plains Hypocrite are.

It was nothing to do with Linux. It was to do with how the systems were
configured. But if you had a clue you would know that.

Hadron wrote:
[color=blue]
> Rob Schwenk <rschwenk00@gmail.com> writes:
>[color=green]
>> On Sat, 08 Nov 2008 11:13:19 -0500, DFS wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> High Plains Thumper wrote:
>>>
>>>> Ernie Ball found out that Linux improved the productivity in his
>>>> company, by removing distractions from the work place.
>>>
>>> This is a lie.[/color]
>>
>> [url]http://news.cnet.com/2008-1082_3-5065859.html[/url]
>>
>> :: The other thing is that if you look at productivity. If you put a
>> :: bunch of stuff on people's desktops they don't need to do their job,
>> :: chances are they're going to use it. I don't have that problem. If all
>> :: you need is word processing, that's all you're going to have on your
>> :: desktop, a word processor. It's not going to have Paint or
>> :: PowerPoint. I tell you what, our hits to eBay went down greatly when
>> :: not everybody had a Web browser. For somebody whose job is filling out
>> :: forms all day, invoicing and exporting, why do they need a Web
>> :: browser? The idea that if you have 2,000 terminals they all have to
>> :: have a Web browser, that's crazy. It just creates distractions.
>>
>> I think you are the liar.[/color]
>
> No. You are and High Plains Hypocrite are.
>
> It was nothing to do with Linux. It was to do with how the systems were
> configured. But if you had a clue you would know that.[/color]

It had *absolutely* *nothing* to do with that.
Ernie Ball told MS and it BSA cronies to take a hike after their premises
were raided by those thieves

But then, Hadron Quark and reality don't mingle all too well
--
You're genuinely bogus.

Peter Köhlmann wrote:[color=blue]
> Hadron wrote:[color=green]
>> Rob Schwenk writes:[color=darkred]
>>> DFS wrote:
>>>> High Plains Thumper wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Ernie Ball found out that Linux improved the
>>>>> productivity in his company, by removing distractions
>>>>> from the work place.
>>>>
>>>> This is a lie.
>>>
>>> [url]http://news.cnet.com/2008-1082_3-5065859.html[/url]
>>>
>>>| The other thing is that if you look at productivity. If
>>>| you put a bunch of stuff on people's desktops they don't
>>>| need to do their job, chances are they're going to use
>>>| it. I don't have that problem. If all you need is word
>>>| processing, that's all you're going to have on your
>>>| desktop, a word processor. It's not going to have Paint
>>>| or PowerPoint. I tell you what, our hits to eBay went
>>>| down greatly when not everybody had a Web browser. For
>>>| somebody whose job is filling out forms all day,
>>>| invoicing and exporting, why do they need a Web browser?
>>>| The idea that if you have 2,000 terminals they all have
>>>| to have a Web browser, that's crazy. It just creates
>>>| distractions.
>>>
>>> I think you are the liar.[/color]
>>
>> No. You are and High Plains Hypocrite are.
>>
>> It was nothing to do with Linux. It was to do with how the
>> systems were configured. But if you had a clue you would
>> know that.[/color]
>
> It had *absolutely* *nothing* to do with that. Ernie Ball told
> MS and it BSA cronies to take a hike after their premises were
> raided by those thieves
>
> But then, Hadron Quark and reality don't mingle all too well[/color]

Correct.

DFS does his selective snippage ala Tim Smith and calls me a
liar, when I had posted that which Rob Schwenk reposted, exposing
DFS' lie. Then Hadron comes and regurgitates DFS' lie, calling
both Rob and I liars.

Such arrogance and zero credibility.

--
HPT
Quando omni flunkus moritati
(If all else fails, play dead)
- "Red" Green

Chris Ahlstrom wrote:
[color=blue]
> I'm a big fan of live and let live, really. DFS was decent
> with me much of the time in conversations with him. I don't
> bear him any ill will anymore. He's just a severe nut-case
> when it comes to Linux.[/color]

I have not really seen a decent side of DFS.

--
HPT
Quando omni flunkus moritati
(If all else fails, play dead)
- "Red" Green

After takin' a swig o' grog, High Plains Thumper belched out
this bit o' wisdom:
[color=blue]
> Chris Ahlstrom wrote:
>[color=green]
>> I'm a big fan of live and let live, really. DFS was decent
>> with me much of the time in conversations with him. I don't
>> bear him any ill will anymore. He's just a severe nut-case
>> when it comes to Linux.[/color]
>
> I have not really seen a decent side of DFS.[/color]

Here's one: he has posted some nice notes about hardware that I appreciated
seeing.

--
character density, n.:
The number of very weird people in the office.

Verily I say unto thee, that Roy Schestowitz spake thusly:[color=blue]
> ____/ Ubuntu King on Saturday 08 November 2008 10:11 : \____[/color]

"Ubuntu King"?

Remember "Vista King"? That was "****stick" (Nudds) Douglas. This is
probably the same guy, or Hardon Quirk being unimaginative.

--
K.
[url]http://slated.org[/url]

..----
| "At the time, I thought C was the most elegant language and Java
| the most practical one. That point of view lasted for maybe two
| weeks after initial exposure to Lisp." ~ Constantine Vetoshev
`----

Fedora release 8 (Werewolf) on sky, running kernel 2.6.25.11-60.fc8
04:22:03 up 4 days, 12:04, 4 users, load average: 4.19, 4.25, 4.21

Verily I say unto thee, that Chris Ahlstrom spake thusly:[color=blue]
> After takin' a swig o' grog, High Plains Thumper belched out this bit
> o' wisdom:[color=green]
>> DFS wrote:[/color][/color]
[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>>>>> Ernie Ball found out that Linux improved the productivity
>>>>>> in his company, by removing distractions from the work
>>>>>> place.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> [url]http://news.cnet.com/2008-1082_3-5065859.html[/url]
>>>>>>
>>>>> This is a lie.
>>>>
>>>> Not exactly.
>>>
>>> A total bull**** lie of the kind that regularly comes from cola
>>> idiots.[/color]
>>
>> There you go folks. I quote a statement from CNews regarding their
>> interview with Ernie Ball, and DFS calls it a lie.[/color]
>
> Well, DFS habitually lies. Then, when called on it, he says "it's
> just a quote" or "it's just my opinion."[/color]

Well if it hurts DooFy's gangster heroes, then it must be a "lie".

Obviously.

--
K.
[url]http://slated.org[/url]

..----
| "At the time, I thought C was the most elegant language and Java
| the most practical one. That point of view lasted for maybe two
| weeks after initial exposure to Lisp." ~ Constantine Vetoshev
`----

Fedora release 8 (Werewolf) on sky, running kernel 2.6.25.11-60.fc8
04:26:47 up 4 days, 12:09, 4 users, load average: 3.88, 4.19, 4.20

Homer wrote:[color=blue]
> Verily I say unto thee, that Chris Ahlstrom spake thusly:[color=green]
>> After takin' a swig o' grog, High Plains Thumper belched out this bit
>> o' wisdom:[color=darkred]
>>> DFS wrote:[/color][/color]
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>>>>>> Ernie Ball found out that Linux improved the productivity
>>>>>>> in his company, by removing distractions from the work
>>>>>>> place.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> [url]http://news.cnet.com/2008-1082_3-5065859.html[/url]
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> This is a lie.
>>>>>
>>>>> Not exactly.
>>>>
>>>> A total bull**** lie of the kind that regularly comes from cola
>>>> idiots.
>>>
>>> There you go folks. I quote a statement from CNews regarding their
>>> interview with Ernie Ball, and DFS calls it a lie.[/color]
>>
>> Well, DFS habitually lies. Then, when called on it, he says "it's
>> just a quote" or "it's just my opinion."[/color][/color]

Which post are you thinking of?

[color=blue]
> Well if it hurts DooFy's gangster heroes, then it must be a "lie".
>
> Obviously.[/color]

It's only a lie if it's not the truth.

"Vista Capable" was a lie by Microsoft (or at best very misleading) if the
system wouldn't run all features and programs in all versions of Vista.

"Ubuntu is perfect for laptops, desktops and servers" is a bald-faced lie by
Canonical.

Verily I say unto thee, that Chris Ahlstrom spake thusly:[color=blue]
> After takin' a swig o' grog, High Plains Thumper belched out this bit
> o' wisdom:[/color]
[color=blue][color=green]
>> I have not really seen a decent side of DFS.[/color]
>
> Here's one: he has posted some nice notes about hardware that I
> appreciated seeing.[/color]

He was probably grooming you to buy it from NewEgg, so he could cream
commission on a referral.

--
K.
[url]http://slated.org[/url]

..----
| "At the time, I thought C was the most elegant language and Java
| the most practical one. That point of view lasted for maybe two
| weeks after initial exposure to Lisp." ~ Constantine Vetoshev
`----

Fedora release 8 (Werewolf) on sky, running kernel 2.6.25.11-60.fc8
05:31:04 up 4 days, 13:13, 4 users, load average: 4.21, 4.39, 4.52

On Nov 7, 9:57 pm, Terry Porter <linu...@netspace.net.au> wrote:[color=blue]
> A few years ago, I was fitting some networking gear at an expensive
> private high school in a classroom of about 60 students, where every
> student had his or her own networked PC running Windows.
>
> The teacher was lecturing about chemistry and had a URL on the blackboard
> and every student was told to browse to that URL.[/color]

This appears to be the modern equivalent of hiding a comic
book in the chemistry tome. ;-) One obvious if slightly
hamhanded solution: limit connections of those computers
to the internal infranet. (The administrators might supply
a proxy password and/or authenticate their machines through
a NIC identification key.)
[color=blue]
>
> From the networking cabinet, at the rear of the classroom I looked at the
> monitors of the rows of students and was astonished to see that most of
> the guys had other URLs up, many were Hotmail, but the girls all appeared
> to have the chemistry URL on their screens.
>
> My surprise must have shown on my face as the teacher suddenly strolled
> to the back of the class, and as he did, I saw all the Hotmail screens
> replaced with the chemistry URL in a wave across the room.[/color]

Congratulations of a sort are in order; the students were
smart enough to hide the comic book...
[color=blue]
>
> As he returned to the front, the same wave followed, but in reverse.
>
> Later as I left that job, I described what I had seen to another teacher
> in the admin section, only to hear " oh we know all about it, and we have
> known for years, but the students are way in front of us all the time, we
> know they have won, and we accept it!"
>
> Driving back to my workplace, I wondered if the teachers would be in that
> position with Linux where the Browser is DEFINITELY NOT tied to the GUI,
> and with Linux, the teachers would have been the ones in charge, NOT the
> students.[/color]

Highly debatable, unless the teacher used a master
server/client Xterm type setup. The erstwhile student
might simply sneak a liveCD into the classroom and boot
from that.

Ideally, the teacher would have a sniffer alert on his
desktop (which he looks at occasionally), and anything
that looks unusual to the sniffer might give him cause
to look over at the offending unit.
[color=blue]
>
> Linux would allow total control of the students PCs, in a hundred
> different ways. Controlling what kids see and do on a PC, is a piece of
> cake with Linux as the same high security that keeps crackers out, keeps
> kids in line.[/color]

I suppose it's possible if all I/O devices are removed from
the computing unit -- but if one has a bootable USB port,
one can forget about security there, too. Best I can do
is go old-school and use PS/2 mouse and keyboard units,
SVGA display, and a case that requires a Torx screwdriver.
At least that way the teacher might see some suspicious fiddling.

Another, probably more realistic possibility: the student's
"desk" would be a keylock-sealed cabinet, with the CPU
placed therein. Cabling would come out of a small hole in
the cabinet, plus there'd be some ventilation (obviously).
This may not stop a dedicated lockpicker for long, but
one additional possibility might put the lock in the
bottom of the cabinet, which would at least require the
student to get out of his chair, which the teacher would
hopefully notice...

I don't know how secure modern BIOSes are to reboot
requests. At least with Linux one might have a fighting
chance, if the power and reset buttons are disabled.

I'd have to refer you to the Orange Book or its modern
equivalent for more ideas; while we're not talking national
security secrets here, there are some obvious parallels
regarding compromization of function/unauthorized use.
[color=blue]
>
> Windows ... which education dollars would you like to waste today ?
>
> --
> Linux full time, on the desktop, since August 1997[/color]