Monday, January 31, 2005

Texas legislature is going too far!

First I want to direct your attention to this Editorial http://www.collegiatetimes.com/index.php?ID=4892 I didn't know which to do when I read this. I mean think about it folks today your children get marks for being good in school which is a good idea IMO. But years from now if this passes, schools will be able to grade not only your childs BMI, but also whom they hang with what they eat, and their habits rather if they are good habits or bad. What right do schools have putting these marks on a report card for all to see? Lets see these schools marks first before you pass judgment on a student. Where do these schools rank? Do they have a good PE curriculum for the students? Do they even have PE? How about sports? Who will guarantee that this wont hurt the students in the long run? I mean children today already have Ads on tv and in magazines flaunting 98 pound soaking wet beautys. And clothing stores cater to the anorexia bods. On the side of craziness, a few other laws in other states are just as nuts as this. Like this one: http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/01/27/homework.dispute.reut/index.html This one school doesn't take into consideration of a students pass time in the summer. So they have their kids do homework all summer long. Your asking what is wrong with that? Plenty. Seeing many parents who run their own business. It's the only time these parents can play catch up and have their kids there to do either the menial task, etc. Plus it is their time with their familys. Regardless if the student is six or seventeen. It's quality time to a parent. Yes I know summer vacation last on average of three months. Yes I also know that some students may get the added benefit of extra homework. But shouldn't that be a elective?

Open your eyes people and take a stand. This stuff may be sneeking up on you now, but later on it will be a reality.

Come on people we are getting enough dictatorship in this country of ours. Tell them to Leave OUR Children alone!

Thursday, January 13, 2005

Some say security for your box is a joke

Yup and in the eyes of maybe Bill Gates, and the many security software I am sure they are not laughing.

But lets eliminate Bill Gates and the many security software vendors and look at the users themselves for a moment.

Most of the users themselves have a very vague idea about securing their box. Perhaps this is because a great majority of them receive them as gifts over the holidays, or because they see their friend, or family member doing cool things on their computer and they just have to have one. But they have no clue at what awaits them online.

I have seen a few changes from some of the vendors selling computers to the consumer. A few have started to include a option for buying a Firewall and anti-virus software during the purchase of the new computer. But what good is that if they don't know how to use them? Or if they don't know how important they are? I would love to see vendors include a software that auto runs on these new boxes that explains why a firewall and anti-virus software is so important. Plus give some general guidelines on how to use them. It would also be a good idea to include information on those critical patches that Microsoft releases. Plus perhaps maybe family tips for security online. What do you think?

Friday, January 07, 2005

Looks like Bill Gates is human after all!

It looks like Bill Gates is not immune from his own software. I am sure that made many in the Linux community very proud of their Linux boxes software when at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bill Gates had some blue screens of death, and a few other glitches showing off his new inventions. Conan O’Brien had a few choice words during the presentation, and a few commented that Conan was just short of being bopped in the head for his remarks by the one and only Bill Gates. Well maybe not bopped, but I bet if looks could kill poor Conan would be dead right now.

I think this was a good lesson for Bill to learn. It even goes as far to prove that Gates pushes his software to market too soon. Plus not all the money in the world will guarantee a good reliable programming staff. How many staff does he have working on this anyway? I guess it proves too that it doesn’t matter how big of a company you have, it still can have flaws, bad products, and blunders. I will give Gates the benefit of the doubt and say that maybe the blunders were just a bad day on the work front. Could have been just bad products? Maybe, and maybe not. Moving a computer can cause problems. Flaws are iffy because I never knew a company to release something too soon when it was in very dire shape. I mean doesn’t a company want to put their best foot forward?

So how will Gates live up to this? Will he go around town with his lower lip poked out? Will he blame all the pitfalls of the Consumer Electronics Show on his staff and take all his frustration out on them? Or will he hide till all the humor of defeat has gone away? I am hoping that he just holds his head up just high enough, so everyone doesn’t think he is the proverbial jackass of all time.

Thursday, January 06, 2005

Internet Consumers Don't Care?

On the Internet you never know whom you are conversing with. Or so that is the buzz online. But here is BUZZ I hear all the time about consumers online. "They don't care” As long as their computer gets them from point "A" to point "B" they could care less about the small stuff. The fact is small stuff is not really ALL that small. The consumer hasn't got a clue. They use every means they have at their disposal to get online, and check out everything they are interested in. Then they go in "stop mode” or "dull mode” If it doesn't fancy them they don't care. They only complain when something doesn't go right for them.

Gosh I wish I had a dime from every consumer that asked me " You can do that online?" "The net is or can be a dangerous place?" “My computer isn't secure?" Then they go on to say... "Well I haven't been hurt yet, and as for my computer, the only complaint I have right now is it's too slow” Or "I get these stupid popups only, and I guess I can live with that if I want to be on the Internet." OH! And the classic one is TA DA! "That security stuff is for people that have far more important stuff or information on their computer than what I have."

Lets look at TV temporarily... On TV they push everything from fast food to washing powders. You rarely see a commercial for anything related to your computer other than just the ISP commercials. Occasionally you might see a commercial for Firewall or anti-virus software. Even for a computer itself. But the majority of commercials are for everyday items of necessity for the home as in cleaning products, baby products, and personal products. Why is that? Because they sell that's why. Day time and prime time commercials are geared towards what sells the most. Those are prime spots. They can pay dearly for an Ad on some of the shows. A majority of them are geared towards who may be watching that TV program.

It would be nice if more of the online security software vendors advertised their security software during these TV Ad slots. Perhaps maybe even giving the viewers tips on why they need the software. How important the software is. Etc.
I am right in saying; "Internet consumers don't care." They don't care because not enough emphasis is put onto these products. So they get the assumption that the software is not that important. Tide is important, so are an ISP, and where your next meal from a fast food place is going to be. But, an anti-virus software and a firewall isn't because those advertisements are almost non existent. Show that the security software is important by advertising them on tv, and you will see a increase of consumers that "Will care". They will check into securing their boxes then because the products are advertised as important on TV. A last thought is... It's the head of household, the Mom and the Dad, and the kids that watch TV. They also are the same ones that use the computer. Regardless the time slot they all need to see these new commercials. Not the late night info commercials time slot. So vendors advertise 24/7 not at 3am when everyone is a sleep, or could care less what is on the TV.

And no people this is not a AD for all the vendors, it is just a way for them to be able to get the word out on the real important stuff for computers. Plus a way for consumers to know how important it is.



Wednesday, January 05, 2005

The Internet use to be fun what happened?

My very first post and the very first subject is on the Internet itself. Five years ago I joined the millions of Internet users. I now own two computers. I run both Linux Mandrake, and Windows XP each on their own box. I won't candy coat this. When I first came online the only thing I really had to worry about was setting up, Installing a firewall and a anti-virus software and downloading other cool software I was interested in. Now days... I have to worry about spyware, adware, Trojans, viruses, worms, script kiddies, EULA’s, DRM, spam, Internet safety for family members, and the list goes on.

Somewhere along the line a few select people decided to take the word "fun" out of the Internet. It's a chore to secure your computer, it's a chore keeping spam out of the inbox, and it’s a chore just to log on the Internet now. Of course if you don't worry about these things, then your box is not secure. But I just wonder where the line eventually will be drawn? How much is enough? What will it take to bring computers into the 21st Century because as a whole the laws made to protect us so far have not helped that much. How much is just too much Buzz when it comes to protecting the rights of Software makers? What about consumers rights? Lets work on the consumers rights for a change please. 2005 can be a very good year for consumers only if the right people listen and act on their behalf for a change.