…just this guy, you know.

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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: May 7th, 2023

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  • That’s security through obscurity. It’s not that Linux has better security, only that its already tiny desktop market share around 2003 was even smaller because of different variations.

    no, its absolutely not. its choosing software components based on known security vulns or limiting exposure to a suite of suspected or established attack vectors. its absolutely not security through obscurity. these are fundamental choices made every day by engineers and sysadmins everywhere as part of the normal design, implementation and maintenance process. there is nothing “obscure” about selecting for certain attributes and against others. this is how its done.

    perhaps you disagree with this.

    That’s again blaming the Microsoft user for not understanding computers but not blaming the Linux user for running as root.

    ? its not the users job to understand OS security. to expect otherwise is unrealistic. also, virtually no “average” linux user, then or now, ran/runs as root. the “root X” issue related to related to requiring XWindows to run with and maintain root privs., not the user interacting with X running as root. it was much more common in the XP era to find XP users running as administrator than a “Linux user for running as root” because of deep, baked-in design choices made by microsoft for windows XP that were, at a fundamental level, incompatable with a secure system - microsofts poor response to their own tech debt broke everything “NT” about XP… which is exactly the point I am trying to make. I am not sure your statement has any actual relation to what I said.


  • So you blame Microsoft for allowing users to disable security features but don’t blame Linux for allowing it also?

    I am saying that I have far fewer privilege escalation issues/requirements on a typical linux distro - almost as if a reasonable security framework was in place early on and mature enough to matter to applications and users.

    we can get into the various unix-ish SNAFUs like root X, but running systems with non-monolithic desktops/interfaces (I had deep core software and version choices) helped to blunt exposures in ways that were just not possible on XP.

    we are talking about XP here, a chimeric release that only a DOS/Win combo beats for hackery. XP was basically the worst possible expression of the NT ethos and none of NTs underlaying security features were of practical value when faced with production demands of the OS and the inability of MS to manage a technology transition more responsibly.

    now, if you ask me what I think of current windows… well, I still dont persnally use it, but for a multitude of reasons that are not “security absolutely blows”.

    apologies for the wall-o-text, apparently I have freshly unearthed XP trauma to unload. :-/

    so, hows your day going? got some good family / self time lined up for the weekend?







  • gotta disagree. microsoft’s vaunted API/ABI compatability combined with often broken process isolation made it an absolute mess. security features that should have protected users and systems were routinely turned off to allow user space programs to function (DEP anyone?).

    SP2/3 taught users one thing only - if a program breaks, start rolling back system hardening. I cannot think of one XP machine outside of some tightly regulated environments (and a limited smattering of people that 1. knew better and 2. put up with the pain) that did not run their users as a local administrative equiv. to “avoid issues”.

    if user space is allowed to make kernel space that vulnerable, then the system is broken.


  • XP before SP1 was a security nightmare

    To be fair, Linux was a security nightmare before 2000 too. Linux didn’t have ACL’s until 2002.

    yes, but XP at any SP is an unfixable mess compared to virtually any OS in the past 20 years (Temple OS excluded?), ACLs or not

    not suggesting that you intimated otherwise, but its important to remind myself just how bad every XP instance really was.



  • someone genuinely interested for intellectual reasons would likely not fall for it. I would imagine that a non-trivial percentage of “antiquity enjoyers” are very light on history substance and heavy on history feelz.

    once the appropriate brain tickles have been pushed into their heads their “history substance” feed content becomes decidedly propagandized.


  • this is really, really interesting. thank you for this.

    instance reach and relationships are pretty wild and I can see this helping people to mix up their communities between instances.

    the tight groupings of some instance communities might be source of pride or distress, depending.

    would be nice to select a community and query its n closest overlap neighbors or all neighbors within a certain distance.

    very cool project.


  • the past 8 years has realigned my view of the american electorate. policy and leadership are now inseparable from politics and politicians. public exposure to anything non-culture war related is pretty carefully managed and curated.

    so I say “scaramucchi is an asshole but for 30 seconds he’s our asshole” and, as a known quantity, can be jettisoned pretty painlesslely.

    and my reasoning… apparently there is limited downside and some upside to this stupid, juvenile “owning” your opponent bs. it sucks the oxygen out of any gathering where the IQ is sub-room temperature - and the irony of a little political asphyxiation for trump is quite delicious.

    we need to continue skating to where the puck will be and I don’t see the current electorate changing trajectory until after the 2026 mid-terms at the earliest.

    edit: ok, I enjoy a good juvenile roast as well, but would like some policy with my persnickety, please.


  • its only Tuesday… let me be all hand wavey, damnit! but here goes…

    tl;dr - a few specifics. lots of nebulous warm and fuzzies. leaves everyone to fill in blanks. we went through this recently with obama - and I don’t like it.

    Cut Taxes for Middle Class Families

    • reasonable section with at least one defined commitment
    • “…no one earning less than $400,000 a year will pay more in taxes” - detailed proposal link?

    Make Rent More Affordable and Home Ownership More Attainable

    • “…comprehensive plan to build three million more rental units and homes” - proposal link?
    • “…first-time homebuyers with up to $25,000 to help with their down payments, with more generous support for first-generation homeowners” - how… executive order? legislation? we have seen how difficult the student loan fight is. detailed proposal link?

    Grow Small Businesses and Invest in Entrepreneurs

    • reasonable section with at least one defined commitment
    • “expand the startup expense tax deduction for new businesses from $5,000 to $50,000” - detailed proposal link?

    Take on Bad Actors and Bring Down Costs

    • this section was a complete throwaway for me - no defined / specific goals.

    Strengthen and Bring Down the Cost of Health Care

    • reasonable section with multiple defined commitments
    • “…expanding and strengthening the Affordable Health Care Act” - with resistant state governors? future federal carrots and sticks? what are they? give me one thing I can shut down my Republican uncle with at thanksgiving

    Protect and Strengthen Social Security and Medicare

    • did my browser not render all of the text?!
    • *sigh*

    Support American Innovation and Workers

    • first half touting biden-harris accomplishments - ok, fair.
    • specific legislation named - 👍
    • “…fight to raise the minimum wage, end sub-minimum wages for tipped workers” - this one is pretty important (micro, macro, all-ro), where are the $ amounts?

    Provide a Pathway to the Middle Class Through Quality, Affordable Education

    • 70% of this is retrospective - ok, fair, but…
    • every forward looking statement is nebulous.

    Invest in Affordable Child Care and Long Term Care

    • mentioned american rescue plan - 👍
    • browser must not have rendered all of the text again, because… you know, nothing.

    Lower Energy Costs and Tackle the Climate Crisis

    • no actual commitment made at all
    • “…record energy production” - this is the slickness I am talking about… via fossil or renewable? whats the mix? cant pin me down!

    running out of time and space, but hopefully that gives you the gist of what I thought while reading.

    edit: typos. formatting.


  • yeah - agreed. thats why I am not the target audience. I want a little more wonkery in there (even if as just links in the text body) so I am probably an outlier.

    as long as people agree that my initial read is a reasnable one (slick, with attractive shapes and edges) then its all good.

    I have to say, it seems like the kamala-walz campaign has been near flawless on messaging so far and it feels like a facsimile of the Obama energy, not the same, but damn if it is not familiar.

    I think the timing of this also also near perfect - close enough to the election for a sustained honeymoon and far enough away to effectively build brand and messaging. if kamala does.well in the debate, I really think the visible vote (polling data) continues to move to kamala.



  • couple of points.

    1. I hit the site on mobile with the usual browser shields up and everything on the linked page worked with zero effort
    2. lite on detail

    lovely that the site is likely to work for the lowest common denominator modern browser - I mean seriouly that could scare up a few hundred distracted voter ballots in a tight race.

    I am not the target audience for this platform presentation, but it was clean, with tight easily digestible copy and smooth delivery. if I were an “undecided” but turned off by “those two wierd dudes”, I could possibly see myself clicking with this.

    so policy sparse, likable generic democrat it is - reasonable angle for her to take because I think she can actually ride the feelz into the whitehouse.

    however, everyone disgusted by the last 44 years* of world history better have their hopium / copium handy.

    * time began when ronnie squelched his way into the WH


  • qprimed@lemmy.mltoAsk Lemmy@lemmy.worldWhat should I do about my brother?
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    2 days ago

    unqualified internet rando comment…

    avoiding responsibility is a coping mechanism as well as a symptom for a host of significant, but treatable, physiological psychological issues. couple this with a demonstrated history of physical violence (I am trusting the state on this one) makes this difficult.

    my own experience suggests to me that you may want to ensure that your brother is consistently seeing a qualified professional and an effective medication regime is in place, being followed to the letter and has demonstrated positive results before you reengage. without 3rd party qualified professional help things are not likely to get better and may get worse.

    I am sorry you, your brother and those around this situation are hurting. please stay safe.

    edit: emphasis on word and autocorrect.