Month: July 2024
After Crowdstrike Outage, FSF Argues There’s a Better Way Forward
“As free software activists, we ought to take the opportunity to look at the situation and see how things could have gone differently,” writes FSF campaigns manager Greg Farough:
Let’s be clear: in principle, there is nothing ethically wrong with automatic updates so long as the user has made an informed choice to receive them… Although we can understand how the situation developed, one wonders how wise it is for so many critical services around the world to hedge their bets on a single distribution of a single operating system made by a single stupefyingly predatory monopoly in Redmond, Washington. Instead, we can imagine a more horizontal structure, where this airline and this public library are using different versions of GNU/Linux, each with their own security teams and on different versions of the Linux(-libre) kernel…
As of our writing, we’ve been unable to ascertain just how much access to the Windows kernel source code Microsoft granted to CrowdStrike engineers. (For another thing, the root cause of the problem appears to have been an error in a configuration file.) But this being the free software movement, we could guarantee that all security engineers and all stakeholders could have equal access to the source code, proving the old adage that “with enough eyes, all bugs are shallow.” There is no good reason to withhold code from the public, especially code so integral to the daily functioning of so many public institutions and businesses. In a cunning PR spin, it appears that Microsoft has started blaming the incident on third-party firms’ access to kernel source and documentation. Translated out of Redmond-ese, the point they are trying to make amounts to “if only we’d been allowed to be more secretive, this wouldn’t have happened…!”
We also need to see that calling for a diversity of providers of nonfree software that are mere front ends for “cloud” software doesn’t solve the problem. Correcting it fully requires switching to free software that runs on the user’s own computer.The Free Software Foundation is often accused of being utopian, but we are well aware that moving airlines, libraries, and every other institution affected by the CrowdStrike outage to free software is a tremendous undertaking. Given free software’s distinct ethical advantage, not to mention the embarrassing damage control underway from both Microsoft and CrowdStrike, we think the move is a necessary one. The more public an institution, the more vitally it needs to be running free software.
For what it’s worth, it’s also vital to check the syntax of your configuration files. CrowdStrike engineers would do well to remember that one, next time.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
“As free software activists, we ought to take the opportunity to look at the situation and see how things could have gone differently,” writes FSF campaigns manager Greg Farough:
Let’s be clear: in principle, there is nothing ethically wrong with automatic updates so long as the user has made an informed choice to receive them… Although we can understand how the situation developed, one wonders how wise it is for so many critical services around the world to hedge their bets on a single distribution of a single operating system made by a single stupefyingly predatory monopoly in Redmond, Washington. Instead, we can imagine a more horizontal structure, where this airline and this public library are using different versions of GNU/Linux, each with their own security teams and on different versions of the Linux(-libre) kernel…
As of our writing, we’ve been unable to ascertain just how much access to the Windows kernel source code Microsoft granted to CrowdStrike engineers. (For another thing, the root cause of the problem appears to have been an error in a configuration file.) But this being the free software movement, we could guarantee that all security engineers and all stakeholders could have equal access to the source code, proving the old adage that “with enough eyes, all bugs are shallow.” There is no good reason to withhold code from the public, especially code so integral to the daily functioning of so many public institutions and businesses. In a cunning PR spin, it appears that Microsoft has started blaming the incident on third-party firms’ access to kernel source and documentation. Translated out of Redmond-ese, the point they are trying to make amounts to “if only we’d been allowed to be more secretive, this wouldn’t have happened…!”
We also need to see that calling for a diversity of providers of nonfree software that are mere front ends for “cloud” software doesn’t solve the problem. Correcting it fully requires switching to free software that runs on the user’s own computer.The Free Software Foundation is often accused of being utopian, but we are well aware that moving airlines, libraries, and every other institution affected by the CrowdStrike outage to free software is a tremendous undertaking. Given free software’s distinct ethical advantage, not to mention the embarrassing damage control underway from both Microsoft and CrowdStrike, we think the move is a necessary one. The more public an institution, the more vitally it needs to be running free software.
For what it’s worth, it’s also vital to check the syntax of your configuration files. CrowdStrike engineers would do well to remember that one, next time.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The rich history of ham radio culture
submitted by /u/ourlifeintoronto [link] [comments]
submitted by /u/ourlifeintoronto
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LAPD warns residents after spike in burglaries using Wi-Fi jammers that disable security cameras, smart doorbells
submitted by /u/ourlifeintoronto [link] [comments]
submitted by /u/ourlifeintoronto
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TikTok to Ban Some Criticisms of Zionism Following Pressure from NGO Backed by Former Israeli Intelligence Officials
submitted by /u/irish_fellow_nyc [link] [comments]
submitted by /u/irish_fellow_nyc
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Quordle today – hints and answers for Monday, July 29 (game #917)
Looking for Quordle clues? We can help. Plus get the answers to Quordle today and past solutions.
Today’s Quordle is a potentially difficult one, even more so than usual, so read on if you need a little help.
Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
Quordle today (game #917) – hint #1 – Vowels
How many different vowels are in Quordle today?
• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.
* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).
Quordle today (game #917) – hint #2 – repeated letters
Do any of today’s Quordle answers contain repeated letters?
• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 3.
Quordle today (game #917) – hint #3 – uncommon letters
Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?
• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today’s Quordle answers.
Quordle today (game #917) – hint #4 – starting letters (1)
Do any of today’s Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?
• The number of today’s Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.
If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you’re not ready yet then here’s one more clue to make things a lot easier:
Quordle today (game #917) – hint #5 – starting letters (2)
What letters do today’s Quordle answers start with?
• Q
• O
• L
• T
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #917) – the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today’s Quordle, game #917, are…
QUIETORDERLEAVETODDY
Ooh, this is a potentially nasty Quordle puzzle. Three of the answers contain a repeated letter, the other one an uncommon Q. I needed all nine guesses to complete it, and my streak was undoubtedly at risk going into guess 8. In fact, I got lucky with that one when I guessed BLAME rather foolishly; if the answer had been GLAZE or FLAKE I’d have faced a 50/50 on the final guess. As it happened, the L stayed yellow, which meant it had to be LEAVE. Phew!
How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.
Daily Sequence today (game #917) – the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today’s Quordle Daily Sequence, game #917, are…
FORTHHEAVYMANORBONGO
Quordle answers: The past 20
Quordle #916, Sunday 28 July: GAUGE, EASEL, GIRTH, LATERQuordle #915, Saturday 27 July: LEAFY, MOUTH, GLAZE, RINSEQuordle #914, Friday 26 July: NUTTY, TATTY, SHUSH, THIGHQuordle #913, Thursday 25 July: BLURB, PENCE, PHASE, SKIMPQuordle #912, Wednesday 24 July: FUSSY, PRIMO, THOSE, HEARDQuordle #911, Tuesday 23 July: CLIFF, SIXTY, FAITH, GRAPHQuordle #910, Monday 22 July: GRAIN, AGAIN, BRICK, APTLYQuordle #909, Sunday 21 July: LIVER, PERIL, JEWEL, PROWLQuordle #908, Saturday 20 July: WAIST, THINK, PROSE, BATHEQuordle #907, Friday 19 July: CINCH, WOKEN, BICEP, INLAYQuordle #906, Thursday 18 July: SHALE, BLINK, CHOCK, POPPYQuordle #905, Wednesday 17 July: SYRUP, AMISS, OTTER, BOTCHQuordle #904, Tuesday 16 July: STOIC, HOMER, STORE, STEALQuordle #903, Monday 15 July: QUASH, BRASS, UTTER, ALERTQuordle #902, Sunday 14 July: MUSKY, AGATE, EXPEL, SLICKQuordle #901, Saturday 13 July: GROWL, WHELP, CURVY, APTLYQuordle #900, Friday 12 July: CHEER, SQUIB, CLEFT, ODDLYQuordle #899, Thursday 11 July: BACON, JIFFY, ANVIL, ALLOYQuordle #898, Wednesday 10 July: RALPH, LIKEN, COUNT, DROWNQuordle #897, Tuesday 9 July: EJECT, DRIVE, CLUCK, CLOUD
NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Monday, July 29 (game #148)
Looking for NYT Strands answers and hints? Here’s all you need to know to solve today’s game, including the spangram.
Who wants to start the week in the best possible way? You do – and that’s why you’re reading this page, to make sure you complete the fiendishly difficult Strands game from the NYT. Not that today’s is that bad – but you still might want some hints.
Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
NYT Strands today (game #148) – hint #1 – today’s theme
What is the theme of today’s NYT Strands?
• Today’s NYT Strands theme is… Book it!
NYT Strands today (game #148) – hint #2 – clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
NEWERPREENSTRAWBRANDUTYCOLD
NYT Strands today (game #148) – hint #3 – spangram
What is a hint for today’s spangram?
• Palaces of words
NYT Strands today (game #148) – hint #4 – spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today’s spangram touches?
• First: top 4th column
• Last: bottom 4th column
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #148) – the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today’s Strands, game #148, are…
MEETLEARNSTUDYREADRENEWBORROWBROWSESPANGRAM: PUBLICLIBRARY
My rating: EasyMy score: Perfect
No issues here for anyone who loves books, which I’d wager would be most people choosing to play Strands each day. The theme clue didn’t entirely give the game away, for once, and when I uncovered MEET by accident on my first guess, I wasn’t sure what the concept here was. But I understood a little more once I found LEARN, STUDY and READ, and the remainder fell into place easily.
How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.
Yesterday’s NYT Strands answers (Sunday 28 July, game #147)
JOURNALTRIBUNECHRONICALTIMESGLOBEHERALDSPANGRAM: NEWSPAPER
What is NYT Strands?
Strands is the NYT’s new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It’s now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT’s games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I’ve got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you’re struggling to beat it each day.