Vista, not improving security?; The new reality for IT security; EBay to test changes to search results pages; Cablevision: A neutral net that’s not; AutoMate, er, automates
Vista view
Regarding Mark Gibbs’ BackSpin column, “Vista, not improving security?”: Regarding Mark Gibbs’ column about Microsoft security, I can see the corner they’ve backed themselves into. Why support legacy applications forever? I would recommend a clean break from the past. I would say after, for example, 2010, we are moving to a hybrid open-source/closed-source model and hybrid local/Web-based software — based on the cutting edge in computer science, the code is fast, small, secure and if your application does not work, it’s your problem and not the operating system’s fault. Speed and security should be first and foremost in every OS design principle, period.
Tom Maioli
Rochester, N.Y.
Helpful content
Regarding “The new reality for IT security”: I really appreciated this article. I am a technical writer studying for my CISSP exam, and the information in your article both mirrors and augments the content in my CISSP Study Guide. (However, your article is much more enjoyable reading than my study book.) Thank you for an article that is well balanced, palatable, timely and informative.
Elizabeth Yukman
Holladay, Utah
Beta testing should be optional
Regarding “EBay to test changes to search results pages”: A follow-up story on eBay using our listing for testing while costing us, the sellers, countless sales is in order. For once, how about the opinion of the “little guy” who is being hurt by inconsiderate corporate decisions? Who made eBay popular? That’s right; we did. What do we get in return? Advertising on a service that we already pay for. Uprooted search code. Increases in listing fees again.
EBay randomly picked us to beta test and we suffer. Our listings don’t post, our searches don’t function and 99 out of 100 people subjected to the testing are outraged. Still, eBay does nothing to change this. See for yourself (http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jspa?threadID=1000338138&start=0). Last time I checked, beta testing was an option. You don’t beta test on people who are paying for your service and expect it to run smoothly.
George Reid
Waretown, N.J.
Neutrality – not!
Regarding Kevin Tolly’s column, “Cablevision: A neutral net that’s not”: One of the standard arguments opponents of Net neutrality legislation use is that such legislation would be trying to solve “a problem that doesn’t exist.” In other words, the Net neutrality supporters are trying to proactively prevent walled gardens, and the network operators are claiming that because no real walled gardens exist yet, there is no point in legislating against them. Well, here is a good example of a wall being put up on one side a very large garden. It doesn’t take much imagination to picture the other four walls being added.
Mike Robinson
CEO
Citel Technologies
Seattle
Kevin Tolly has found out what Net neutrality actually means. The provider of the high-speed data line (cable modem, DSL or satellite feed) will manipulate its or others’ content to maximize its return. Period. The provider of the high-speed data line will, in every sneaky, indirect manner possible, contrive to maximize its return at the expense of the customer. The purveyor of the high-speed pipe must be fully separated from its content, especially when the Internet provider and content provider are the same company.
This is only the beginning of consumers’ loss of Net neutrality, resulting in forced feeding by their own ISPs. Soon, the ISPs will become more creative and aggressive, and access to many Web sites and services will be blocked for nothing more than to line the pockets of the ISPs consumers are paying money to each month.
If I am paying a provider a certain amount each month for a 1.5Mb data line, I am not buying content, I am buying access via a certain data rate to the Internet and should be able to do as I please, without any restrictions. All restrictions the ISP has enabled must be fully disclosed.
Gene Thomas
Senior consultant
Telecom Consult
Atlanta
Tell me something I don’t know. Cablevision has been doing this for more than three years. They didn’t even tell people that they were going to begin blocking Port 25; they just did it. Then the extortion of VPN users to unblock Port 25 came in.
Cablevision’s new thing is VoIP throttling. Cablevision has a competing product, Optimum Voice, to Vonage and AT&T, and if you use one of these other services, your Internet connectivity becomes unstable. If you sign up for Optimum Voice, the problem goes away. Peculiar.
Cablevision is fighting tooth and nail to prevent Verizon’s Fios from gaining a foothold. They are throwing a ton of money at politicians to prevent the competition and have been marginally successful to date.
Cablevision heads Charles and James Dolan need to quit with their cash grab and monopoly status here on Long Island…we’re sick of it. Bring on Fios!
Robert Roth
Setauket, N.Y.
Automate alternative
Regarding Mark Gibbs’ Gearhead column, “AutoMate, er, automates”: The software is impressive but is also expensive for automation on a single PC. I required an application that I referred to as a “task scheduler on steroids” because many of my batch processes were being done with batch files and VBScripts. I needed more granular control with additional features such as triggers and conditions. I looked at Automate and WinBatch, but they were overkill for the automation I required; then I found VisualCron. This application had everything I was looking for and more and at $87 per server, the price is right.
Shawn Marshall
IS technical engineer
Watlow Electric Mfg. Co.
Columbia, Mo.
