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Operating Systems

Submission + - Ubuntu vs Vista

mad zambian writes: "Yet another comparison between operating systems. By a site that doesn't have a vested interest in either. Check out the detailed examination here;
Ubuntu vs Vista

Spoiler for those who can't be bothered to RTFA — Ubuntu wins."
Security

Submission + - The dark side of tech blogging

grizzly_dawg writes: There has been some high profile bloggers that have come under personal attack on their blogs. Kathy Sierra has come under direct attack and the messages that she has received are quite disturbing (they suggest that physical and sexual harm should come to her). Read for yourself here: http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_us ers/2007/03/as_i_type_this_.html Robert and Maryam Scoble have also been caught up in this: http://scobleizer.com/2007/03/26/taking-the-week-o ff/ It's one thing disagree with Ms. Sierra or the Scobles, but it's totally vile to suggest that physical and sexual harm come to them. What can be done to stop this crap? It seems that law enforcement must come into play.
Bug

Vista Slow To Copy, Delete Files 494

Bruce Schneier has said that trying to make digital files uncopyable is like trying to make water not wet. With Vista, Microsoft seems to have done a pretty good job of making premium content files not copyable. Now a few readers have tipped us to a new wrinkle: Vista also makes it very, very slow to copy, rename, or delete ordinary files. Here is a Microsoft TechNet thread on the problem. The Reg reports that Microsoft has a hotfix for what sounds like a subset of the more general problem complained about on TechNet; but they will only give it to customers who ask nicely. And a hotfix is fussier to install than a proper patch.
Operating Systems

Submission + - Linux Foundation has a First Board of Directors

Andy Updegrove writes: "Just last month, the Free Standards Group and Open Source Development Labs announced that they had merged. That union brought together two of the most important resources supporting the Linux ecosystem, and promoting the growth of the Linux operating system in the marketplace. Today, the product of that merger — called the Linux Foundation — announced the members of its first, diverse Board of Directors, fulfilling a promise to give a voice on the Board to all key stakeholders in the Linux ecosystem. The new Board provides representation to the kernel, legal, user, distro and vendor communities, and the individual representatives range from kernel developers (like James Bottomley) to senior open source management at the largest technology companies (like Intel's Doug Fisher and IBM's Dan Frye), and from end users (like Bank of America) to distro project leaders, like Ubuntu Project founder Mark Shuttleworth. Together, it will be their job to support the Linux Foundation's new management team, led by Jim Zemlin, as they work to help Linux achieve its manifest destiny around the world."
Microsoft

Submission + - Boost Vista's Performance With Thumb Drives

An anonymous reader writes: Trying to run Windows Vista on a PC without lots of memory or a hot graphics card can hardware can be an exercise in frustration, since Vista's performance is extremely hardware-dependent. In ReadyBoost: Better Vista Performance In A Flash David Dejean talks about a trio of little-known features that rely on external USB flash drives to improve Vista's performance: ReadyBoost, which uses external flash devices to supplement system memory with a special cache; ReadyDrive, which takes advantage of new hybrid drives that combine conventional disk with flash; and ReadyBoot, which allows fast recovery from hibernation. Thumbdrives are going to be marketed to take advantage of these features. Could this be the boost Vista needs to overcome its need for excessively costly hardware?
The Almighty Buck

Submission + - Burnout in IT: what do you do to prevent it?

Wizfinger writes: I've been a computer enthusiast since 1982 and working in IT as a systems developer for about 10 years now. Long hours and nightly sessions with pizzaboxes and Jolt are no stranger to me. But about a year ago, disaster struck. I burned out psychologically. Aches and muscular stress in my neck and head rendered me useless in front of a terminal, and I could no longer think logically, concentrate or indeed do any programming. Crying and screaming became my new daily activity. I'm 35 and I've been a useless wreck for about a year now. So I ask Slashdot: what do you do to prevent any of this and what can I do do get back behind that terminal?
The Media

Protests Move From the Streets To YouTube 156

weighn writes "One factor driving the move of political statements to YouTube, and away from old-style street protest, is that on the Internet the chances of being personally associated with a protest are lower. Mounting your political message online is also safer in countries where taking part in a protest can result in your death or injury at the hands of your country's army. We've seen how street protests and online polls alike are being shunted aside and ignored. What is the future for the common person who yearns to be heard?"
XBox (Games)

Submission + - Dead Rising and Lost Planet to remain exclusive

Bizzeh writes: "as posted on Joystiq

At least "as far as current plans go." So says Capcom's senior director of strategic planning and research, Christian Svensson, posting on the official Capcom forums in the midst of a Devil May Cry outcry. When asked by fans whether the company's new mulitplatform strategy would extend to their pair of successful Xbox 360 titles, Svensson explains that "Dead Rising and Lost Planet are not slated to appear on Wii or PS3," noting that the reasons for the continued exclusivity "are quite convoluted" and are bound by a slew of suspicious non-disclosure agreements.

He goes on to say that Capcom's current approach — which sees Resident Evil 5 and Devil May Cry 4 coming to both PS3 and Xbox 360 — is for future titles and isn't meant to be applied in a "retroactive" manner. Of course, this comes just days after Svensson used the forum to respond to sulking petitioners and their disdain for Devil May Cry gracing multiple platforms.

"We are certainly moved that people are so passionate about our products that they would go to such extremes," he said in a seperate thread. "At the same time we feel that allowing more people access to our content pleases far more people than it displeases (after all, we're not denying DMC4 to anyone that was already going to get it). It really is the best decision for the company and for consumers."

Apparently, Dead Rising and Lost Planet simply missed the multiplatform boat.
"
The Internet

Submission + - Online Chat Room Encourages Suicide

walnutmon writes: Paltalk is a online streaming webchat service. It may have hosted the first (a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/cri me/article1563933.ece">live online suicide. After telling fellow chatters in an online "insult room" of his plans to kill himself, the user known as "shyboy" hung himself from the ceiling.

This is starting to spark debate over the responsiblity chatters have when they encourage such acts.

"The death has highlighted concerns that some internet forums encourage people to take their lives. According to one charity which works to prevent suicide, there have been 17 deaths in the UK since 2001 which involved chatrooms or sites which give advice on suicide methods."

17 in seven years... Epidemic.

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