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Comment Re:Are those solid state drives? (Score 1) 22

Doesn't really give me warm and fuzzy feelings about the reliability of my backups

TL;DR: If you depend on only one strategy for your absolutely business critical backups, you are in for failure and bankruptcy.

BackBlaze is a bit shy about telling us exactly what's on the back end of their system. On SWIFT object store, the configuration specifies the number of copies of an object, typically 3 but that can be set to whatever makes sense as long as it's +1. As long as two are available, you get your stuff. If only one copy is available, then you can't download it until someone replaces one of the two drives that failed or fixes the server those drives are attached to or corrects the networking between replication server pools in the case of Geographically Separated silos. Replication daemons ensure no copies of an object are stored on the same server, let alone drive and that the quorum is maintained ... .and that failed drives are promptly reported, flaky servers are comforted, and hallucinating networks are sobered up.

Bit rot does occur. Times it does are either catastrophic events in the DC or failure to maintain the ring by failures of maintenance (not done, no parts, lack of funds...). Keep in mind all object stores are "eventual consistency" systems. You upload, you'll get an OK as soon as quorum minus 1 is met. On a three copy system when two are committed and complete, you get the kiss off. The third will complete "eventually". Usually within seconds but weeks is possible too. It is also possible to get a revision of a object that is older than the other two. Using unique naming of an object would avoid that, since you can't change an object, only download, make the change, then reupload the entire object. When depends on factors of internetworking traffic, latency, maintenance... in short, availability. Good quick read on that is Jon Johnson's "The CAP theorem". Or, if you want the real deep dive, the architecture docs on SWIFT were where I learned - maybe there's better, but I don't know. They are somewhere around on NASA's site last I knew in 2012.

Comment Re:Are those solid state drives? (Score 4, Informative) 22

were about spinning or solid state drives.

Remember that we are dealing with an at scale system with Backblaze. Other than cache (Which I don't think typical object stores use except for the database ... maybe), BackBlaze would be using mechanical drives. Using SSD drives for what is essentially an object store[1] is a waste of capex.
The SWIFT object store data centers I ran typically have 4, 5, 8 or 16 TB drives, 90+ per server, and the boot drive is typically either RAID 0 or 1, but that's the extent of "fancy stuff" for disk drives. I never saw SSD in the object store. File and Block, yes, that was the rule rather than the exception. One of my former team mates told me that the company is up past 100 tons of hard disk drives per object store silo. They have [lots and lots of] data centers.

[1]
Recap:
Block Store == like a hard disk, a series of disk blocks are presented. Atomic changes are possible. Used for things that change a part at a time. SAN
File Store == Like a network share, a file system is presented. Atomic changes are possible Used for things that change a part at a time. NAS
Object Store == Non-Atomic - something like a porcelain sculpture. If you want to change it, you need to destroy it and make it new. Used for things that typically do not change at all, like completed video, accounting transaction snapshots, or .... backups!

Comment Re:Have to wonder about "religious" "leaders" (Score 1) 153

Religion wouldn't have lasted as long as it did if they didn't come up with some explanation for nearly any hole you tried to poke in their beliefs.

And there's a reason the Inquisition burned books. Oddly, Ireland is about the only place where those that would burn the books were themselves burned in the dark ages. It's something Seneca wrote about before the dark ages and before the inquisition, off hand, can't recall the exact wording, but the conclusion is that some have a need to put others in charge of their lives so that they don't have to take responsibility for themselves and their outcomes. Sort of like the conservative meme that being poor is a choice, rather than a failure of governance to control the economic rapine of others.

Comment Have to wonder about "religious" "leaders" (Score 3, Insightful) 153

Even the most casual study of divinity will show that almost all religions consider simply thinking of some things is a "sin". Almost all religions grant mankind free will, and the supreme being (call them what you may) "allows" for the "choice of sin".

So, by prohibiting "sin", they are, in effect, declaring themselves to be smarter than their Deity, who, in The Wisdom of that Deity, granted the ability to "sin".
I'm pretty sure that's not how that works.

Comment Re:What's in a name? (Score 1) 56

Quite a lot evidently when one's a billionaire and the other is a lawyer.

This is a case where the matter in contention is subject to the "Moron in a hurry" test.
If a moron in a hurry confuses the owner of Meta with a bankruptcy lawyer, then that moron needs to have their internet license revoked.

Comment Someone explain to me (Score 2, Interesting) 18

Look, I know I'm an old fart. I know I'm a curmudgeon too. And yes, it was almost 10 years before I gave up my wired keyboard and mouse for wireless (not entirely all my idea, it as part of [Secret Squirrel] requirements.) I am, however, a technophile - when I see the advantages to using tech. An example where I don't see an advantage is replacing the 90 cent stiff wire with $275 "motivators" (step motors) in automobile vents that go out of registration, then out of calibration, then go kaput. Requiring a new $275 dollar part and a $200 programming fee.
EACH.

What no one has been able to explain adequately to me is where the value of crypto is. (I know what is claimed, I think, but it still boils down to "it has value because people think it has value" - a circular argument that applies just as much to crypto as it does to any printed fiat currency.)

My base objection is that crypto, like a fiat currency, has zero intrinsic value. Unlike metals or gems, neither a printed bill or a bit wallet can be made into something else worth the value it represents. Bluntly, crypto is a mathematical answer to a question no one asked and no one can use. It's not like Maxwell's constant where the answer has a measurable, useful proof.

Fiat currency is regulated by established gate keepers that are accountable. Crypto is a wild west of pinky promise and cross my heart pledges as far as I can see.

To me, crypto has no value. So you could offer a billion coins to me for a buck and I'd still think I'd rather have the buck than a bunch of ones and zeros beause no one has adequately explained the value of crypto that I've run into.

Comment Re:'No evidence' is not encouraging (Score 3) 19

In my mind an attack on any government computer system is most often a distraction and/or just making trouble for a government so as to harass and cost them money. By that I mean this is more likely the actions of a state actor, or some proxy that's funded by some state actor, than the actions of a domestic criminal looking to rip people off.

Foreign actors might cause a minor blip likely to go unnoticed to use in the future. Why DMV? Because with the stupid "Real ID" they can inject documents for their actors on the ground. I've seen at cloud providers foreign actors going absolutely ape shit trying to get into the US budget system. When you know where the money goes, you can figure out a lot of things. But you're correct, likely this is someone that is wanting to piss off government or is looking to hold their systems hostage for ransom.

Comment So many questions.. (Score 3, Insightful) 112

It's terrible this young light is extinguished. It's horrible. I'm not sure though that the blame belongs on machines here.

If your child is contemplating suicide, why don't you have a clue?
If you had a clue, why didn't you act?
If you didn't have a clue, why were you not involved with your own child?

Truth is that the way American society is that parenting has become fifth or sixth place in adults list of responsibilities. Making money to live is first, not the kids.

I'm of the opinion that it is not the Internet's job to raise my child. That's my job as a parent. I'm not advocating for an Ozzie and Harriet 1950's idealized society that never existed either. A unified path for all to follow is a chimera, ridiculous and unobtainable. Falling into the deception of what should be "allowed" and "disallowed" factual information is a slippery slope to Double-think and Thought Crime.

Comment Re:Must be some of that AI vibe code (Score 1) 10

It's a wonder it took this long for somebody to use SalesForce as an attack vector.

No news isn't good news - it simply means you don't know. An absence of reporting is not an indication of an absents of exploit.
I do know that corporate America goes to great lengths to not announce pervasive intrusions. Times I've had direct knowledge the company came under fire from government regulators before admitting publicly to the problem, and hid it behind NDAs before and after. Buddy had to testify and that part was behind closed doors.

Comment Re:Somebody is going to get killed (Score 1) 130

First, everybody (including every woman) is "potentially violent".

What does that have to do with women reporting men as having acted aggressively?

Second, if it gets easy to make accusations and those accused have no recourse against false accusations,

Why would they lie if they don't even know you?

many accusations will be false.

I'm an old man now. Been quite the ladies man when I was young, strong, not fat and had hair. Never once accused of being violent or even discourteous.

This is why we have "innocent until proven guilty".

Dude, you aren't going to prison over an app entry. Are you worried your credit rating will get you three hots and a cot? It's the same difference. It's someone's opinion of you.

This is not a luxury, it is necessary because too many people are willing to lie.

What isn't a luxury, the ability to confront someone with an opinion of you or sex? Because I can pretty much guarantee you won't die from a lack of sex.

Seems to me that the most lies I hear are from the right wing. Get yourself dating some smart ladies and that won't be a problem. Well, unless you can't be somewhat courteous and gentlemanly. Or try using paid partners. Money will buy lots, I mean, look at the Right wing guys. They cheat on their wives all the time and call them horrable names and they stick around for more. Kinda sick I think. My ladies wouldn't put up with that kind of thing.

Comment Re: I don't have any sympathy (Score 4, Interesting) 130

He's had super-model wives

And cheated on all of them.

surrounded himself with better looking women than you will ever have.

Including young woman "hostess" that were 18 as "masseuses". This proves that yes, money really can buy you anything, up to a supreme court judge's robes - with the judge still in 'em.
Speaking of - Where's Melania? We know where Kristi Nome is but she's a bit long in the tooth for Donnie.

Comment Re:Humans, as a group... (Score 1) 41

Sure, for example you haven't learned that making bad things easy means there's more of them happening.

The reply is missing the point. I've read your other replies. You're ordinarily incisive, so I will recap:

And may be that's good enough for society that isn't afflicted with it, but never mistake it for a "cure".

Prohibition is not a total, encompassing solution. It's a stopgap measure at best. To effect a lasting change to behavior, one needs must change the person's behavior. And the only one that can do that is the person. You can annoy them. You can fine them, lock them up. They will return to be behavior if that's all you do. It's my opinion this is why incarceration in the USA has such high recidivism - because the right wing sees treating the underlying causes as being "weak on crime". Yet per capita, the USA locks up more people than most dictatorships except El Salvador Cuba, Rwanda and Turkmenistan.
.
AGAIN, and that maybe good enough for the rest of society that is not experiencing the undesired behavior. It is not a "forever" solution. Smoking is a great example of that. Prohibiting it worked for society in the short term, but it was the change to culture (no ads, age restrictions, location prohibition, fines for the manufactures, cessation of crop support payments, addiction treatment, high tax) that has had the most lasting effect.

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