It would appear that another sharp individual has decided to become a thorn in Microsoft' side (forgive me English is not my first language). It is amazing how people will jump on the bandwagon thinking they are helping but actually make things worse. Face it, we need an Operating System otherwise we would be at the mercy of hardware vendors. Ok so Microsoft OS's are not Open. However, does this really matter, I personally don't think so. Any more than I agree with the argument that Unix is not so good nowadays because it is not Open either "since there are so many variants of it, and it is more and more controlled by few and fewer". It is amazing but I have been at the receiving end of arguments with people on 'both' sides of the fence? Just in case you are wondering I don't usually partake in these arguments. The funny thing is, with passionate people it doesn't matter what you say, if anything. They have enough energy to include you in their argument as long as you are prepared to sit and listen to them. Then depending on how much they were allowed to re-enforce their beliefs in your presence they will either be friend or foe.
Computer Weekly, 7 July Link
Microsoft's effort last week to fix a vulnerability in the Internet Explorer (IE) web browser program and end the latest series of internet attacks does not address another closely related and dangerous vulnerability, according to a security specialist.
Dutch security expert Jelmer Kuperus published code on the web last week that he said can be used to break into fully patched Windows systems using a slightly modified version of an attack called Download.Ject which Microsoft patched last week.
The latest attack targets a hole in a different Windows component than the one addressed by Microsoft's software patch. Using a similar attack, malicious hackers could break into even patched Windows machines, Kuperus said.
For those that think that Unix administrators are gods there is a shock in store in the near future. It is not them it is the business people who employee them and the laws they are controlled by, which are designed to get rid of mistrust which causes friction in the money machine.
Linux access rights expose CIOs Link
Computer Weekly, 8 July
June was a big month for IT directors of companies listed on any of the US stock exchanges, including UK firms, or having a close business relationship with a company listed there.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which covers the need to protect the integrity of information provided to investors, set a deadline of last month for various criteria to be met.
According to Bloor Research, at least one chief information officer's neck is already on the block because he could not show adequate tracability of who did what to critical financial data and processes under his control.
Similar legislation is appearing in Europe. Commercial organisations will have to be able to demonstrate that they control who has access to what critical financial information and when.
In the US, non-compliance can result in fines or imprisonment. And what the US is doing today will happen here tomorrow.
It is time to review the issue, especially if you use Unix or Linux systems, which require administrators to have access at a level that allows them to view and change critical data without being audited.
Talking about money machines and friction, we could use a bit more here in the UK. We need more to buy some more Satellite dishes, and stuff. It is difficult to get the house looking right with a dish just on one side. Then we can spend twice as much time watching those silly adverts on the children'? Channels. You wouldn't believe what you need until informed about the need by your children. One wonders whether the money machine is not working properly because of the lack of it in the right places. But then it may not be an illness at all, it may just be bad sampling of the population.
UK IT staff say 'show me the money' Link
Money, not work-life balance, still matters the most for UK IT staff when it comes to new jobs, according to a worldwide recruitment survey.
But the UK and Singapore are alone on this with workers in other countries opting for training and work-life balance as priorities.
The poll by recruitment consultancy Robert Walters surveyed 8,000 people globally across IT and non-IT fields. The overall results showed 34 per cent found ongoing training and personal development were most important and 32 per cent said work-life balance. Money came top for 26 per cent while just eight per cent were more bothered about the benefits package.
Ah so that’s why they need the money. They want the training they feel they need rather than going on courses they are told to go on!
IT staff sign up for Linux summer camp Link
An increasing number of IT professionals are giving up sun, sea and sand to attend intensive summer-camp training courses in technical skills, especially Linux.
Accelerated learning specialist The Training Camp said that it has seen demand for its residential IT courses double this summer compared to last year.
The company runs fast-track courses throughout the year, many of which are paid-for by attendees' employers.
Training Camp co-founder Robert Chapman had noticed a marked increase in the number of people taking courses privately during their annual summer leave.
Thank goodness for the Meta Group report below, you would almost wonder what was going on unless you commissioned a report and read it. Perhaps the problem is in the term 'IT organisations'. Outsourcing the IT groups to someone that can do what you can't, better than you. But then if you can't do it sufficiently acceptably then how do you measure how well they are doing it? Oh don't mention it but it is all built into the system ha, ha, ha
Balancing benefits with burnout for technology staff
Employee burnout and frustration with long working hours, limited growth in personal pay and fewer bonuses to go round are some of the issues highlighted in Meta Group’s 2004 IT Staffing and Compensation Guide, a comprehensive study of more than 650 information technology organisations. Most significantly, the study found that IT organisations were having difficulty in maintaining and developing skills in key areas to keep projects - and profits - moving forward.
Among the many areas of concern, few are as evident as employee morale. More than 72 per cent indicate that low IT employee morale is currently a serious issue in their organisations - a problem that could spell longer-range increases in staff turnover, lower productivity, and less overall shareholder value to the organisation as a whole if not addressed.
Worried, I can understand that.
Did you know there is a phobia for most letters of the alphabet, you don't believe me. Then take a look at this Link
Ranted out AJ :-)
PS If you made it to here then I hope you are smiling.
"What are fears but voices airy?
Whispering harm where harm is not.
And deluding the unwary
Till the fatal bolt is shot!"
---- Wordsworth
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