Rubenerd

I can emphatise with Microsoft. Their operating system is used on most personal computers around the world and, partly as a result, they’re an incredibly huge target for nasties. Making sure this huge userbase is patched and updated must be an incredible challenge.

Auto restarts though? Not cool.

This evening, I was putting the finishing touches on a C# assignment. While I’ve long since relegated Windows to sparingly used virtual machines on my Mac and Linux boxes, I still harbour a soft spot for Visual Studio. Going back to the ancient versions of Visual Basic (VBENV300 anyone?) and Visual C++, the interface brings back happy memories from my childhood.

I’d also say, Eclipse, NetBeans and Xcode have improved over the years, but Visual Studio is still possibly the best IDE, if you can tolerate Windows font rendering. Did I just lose some hipster cred?

But I digress. While typing away, quite literally on the last few lines of a current project, the Windows 7 virtual machine rebooted to perform a system update. Without warning, my environment began melting around me, first with Notepad and a few other utilities, then finally Visual Studio. No questions whether I wanted to save my work, no confirmation message boxes. Just ZAP, off like a puff of smoke.

People on Twitter saw what happened next. After the machine rebooted, Visual Studio asked if I wanted to restore my unsaved project. Having seen how terrible restore features are on Microsoft Office, LibreOffice and too many other applications to mention, I should have known not to click yes. Yet, I did.

After that, the fun really began. When I tried loading my botched project, cryptic error messages appeared. I tried moving my Visual Studio directory in the hope of creating a fresh environment, to no avail. I tried launching the solution file directly from Windows Explorer, which crashed Visual Studio.

Of course I had backups and a commit history, but not for the last hour of work I’d done at the coffee shop I was sitting. Though I was wounded, perhaps that would help to restore my hipster cred. If I wanted to be a hipster, how mainstream.

Suffice to say, the volume of results from a search indicated it was a common problem. Fortunately, StackExchange had the answer, which suggested I clear my cache and reboot Visual Studio.

So what’s the take away from all of this? First, don’t trust document recovery in anything. It almost never works, and invariably makes things worse. If you’re on a notebook, turn auto reboot off on Windows.

That reminds me, I need to figure out how to turn auto reboot off on Windows.

Ladar Levison's article in The Guardian on why he had to shut down Lavabit:

My company, Lavabit, provided email services to 410,000 people – including Edward Snowden, according to news reports – and thrived by offering features specifically designed to protect the privacy and security of its customers. I had no choice but to consent to the installation of their device, which would hand the US government access to all of the messages – to and from all of my customers – as they travelled between their email accounts other providers on the Internet. [..]

Bothered by what the agents were saying, I informed them that I would first need to read the order they had just delivered – and then consult with an attorney. The feds seemed surprised by my hesitation.

The entire process was eye opening. He closes with a warning:

If my experience serves any purpose, it is to illustrate what most already know: courts must not be allowed to consider matters of great importance under the shroud of secrecy, lest we find ourselves summarily deprived of meaningful due process.

Jeremy Palmer has some words of warning regarding Google's latest behavior:

For the last 10 years, Google has been instilling and spreading irrational fear into webmasters. They’ve convinced site owners that any link, outside of a purely editorial link from an “authority site”, could be flagged as a bad link, and subject the site to ranking and/or index penalties.

This fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) campaign has webmasters everywhere doing unnatural things, which is what Google claims they’re trying to stop.

Site owners and publishers are now afraid to link to each other because they don’t know how Google might respond to that link. For example, Wikipedia and the New York Times have added the “nofollow” attribute to most of the links outside of their editorial control.

This is bad for the Internet for a few fundamental reasons...

You can probably already think of some. Read the rest of the Jeremy's post for all the details.

This originally appeared on the Annexe.

Have this tasty PerlMonks thread:

Awesome. Excellent explanation, I had no idea this was a
planned bugfix. Thanks everyone ! Here's the promised 
"baloney" :) Balogna ("baloney") and cheese:
    
                    _.---._
                _.-~       ~-._
            _.-~               ~-._
        _.-~                       ~---._
    _.-~                                 ~\
 .-~                                    _.;
 :-._                               _.-~./
 }-._~-._                   _..__.-~_.-~ )
 `-._~-._~-._              /   ...-~H.-~
     ~-nad.._\.        _.-~ .::::  //
         ~-. \`--...--~ _.-~__...==~
            \.`--...---+-~~~~~
              ~-..----~
    
How about a deli style turkey sandwich (damn I'm hungry now!):
    
                    _.---._
                _.-~       ~-._
            _.-~               ~-._
        _.-~                       ~---._
    _.-~                                 ~\
 .-~                                    _.;
 :-._                               _.-~ ./
 `-._~-._                   _..__.-~ _.-~
  /  ~-._~-._              / .__..--~----._
 \_____(_;-._\.        _.-~_/       ~).. . \
    /(_____  \`--...--~_.-~______..-+_______)
  .(_________/`--...--~/    _/nad        /\
 /-._     \_     (___./_..-~__.....__..-~./
 `-._~-._   ~\--------~  .-~_..__.-~ _.-~
     ~-._~-._ ~---------'  / .__..--~
         ~-._\.        _.-~_/
             \`--...--~_.-~
              `--...--~
    
Gotta have something to wash that down with...
                                                           _
                                                          //
                                                         //
                                         _______________//__
                                       .(______________//___).
                                       |              /      |
                                       |. . . . . . . / . . .|
                                       \ . . . . . ./. . . . /
                                        |           / ___   |
                    _.---._             |::......./../...\.:|
                _.-~       ~-._         |::::/::\::/:\::::::|
            _.-~               ~-._     |::::\::/::::::X:/::|
        _.-~                       ~---.;:::::::/::\::/:::::|
    _.-~                                 ~\::::::n::::::::::|
 .-~                                    _.;::/::::a::::::::/
 :-._                               _.-~ ./::::::::d:::::::|
 `-._~-._                   _..__.-~ _.-~|::/::::::::::::::|
  /  ~-._~-._              / .__..--~----.YWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWP'
 \_____(_;-._\.        _.-~_/       ~).. . \
    /(_____  \`--...--~_.-~______..-+_______)
  .(_________/`--...--~/    _/           /\
 /-._     \_     (___./_..-~__.....__..-~./
 `-._~-._   ~\--------~  .-~_..__.-~ _.-~
     ~-._~-._ ~---------'  / .__..--~
         ~-._\.        _.-~_/
             \`--...--~_.-~
              `--...--~

For years, I've been getting junk mail from Cisco. Two prerequisites for my IT degree were required from them, and despite graduating from them years ago they've yet to cease their baragge of marketing and seminar messages.

I could never figure out how to unsubscribe, so I had to create a special drop filter in my mail client. Since moving to another web provider without these filters, I noticed them appearing again.

For fun, I tried unsubscribing again. Here were the steps.

1. Clicked unsubscribe in their latest mail. This took me to their homepage. Already, strike one, it should take more than one click to unsubscribe from an email, let alone sending the user to a login screen. In this case they didn't even manage that.

2. Logged into the Cisco Networking Academy, which is a different login form to the one I was directed to.

3. Went to my profile, and underneath the cobwebs and dust I verified that no checkboxes in the two notification preference screens were checked.

4. Since I was logged in, I tried going back to my email and clicking unsubscribe again. Was taken to their homepage.

Further down in the email, it said this:

Do you want to unsubscribe or change messaging preferences from Cisco Networking Academy? Academy connection users click here and NetSpace users click here.

I clicked both those links. One took me to their homepage, the other to
my profile.

I post this not to whinge, but as a cautionary tale for those implementing webmail notifications. If you don't make it easy for us to unsubscribe to your messages, or outsource said responsibilities to someone who does, you will only breed resentment and mail drop filters for addresses like this:

<news_netacad@ciscona-apacenglish.imakenews.net>

Speaking of which, this is the domain that seems to generate the most junk. Block this, and you're mostly fine.

Whether or not this individual issue will negatively impact users, this baffling exclusion gives me little confidence in their other design decisions.

By taking the same view seatbelts are pointless because they don't prevent all road fatalities, Google Chrome has infamously removed support for OCSP. The protocol allows for HTTPS certificates to be "stapled" with a frequently updated assertion that the certificate is still valid. In light of heartbleed, you can see why this would be important.

All other major browsers default to soft fail, meaning that clients will assume certs are valid if they can't access a cert authority's OSCP server. Google asserts (heh) this is evidence that OCSP is broken, and Chrome would no longer be supporting it.

This is troubling. While soft fail and seatbelts aren't ideal, they're still better than nothing. Chrome users no longer have them.

The good news is they're being called out for it. From the Certificate Authority Security Council:

Google moved away from supporting OCSP without adequately informing Chrome users of this fact. Although IE and Safari also soft-fail if an OCSP response is not received, those browsers still use OCSP by default. The engineers creating those browsers apparently have not concluded that OCSP is broken. Even if revocation checking by OCSP isn’t 100 percent accurate, it can still protect a high percentage of users who navigate to a site with a revoked certificate and receive an OCSP response indicating revocation. Turning off revocation checking for everyone means that no one is protected.

For privacy minded users, Chrome was always questionable. Now I would put it with IE.

There are reasons for regulations and government funding. In the case of Australian university fees, they serve to make positions more affordable and accessible, at least for local students. Why? Let’s ask the government’s own National Commission of Audit:

Commonwealth investment in the universities sector promotes quality, equity of access and national consistency for higher education. This, in turn, contributes to a more productive workforce that is skilled and flexible, leading to higher wages and lower unemployment resulting in higher tax revenues, reduced unemployment expenses and improved international competitiveness. However, a large proportion of the benefits accrue to the individual – usually through higher lifetime incomes.

Cue the dun-dun-DUN music.

The first step in the wrong direction was HECS. Introduced by former treasurer Peter Costello (who received a free university education), the system provides interest free Commonwealth loans for students. It’s far preferable to the American for-profit student loan racket, but it still masks the true cost of university fees which have been rising higher than inflation since.

During the last Labor government we got Gonski, which funded high schools with higher education cuts. This ensured high schoolers get a better education to get them into university that… oh, nuts. Seemingly both sides of the isle lost the plot.

Now we have Tony Abbott’s first budget, which proposes deregulation of univeristy fees. This would allow them to set the numbers and cost of their courses, independently from government interference. It’s free market capitalism at work; more demand for a course will lead to it being more competitive, and prices will rise. For courses that have less interest, fewer positions will be made available and prices will rise.

My university’s Vice-Chancellor reported the change in an email, though he was quick to assure us that only future students will be negatively impacted by this newfound freedom.

On 1 January 2016, the Australian higher education system will be deregulated, if legislation passes the Senate. This means that for the first time, Universities will be free to set their own fees for domestic students. [..] The Government has specified in the budget that “currently enrolled students will continue under current arrangements until 2020”. I will be seeking assurances on your behalf about this commitment.

For an example of what to expect from free market universities, just see how much they charge my international student friends. But that’s for another post.

Fortunately, there may still be hope. According to ABC PM’s James Glenday:

Many bits of Abbott’s first budget face an uncertain future in the Senate. It doesn’t have the numbers in this upper house, or the next one. In particular [..] deregulation of university fees [..]

Suffice to say, selfishly, I’m relieved I’m finishing up studying now. As a co-worker put it, the flow on effects of this will be scary to watch unfold.

The above screenshot from K-On!! was by Kyoto Animation. This is such a sad topic, I needed something cheerful/cute.

Perhaps due to Sydney’s unseasonably cold weather of late, most people I know and in regular contact with have come down with the sniffles, sore throats and all the usual cold/flu associated fun. Interestingly, despite being exposed to all of these evil nasties, I’d largely avoided getting sick.

Then it hit yesterday, hard. Well that’s not entirely true, it hit me. Today was a little better, but I was still manfluing something fierce this morning and again this evening. When every swallow tastes like your downing an entire bottle of Tabasco, the least you could get is the pleasent pepper aftertaste. Cheapskates.

I always read Chesapeake as cheapskate. Don’t read into that.

Naturally, Clara has been lovely, and even made me this drawing of my favourite Nisekoi character. Any motivation she gleans from me is more than repaid, I can assure you.

Every post I’ve read claims NetNewsWire stores its data here:

~/Library/Application Support/NetNewsWire/

It does not. Or at least, the latest version installed from homebrew-cask does not. Instead, it resides in a Mac sandbox here:

~/Library/Containers/com.blackpixel.netnewswire/

Putting here for reference, in case you were going crazy like me. Perhaps its to prepare for its sale on the App Store?

I don’t listen to the radio here, but a coffee shop in St Leonards was playing one of the better ones while I sat there drinking a brew. According to their news, cafés and coffee shops in Australia bucked the trend of other retail sectors with a “sales boom”.

I didn’t hear their source, but Euromonitor International did publish a report in March 2014:

Australians’ appreciation of high-quality coffee continued in 2013 with off-trade value sales increasing by a strong 6%, taking the category to A$1 billion.

You’re welcome!

Australia has shifted to become a coffee-drinking nation, with coffee being a popular drink for both out-of-home and in-home consumption. The sophistication of coffee drinking has become apparent, with consumers’ palates maturing, becoming more discerning in terms of flavour and origins of coffee beans.

Since coming back to Sydney, I’ve been amazed by the general quality of coffee here. In particular, Coffee Alchemy in Marrickville and The Refinery Espresso in Hornsby have made the smoothest, richest, tastiest cups I’ve ever had.

By comparison, my “home town” is still dominated by the big people. From the same source, this time discussing Singapore:

The increasing presence of chained coffee shops in the foodservice channel, such as Starbucks, Coffee Bean and Spinelli, have led to a growing coffee culture in Singapore. As such, consumers’ taste in coffee is increasingly more sophisticated and they are demanding high-quality brewed coffee for home consumption.

It’s a controversial position that will cost me hipster cred, but I think chains are a tide that lifts all boats. It’s easy to dismiss chain coffee as unremarkable and mass produced, but for many it’s the first taste at real arabica goodness after years of instant. There are also wonderful local chains like Toastbox which have revived the traditional breakfast that so many Singaporeans grew up with.

Just before I left, I’d seen some rumblings of high quality coffee springing up. I suspect we’ll start to see a change there in the next few years.

The linked reports are paywalled, but their executive summaries are available. I was not paid to link to these, or namedrop any coffee shops. That said, I’d be more than happy to take money from Coffee Alchemy or The Refinery Espresso for the otherwise free publicity I’m constantly giving them. Fully disclosed on the site here, of course.

Photo above taken by me at the 2012 Aroma Festival in Sydney.