Microsoft Watch from Mary Jo Foley reports It Didn’t Take Long: Office Validation Program Goes Live. “Just days after announcing its plans to attempt to thwart Office piracy by using the same kind of validation mechanism it has instituted for Windows, Microsoft posted for download the first Office Genuine Advantage (OGA)validated component.”
I can’t think of [...]
On the DLSLUG mailing list, Bill McGonigle announces: “The next regular monthly meeting of the DLSLUG will be held Thursday, May 4th, 7-9PM, at Dartmouth College, Carson Hall Room L01. All are welcome, free of charge.
Agenda:
7:00 Sign-in, networking
7:15 Introductory remarks
7:20 Resara Enterprise Linux
The guys from Resara Networks will be presenting their [...]
Netcraft notes that “Apache has overtaken Microsoft as the leading developer of secure web servers. Apache now runs on 44.0% of secure web sites, compared to 43.8% for Microsoft.” Yet another sign of the tide turning. Interesting article with several trends explaining the shift, and a great graph. Read the entire article here
Microsoft Watch from Mary Jo Foley asks “Is Microsoft Engaging in ‘Borderline Extortion’ with Security Disclosures?” “We have to admit, zero-day Internet Explorer vulnerabilities just don’t shock us any more. But the harsh words of security researcher Michal Zalewski, regarding Microsoft’s policies for dealing with vulnerabilities, did make us stand up and take notice.”
In very [...]
For years, I’ve endorsed the idea that using a simple low-level protocol was far easier to troubleshoot and maintain than the high-level, proprietary and hidden-from-view COM interfaces that were all the rage in the Windows world, hence, “SMTP Good, MAPI Bad.”
Laura and I support a vertical-niche application in use around the country. Each of the [...]
On the Python announcement list, Bill Sconce posts: “The next meeting of the Greater New Hampshire Python & Milk/ Cookies SIG will be tomorrow night — Thursday, April 27th, at the Amoskeag Business Incubator, 7:00 P.M. (the usual place, the usual time).”
“Also, we have a special program. Paul Koning, who had never used Python [...]
In a fairly unusual move, Microsoft has re-released MS06-015, Vulnerability in Windows Explorer Could Allow Remote Code Execution (908531). Microsoft sent out an email to let folks know about that. Amazingly, while explaining why they were re-issuing the patch, they never mention what the patch is, nor specifically what went wrong, nor who should apply [...]
I spent Thursday evening in Nashua, New Hampshire listening to a presentation at the Merrimack Valley Linux User Group (MerriLUG) by Eric Eldred, a Director at Creative Commons and plaintif in the Eldred vs. Ashcroft decision rendered by the Supreme Court. Eric has a very low-key, well thought-out and persuasive presentation on the use of [...]
From Microsoft Watch from Mary Jo Foley: Is Microsoft’s Silent Treatment Appropriate for Patches?. “Microsoft says it is withholding certain details on security vulnerabilities to protect customers from bad guys. But critics say Microsoft’s cone of security silence only increases the risk for everyone.”
An interesting article. It claims that Microsoft is keeping its bug count [...]
InfoWorld: Top News reports Open source goes big time with Red Hat-JBoss Deal.
(InfoWorld) - “Red Hat’s surprise announcement that it’s acquiring JBoss could upend accepted wisdom about both the size and function of open source software companies. Still, some customers are taking a wait-and-see attitude toward the deal.”
I wonder if this is a new bubble [...]
