Formfiller

--JorgeA Peter Bright just dies when discussing with Leo Laporte. His facial expressions when debating with Mary and Leo are priceless. 1:09:00 - Pure destruction of Peter Bright. It's like all the bad moments of the presidential debates rolled into one compilation vid. Metrotards would be booed out in a TV debate. That's why there is such a strong censorship on places like Neowin.

The ultimate metrotard nadir: http://www.techbroil.com/2013/07/900-million-reasons-why-surface-rt-was.html?showComment=1374675313038#c8739683891903098046

Where'd you find the slides? I clicked on the Spiegel link and saw the text you quoted, but no illustrations other than a photo of the 23-letter sign at the BND headquarters. --JorgeA There are on a bunch of news sites. Image search bring them up: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1680&bih=884&q=xkeyscore&oq=xkeyscore&gs_l=img.3..0i24.779.2381.0.2510.9.6.0.3.3.0.69.330.6.6.0....0...1ac.1.21.img.1faK7e7pBZg

Funny how open that is indeed. http://jobs.saic.com/job/Columbia-XKEYSCORE-Systems-Engineer-Job-MD-21044/2679775/?feedId=4&utm_source=Indeed JOB SUMMARY: The Systems Engineer will provide support for the compartment systems that encompass the SKIDROWE systems. The successful candidate will be a self-starter, work well in a dynamic team environment, and be very organized and detailed oriented. .. •This candidate will need to have experience in basic SIGINT technology as well as integrating, installing, configuring, changing, and optimizing HW & SW solutions into an overall system architecture. •Support SIGINT systems by performing custom configurations of fielded mission systems. Qualifications: BASIC QUALIFICATIONS: •High School diploma or equivalent with 3- 4+ years of related experience installing, configuring, integrating, and testing software which run on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). •Software Integration experience with scripting languages (Java, C and Bourne shell). •Familiar with VMware ESXi 3.5, 4.1, and 5.0. •Currently possess an active TS/SCI with Polygraph security clearance. -- Apart from the last one, the basic qualifications are ridiculously mundane. Red Hat? I thought stuff like that runs on something cooler. By the way, corporations require nowadays usually far more qualifications for positions like beta testing software. And here you can play spy with a bit of Linux and script experience. Odd. This is funny: PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: •Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills with the ability to successfully interact with internal and external customers. I love it. *Customers*.

Here's NSA presentation for their software "XKeyscore". Apparently they use these slides to "sell" this system to allied intelligence agencies, like to the German ones. http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-intelligence-agencies-used-nsa-spying-program-a-912173.html Anyway, here it is: LOL! I know the NSA doesn't employ Photoshop wizards, but this is quite pathetic on a artistic level. The slides look like straight from a cheap "HTML generator" website, where some hobbyist is trying to sell off his newest shareware masterpiece. I especially like the cheesy early 90s "XKeyscore" logo. "My target uses Google Maps to scope target locations - can I use this information to determine his email address"? This sounds almost like a SEO-pitch ("how can I book the best ads on Google so that my potential customers will find my website faster?") I had to laugh about "plug-ins" and the guy doing a query in slide 2. It's as if they are selling a MySQL tool. It's serious topic, but it's incredible how cheesy it looks and sounds "internally".

The only reason why Microsoft could get away with this metro BS is because of the stupidity of the other companies.

The disease spreads: Google Play Store got metrofied! What a sad world, wow. I can't believe Apple and Google are copying the great success that is Windows 8. Instead of using the opportunity that Microsoft pissed so many customers off, they are following their footsteps. So many billions in the banks, yet so many idiots in the corporate offices..

Epic thread on Techbroil: http://www.techbroil.com/2013/07/microsoft-exec-mixup-more-madness.html?showComment=1373401039563#c8035153466201975685 A discussion about a stupid MS ad turned into a mega flame war. Pretty amusing. If you have trouble with the lingo ("TMR" and so on), read this.

Oh man, Snowden's leaks about Microsoft and the NSA is sweet karma in action. Not that I think that Google or Apple are so much better with privacy, but Microsoft surely deserved the bashing more than any other. After all their FORCED clouderization (killing SBS, price hike of traditional Office, XBONE, shoving Skydrive everywhere, whether you want it or not), and their mega-hypocritical Scroogled campaign, they more than deserved this bash. No other company right now is so obnoxious with forcefully herding their users into the cloud-prison. Karma is a b***h.

Thanks to the recent forum problems, some posts vanished. Why is the database making so much problems anyway?

And I thought Julie Larson-Green was bad.. http://allthingsd.com/20130708/aiming-for-functional-coherence-mulling-a-single-pl-and-with-advice-from-ford-ceo-microsoft-restructuring-set-for-thursday/ "Windows Phone chief Terry Myerson is expected to take over Windows engineering and platforms." Yeah, because he's done such a good job... Looks like Windows gets even more metrotarded. To see what an id*** takes control, read this: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/16/microsoft-terry-myerson-on-iphone-android-windows-phone/ Complete loon. Just when you think Microsoft can't f*** it up any worse anymore, they prove you wrong. Seriously, I would rather see Sinofsky coming back than the clowns they are putting at the helm of Windows now.

Great write-up Charlotte. Though, I am skeptical that the NuMicrosoft approach is something that they have envisioned since the DOJ case. I think it's primarily the Apple-envy that led to this. Don't underestimate the power ADS has on the psyche of a CEO! Apple-envy deranges the thought-processes of managers. Here's a great example: http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.heise.de%2Fmeldung%2FSAP-Gruender-will-Laeden-wie-bei-Apple-1912720.html (translated with Google-translator) Here you have it. He wants SAP (SAP!) to clone Apple-stores. If some of you don't know who SAP is: They are playing in the same field like Oracle and Salesforce, only with an even bigger focus on enterprise-only software. Imagine how fed-up with crazy you have to be, to follow Apple's footsteps with THIS product portfolio! Apple-envy (ADS - Apple Derangement Syndrome) transforms the whole industry into one huge nuthouse.

Arrrgh: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1040028489#post1040028489 I am usually able to handle them very well (waging war with metrotards became a bit of a hobby), but this guy is a tough nut. No amount of arguments seems to move him. He is ridiculously calm even in the most heated threads. His techniques remind me of the "manual" I've posted here before: http://pastebin.com/irj4Fyd5 Given his insane post count, and that pretty much all his posts are about defending MS at all costs, think he's a shill. The best I've ever met. His arguments aren't great, but he has an outstanding ability to wear down people (a very annoying combination of emotionless passive-aggressiveness and playing dumb). His stuff is also quite boring, which, bizarrely, is helping his case because it adds to the annoyingness. He has been teached well. A worthy opponent I must say.

Oh, the hardforums thread is getting hot. I think they could delete or lock it.

Another episode of "riling up the fantards": http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1770699 Grab it while it's hot!

First they butter you up with fluff about some added features, then drop the hammer telling you a certain thing has been killed, then they finally slip in the official propaganda, this time a strawman about "outside software makers" not really using it ( wait, what? ) to shelve the whole story for good. Needless to say that the point of that benchmark was not for "outside software makers" at least not that I can recall, but as a basic layman diagnosis for weak points in performance for the purposes of hardware upgrading, and also as a rough estimate of the entire system rating. One does wonder though why they would remove it at all? It was working, now it is not. Why kill it? Battery life again? I think it's because of the Surface. It's embarrassing that third party devices score better than Surface Pro (Cheap PC makers doing Windows better than MS? Impossible!). I guess it made a dent in the pride of the "devices and services" NuMicrosoft.

Expanded post about the Ethernet issue: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/ce00d36d-b97c-4f2e-817c-0484cff439be/beginning-with-windows-8-microsoft-wages-war-against-ethernet-connections

Thurrott's bribes didn't arrive, so he turned a 180: http://winsupersite.com/windows-rt/surface-rt-users-no-ethernet-you Thurrott is bashing Microsoft, and fights with the fanboys in the comments! He even counters the "not affected; don't care" "argument": "But empathy requires you to see past your own needs. Something we should all try." By the way, the issue it's all about is completely ridiculous, and proves once again that Microsoft has reached the loony bin: Microsoft apparently has purposely removed the drivers for Ethernet adapters from Windows RT, even though they seem to work. And they seem to actively block third party drivers for Ethernet too. It's an effort to kill Ethernet in favor of WLAN. Read the comments - some commenters posted links where manufacturers claim that they were asked by Microsoft to pull Ethernet-adapter drivers for RT! My theory why they are doing this, is because Ethernet gives too much control to the users: You can simply pull the cable if all the phone home gets too much. With Wi-Fi it's more difficult, - some devices don't even have a turn-off button for Wi-Fi connections anymore.

Windows and Line of Business Applications: No Good Options Great article, you should read it. It points out well how insane the WinRT paradigm is for business applications. The fanboys are now in pure denial mode, fantard on Channel9: If an article produces such responses from the metrotards, it's good.

Well, it looks like local accounts are crippled indeed in 8.1, at least until the RTM: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows-8-1-Preview-Won-t-Support-Local-User-Accounts-362922.shtml Even though it's apparently a beta-only thing, it's still very disturbing that Microsoft has added this requirement. With NuMicrosoft, it's certainly a possibility that this could be the state of things from now on after Windows 8.1.

WTF, according to that review you can't create local accounts anymore? (without hacks at least) I thought MS would come with stuff like that only in Windows 10 or so. Even after all the recent mishandlings by Microsoft, this comes unexpected. That's like an open invitation for anti-trust.

Amazing indeed. And even crazier than NuMicrosoft. Microsoft has at least a s***load of money and still a monopoly on the desktop; if metro totally fails, their financials can still keep them afloat for a while, giving time for develop some rescue strategies. Opera on the other hand has no such luxuries. Them p***ing users off is utterly suicidal. I wonder where they teach such genius customer-management strategies.

Uncanny deja vu: http://my.opera.com/desktopteam/blog/2013/07/04/the-vision-behind-opera-15-and-beyond?startidx=100#comments There are also some "embrace the change" fools in the comments. Creepy!

Wow, the new Opera (NuOpera?) is even more dumbed down than Windows RT. Their blog is very sinofskytastic now: http://my.opera.com/desktopteam/blog/ p***ed off commenters and stupid excuses by the devs galore. Quite interesting how the companies think: Stagnant marketshare - dumb down! Even when it makes no sense. And with Opera it makes even less sense than the NuMicrosoft route MS has chosen: Chrome is the dumbed down browser, Firefox is for the add-on freaks, IE is the "standard" bare-bones one and Opera was the full-featured one. Creating another Chrome makes zero sense, ZERO. Chrome will always be more popular, thanks to Google's financial power and advertising budget. Why should Chrome users switch to... Chrome (Opera branded)? Opera had an established audience, and they are giving it all up. That audience is p***ed, and there surely won't be a surge of Chrome users coming. The "nu" disease is spreading.

More spying: http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2013/07/04/revelations-on-the-french-big-brother_3442665_3224.html Sounds like yet another intelligence service has full access to Microsoft and friends. Interesting that Twitter is once again not on the list. They seem to be the only ones to protest on such things. I wonder why? Do they get the least amount of bribe money or something?