David Adams Archive

So, you think that since there are so few holes in your Mac OS that you're invulnerable to attack? That may be true for Trojans and viruses, but it's not the case for phishing attacks that can be fiendishly deceptive and destructive. Not worried yet? Read this column and you might think again.

A revealing Computerworld feature dissects offers a rundown on how Wikipedia and its various sister projects really work - the ideals behind Copyleft and the GNU FDL license, the people that contribute, the policies and guidelines that determine contributions, dispute resolution, the Wikipedia Hierarchy, and an amusing summary of some of the major controversies and lamest edit wars that have occurred within the world of Wikipedia. These include the Siegenthaler incident, the real size of the Death Star, whether the C# Programming language should be written with a hash or the musical sharp symbol, the real height of Andre the Giant, and the eternal conflict between British and US spelling. The story also looks at what the future holds for Wikipedia. An in-depth, revealing look at how the world's largest encyclopedia really works.

Large companies typically don't have any idea how much Open Source software they have running on their various systems. This can pose a management and legal problem, so HP has developed software, called FOSSology and FOSSBazaar to help track down errant OSS installs. A Techtarget article notes, "HP gave an example of a recent customer that had three times as many FOSS licenses as originally estimated -- 75 licenses rather than 25. This left customers with a choice: implement governance policies to allow the safe use of FOSS, or replace the software at an estimated cost of $80 million."

An enterprise Linux "expert" answers the question: "How can an open source software company like Red Hat stay in business if CentOS - and Red Hat itself - give their code away for free?"

Microsoft is doing away with “reduced functionality mode” for individuals that its WGA activation and validation scheme deems to be running “non-genuine” software. The company also is plugging two WGA loopholes that pirates have been exploiting successfully.Microsoft is attributing the changes it is making to “feedback from customers and partners.”

From the WSJ: "The dream of cheap computers in the hands of millions of poor children is becoming a reality, though not exactly as its proponents imagined. For-profit competitors snatched the idea and have run with it."