Thank you Hackers!

Every one of your finding is making Windows more secure as it "requires" Microsoft to patch those holes. Without you, Windows would have lived in Wonderland just focussing on beating up the competition and churning the latest and greatest products (?) and not worry about Security that much.

But I have bad news for you guys as well. Your sucesses will be your failures in the future. My prediction is that in a year from now (yes, exactly 12 months from now), Windows will be so harderned and patched up, it will be next to impossible (but still possible) to find a security hole. This is also partly due to the closed source nature. You will then move on to Mac & *nix as you will be give up on Windows.

Here are somethings to support my prediction:
Windows web server more secure than Linux
Windows is more secure than Linux, claim researchers

Well, I don't think we are there yet but it is heading in that direction. Thank you all again for doing a service to Windows even though your motives for doing this is highly questionable.

Blockbuster Deception

Blockbuster is running a ad-campaign called "Celebrate the end of late fees" which claims the following:
"There are no more late fees at BlockBuster. And that's on every movie and every game in the entire store - no matter how you rent. So if you need an extra day or two with your movies and games, go ahead and take 'em. Relax. Enjoy them without the stress of late fees"

After watcing the Ads, I thought just like everyone else that one could keep the movie rentals as long as they want just like with NetFlix or other online rentals. But that doesn't seem to be the case. Here is the FAQ from their website:

Q: Now that late fees are ending, can I keep movie and game rentals as long as I want?
A: Movie and game rentals are still due back by the due date shown on your receipt.

This is the whole reason I stopped going to Blockbuster because of their deceptive practices. They had some ridiculuous policies and late fees and 2-day rental never works for me. Do they expect every consumer to read all the fine prints before renting?

I am glad N.J is sueing Blockbuster over this.

Representing Microsoft

I was filling out my mid-year review this week and wanted to fill in the Strengths & Weaknesses section as required. So I went to the Microsoft "Competencies" & "Values" intranet site and to my surprise I found the following under "Representing Microsoft" value:

Projects a positive and professional image of Microsoft in all contacts. What Does It Mean?

• Is loyal and committed to Microsoft.
• Speaks well of Microsoft, even when not in agreement with all company policies and decisions.
• Promotes a positive, realistic image of Microsoft to the public.
• Persuasively advocates Microsoft’s interests.

I stopped filling out my review and pondered over this for a very long time (I was even tempted to put "Representing Microsoft" as one of the things to improve upon in my review!) trying to put this in the context of this blog. I am to some extent critical of Microsoft and speak my mind relating to events. But that wouldn't stop me from "Representing Microsoft" as an employee because that would mean back-stabbing which I would never ever do. But what I was trying to understand was that if this applies to what I do as a person. I wouldn't think so.

To my comfort, I also found the "Integrity & Honesty" value. If "Values" apply to both as an individual & employee, then it should apply to all values isn't it? If that is true, I can take comfort that I am being honest in speaking my mind. After all this is my diary and the sole purpose of this blog is to write about what catches my attention and to dump my thoughts at that moment.

I love our president!

He makes me laugh and sometimes cry. He is funny and most of what he says confuses the hell out of most, with the exception of written speaches which he can read correctly . After all he graduated from Yale & harward. Here is his latest:

"Because the—all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculate, for example, is on the table; whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases. There's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those—changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be—or closer delivered to what has been promised. Does that make any sense to you? It's kind of muddled. Look, there's a series of things that cause the—like, for example, benefits are calculated based upon the increase of wages, as opposed to the increase of prices. Some have suggested that we calculate—the benefits will rise based upon inflation, as opposed to wage increases. There is a reform that would help solve the red if that were put into effect. In other words, how fast benefits grow, how fast the promised benefits grow, if those—if that growth is affected, it will help on the red."—Explaining his plan to save Social Security, Tampa, Fla., Feb. 4, 2005

You can read more all at The complete Bushisms at www.slate.com

How much could Microsoft save by cutting back on employee books purchase?

Not significant. Even if it is, it is not worth it since creative and fun workplaces motivate its employees and foster broadening their knowledge and not hinder it in anyway. I have read on the web about how

Every Pixar employee, for example, can take acting or cooking classes and get the occasional on-site massage.

or how Google motivates its employees by (from here)

Creating a fun and inspiring workspace that includes on-site doctor and dentist; massage and yoga; professional development opportunities; on-site day care; shoreline running trails; and plenty of snacks to get you through the day.

Microsoft has some of it too. But then why am I bitching about it? Here is the scoop:
There is a new policy in our org about employee book purchases. The book request now goes up the command chain for approval. I thought that was a good idea (Because, I know one person who ordered Age of Empires strategy guide through MS Market through his cost center??!!) until I requested one. My manager stopped by and asked me the following questions:

• Why do I need this book now as I am not doing anything related to it now?
• Did I check with other people in the team on whether they would recommend the book?
• Why couldn't I get this book from the library?

and started telling me on how he learns on the job blah blah blah! That conversation certainly didn't make me feel very good at that moment. It is not like I order few books a month. I probably do couple a year (maybe 5 a year). I started to ask myself afterwards whether I am not allowed to read and learn about something that is related to my work and broaden my knowledge (After all I do not want to be a code monkey and do what they tell me to do)? The funny thing is that I will be doing some work in managed code in near future and thought it would be a good idea to have a head start now.

Well, sometimes things go too far and you just have to decide for yourself whether it is the right place for you to be.

Secrets & Lies

I just got "Secrets & Lies - Digital Security in a Networked World" and will be reading it over the next few weeks. The author "Bruce Schneier" is greatly respected in the cryptographic community and his book "Applied Cryptography" is the best of the best.

You can find more about this book at http://www.schneier.com/book-sandl.html

Either Bush is stupid or I am

Details are starting to unravel about his social security restructure plans. I am not sure if the problem and the solution has any relationship.

Here is the problem from here:

• In 2018, the government will begin to pay out more in Social Security benefits than it takes in in revenue - and shortfalls then will grow larger with each passing year.
• By 2042, when workers in their mid-20s begin to retire, the system will be bankrupt - unless we act now to save it.

And note that Bush is not taking about cutting benefits anywhere. If that is true, his proposal does not make sense.

Bush's solution:

• The President wants to see Social Security permanently strengthened for our children and grandchildren, without raising payroll taxes.
• The President favors voluntary personal accounts as part of a comprehensive solution to give younger workers the option to save some of these payroll taxes. Personal accounts give younger workers the opportunity to receive higher benefits than the current system can afford to pay, and provide ownership, choice, and the opportunity for workers to build a nest egg for their retirement and to pass it on to their spouse or their children.
• Those who do not choose to have a personal account would continue to draw benefits as Americans have long done from the Social Security program.
• Personal accounts will provide Americans who choose to participate with an opportunity to share in the benefits of economic growth by participating in markets through sound investments. Any proposal will include limitations on the risk of investments permitted in personal accounts and will include low-risk, low-cost options like broad index funds similar to those currently available to Federal employees.

Here are the things that I don't understand:

• Even though the returns on the stock market investments over any 10 year period shows good returns, it is volatile. If I retire during a recession, am I not going to be screwed? This is gamling with my retirement fund which I wouldn't do.
• I am not sure how it fixes the system w/o cutting the benefits. If benefits exceed the revenues, the total 1/3 of the revenues will not be sufficient to pay the total 1/3 of the benefits in the future unless we take a cut in benefits. Is he not telling the truth?
• His proposal also allows an option to use the existing system. So if everyone chooses to stick with the current system, aren't we back to square one? He is definitely not telling the whole truth here.
• If investing in low risk investments fixes the issue and gurantees higher returns and the government thinks it is a safe bet, why isn't the government doing it automatically w/o all the personal accounts bull shit?

Overall, I think he is very weak in reasoning and must have failed math in school. Or is it me?