Vulnerability Development mailing list archives
Re: Lindows Issues
From: "Timothy L. Salus" <tsalus () cboss com>
Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2002 15:20:06 -0400
A simple thing to remeber is --- any code has to be decoded to be worth anything --- Therefore any code or system can be broken -- Human error alone stops system and applications from being perfect Jonas M Luster wrote:
Quoting Rohrer, Mark E (mark.e.rohrer () lmco com):carried by InfoWorld Daily News on 05/28/2002: "Executives from Oracle, Dell and Red Hat are scheduled next week to launch what the companies dubbed 'Unbreakable Linux' in an invitation they sent out to the press."Any lie, repeated sufficienty often, posted on billboards alongside 101 and told by sufficently wealthy individuals or coprorations will eventaully become subjective truth. Oracle has not stopped its "Unbreakable" campaign, even _after_ they were proven wrong in a way I'd describe as humilating, and people still believe them. Who's to blame RedHat for jumping a bandwagon that sure as heck will help them not only redefine "unbreakable" to something along the lines of "... by a team of ten trained squrls" but also has shown to effectively change the perception of the masses. "Unbreakable" is a simple statement. In its repetitiveness it is hypnotic, almost subliminal. The power of those campaigns can be seen in past and current industry campaigns, and political approaches. Now, you and I know that neither RedHat, nor Oracle is "unbreakable". And we'd know that one even without having seen the gaping holes in both products - we know it, because we know that there is no such thing as "unbreakable". Oracle knows that, too. But by assuming something that is virtually impossible, Oracle just made the move to greater advertising - what better to claim than something no one else would or could claim (except Microsoft). Yet another unanswered question would be: "How long until their clients find out they've been had?" and "What's gonna happen then?". The answers are most likel "long until never" and "nothing". Oracle's uber-envyed idol Microsoft shows us that there is no such thing as losing substantial client base of uncovered lies or a generally false advertising. They also show us that users take a lot of punishment and still return (it's called the "Mick Foley Syndrome", read his books if you don't get the twist :) for more. They'll release it, a week later someone will break it, the press will report it, and yet another week later your ${PHB} will buy site licenses because it's unbreakable. Makes money for Oracle and Red "Five years without a remote clue in the default maintainer" Hat. jonas
Current thread:
- RE: Lindows Issues, (continued)
- RE: Lindows Issues Gregory_DeGennaro (Jul 18)
- Re: Lindows Issues Matt Simmons (Jul 18)
- Re: Lindows Issues Jonas M Luster (Jul 19)
- Re: Lindows Issues Matt Simmons (Jul 18)
- Lindows Issues sec daddy (Jul 18)
- Re: Lindows Issues KF (Jul 18)
- Re: Lindows Issues H C (Jul 18)
- Re: Lindows Issues KF (Jul 18)
- Re: Lindows Issues De Velopment (Jul 21)
- Re: Lindows Issues KF (Jul 18)
- RE: Lindows Issues Gregory_DeGennaro (Jul 18)
- Re: Lindows Issues Jonas M Luster (Jul 19)
- Re: Lindows Issues Timothy L. Salus (Jul 19)
- Re: Lindows Issues David Wagner (Jul 19)
- Re: Lindows Issues Valdis . Kletnieks (Jul 19)