Re: Reading Email while onLine

From: Shannon Jacobs (shanen_at_my-deja.com)
Date: 03/03/04 

Date: 3 Mar 2004 06:10:36 -0800

"Sandi - Microsoft MVP" <sandi_hardmeier@mvps.org> wrote in message news:<elBKOOJ8DHA.2764@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl>...
> "Shannon Jacobs" <shanen@my-deja.com> wrote in message
> news:uCOi7iE8DHA.1640@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> > Well, well, well. What a deep and "valuable" response:
>
> It was all that was required.

Was it now?

I actually raised a substantive and new security issue. One would
imagine that such a fine and upstanding security expert as Sandi
Hardmeier, Microsoft MVP, would have some substantive comment.

You know how much those CD's cost? The ones that they "reward" the
MVPs with? On old friend has become a publisher these years, and he
told me it costs them around 10 cents a piece for large runs.

I think you (Sandi Hardmeier, Microsoft MVP) are overcompensated--but
I'm including the postage in my considerations.

You know, I'm still less than amused at your inability to address any
of the real issues after you went and stirred things up. Makes me feel
like just repeating the last little comment you were unable to deal
with in anything remotely resembling a constructive fashion. To whit:

 

Well, well, well. What a deep and "valuable" response:

Sandi - Microsoft MVP wrote:
> If that's his reaction when I stick up for him, I don't think I'll
> bother next time ;o)
>
> BTW David, did you get my update email re the impersonator? The web
> site in question was shut down :o)
>
> "David H. Lipman" <DLipman~nospam~@Verizon.Net> wrote in message
> news:%23DiQMZD7DHA.2712@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>> Take it out on me -- NOT Sandi !
>>
>> Your information was poor at best and you say you were a MVP ?
>>
>> Dave

Eh? First, you (Sandi Hardmeier, Microsoft MVP) are going to have to
explain how "Ditto" to an insult constitutes sticking up for someone.

Second, I did not say I was ever an MVP, and I don't argue with TNIs
(AKA fools), even TNIs with reading deficiencies.

Third, I will rehash the true problem of Microsoft security. It is
that Microsoft only sees security as a marketing issue, but they see
the OSes themselves as crucial weapons against the competition.
(Office should be included here, actually.) When you are making
weapons, of course you make them as powerful as possible. Microsoft
has shown much skill in producing weapons to destroy the competition,
but the resulting OSes are like bazookas in the hands of 5-year-olds.
No insult intended to the typical user, who only wants to get a job
done without needing a computer science degree. (Actually, I have one
of those from a supposedly prestigious university, and I still don't
know much about Windows internals--though I do know quite a bit more
than the "typical user".) Blaster and MyDoom and friends are the
natural results.

Fourth, I find it interesting that the original post apparently
somehow escaped indexing in Google groups. Shall I put on my shiniest
tin hat and speculate about "ethical hacking" from the Microsoft
folks? In fact, I find it so interesting (and annoying and
perturbing), that I'm going to repeat the original comments:

Here is the ignored post:

See what happens when you go slumming?

"Sandi - Microsoft MVP" <sandi_hardmeier@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:#duQD$o3DHA.2528@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> "David H. Lipman" <DLipman~nospam~@Verizon.Net> wrote in message
> news:uu0cZpo3DHA.3656@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
>
>> Now please don't quit your day job !
>
> Ditto.

Let's review the context you (Sandi Hardmeier, Microsoft MVP)
preferred to snip away from this thread. (I didn't snip
anything--that's the entire "valuable" post. [Ditto for the current
post which appears above.]) Someone posted a message recommending
disconnecting from the network before reading email. That is not a
particularly effective security measure for the kind of problems the
OP mentioned, and I posted a brief explanation as to why.

In response, some TNI (typical newsgroup idiot) posted a snide insult.
The basis of his insult was apparently that I didn't know what CDO
stands for. Actually, I can't even keep up with my own employer's
endless supply of buzzwords and acronyms, and the deep meaning of CDO
was irrelevant to the actual technical issue. Certainly, it would have
been possible to raise some real security issue, such as the Web bug
problem, where disconnecting is advantageous, but I had deliberately
limited my brief comment to the actual scope of the OP's comment. In
general, I don't have so much time to waste.

Then you (Sandi Hardmeier, Microsoft MVP) felt it appropriate to
contribute to the discussion. "Ditto." What a deep and thoughtful
contribution. Truly a "valuable" contribution to the "Microsoft
Valuable Professional" program. Gee, I hope I got that acronym
right--as if I should care.

Sad how far the MVP program has sunk these years.

Of course, the explanation is quite obvious. Microsoft and "free" and
"support" do not go together very well. Microsoft would much prefer to
charge for "support". However, that's only one of the reasons why I
think they should call them "Microsoft victims" rather than "Microsoft
customers". Microsoft's market-driven approach to security is even
worse.

So let's consider the larger historical context.

A bit of research shows that you (Sandi Hardmeier, Microsoft MVP),
apparently joined the MVP program in 1999. I'm pretty sure that was
before Microsoft terminated the MVP program. (I'm not certain since my
own newsgroup participation goes back many years, even back to the
pre-Web days when there weren't nearly so many TNIs around.) Whenever
it was, Microsoft unilaterally announced that they were going to dump
the MVP program to "improve" their support. There was a major public
outcry, and Microsoft quickly changed its mind. The MVP program
continues to exist--for whatever "Ditto" is worth.

Now I admit that my evidence is not very complete. I do have a real
job that takes up lots of my time. Sometimes I'm even being paid to
provide technical support and solutions. Extremely pleasant work, nice
managers, and well paid, too. No, your deep and thoughtful advice is
not a significant factor in my decision to stay with the job.

I don't have the time or motivation to contribute more than 20,000
posts for Microsoft's benefit. (That's making the charitable
assumption that most of those posts are more "valuable" than "Ditto"
for some TNI.) Actually, I normally don't even look at the posts in
the microsoft.public.security.virus newsgroup where this "discussion"
took place. I only scan it for the traffic volume as a metric of how
many security complaints are directed to Microsoft via this channel.
Real security issues are best handled elsewhere.

You know, in spite of Microsoft's "change of heart" about the MVP
program, I think they still dislike free support and would rather get
rid of the MVP program. What better way to destroy the usefulness of
the program than to retain MVPs like you (Sandi Hardmeier, Microsoft
MVP)?

Relevant Pages

  • Re: How to fix broken security in Windows 2000?
    ... Years ago, way back when the MVP program was useful, I would ask ... I am quite sincerely interested in how Microsoft ... > knowledge database that their paid support technicians use when you ...
    (microsoft.public.win2000.windows_update)
  • Re: How to fix broken security in Windows 2000?
    ... Years ago, way back when the MVP program was useful, I would ask ... I am quite sincerely interested in how Microsoft ... > knowledge database that their paid support technicians use when you ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsupdate)
  • Re: How to fix broken security in Windows 2000?
    ... Years ago, way back when the MVP program was useful, I would ask ... I am quite sincerely interested in how Microsoft ... > knowledge database that their paid support technicians use when you ...
    (microsoft.public.security)
  • Re: How to fix broken security in Windows 2000?
    ... Years ago, way back when the MVP program was useful, I would ask ... I am quite sincerely interested in how Microsoft ... > knowledge database that their paid support technicians use when you ...
    (microsoft.public.win2000.security)
  • Re: How to fix broken security in Windows 2000?
    ... and pleased to have the Microsoft Valuable Professional program ... Years ago, way back when the MVP program was useful, I would ... >> knowledge database that their paid support technicians use when you ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsupdate)