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GeekNights 070618 - Rym's New Computer

RymRym
edited June 2007 in Everything Else
Tonight on GeekNights, we slightly cop out with the sad story of Rym’s new computer. In the news, we banter about hard tests and RAM.
Scott’s Thing - The Analemma of Sol

Rym’s Thing - Shadow Sculpture

Comments

  • RichLatherRichLather
    The "sad story"? I hope nothing fried already. Although I have to say that all the Ubuntu talk prior to Rym's new computer had me wanting to try it on the current comp when I get my new comp up and running, but after hearing Rym complain about how Linux was giving him crap so he ended up booting to Windows instead has me leery.
  • SailSail
    edited June 2007
    Scott popped into his microphone A LOT this episode. And it really threw me, cuz you guys never have those sorts of problems.

    And ATi cards don't always end in catastrophic failure... There's one in your GameCube!
    Post edited by Sail on
  • AprecheApreche
    And ATi cards don't always end in catastrophic failure... There's in in your GameCube!
    Yes, but in the PCs they are not so good.
  • RymRym
    nd ATi cards don't always end in catastrophic failure... There's in in your GameCube!


    With specialized hardware, drivers aren't an issue.  ATi makes great hardware, but their drivers are butt.  They used to be more butt, and are slightly less butt than they used to be, but they are, nonetheless, butt.
  • evan15342evan15342
    "cat /dev/mem | uuencode | mail judge@court.gov"

    lol
  • BromleyBromley
    Hey, sorry I didn't get on sooner to comment on this episode I've been out of town for some time now. But anyways, I wanted to point out, (to great appreciation of Scrim sharing their deceptive way about transferring information), that we did nearly the same thing these past few year in school.

    Being a public school, our computer systems were contracted to Microsoft for XP and Compaq for the hardware, roughly. To get around the Group Policy and to teeter past the remote desktop/R-Admin programs that a few administrators would use, (actively, mind you. It was quite an interesting day when the head technician busted a kid for having a proxy open on this computer, taking full control of the system as he fervently jammed ALT F4 or fumbled for the power switch).

    Long story short, we used deviant means to get around the blocks. Cd's and flash drives were wonderful for running quick and clean copies of (mostly ubuntu) any Linux operating systems so that we could use Opera or the Mozilla browser to get on the 'nets. However, of course with every risk you take, there is liability. One fellow last year got 10 days for using a Knoppix boot disk, and any attempt at using a proxy was quickly crushed (we guessed that our IE histories were taken into account to bulk up the effectiveness of the Web Sense firewall software); and got you either a stern tongue in cheek talking to from the head technician, or you got totally owned by the Administration. Good times, good times.
  • AprecheApreche
    Yeah, US public school technology policies are incredibly stupid. They really need to change if they want to advance any kind of technology education in this country.
  • Our_Time_Is_NowOur_Time_Is_Now
    I hardly ever use the computers at my school. Most of everything is blocked on it. Except you guys. But you might be next year if I keep getting on the site at school.
  • SailSail
    Yeah, US public school technology policies are incredibly stupid.
    Indeed. But I can't even use the LiveCD or USB workaround because they have the computers so locked down that you can't use USB ports or the CD-Rom drive without a superuser privilege.

    My school also goes to great lengths to block proxys. I'd use one one week and the next week it will be blocked and I have to find another one. They keep logs of everything and there's a system in the district office where they pay a guy to sit there and flip through computer screens looking for "violations". Eventually, I realized that I could just use Google as a proxy and after that, no more problems getting past the firewall!

    I've always wanted to try to social engineer the librarian's password into my hands, but the only things I could think of without the ability to install, USB, CD, or download anything to the computers is expensive; buying a keylogger. The librarian and the sysadmins log into the various computers regularly, so there are many chances to acquire one such ID, but no clean way to do it.

    In conclusion, schools do a good job rendering technology completely useless.
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