Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[BU508A]

All nice and dandy, but you are missing one point:

I want to choose which path I want to go.
If I decide not to use onedrive, then I don't want to deinstall it explicitly.
If I don't want do use a Microsoft account, then I don't want to be forced to use one.
If I decide not to use this stupid PIN thingie to login, then I just want to simple disable it and never be bothered again.
Etc. pp.

The whole point of all this shit show is just getting more money and if it necessary to force and probably blackmail customers to do so, then this is a clear no-go for me.

Beside this: Why should I store probably sensible data in a cloud where I don't have the slightest control over it who can access it and see it? No way.

I do not trust Micrsosoft, Apple, Adobe, Autodesk, Amazon (sorry, mixed this up before) etc. in the slightest way in this respect.

[bd139]

I think the point is possibly better described that you are capable of making that decision and living with the consequences and the additional considerations required when taking on the responsibility of your own operations. Many are not. Those are the people I worry about really. I also worry about people who think they can and then their houses catches fire with their local only backup in it...

Attitudes are dangerous however if you do not consider the user and their skill level. Most people are much safer in the hands of theses companies and paying for it. Persuading them otherwise is disingenuous and arrogant.

Until about 2 years ago I had a side business going on doing local IT support for small businesses and most were on the verge of critical data loss and going down the toilet due to the "I'll manage it myself" attitude. People are unaware of the mortal risks around them. A lady journalist I did some work for actually lost everything she'd done for 20 years because she was told by an enthusiastic power user that she should manage it herself and avoid all that stuff. BUT she was incapable of evaluating the risks and found that she'd been copying shortcuts to her (corrupt) USB stick for the last 5 years.

That's 90% of businesses, individuals out there. Do not confuse your abilities with mitigating their risks.

When it comes to giving out advice it pays to understand ALL outcomes and that means using ALL the technology and seeking experience everywhere so it can be applied objectively. Advice should be given on the user's needs first.

Edit: a footnote on evaluating risk and being paranoid about the wrong things. MOST of the mortal risks are looming over you with no ignorant mitigation and nearly all of them aren't related to data tenancy and ownership . Tritely, we can get pissy about paying for Excel or we can worry about where our food is coming from 6 months down the line. The latter scares me somewhat more.

[SilverSolder]

I would agree that the "average consumer" is better off with a cloud service.

What I don't understand is why MS is forcing everyone to follow that model, if they would rather compute locally?  Guessing $$$ is the reason.  MS got tired of people like me using the same version of Office for longer than they think I should, I guess...

[bd139]

You can still buy office one time licenses and they are still supported for 10 years and are still activated with product keys. One seat is £419 + VAT which is cheaper than it was a few years back as well (I bought office 2010 pro when it came out)

There's still a choice. There is still no requirement to use the cloud if you don't want to. All files work locally fine. No requirement for OneDrive. You can connect outlook to a shonky pop box on a web hosting company still if you want 

[BU508A]

True. But why does this means, that me as a customer has to sell my soul to these companies? There are other solutions around which can help the average user not to lose his data etc. There is no need to gain control completey over their devices, software and data. To me, this is a dystopic version of a world where I don't want to live in it. Because it means, that one has to say good bye to "sapere aude". And one day you'll finding out, that you are loving the Big Brother.

[bd139]

The thing is they contractually don't own the user's data or devices. It says so in the contracts if you read them.

On Big Brother, do not look at the corporations. Look at your fellow citizens first. I'm always surprised at how quickly someone can turn and invoke the state apparatus when it benefits them. And remember they also make up the state apparatus.

[Cerebus]

I know from past experience, that some of you share a sense of humour with me. Well, OK, most of you don't have quite as sick and dark a sense of humour as I do (apart from BD139), but you're on the way to it.

With that in mind, I'd like to point the like minded to the latest efforts of Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Peter Serafinowicz on YouTube as "Sassy Justice". The robot faced deepfake of Mark Zuckerberg - still looking like a robot in a sea of surprisingly good and subtle deepfakes - cracks me up. I'm not posting a direct video link, as some people might characterise it as 'political' - don't watch if you can't laugh at Herr Drumpf and Tom Cruise.

[bd139]

Hahaha I quite enjoyed that 

[BU508A]

*sigh*

Really, I'd love to discuss this topic with you guys further, but

- I'm tired
- my english is far away from a level to discuss such things (I have always to look up and cross check things in Wikipedia etc.)
- a friend of mine is living in Vienna and this concerns me really

Besides that, the discussion is getting far away off-topic.
Maybe, some day we'll meet and then we can discuss such things (or celebrate dark humour  ) with a piece of apple-pie, coffee, tee or maybe later on with Whisky or other spirits.   

[Cerebus]

The thing is they contractually don't own the user's data or devices. It says so in the contracts if you read them.

On Big Brother, do not look at the corporations. Look at your fellow citizens first. I'm always surprised at how quickly someone can turn and invoke the state apparatus when it benefits them. And remember they also make up the state apparatus.

I've been cheered by the efforts that some of the usual suspects at least appear to have gone to in resisting overly broad or unwarranted (in both senses) state intrusion into private data held by them. Of course, I can't help having a suspicion that this could be the equivalent of greenwashing, in just creating an appearance of not being cosily in bed with the spooks, would-be dictators and other ne'er-do-wells that make up much of officialdom. These days it can be hard to tell.

By the way, do we have an equivalent for 'greenwashing' here? I'm dry, and I'm normally the first man you'd ask to invent a name that sticks. Halo polishing?

[bd139]

@BU508A:  Fair points. I like the idea of your baking being on the menu   

[Cerebus]

- a friend of mine is living in Vienna and this concerns me really

That would worry me on a normal day, I've known Viennese who could die from their own gallows humour. 

[BU508A]

The people in Vienna are having their own special dark humour. And I like it.

As an example, he told me once this:
"Der Friedhof in Wien ist vielleicht nur halb so groß wie Basel dafür aber doppelt so lustig."   

[Saskia]

True. But why does this means, that me as a customer has to sell my soul to these companies? There are other solutions around which can help the average user not to lose his data etc. There is no need to gain control completey over their devices, software and data. To me, this is a dystopic version of a world where I don't want to live in it. Because it means, that one has to say good bye to "sapere aude". And one day you'll finding out, that you are loving the Big Brother.

our CIO is selling our souls to the Hive, and this is what I have a huge problem with.

Hubby is from Vienna. Lots of his colleagues are trying to find the terrorists and eliminate them. One of his (Ex-) colleagues got killed. He is understandably pissed.

[Cerebus]

"Der Friedhof in Wien ist vielleicht nur halb so groß wie Basel dafür aber doppelt so lustig."   

For the pure Anglophones: "Friedhof cemetery in Vienna is perhaps only half the size of Basel, but twice as much fun."

[BU508A]

Oh dear!    

I hope, they'll hunting down these bastards.

[Specmaster]

All of this online thingie is all well and good but it has to bourne in mind that it is a fact that most business need to be careful about their data backups and storage for very obvious reasons. The true fact is that as far as I can see is like the example I gave earlier with regard to the missing 16,000 test results because of a company, well lets name them, it is public knowledge anyway, Serco. They were given £millions by the government to run the CV-19 test centres and also the track and trace. Now they were it is alleged to have been too mean to purchase new copies of Excel to ensure that the software was capable of storing the massive amount of data that they were going to accumulate.

This is the corporate mentality, why buy new when you have what they see, as a working and capable program already, after all it eats into their profits, and they have to ensure that their shareholders get annual dividends. I think that they also take a similar approach to data protection and backup, if it costs money, then screw it. Worry about that if and when the shit hits the fan and if they are lucky, they will be gone before that happens, along with the money of course. Yes of course there will be many companies who do run a proper tight ship and do things correctly.

When it comes to private users, they cannot in most cases afford to simply keep shelling out for these annual fees, I fully expect that the majority will be using either a free compatible program or a hooky copy of something like MS Office, and could even be using Google's own free suites online. Most will not have any form of back-ups of any kind and those that do are probably using one of the many free online storage (5GB IIRC) with a small cost to purchase extra space if required. For Mr and Mrs average, this I suspect is sufficient space anyway for their important data, assuming it is in digital format. Most peoples important documents, photos etc will be paper based anyway and in the event of a fire etc, will be destroyed.

Right now, many peoples finances will be severely stretched with the loss of jobs from the current climate, retirement etc and people in those positions just cannot afford to keep paying annual fees to the likes of MS, whose fees will for sure be rising over time, faster than the income of many of their customers.

[Cerebus]

Hubby is from Vienna. Lots of his colleagues are trying to find the terrorists and eliminate them. One of his (Ex-) colleagues got killed. He is understandably pissed.

I'm sorry to hear that.

I do wish however that didn't include the word "eliminate", we're supposed to be better than them. Plus the rest of a person's life spent in a cell is much less glamorous than martyrdom.

[Specmaster]

"Der Friedhof in Wien ist vielleicht nur halb so groß wie Basel dafür aber doppelt so lustig."   

For the pure Anglophones: "Friedhof cemetery in Vienna is perhaps only half the size of Basel, but twice as much fun."

I did the translation as well 

[bd139]

I'm going to leave this here and piss off to bed

[mansaxel]

Meanwhile, in the through of a respectable Swiss mixing console. They are everywhere!

[Saskia]

Hubby is from Vienna. Lots of his colleagues are trying to find the terrorists and eliminate them. One of his (Ex-) colleagues got killed. He is understandably pissed.

I'm sorry to hear that.

I do wish however that didn't include the word "eliminate", we're supposed to be better than them. Plus the rest of a person's life spent in a cell is much less glamorous than martyrdom.

eliminate the threat.

It's as simple as that. And tbh they will try to take out these bastards by any means at their disposal. Last I heard the Jagdkommando is getting ready to roll. That's the Austrian equivalent of the SAS. And the JaKo is not as friendly as the special police forces.

[Cerebus]

Meanwhile, in the through of a respectable Swiss mixing console. They are everywhere!

Yeah, who'd have thought that the Swiss would buy components from some dodgy Swedish manufacturer? 

[Specmaster]

Hubby is from Vienna. Lots of his colleagues are trying to find the terrorists and eliminate them. One of his (Ex-) colleagues got killed. He is understandably pissed.

I'm sorry to hear that.

I do wish however that didn't include the word "eliminate", we're supposed to be better than them. Plus the rest of a person's life spent in a cell is much less glamorous than martyrdom.

eliminate the threat.

It's as simple as that. And tbh they will try to take out these bastards by any means at their disposal. Last I heard the Jagdkommando is getting ready to roll. That's the Austrian equivalent of the SAS. And the JaKo is not as friendly as the special police forces.

TBH, that also seems to be the thought process over here now, it seems a terrorist, once loose on the streets, is much more likely to be taken out by armed police than taken alive.

[Specmaster]

Meanwhile in other circumstances this was the scene at Costco in Lakeside today, hundreds of people queued for hours to go and panic buying in preparation for the national lockdown starting this Thursday. Bastards had better leave enough for me when I go shopping later in the week 

It must have taken hours for the back of that queue to get to the store entrance. Reminds me of photos I've seen of people queueing for bread during the 2nd world war FFS.