replys to all posts over the last week or so

Hi jared and all.
Well here are the replys and comments to the posts.
1. going back a bit, the credit card hack with chips.
I am sorry but you us guys seem to be lagging behind.
Chips have been round here in new zealand for at least 3-4 years well at least 2 anyway.
We are moving partly to low wave tech now up to 80 bucks and nearfield is coming on with a few extras though security has meant nearfield is not everywhere.
Chips are commenplace.
2. the obama article.
At least someone is seeing sence, I do realise the privacy for the digital age is mute and security is security everyone watches their ass and thats fine.
I can take it that every tom dick and agency will be looking through my mail, my texts, and even this blog to see if I am osama binladen and have a nuke bomb to chuck at some major city.
That I can take.
The selling of everyone’s info I can take that to.
But yeah at least someone shows sence much that others don’t care for it, that opening backdoors for themselves will allow hackers to get in.
On one side I’d much rather keep it closed.
But on the other hackers will get in anyway, if they do open back doors it means they will have to protect those enterances more vigarously and if something goes wrong its their ass, I can live with that.
I mean just about every day someone is virusing up things.
On the subject with accessable software, I just got a piece of software which sadly is not fully accessable as I’d like some of it isn’t.
however the free program I used, has just stopped being accessable so well go figure.
see my opencandy article for why I sort of are not going to even go the free approach anymmore.
Even though I know I can turn it off.
Yesterday saw updates released for web brousers,, script engines, windows, shell and kernal and office itself.
general office, office converters, and other programs within office notably excell and word.
Adobe flash player and reader dc annd 11.
These were to address a malware and some other stuff which was that us humans are still while tech savi quite dumb with email, we still click the attachments and the bad guys know this.
Heck I know this, the only reason I don’t worry so much is even if an add site comes up which it does I know I have noscript and so am protected for the most part.
On the access tech front.
I havn’t had any issue as such with companies however.
I wish they don’t use india or some other island country for their service.
I have nothing against any race or even call centers, its the rage and well its ok if this is managed right.
But I have had experiences where its not worked.

My mum works at a docters place and ofcause you do need from time to time an ambulance.
Due to abuse of the service its all on a call centre.
When you call you expect everyone to know what is what especially if you are in a specialised role.
Especially when someone is seriously injured or had an heart attack.
For privacy reasons I can’t quote the exchange word for word, I mean I shouldn’t have even heard it but the point is this.
You call the desk.
you say your issue.
The call desk op is not a trained pro.
He is a fucking aisian indian fuck that probably gets only 2 cents an hour.
He doesn’t know what to do just follow a script.
I may be a bit harsh but to commenly I feel that its all scripted.
All questions have to be asked, and if there is an issue you just like a computer with no ai does follow the script continously to the end.
We are using call centres to much.
I have had an issue with my isp some time ago.
me I have a problem with my router.
Person, ok, what do the lights say.
Me I am blind.
person can you get someone to read the lights I need the lights to tell me.
I think you need me to punch you in the lights.
I ok, I will see if I can access the web interface and pull the info myself.
Ok I have it here it is.
Person please run this website to check problems, I can’t read that site.
oh, can someone read it for you.
Me can I have another.
OPerson well try this one.
Me ok it worked.
Person can you test with this info and your info.
Me I have tested with my info and it works.
Person test with this info.
Me Ok.
Next day, me I have tested with this info but something broke my router.
I think your info broke it.
Person I don’t know much about that.
Me can I speak to your manager.
Person ok.
At this point I get someone who can actually speak english and is local.
Turns out that wile used the info is old and is no longer acurate for use.
A new router was previded free of charge but I ended up buying another router and I will never use isp routers again!

Neither will I use computers made by hp, or asia or others.
I had a job trying to get hp support to get my access questions sorted, yes they are happy to note them down but no nothing is sorted with it.
Interestingly toshiba I had at school and they are aware of accessability.

Its why I buy their products, 99% of all their software is accessable and what isn’t accessable is not something that is needed.
Sony stuff is accessable but their software is not but their digital recorders have always hardware wise been accessable to a point.
Microsoft had 2 experiences.
The first one I was working to fix an audio speech issue.
Me I am having an issue.
Person, ok go to registry and delete this and this.
Me ok.
then restart.
Ok fine.
I restart, everything is gone.
Me fuck, fuckity, fuck, fuck, fuck.
I may as well not call ms support, they are useless.
A reformat later since that was the only way to fix things, I looked at email.
The first thing that came up with a satisfaction servey to answer wich no one reads.
I answered the servey but really was angry for ages.
THe second issue was with windows update not working.
In this reguard I got through all the channels finally to a tech that had to be mexican or spanish.
I quoted him my session id and he connected to my system.
He worked for 4 hours on the issue explaining everything to me as he went for the most part.
At the end I asked him what would happen if the same issue happened again.
He said he would write a report and email it to me.
Less than 30 seconds later one came in an accessible html document properly marked up and headded right.
The issue has happened 3 or so times and I am always able to refur to that report have even sent it to people that needed the help.
I have also had favourable outcomes with cannon support, someone I will also buy stuff from in the future.
They did admit to me that ttheir quickstart was not accessable and also their manuals but if I had anything needed to be read to me they could instruct me to this reguard.
While there were issues where they needed someone to read a screen I was able to get the info from the web configuration screens and it seemed ok as long as I did this.
Hp printers are a mixed bag.
The software is accessable enough to use and install firmware and drivers.
Their printer websites are 50% accessable but their eprint system is quite bad and has only got worse.
Still as long as visual displays are mirrored on the device some way I can read them well.
In most cases they were ok and I don’t need tech support all day long.

I will end my speel with an interesting problem for readers.
I do some work for family members and from time to time support for old people with their systems.
Person, I have an issue with my email.
Me what is the issue.
Person, some chinese person rang me up and said I hacked her system and sent me junk and spam and is going to call the cops on me and is vary angry.
Me, ok lets check.
The day I can’t remember but it was the same day news had been going wild about the second or was it third local yahoo security breach.
That person was a yahoo user and I am so glad we all use gmail over here!
Me, lets check.
I knew how the latest breach worked.
1. login, ok.
2. check drafts and junk.
ok nothing.
check sent and inbox.
nothing suspicious there.
I had other users locally that got locked till they changed passwords.
Ok, me I am going to have to change the password.
Ok.
I rang support for the local isp that used yahoo and they told me the link to use.
At first they wanted me to use a web site that was not accessible at all but gave me a link to change the login.
Me, ok I have changed the password, I guided them through changing the password both for their broadband and email.
Ok, you shouldn’t have any issue from now on.
Person thanks.
Bye.

This was aparently fixed.
But left me with a few questions.
During my call to the isp I explained what happened, they confirmed no one had called them to complain about any such spam attack or that that there ever was one on their end.
I discounted it as it was maybe not their problem.
However its left me with 3 nagging issues that not even google has solved for me.
1. was this true, a hoax, or was it a fluke both happened on the same day as a security breach.
2. if so was this planned to happen on the same day as the breech.
3. If not then how would an isp give out personal phone numbers to a random person without instead putting out official contact about an issue.
4. Shouldn’t they have contacted me or fixed the issue via their own systems.
and 5 given this person has only a win xp system he used to use for email but mostly I do it remotely and he doesn’t even use the computer much and the isp subscription is just a left over from several years ago and used for a few limited family matters, could he have launched any attack.
I mean he struggled to understand how to use his system securly or even effectively.
He couldn’t even type right.
I am convinced that someone just randomly decided to lash but I am not sure and its not happened again.
I did everything needed to change security but to be honest this sort of complaint shouldn’t even hit a user directly especially since they had no hope or show of defence.
Because of this said person has given up using the internet completely and has stopped using email.
He has also given up using his mobile phone and left his phone off the hook.
If this was an attack it sure was successfull.
The reasons for it were sloppy to say the least.
There had no foundation and there was no evidence to back it up.
Eventually since this was one of the family we convinced him to use the phone again but he won’t use anything else.
We also keep the internet open though not much comes in to the email and he refuses to even use the computer.
If I ever find the people involved I’d like to take a knife and stab all of them in the back I really would.
What happened shouldn’t have happened.
Because of this a person who was just starting with the computer gave it up and almost gave up talking all together.
It still makes me mad even now even though it was 2 years ago because it remains unresolved.
The same anger goes to the call scammers saying you have a virus.
Sure us techs and hackers know what they are about but for those that are old and have issues they will simply freak.
I had similar experiences with buying things around christmas or with funding agencies.
People assume you want something to donate and add it to your bill.
ANd while I let a few through I am not really happy with the fact that its expected the case.
I have never had such a call, though to be honest if I kept getting scammed I would leave the phone off the hook and use cell or email only at least I know what they are all about.