NetFlap.com - {the tech blog}

I’m not sure if this problem has been given an official name as of yet, so I will call it the “related blame” syndrome.  Why is it that when it comes to computers and technology, people want to immediately relate one problem with another.  Even if there is virtually no correlation, users decide to create one.  This may be related to my article about how everyone thinks they are a computer expert, but I’m not sure.  Here’s an example of something a user who is suffering with related blame syndrome might say:

“Remember two months ago when you were fixing my printer? Well, now my Internet Explorer doesn’t work.”

This is a common example of a user with “related blame” syndrome.  What the user doesn’t quite understand is that they are creating a correlation based on the fact that both of these things are in the “technology” category and that there was a problem with each of them.  If we look at example which is not in the technology realm, it helps to demonstrate the depth of this issue.

“Remember how last week at lunch your soup was cold? Well now my fridge doesn’t work.”

This statement is almost exactly equivalent.  Soup is related to food, fridge is related to food, there was a problem with both of them, so the cold soup must be related to the broken fridge.

Now, I understand this is because technology is difficult to understand for some and that they don’t understand the underlying systems involved, but this does not explain why they need to create any correlation at all.  If you don’t know anything about the subject at hand, why would you attempt to make a correlation? If I get the flu the day after I had a salad containing cucumber, I don’t draw a correlation between cucumbers and the flu.  I don’t know anything about the flu or how a cucumber might be related to it and therefore making that correlation doesn’t even enter my mind.

This problem affects the mental well-being of computer professionals around the world and therefore must be stopped.  Please help fight related blame syndrome in the technology industry by allowing those afflicted with this problem to read this article and understand exactly what they are saying.

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When it comes to the technology industry, in many areas there is a lack of serious competition.  When a company begins to dominate a market, they are able to price their products higher than they should be and can even release low-quality products.  As long as they have a tight grip on the market, people will accept it.  This is where competition comes into play.

Many people in the tech industry are fans of one company or another, but I’m a fan of one product over another.  For example, I’m a big fan of Google’s recent move into the office productivity arena because it gives Microsoft, who is currently dominating that market, some healthy competition.  This forces Microsoft to make a better Office suite and maybe even lower their prices.

Unlike a lot of tech people however, I’m not all about sticking it to Microsoft.  I like the fact that Microsoft is trying to improve their search engine to compete with Google.  This forces Google to step up to the plate and deliver a top quality search engine.  I also like the fact that Microsoft is releasing a portable media player named Zune which forces Apple to make sure the iPod is always moving forward and improving.

So when people ask me why I like Linux so much, I tell them that it’s because Linux is one of the only operating systems that has a serious shot and competing with Windows…. and competition is a good thing.

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I’ve done up this list to help other IT professionals avoid the mistakes I’ve made and the mistakes I’ve seen others make.  These tips are for both corporate and home users because both can fall into the trap.  If you’re an IT administrator, be sure to read through the list and double check to see if your network is vulnerable.

5. Doing day-to-day work as an administrator
Logging into your system as an administrator/root just to check your email or surf the web is a very bad thing.  You should only be using administrative privileges when you need them.  Using commands like su in *nix or runas in Windows is the best way to get admin privileges only when you need them.  If you’re logging in as an administrator, an attacker simply has to send you a malicious email or lure you to a bad website to gain complete control over your system and maybe even your network.

4. Vulnerable email client
If your e-mail client is not fully patched with the latest vendor security patches, you’re asking for a world of trouble.  When someone is able to simply send you an email and have it auto-execute whatever code they want, this is a bad thing!  Patch your email client often and if you’re using a common email client like Microsoft Outlook, it’s even more important.

3. FTP server with simple account passwords.
In one of the companies I used to work for, we ran a small webhosting server farm.  The logs on these servers would show invalid FTP login attempts.  At least once a week (if not more), we would see an attacker probe usernames/passwords.  They would try a few hundred common username/password combinations to attempt to get in.  The result when they do get in is usually several hidden directories in which they put movies/music/pirated software.  Make sure your FTP server doesn’t have any “default” accounts and all of your common accounts have strong passwords.

2. Vulnerable web browser.
Using an unpatched web browser is like leaving the keys to your parked car on the hood.  You won’t definitely have your car stolen, but the odds are good.  The internet has become a breading ground for spyware and viruses.  A large majority of spyware infects people’s system using web browser vulnerabilities.  Make sure to always download and install recent Firefox updates, visit Windows Update to patch Internet Explorer or download all security updates for whatever browser you do use.

1. Blank local administrator or root password.
The number one easiest way to get hack is to have a blank local administrator or root password set on your system.  You may think that it is quite obvious, but it can be easily overlooked.  I’ve seen systems hacked in less than an day when the Citrix server went online with a blank local administrator password.  This kind of thing was easily missed because the system was only logged into using domain accounts and the manufacturer installation CD had set the administrator password to blank.  Always double check all accounts that have access to your system for reasonable passwords.  No system in your network should have a blank administrative password!

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So I was walking through Toys ‘R Us yesterday and saw the new Lego MINDSTORMS.  I already have the last Mindstorms set, but this one is new… and how can I resist new robots?

The best new feature is definitely the “Ultra Sonic” sensor.  It allows the robot to judge depth and see motion.  It’s way better when your robot can see how far it is from the wall rather than having to bump into it before it knows it is there.

If you enjoy spending many many hours trying to accomplish a small task (like me), then you’ll enjoy this.  Even though you are somewhat limited with the sensors you have, you can still do some very cool stuff.

So when I got my set, I built the basic robot.  This took a few hours.  The basic robot allows you to put a ball in front of it and it drives straight at it and then picks it up with its claws when it gets to the ball.  That was neat for about 10 minutes.

I then decided I needed to try and do something myself so I thought, how hard could it be to modify the robot to make it locate the ball first and then go and pick it up.  Well… about 6 hours later… I finally got it to do this.  Going through an excercise like this shows the complexity of robots and gives you a lot of respect for the guys who make robots that actually do useful things.

Anyways… here is what my robot ended up looking like.  The design was only slightly modified from the one in the instructions, but the program I wrote was completely different.

More robots to come…

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Why is it that everyone in the world has someone in their immediate family who is a “computer expert”?  Have I missed something?  Is there a factory somewhere selling computer experts and everyone is buying one?

The problem is that these people honestly believe they are computer experts. Why? I’m not too sure.  At what point do these people or their relatives award them the “computer expert” designation?

I just wonder what makes computers so different that experts are so easy to come by?  It doesn’t seem to apply to other professions, so why does it apply to this one?

I guess in the end, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. So I here by declare myself the following:

• Plumber - I can use a plunger
• Doctor - I’ve applied one or more band-aids
• Lawyer - One time I got in an argument
• Stunt driver - I hit a curb once
• Accountant - I pay my bills
• Clown - Sometimes I dress funny

I hope that everyone from all of those professions accepts me into their field with open arms the same way I have accepted all of the “computer experts” into my field.  Hey wait, now that I think of it, I think I fit into one more category… Gynecologist!

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Well… this is the beginning.  It’s quiet in here.  Because I just spent a while playing with all the options of Wordpress and setting up the hosting account, I’m not going to make this long and won’t make references to the begining of time or the big bang or anything like that.

One day when this blog becomes so very infinitely popular, kids will most likely have to memorize this post and recite it at the start of every class.

You’ll see… you’ll all see!!

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