Weird Week Of Newly Learnt Facts about large IT Companies.

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#1241020 17-Feb-2015 18:09

Geektastic: I'd agree iTunes is not the best app Apple have ever made for sure - in fact I think it is pretty dire and Airplay made it even more unreliable - but not sure about the rest.

iTunes server - not iTunes with home sharing.

As for the rest - if you don't believe me that Apple will brick your iPhone 5 and upwards if they mess up or remove your icloud account then check out the three service desk requests we ahve opena nd escalted with apple for that exact issue.

Try making a comment on MSN without a facebook account - you cant.

and to add one more pain from apple today. In order to get a coders account with apple, so we can sign an ios app being used for a client, we needed to register with Dun and Bradstroke. They are a credit agency who will pass your details onto thrid party marketers, phone marketers, credit agencies, ad severs etc. You can opt out of some but not all of these things and if you go to their site you have agreed to their terms and conditions. I've dealt with them in the past - long story involving telecom making a huge error - and they are awful to deal with. Every apple coders account needs to get a DUNS number.

nunz

1421 posts

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#1241028 17-Feb-2015 18:14

ubergeeknz:
nunz: The web seems to be getting less and less open standards / multi device functional and is heading down a nasty track where you need specific browsers and technologies to access it.

Umm, no. The web is becoming more secure. To do so, services must exclude old, insecure standards. Old browsers only support these old, insecure standards. Therefore they can no longer operate on these services. It is not about being less about open standards, it is about being more conscious of security as a basic requirement. And if you consider IE6 to be about "open standards" then sir, you are sorely mistaken. It's the worst kind of "defacto" standard there is and I am heartened that people are finally being forced off it.

I disagree - 'Progress' does not equal security. Look at WinXP as a virus vector compared to Win 2000 or XP. The latest versions of flash are bing updated at faster and faster rates owing to more and more issues.

Further more we are dumbing down our security and keeping it in fewer and fewer (non secure) hands. for example, Facebook sign ons - allow people to authenticate to more than facebook now and how many times have they been hacked? adding SSL into websites stops random snooping but introduced poodle and the other SSL exploitable connections. more layers to explot. more complexity = more chance to muck things up.

anyway - backto the point at hand. the point at hand was that those trying to get a more secure web browser are now getting nailed by security / systems that stop them getting the very thing they need.

nathan

5695 posts

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#1241037 17-Feb-2015 18:51

Many business transactions require a D&B number

Personally I don't get what the big problem with that is

nunz

1421 posts

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#1241069 17-Feb-2015 19:20

nathan: Many business transactions require a D&B number

Personally I don't get what the big problem with that is

Personally I detest businesses that sell other peoples details to third parties so the third party can advertise to you. D&B - that's what they do.

If Apple want to check I am a proper business they can look on the companies.govt site. I am happy to send cert of incorporation, I have credit cards they can debit to prove I'm a real person, they can check my DNS records to see I am registered with a legitimate DNS hoster, they can contact me on my telephone, send me a postcard at my physical address like google but they dont need to force me to give my details to a third party international reseller of my personal details.

And before anyone gives me the 'if you have nothing to hide speech'. I have plenty to hide like not getting spammed, telemarketed, sharing my personal proclivities when it comes to where I spend my money and my credit details to evry dunder head marketer who wants to sell me yet another credit card, loan, business service insurance or whatever crud they are serving up today.

ubergeeknz

3344 posts

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#1241079 17-Feb-2015 19:53

nunz:
ubergeeknz:
nunz: The web seems to be getting less and less open standards / multi device functional and is heading down a nasty track where you need specific browsers and technologies to access it.

Umm, no. The web is becoming more secure. To do so, services must exclude old, insecure standards. Old browsers only support these old, insecure standards. Therefore they can no longer operate on these services. It is not about being less about open standards, it is about being more conscious of security as a basic requirement. And if you consider IE6 to be about "open standards" then sir, you are sorely mistaken. It's the worst kind of "defacto" standard there is and I am heartened that people are finally being forced off it.

I disagree - 'Progress' does not equal security. Look at WinXP as a virus vector compared to Win 2000 or XP. The latest versions of flash are bing updated at faster and faster rates owing to more and more issues.

Further more we are dumbing down our security and keeping it in fewer and fewer (non secure) hands. for example, Facebook sign ons - allow people to authenticate to more than facebook now and how many times have they been hacked? adding SSL into websites stops random snooping but introduced poodle and the other SSL exploitable connections. more layers to explot. more complexity = more chance to muck things up.

anyway - backto the point at hand. the point at hand was that those trying to get a more secure web browser are now getting nailed by security / systems that stop them getting the very thing they need.

Software is as secure as it's ever been. That is to say, not terribly, on the whole. The reason there are so many patches coming out is that people are more aware of it and are actively trying to secure it. Cloud and single sign on is quite a seperate issue.

The irony of being unable to download a more secure browser isn't lost on me ;) However there has been at least 3 years of warning that Windows XP has had its day, so I have zero sympathy.

loceff13

1065 posts

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#1241091 17-Feb-2015 20:18

freitasm:
nunz:
loceff13: Garbage

I think you mean rubbish - we aren't United Statsians yet.

BTW a single word answer achieves nothing - how about enlightening the rest of us with your wit, humour and brilliance?

I agree. Single word replies are very off topic and add nothing to the topic.

Presumably it captured a number of users feelings towards some of the OP's facts.

mattwnz

20164 posts

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#1241122 17-Feb-2015 21:13

I agree with what you said about windows xp, as the only way to update is to use a usb stick to install the required software I found. It is quite a mission to do.

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

nunz

1421 posts

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#1253042 7-Mar-2015 21:57

loceff13:
freitasm:
nunz:
loceff13: Garbage

I think you mean rubbish - we aren't United Statsians yet.

BTW a single word answer achieves nothing - how about enlightening the rest of us with your wit, humour and brilliance?

I agree. Single word replies are very off topic and add nothing to the topic.

Presumably it captured a number of users feelings towards some of the OP's facts.

And again - nothing added to the conversation -

Please do enlighten us as to what is wrong with the things I learned this week. Feel free to teach me something new - show me where my learnings are incorrect.

I stand all a tremble, waiting in eager expectation to catch the snippets of wisdom that may fall from your lips.

nunz

1421 posts

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Inactive user

#1253044 7-Mar-2015 21:59

ubergeeknz:
nunz:
ubergeeknz:
nunz: The web seems to be getting less and less open standards / multi device functional and is heading down a nasty track where you need specific browsers and technologies to access it.

Umm, no. The web is becoming more secure. To do so, services must exclude old, insecure standards. Old browsers only support these old, insecure standards. Therefore they can no longer operate on these services. It is not about being less about open standards, it is about being more conscious of security as a basic requirement. And if you consider IE6 to be about "open standards" then sir, you are sorely mistaken. It's the worst kind of "defacto" standard there is and I am heartened that people are finally being forced off it.

I disagree - 'Progress' does not equal security. Look at WinXP as a virus vector compared to Win 2000 or XP. The latest versions of flash are bing updated at faster and faster rates owing to more and more issues.

Further more we are dumbing down our security and keeping it in fewer and fewer (non secure) hands. for example, Facebook sign ons - allow people to authenticate to more than facebook now and how many times have they been hacked? adding SSL into websites stops random snooping but introduced poodle and the other SSL exploitable connections. more layers to explot. more complexity = more chance to muck things up.

anyway - backto the point at hand. the point at hand was that those trying to get a more secure web browser are now getting nailed by security / systems that stop them getting the very thing they need.

Software is as secure as it's ever been. That is to say, not terribly, on the whole. The reason there are so many patches coming out is that people are more aware of it and are actively trying to secure it. Cloud and single sign on is quite a seperate issue.

The irony of being unable to download a more secure browser isn't lost on me ;) However there has been at least 3 years of warning that Windows XP has had its day, so I have zero sympathy.

I'm not after sympathy ;)

Its my job to get stuff working and if stuff includes old operating systems running to allow software that hasn't been updated by the vendors, then that's my job.

Its not my fault modern operating systems are so deficient in some areas 8b

nunz

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#1253045 7-Mar-2015 22:00

mattwnz: I agree with what you said about windows xp, as the only way to update is to use a usb stick to install the required software I found. It is quite a mission to do.

I've even found WSUS offline claps out for WinXP updates - I've resorted to using an older version.

MadEngineer

4291 posts

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#1253070 7-Mar-2015 22:47

nunz:
sir1963: I must be doing something wrong then because I have my Mac Mini acting as an iTunes server for about 4 or more years.
I serve my media files to iPads, iPhones, Apple TVs and an Xbox

The rest of your post is equally accurate.

Are you talking about using iTunes as a home server or the iTunes Media Server software? There is a difference. Apple themselves have no listed products it connects to.

So if the rest is inaccurate then why do Apple Support say I have to submit my Purchase documents for the new iPhone 5s to them to unlock it because the icloud address is gone and it is totally locked and unable to be reformatted etc?

Have you tried signing up to iTunes with an iCloud account?

have you tried signing up to a google account with a gmail account?

iTunes and icloud use the same account. You don't sign up to iTunes with an icloud account, you sign IN to iTunes with an icloud account.

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

insane

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#1253071 7-Mar-2015 22:54

nunz:

...

Fact 5 - The Education Dept in its rush to implement the New Learning Environment, is being ably assisted by Apple to get iPads into the hands of the children for them to do their homework. Unfortunately it seems that many schools are using Sum dog and a range of similar sites which require Flash. Pity the iPads don't do flash.

...

From what I'm seeing schools are lapping up Chromebooks and Google Apps For Schools, believe around 60% of all NZ Schools use GAFS, and that number is growing! Granted some schools are still buying iPads, however many have large numbers of them sitting unused gathering dust.

sdavisnz

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#1253072 7-Mar-2015 22:57

MadEngineer:
nunz:
sir1963: I must be doing something wrong then because I have my Mac Mini acting as an iTunes server for about 4 or more years.
I serve my media files to iPads, iPhones, Apple TVs and an Xbox

The rest of your post is equally accurate.

Are you talking about using iTunes as a home server or the iTunes Media Server software? There is a difference. Apple themselves have no listed products it connects to.

So if the rest is inaccurate then why do Apple Support say I have to submit my Purchase documents for the new iPhone 5s to them to unlock it because the icloud address is gone and it is totally locked and unable to be reformatted etc?

Have you tried signing up to iTunes with an iCloud account?

have you tried signing up to a google account with a gmail account?

iTunes and icloud use the same account. You don't sign up to iTunes with an icloud account, you sign IN to iTunes with an icloud account.

you're right. I get it...... but the rest struggle , companies make it difficult to make it easy ... if you know what I mean.

Voice gives context

MadEngineer

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#1253102 8-Mar-2015 01:30

I don't think they intentionally make it difficult. They'd rather not have people ringing their helpdesks.

I do get asked a lot, "why is it so hard", which is a worry when they're asking about an apple product which is (or at least is supposed to be) so easy. One recent example is a friend who has had no end of problems with his Acer laptop: two hardware faults both fixed under warranty, now he's back to me because his Skype won't sign in nor will the updates work. He hands it to me and I simply cancel the ones that failed and things start again. Sometimes it's something as simple as not being able to connect to their wifi as what they thought was their password isn't.

Nowadays if you're too lazy, Vodafone stores (haven't heard of Telecom doing this) will do a great job of moving your contacts from your old phone to your new, even when the new phone is already set up.

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

alasta

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#1253166 8-Mar-2015 09:49

One of the biggest problems in corporates is the disconnect between the people who procure software versus those who use it.

Example; I work in finance and find Excel absolutely dreadful but I have to use it because IT people think "that's what most finance people use so that's probably what they want" and management in finance think "the IT guys must know what they're doing so there probably isn't anything better out there".

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