![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 31 to 55 of 55. Go back in thread:
Posted by slinky on May 21, 2007, at 15:15:56
In reply to Re: fixed things, posted by Dr. Bob on May 20, 2007, at 7:33:09
Bob,
You've given me the worlds strangest hard to remember password..I can live with it -if I can remember it.
Posted by 10derHeart on May 21, 2007, at 15:33:12
In reply to Re: fixed things, posted by slinky on May 21, 2007, at 15:15:56
Ah, but those are the very best kind....properly, randomly generated nonsense....beautiful! (yeah...my geekiness is showing)
But you can change it if you like, slinky..just go here:
https://dr-bob.securesites.com/cgi-bin/pb/signup.pl
Update your registration and it will ask you for a new one....:-)
happy passwording - I hate trying to think up new ones!
Posted by MicrosoftCustomer on May 21, 2007, at 23:57:34
In reply to Re: glad things are working, posted by Dr. Bob on May 21, 2007, at 8:31:01
> > A friend of mine said that using Linux might protect you more than using Microsoft.
>
> Who uses Microsoft? :-)
>
> BobExactly what does that mean? Is it intended to suggest that a person so diminishes their humanity by using the wrong brand of software that they are no longer recognizable as persons to a licensed psychiatrist? Since any educated adult knows a significant portion of all computer users use Microsoft, most rational educated readers would conclude a statement denying the existance of those users might be an attempt to dehumanize, or to *put down* Microsoft users. Or is it one of those "just kidding" situations where the bully redoubles their attack against anyone who refuses to go along with the insulting joke?
This is nothing new. Harrassment and ridicule of Microsoft users has been a binding group ritual among computer enthusiasts with less market power for more than a decade. Building one's peer group by insulting a convenient outgroup is about the oldest group-building trick in the book. But is Robert Hsiung going to apologize for insulting most computer users? No. He will more likely insult me twice by calling me incivil for confronting his scatter-gun insult. He will probably abuse his medical prestige by challenging my ability to test reality, which in this case requires sorting obvious insults from constructive rhetoric.
Apologize or continue your abusive behavior. It's your choice, doc. I'm really concerned if you still don't get it, that we can see insults just as well as you or better, but that you let yourself insult people on your board, but attack us when we do the same, well, I'm afraid maybe you will never get it.
Posted by Deneb on May 22, 2007, at 9:58:49
In reply to I use Microsoft. What's so funny? » Dr. Bob, posted by MicrosoftCustomer on May 21, 2007, at 23:57:34
Dr. Bob, I agree with MicrosoftCustomer.
Maybe you should PBC yourself Bob?
((((Dr. Bob)))) This doesn't mean I don't like you or think you're a bad person.
Deneb*
Posted by Deneb on May 22, 2007, at 10:30:15
In reply to Re: I use Microsoft. What's so funny?, posted by Deneb on May 22, 2007, at 9:58:49
Sorry Dr. Bob, I don't agree with everything MicrosoftCustomer said, just the part about putting down others, but I should have used the "report a post" button instead of agreeing on this thread.
((((Dr. Bob))))) u know I love u
Don't want to hurt your feelings.
Deneb*
Posted by karen_kay on May 22, 2007, at 12:08:32
In reply to I use Microsoft. What's so funny? » Dr. Bob, posted by MicrosoftCustomer on May 21, 2007, at 23:57:34
is mister bob not allowed to make a joke now?
goodness gracious great balls of fire, i think it's nice to see a side of mister bob we almost never see. especially considering everything the poor dear has been through in the past week.
(mister bob with a sense of humor)))) <----- one handed hug, because i have a smoke and wouldn't want to catch him on fire.
gosh, guess now he'll crawl back into his shell like usual.
kk, who has a sense of humor and supports mister bob's
Posted by NikkiT2 on May 22, 2007, at 13:18:30
In reply to I use Microsoft. What's so funny? » Dr. Bob, posted by MicrosoftCustomer on May 21, 2007, at 23:57:34
The fact is, anyone who runs a server and wants it secure ~doesn't~ run microsoft. I didn't see his answer meaning home users.
And thats what I took him to mean.
Nikki
Posted by MicrosoftCustomer on May 22, 2007, at 14:19:31
In reply to Re: I use Microsoft. What's so funny? » MicrosoftCustomer, posted by NikkiT2 on May 22, 2007, at 13:18:30
> The fact is, anyone who runs a server and wants it secure ~doesn't~ run microsoft. I didn't see his answer meaning home users.
>
> And thats what I took him to mean.
>
> NikkiMicrosoft has a major share of the server market, which would indicate that claims asserting "nobody" uses Microsoft or that "anyone who runs a server and wants it secure ~doesn't~ run microsoft" uses another brand are consistent with available facts.
I wonder what is less "civil" in Mr. Hsiung's mind:
* to call into question the existence, intelligence and credibility of millions of Microsoft product users, or
* to assert asserting that such customers are in fact human, rational, intelligent and in control of their choices to select a particularly reputable product whose users' intelligence is routinely called into question by a vocal minority of users of other brands.The answer, read literally, questions the reputability of anyone who uses Microsoft, including home users and business users. I don't *feel* put down when someone insults my careful product selection -- instead I *know* that statements which question the credibility of others whose credibility is well established tend to rhetorically demean the credibility of those others. It doesn't matter how I feel about it. What matters is reality, which in this case is a matter of taking at face value statements that attempt to diminish the credibility of others.
Posted by MicrosoftCustomer on May 22, 2007, at 14:24:26
In reply to oh goodness.... » MicrosoftCustomer, posted by karen_kay on May 22, 2007, at 12:08:32
> is mister bob not allowed to make a joke now?
>He is certainly allowed -- unless Microsoft decides to defend their reputation in court. The question is whether we are allowed to his expose statements made at others expense, especially in view of his intensive effort to require people here not to make jokes at the expense of others.
> goodness gracious great balls of fire, i think it's nice to see a side of mister bob we almost never see. especially considering everything the poor dear has been through in the past week.
He was victimized so he gets a free shot at somebody? I think it is revealing too, to see him overtly questioning the credibility of an entire group of people. I suspect it's not the first time. I'm not sure I classify that as nice.
Posted by MicrosoftCustomer on May 22, 2007, at 14:27:18
In reply to Re: I use Microsoft. What's so funny?, posted by MicrosoftCustomer on May 22, 2007, at 14:19:31
> Microsoft has a major share of the server market, which would indicate that claims asserting "nobody" uses Microsoft or that "anyone who runs a server and wants it secure ~doesn't~ run microsoft" uses another brand are ***NOT*** consistent with available facts.
Posted by All Done on May 22, 2007, at 14:30:21
In reply to I use Microsoft. What's so funny? » Dr. Bob, posted by MicrosoftCustomer on May 21, 2007, at 23:57:34
I haven't read all the posts, but I took Dr. Bob's reply as "who said *I* use Microsoft?"
Posted by Squiggles on May 22, 2007, at 14:40:53
In reply to Re: I use Microsoft. What's so funny? » MicrosoftCustomer, posted by All Done on May 22, 2007, at 14:30:21
I'm sorry i even mentioned Microsoft versus
Linux. I have absolutely no idea what is what
in servers. I can't even fix my Yahoo configuration on account of the ancient computer i am using. To me it just looks like a high-tech discussion. I'm sorry i brought it up.What i would really like to know is whether anyone knows who the hackers were and if it was an intentional hit on this website.
Squiggles
Posted by Klavot on May 22, 2007, at 15:30:14
In reply to Re: I use Microsoft. What's so funny?, posted by Squiggles on May 22, 2007, at 14:40:53
Obviously there is nothing wrong with people who run Microsoft software. Well over 90 % of computer users run Microsoft software. Microsoft makes a lot of great products. I run both Microsoft and GNU/Linux software. To be honest, Linux is largely the domain of geekdom :) Though it is an objective fact that both Linux and Mac OS are more stable and secure than Windows, by various objective measures. I'm sorry, but that's just the reality.
One measure of Linux's technical superiority is the number of the world's 500 fastest supercomputers that run Linux:
Operating system family *** Count *** Share %
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Linux ------------------------ 376 ---- 75.20 %
Unix -------------------------- 86 ---- 17.20 %
BSD Based -------------------- 3 ----- 0.60 %
Mixed ------------------------ 32 ----- 6.40 %
Mac OS ----------------------- 3 ----- 0.60 %(see http://www.top500.org/stats/28/osfam/ ).
Klavot
Posted by sdb on May 22, 2007, at 18:30:06
In reply to Re: glad things are working, posted by Dr. Bob on May 21, 2007, at 8:31:01
> > I'm glad things are working, and hope
> > it doesn't happen again.
>
> Me, too!
>
> > A friend of mine said that using Linux might protect you more than using Microsoft.
>
> Who uses Microsoft? :-)
>
> BobThat's an easy question. Many people probably?
Posted by Phillipa on May 22, 2007, at 19:38:55
In reply to Re: I use Microsoft. What's so funny? » MicrosoftCustomer, posted by All Done on May 22, 2007, at 14:30:21
Me too same interrpretation. Love Phillipa
Posted by 10derHeart on May 23, 2007, at 0:32:35
In reply to Re: I use Microsoft. What's so funny? » MicrosoftCustomer, posted by All Done on May 22, 2007, at 14:30:21
Posted by karen_kay on May 24, 2007, at 1:00:49
In reply to Re: oh goodness...., posted by MicrosoftCustomer on May 22, 2007, at 14:24:26
i don't have a single clue what microsoft is. did al gore invent it? i'm not kidding here either dear.
i'm just saying, goodness gracious! it's all greek to me. is mister bob not able to make a joke every now and again? if he were to say 'does anyone drink pbr anymore?' would i get my panties in an uproar because i do infact still drink pbr? (actually, on second thought....) i certainly wouldn't, especially if i were drinking one right now. want one yourself dear?
strange enough, i think i may be a microsoft customer too. not that i know what that means.
Posted by Klavot on May 24, 2007, at 3:53:10
In reply to to be honest... » MicrosoftCustomer, posted by karen_kay on May 24, 2007, at 1:00:49
> i don't have a single clue what microsoft is.
Microsoft is a prominent soft drink manufacturer. They operate from Redmond, Washington. Their most popular soft drinks include Vista (tastest like Coca Cola, but with a hint of Pepsi), PowerPoint (an energy drink targeted at athletes) and Excel (a health drink fortified with vitamins, minerals and Ginkgo Biloba). They also offer a selection of beers and ciders, the most famous of which is probably Encarta.
Apple Co. is an agricultural firm located in San Francisco, California. They source a lot of fruit produce to Microsoft, used in the manufacture of Microsoft soft drinks. They only farm organic food; consequently their product is generally twice as expensive as other similar food. The International Society of New-Age Elitists (ISNAE) has endorsed Apple as an "elitist-friendly company" and encourages their members to only buy Apple. Apple produce is generally very pretty to look at, but some consumer activists have raised concern over the nutritional content thereof. There have been rare cases of a condition known as "cutesie syndrome" amongst people who consume Apple produce; cutesie syndrome is characterised by an urge to eat jelly-beans and hug telly-tubbies.
Finally, there is the mysterious company called The Linux Corporation. They operate from the Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Linux was originally spelled Lenux, which is an anagram for Xenu-1. They are funded covertly by the Church of Scientology, and the financial model of Linux is poorly understood. There have been allegations that Linux runs an illicit trade in animal furs, especially penguin fur, which is considered a luxury item in some Asian countries, Scandinavian countries, and Canada. In March 2006, Newsweek published an expose about Linux's plans for Global World Domination And The Establishment Of A New World Order. It is a little know fact that Dr Bob secretely uses Linux.
Klavot
Posted by karen_kay on May 24, 2007, at 10:00:30
In reply to Re: to be honest... » karen_kay, posted by Klavot on May 24, 2007, at 3:53:10
topamax has taken away my desire for any sort of sweets. especially soda pop. with the exception of coffee (one shot coffee, three parts sugar, three parts heavy cream), i can't seem to choke down anything remotely sweet.
i can choke down anything remotely funny though. yours was especially so. thank you for explaining things for me. since i seem to find myself proposing left and right lately (think i should call my therapist up or what? i wouldn't think of proposing to her, as she's jsut not my type and hasn't a clue what's going on in my head) want to go to vegas or what? i don't have all day here, my husband is home...
kk
have a fantastic day. my yard is getting mowed and i found a pair of shorts. i'm pleasantly happy with those two things today. also, steven colbert was especially funny today. better hurry, i think he's about to say yes.
Posted by Dr. Bob on June 18, 2007, at 16:35:47
In reply to I use Microsoft. What's so funny? » Dr. Bob, posted by MicrosoftCustomer on May 21, 2007, at 23:57:34
> Exactly what does that mean? Is it intended to suggest that a person so diminishes their humanity by using the wrong brand of software that they are no longer recognizable as persons to a licensed psychiatrist?
Please don't post anything that could lead others to feel accused (for example, of suggesting that others diminish their humanity). You were asked to be civil under a different name, so I'm going to block this name -- and your previous name for triple the length of your previous block.
But please don't take this personally, this doesn't mean I don't like you or think you're a bad person.
If you or others have questions about this or about posting policies in general, please first see the FAQ:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#civil
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#enforceThanks,
Bob
Posted by Dr. Bob on July 5, 2007, at 18:51:01
In reply to Hacked, posted by Dr. Bob on May 13, 2007, at 9:50:36
> I'll try to keep you updated, and when the dust settles, we'll need to discuss the consequences of this.
I guess that dust has more or less settled... First, to review:
> it should be safe to turn on your cookies ... because the hacker was able to post as others, those who seemed to be responsible for the problem posts may not actually have been.
>
> someone else may have your posting password [may have had it then], but as far as I can tell, your computer hasn't been infected by a virus, the data on your computer isn't in danger, etc.> As far as I know, they didn't get access to the server. Or, as I mentioned before, to the computers of any users. Those who had cookies (or Javascript) turned off weren't affected -- and are probably safer in general.
One of the consequences of someone having your posting password is that with it, they can access the information you entered to register here, and if that includes an email address that can be linked to your real name, then what you've posted could be linked to you.
> FYI, what the hacker did was insert malicious instructions into a post that sent them information from the Babble cookies of those who came across that post.
That post was on the main Psycho-Babble board from 5/10 to 5/12, so I think only posters who visited that board during that time were at risk.
Taking your registration information without your permission is theft of personal information, and if you think it's being used to harass you or to pretend to be you (especially if it's to involve you in some kind of fraud), please let me know, and I'll pass that on to the FBI.
Again, I sincerely regret that that happened.
Bob
Posted by confuzyq on July 5, 2007, at 20:35:41
In reply to Re: consequences of being hacked, posted by Dr. Bob on July 5, 2007, at 18:51:01
> One of the consequences of someone having your posting password is that with it, they can access the information you entered to register here, and if that includes an email address that can be linked to your real name, then what you've posted could be linked to you.
>
> > FYI, what the hacker did was insert malicious instructions into a post that sent them information from the Babble cookies of those who came across that post.
>
> That post was on the main Psycho-Babble board from 5/10 to 5/12, so I think only posters who visited that board during that time were at risk.
>
>
> BobThe following wouldn't be of much general comfort, but does the above mean that lurkers or others who hadn't posted since a cookie cleaning were probably "immune" from having their "individualized" cookies read; even if they had cookies turned on? For example, myself, during that time I was allowing cookies so that I'd get the yellow new post flags. But I had not actually posted in a long time, so while that function did work, the board didn't recognize me personally -- At least, I gathered that because the "Find posts specifically for you" button didn't display my user name.
Just curious about this one: the infected meds board post(s) you refer to -- did one of them consist of three "NM"s in a row at the end of a thread; the first saying "I agree" and the rest saying either that or possibly nothing but NM? I think the poster had a three letter name, possibly beginning with "A" or "R." (Altho as you said, the hacker could post as others.)
I clicked those intentionally, as they looked suspicious and I was curious once word started spreading about the hacking in The Final Hours. I had read that there was a pop up from a post on the newbie board (I think), and that that one was harmless tinkering with javascript, so assumed whatever was going on on the meds board would be harmless too. Oops!
But I'm not worried. Despite that, as much as I felt sure from the start that nothing serious could happen to anyone's computer due to the hacking, it has been hard not to at least let it cross my mind, when my computer does something it hasn't before. ;-)
But I do know it's not likely to be related. For the heck of it, I'll probably do full online scans at trendmicro.com ("Housecall") and pandasoftware.com ("Activescan"). There are other great ones too, all free. A lot of stuff they remove, other stuff they just tell you is there, but at least you know and can seek help by other means, like the below (or buy their software ;). They are better than any individual antivirus or spy/malware program one could have on their computer itself, for detecting suspicious stuff. (If anyone tries this, note that each can take hours to finish scanning, on a dialup connection.)
There's another great free tool out there for detection, called "hijackthis" (HJT). But that one generates a log that has to be interpreted by experts at one of many great free forums. Can recommend a few if anyone wants to know -- you do want to make sure the site is very well-known and the instructions will be tried and true. They make it as easy as possible, walk you right through anything that needs to be done.
Posted by fayeroe on July 5, 2007, at 22:07:31
In reply to Re: consequences of being hacked » Dr. Bob, posted by confuzyq on July 5, 2007, at 20:35:41
Posted by confuzyq on July 5, 2007, at 23:05:12
In reply to Re: consequences of being hacked..THANKS!!! (nm) » confuzyq, posted by fayeroe on July 5, 2007, at 22:07:31
Hey lady, great to see you! I tried to b-mail you my support several times over the past week, but despite the fact that b-mail is now supposed to get through to blocked posters, all I ever got was "Error!" Oh well I tried! Glad to see ya!
Posted by Dr. Bob on July 6, 2007, at 11:22:02
In reply to Re: consequences of being hacked » Dr. Bob, posted by confuzyq on July 5, 2007, at 20:35:41
> does the above mean that lurkers or others who hadn't posted since a cookie cleaning were probably "immune" from having their "individualized" cookies read; even if they had cookies turned on?
It does, that's a good point, thanks.
Bob
This is the end of the thread.
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