Interesting Links for 19-08-2013

[andrewducker]

• Microsoft warns Windows XP users risk 'zero day forever'
  (tags: windows microsoft )
• I shouldn't be amused at parents lying to their children. And yet...
  (tags: parents lying funny children )
• Things people believed when they were children
  (tags: belief viaSKington children )
• That time Ian McKellen took the LOTR cast to a gay bar.
  (tags: lotr lgbt )

Comments

[supergee]

I knew you people had a constitutional monarchy, but I didn't know you were that bothered by royalty meddling in affairs of state.

[andrewducker]

I can live with royalty acting as official signers of documents, general diplomats and tourist attractions.

I object to them interjecting themselves into the day-to-day political process.

[danieldwilliam]

Especially when they might well be doing so to further their own personal business aims.

[andrewducker]

Or political ones.

[gonzo21]

Should I be at all concerned about this end of support for XP thing?

I don't really know enough about it, just that my PC is quite elderly now, and I doubt it could run a more modern OS effectively without needing upgraded. And I don't particularly want the hassle of having to upgrade both my OS and my hardware at the same time, when it currently does everything I want of it.

[andrewducker]

When XP runs out of support they'll no longer be providing security patches for it. Which means that, if it's attached to the internet without something between it and thousands of marauding botnets, it's going to be wide open to infection/remote control.

If you're behind a router, using a fully patched version of Chrome/Firefox then your attack surface will be relatively small, and you might be ok. Until Chrome/Firefox drop XP support too.

If you're using Internet Explorer, and directly connected to the net, then you've got a big target on your forehead.

[minnesattva]

My parents won't even understand why this is a problem, much less do anything about it. And nothing short of getting to the point where they think they need a new computer will get them to change OSes. I have got them weaned off IE and Outlook at least, but that's all I think I can manage.

[kerrypolka]

Ooh, what's wrong with Outlook please? I've been looking around for a Not Gmail and it looked the (very qualified) best of an iffy lot to me...

[bart_calendar]

Given that Prince Charles is part of the government (not as strong a part as his mom, but he will have her role someday) doesn't it make sense that his people deal with government people?

[andrewducker]

Oh yes - he has his people, and they should be dealing with government people.

But they should be doing so by having meetings with them - not by taking key posts within government departments.

[philmophlegm]

Thanks for pointing people at my gifted children post. Getting some really interesting thoughts there.

[andrewducker]

Ooooh, yeah. I'm going to have to bookmark to read through at the weekend!

[ashfae]

Arrrgh, both my machines run Windows XP, and I have absolutely no desire to get a new OS for them, especially given that I'm not sure how much longer either computer will last anyway. Aaaaaaaaargh.

[andrewducker]

Well, you have until April to do some saving...