Today, nichomach's rant is about...

[nichomach]

Braindead security measures in applications. No, for once I'm not talking about product activation. I'm talking about absolutely illogical "security" that actually does **** all useful, but breaks stuff that DOES do something useful. At work, I use VNC to provide remote desktop support to our users, basically so that I don't have to run around the damn building every time I get a support call.

Cue a user who is now using the web-based version of a mapping information system, oh, let's call it Promap , just for the sake of argument. User loads web applet, launches it...and it informs him that it won't be displaying any maps, thank you, since he is running a remote viewing application. I mean, it's not like he could do something fiendishly complex, like Alt+Prt Scr > paste into Paint and then send as many copies of the frickin' maps as he wanted out, is it? So yours truly has to trash VNC off the machine, thus ensuring that I have to run from one end of the building to the other every time the user has a problem. ****wits, sheer, utter, pluperfect ****WITS!

Anyone else run into this sort of berkdom at all?

[Spunkey]

StarForce - the induction of pain and suffering through misguided Software Publishing Houses.
Antonym - Well thought out, workable long term solution.

'nuff said

[nichomach]

OK, fair point...I take it that was said with a slightly pained expression?

[EvilMunky]

What os are on these machines and what server system????

[nichomach]

Not hugely relevant, but the PC's a Windows box and their servers? I neither know nor care...

[TiG]

Braindead security measures in applications. No, for once I'm not talking about product activation. I'm talking about absolutely illogical "security" that actually does **** all useful, but breaks stuff that DOES do something useful. At work, I use VNC to provide remote desktop support to our users, basically so that I don't have to run around the damn building every time I get a support call.

Cue a user who is now using the web-based version of a mapping information system, oh, let's call it Promap , just for the sake of argument. User loads web applet, launches it...and it informs him that it won't be displaying any maps, thank you, since he is running a remote viewing application. I mean, it's not like he could do something fiendishly complex, like Alt+Prt Scr > paste into Paint and then send as many copies of the frickin' maps as he wanted out, is it? So yours truly has to trash VNC off the machine, thus ensuring that I have to run from one end of the building to the other every time the user has a problem. ****wits, sheer, utter, pluperfect ****WITS!

Anyone else run into this sort of berkdom at all?

Yep mate, had this with raven sheild 3, and virtualCD/WaveStudio. A product i use heavily for cutting prompt CD's for customers if i'm working for home on a large project. Ravensheild's second patch installed something that killed off virtualCD and made it impossible to use it.

At which point I uninstalled the game and returned it to the shop and got my money back. If it was a commercial work product that had caused the issues I would speak to the company and demand an explination and ask them had they realised what legal infringements they might be breaching with that kind of T&C's of use.

Sure there may be no legal standing but i bet your bottom dollar a company with someone on the end of the phone talking about legal issues makes people stand up and listen

TiG

[Agent]

Anyone else run into this sort of berkdom at all?

Yes, windows activation.
I often end up building / maintaining PC's for people, and i cant belive how stupid MS are with including somthing like this.

So, lets see.
To stop piracy, Microsoft include authorization in their operating system.
However, everyone who doesnt want to buy windows uses a non authorization version.
It doesnt take a genius to figure out that its only effecting the geniune customers.