Comments on: Today’s heroes

By: Gordon Scott

Gordon Scott — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 12:01:26 +0000

I stumbled across a link to Zoom’s Chinese engineering from last year:

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/26/zoom-key-profit-driver-ahead-of-ipo-engineers-in-china.html

By: AesopFan

AesopFan — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 03:49:20 +0000

Gordon – hah – nice movie reference.

I’ll add this WalMart meme from a CTH commenter today, at the supply chain post.
https://i.postimg.cc/50pSzFsd/9-C6-DFE4-C-26-A9-47-D9-9158-3-D7-DEAC72642.jpg

I have been following the supply chain updates, they are very informative and useful.
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/03/26/phase-four-supply-chain-prioritizes-proteins-return-manufactured-processed-grain-products-still-lag/#comment-7986488

By: Ymarsakar

Ymarsakar — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 01:45:32 +0000

It’s still Red vs Blue. Even now? Come on, what is it gonna take, Skynet?

It also doesn’t matter from China or another country America sources the formaldehyde used in vaccines. It’s still formaldehyde which can cause acidosis and other problems, which are not good to have while a pandemic is roaming around either.

By: Gordon Scott

Gordon Scott — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 01:18:53 +0000

Geez, AesopFan, that’s pretty ominous. “Ah, you want uninstall? Pardon while I reinstall in the background, so your boss can see that you’re not wearing pants.”

i’m glad I have an Android phone. I only have to worry about Chinese spyware, not hardware in the phone itself. Oh, in addition to the Facebook spyware, the Instagram spyware, etc. “Yeah, you know, when we said we weren’t tracking you and selling the information, we were. Oopsie!”

I’m reminded of the character played by Harrison Ford in the movie “The Mosquito Coast.” Early on he grouches at the hardware store when the only weatherstripping foam he can find is Chinese. Ford’s character was considered a crank, because it was 1986! Walmart still had signs up in stores bragging about how many jobs they created in the US.

By: Xennady

Xennady — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 23:00:09 +0000

“Why do you spend any mind share on “Art Deco” (ah such a self-consciously clever little pseud)?. His real essence is somewhere beneath “putz.””

Sage advice.

By: AesopFan

AesopFan — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 22:51:42 +0000

Thanks Gordon.
Wiki says they had some problems with that uninstall in the past; hopefully there are some independents, like Scott’s audience, who can verify that.
China’s welcome to listen to my ukulele, but I don’t want an open back-door into my computer.

In July 2019, security researcher Jonathan Leitschuh disclosed[43] a zero-day vulnerability allowing any website to forcibly join a macOS user to a Zoom call, with their video camera activated, without the user’s permission. In addition, attempts to uninstall the Zoom client on macOS would prompt the software to re-install automatically in the background, using a hidden web server that was set up on the machine during the first installation and remained active even after attempting to remove the client. After receiving public criticism, Zoom updated their software to remove the vulnerability and the hidden webserver, allowing complete uninstallation.[44]

Privacy

Zoom has been criticized for its data collection practices[45] as well as enabling employers to monitor workers remotely.

By: Gordon Scott

Gordon Scott — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 21:56:25 +0000

AesopFan, I heard it from Scott Adams on his podcast. He has brought it up more than once. He is usually very well informed. As he has been in the tech world for decades, and maintains his ties, I am willing to accept his word on this. His podcast audience, which skews tech heavy, would raise hell if he were mistaken.

That said, I would not worry about your music project. You can uninstall it when you’re done.

By: AesopFan

AesopFan — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 21:10:11 +0000

Gordon Scott on March 26, 2020 at 7:28 am said:
…
Zoom was created and is maintained by Chinese programmers, even though it is an American company. All Zoom sessions pass through Zoom’s servers.
* * *
Given the role of China in the Chinese virus debacle, you raise a serious concern. I have some friends who want to do a music jam over Zoom, so not too worried about the national security ramifications of that, but I do have to give them an email address and possibly other ID.
What is your source for the claims?
Wikipedia (of course) doesn’t cover that aspect of the company.

By: AesopFan

AesopFan — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 20:59:03 +0000

Wendy K Laubach on March 26, 2020 at 6:45 am said:
…The President’s most useful role has been to eliminate bureaucratic obstacles stopping people who were already more than willing to help.

* * *
MBunge on March 26, 2020 at 11:20 am said:
Some doofus “expert” from Biden’s campaign is saying “If you aren’t doing your job now, it’s because Donald Trump wasn’t doing his job in January and February” fighting coronavirus. I think that attack is an interesting test of the mendacity of the press and the stupidity of the public.

Is Donald Trump also the President of China? Italy? Spain? Germany? Iran? France? Canada? Britain? And is the suggestion that he should have locked down the country in January and February…WHILE THE DEMOCRATS WERE TRYING TO IMPEACH HIM?

Mike
* * *
Well, Wendy, the reason Mike’s comment applies to yours, is that getting bureaucrats and their obstacles out of the way is exactly what the Democrats (and some Republicans, sadly) don’t want to have done.

By: Cicero

Cicero — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 18:19:06 +0000

Meemsie:
I think all of us agree with you, except the doofus Art Deco, who I hope has gone to ground.