Re: [Hampshire] Samba and MS vista

On 05/01/2008, john lewis <johnlewis@???> wrote:
> On Sat, 5 Jan 2008 10:41:52 -0000 (GMT)
> "Vic" <lug@???> wrote:
>
> > > But apart from checking that the ports are open in service.conf
> > > how can I test that each port is open and can be seen by the
> > > vista box.
> >
> > nmap.
> >
> > But note that if our magnificent Government do what they've
> > promised, that solution will involve committing a criminal offence
> > if you do it past May :-(
>
> as I read the article on El Reg even having nmap et al on your
> computer will be an offence. I don't know if any of the 'offending'
> applications come by default with any distro but it seems to be a yet
> another badly conceived idea typical of this govt.
>

Regulation seems to almost always be badly conceived.
For example, a law was brought in to specify the use of catalytic
converters in all cars in order to reduce pollution. This did in fact
reduce pollution at the time, but now days, engine management systems
are so good, that in fact there would be less pollution from cars if
the manufacturers were allowed to remove the catalytic converters.
In my view laws should not specify the technical solution, they should
only specify what their aim is. For example, if the catalytic convert
law instead said that pollution has to be below X, and that at the
time that was achievable with catalytic converters everyone would have
been just as happy.
There is a similar problem with the current child seat laws. There are
now better and more convenient technical solutions out there to
achieve safety for the child, but we cannot use them because the law
is so prescriptive by specifying the technical solution.
....rant over...