“Almost three years ago the naval systems arm of major UK defence contractor BAE Systems took the decision to standardise future development on Microsoft Windows. an immediate effect was to commit BAE’s joint venture CMS subsidiary, AMS, who specialise in naval Combat Management Systems, to implementing a Windows 2000-based CMS system for the new Type 45 Destroyer. But this prompted strong internal opposition from some of AMS’ engineers, who had a sound background in Unix and who had, despite resource starvation and a companywide policy to standardise on Windows, been investigating open source alternatives as a foundation for future combat systems,” John Lettice reports for The Register.
“They lost. Acting as spokesman for the concerned engineers Gerald Wilson compiled a 50 page dossier detailing the unsuitability of Windows as a foundation for a naval command system, and arguing that BAE’s Unix history and expertise made open source UN*X a logical and viable way forward. The company then made him redundant. In May of this year Wilson reiterated his concerns to the board of BAE Systems at the company’s AGM, pointing out that Windows is “proprietary technology owned by a foreign corporation”, has ‘many and continuing security flaws,’ and is not even warranted by Microsoft itself for safety-related use. Why then, he asked, is AMS ‘shunning established engineering practice’ by developing the Type 45’s CMS on Windows… And in case you’re wondering, the Vanguard class boats carry the UK’s Trident thermo-nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles. So some people think that’s a heap of responsibility for Windows to carry,” Lettice reports.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The MDN reader who forwarded us this link remarked, “Be very afraid…” Are you?
Windows on warships? 3rd World War incoming.
I clearly should not read this stuff at work – Dave H makes me laugh out loud and gives me away as surfing instead of working, then Dandy Boy makes me laugh somehow louder by conforming to the narrow-minded, chauvinistic and belligerent American stereotype that, and this is where I stop laughing, is probably going to get perpetrated for another 4 war-mongering and criminally stupid years.
And good work being a sick arse-hole about the Russian tragedy. Again you do your country a distinctly unpatriotic disservice by projecting your moronic ideas in the name of the US saving the world. Cretinous. Yet somehow I suspect that you won’t be able to grasp your idiocy and will continue unabashed. Vote Republican, will you (when you’re old enough)?
When America realises that freedom can include ‘from US intervention’, it’ll be a good first step.
i think has been happening for sometime.. $200 million subs just drop off the radar when Windows Crashes. Scary.
Oh well, they were probably inspired by my homie Steve Ballmer
�There are less than three months until the election,
� an election that will decide the next President of
� the United States.� The man elected will be the
� president of ALL Americans, not just the Democrats
� or the Republicans.
�To show our solidarity as Americans, let’s all get
� together and show each other our support for the
� candidate of our choice.� It’s time that we all came
� together, Democrats and Republicans alike.
� If you support the policies and character of
� President George W. Bush, please drive with your
� headlights ‘ON’ during the day.
� If you support John Kerry, please drive with your
� headlights ‘OFF’ at night.
dic,
what are you and your country going to do about the other threats in the world? Iran, North Korea, etc. I would like to wipe out all terrorists everywhere. If you think I was being sick about the Russian tragedy your gravely mistaken. Scum bags like you keep the terrorists in business. People like republicans hunt these sleaze bags down and put bullets in their heads. I’m sure you would rather try to reason with terrorists and hope they’ll leave you alone. Guess what jack ass, not going to happen. Go stick your head back up you ass!
Well….you know…..Damned if we intervene and damned if we dont. So….I’d much rather take the pro-active approach before it happens.
To Dandy Boy:
I see you have tossed a lot of insults (they all missed by the way, you must be using that guidance system I mentioned), and a lot of smoke and mirrors (amazing from all the countries you failed to mention the UK, which I believe was the topic of this post). What can I say, except once again, typical American terrorist that never ever deals with the issue head on.
For the record though, I do not support any terrorist, be it those from 9/11, the posting of torture on the net courtesy of the United Terrorist States (and allies in that conflict) or those causing the tragedy in Russia.
And I will tell you what is going to be done against these slime ball terrorists. Acts of freedom. Peace will always defeat war. Think on that while you still can.
To Jeremy: A most eloquent post but please realize that standing up to terrorist is not an indication of hate, but rather defending one’s freedom and democracy.
That means sticking around for a vote, respecting the Geneva convention, and that most seriously means refraining from posting pictures of detainees being tortured. I consider this to be the single most atrocious terrorist act against humanity since WW2.
It is one thing to remove people’s lives, it is another to remove their humanity, which is essentially happening here. And fighting against that is not an act of hatred, but of self defence.
I wonder what happens when a warship gets infected with spyware?
Dandy boy, you’ve never travelled outside the USA have you..??
Israel has adopted your attitude for the last 20 years, and they really know how to bring peace don’t they..?? There was no true peace in Northern Ireland until the troops pulled out. There will be no true peace in Iraq until the yanks and limeys pull out of there too.
BTW, Hussein did not sponsor international terroism. He did not entertain Al Quaida. He did not develop chemical warfare after 1988 (unlike the USA) . He was unable to develop Nuclear arms although he would have like to. He (and his family) massacred millions of his own people, and for that reason he and they had to go.
The USA and UK entred Iraq illegally and without the support of the United nations and the international community, Primarily because Bush wanted to strengthen his presence and because much of the USA’s weaponry was approaching it ‘expiry date’.
The good news is that Hussein is now out of the picture.
The bad news is that the USA and Uk aren’t yet out of Iraq, and there won’t be peace until they are.
Lets see, what was it that got Japan and Germany back on their feet after WW2, oh thats right, they worked their dammned asses off from then to now. They (not the USA) get the credit for that.
My friend, everyone reading your comments above sees you as a cross between Homer Simpson and Forrest Gump! You really think that America will save the world..??
and no… I’m not a commie terrorist lover. I drive a 4×4 and voted for [urgh] Bush.
Tuggrrrrrrr!!
God save the Queen. Lord, where is 007 when we need him?
Jamsh Borndd… Pusheeeh Galoorr…
Blue Shkreen orv death..??
man are you liberals way out there…. i can’t believe that you really believe what you’re typing. the US does not need a permission slip from corrupt France, Germany, Russia, China, etc to defend itself. never will happen. if dimwit, flip flop, shot himself, Kerry somehow managed to get elected there would be serious problems for the whole world. like it or not fools the US does protect your sorry, smelly, unkept asses! you’re very lucky the US is exists. The terrorists, dictators, and commies hate it though. Don’t be fooled by there whining. Dandy Boy is right on the money.
George Bush is a saint! Bless his soul!
George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004! George Bush in 2004!
Tell me how many other UN nations were any help with Afghanistan? Nobody but the US’s very closest allies. UN is a pile of steaming crap! Everyone knows it. Stop hinding behind it liberal, left wing, commies!
UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks! UN sucks!
You bush bashers are a sorry lot! Very transparent people and posts. GWB is going to go down in history as one of the greatest leaders of all time.
Didn’t a U.S. Navy submarine loose power and sink to the bottom when their Windows 2000 system crashed and they couldn’t get it restarted some time back?
And didn’t they switch to Linux after that experience?
You foreigners are a pompus bunch! Take your advice and shove it!
alphonso SHUT UP DUMMY!
and nice name
Randolph wrote:
“Tell me how many other UN nations were any help with Afghanistan? Nobody but the US’s very closest allies.”
Dear Randolph, there were and there still are thousands of soldiers of many European nations trying to install stability and democracy in Afganistan. Many of those soldiers have died in Afganistan. These nations decided to assist in the overthrow of the Taliban regime, whose ties with international terrorists were proven beyond reasonable doubt.
Reasonable doubt existed however, about the claims made by the US and British governments regarding the threat posed by WMD in Iraq and its supposed ties with Al Khaida. These doubts were justified since no proof for the existence of WMDs was found and supposed ties to Al Khaida turned out to be fabrications by Iraqi exile groups and overzealous intelligence agencies.
So, if the US are pursuing a just cause, they will find their allies and friends by their sides. If, however, the US administration tries to bullshit their allies into a war to settle a personal grudge, they bear full responsibility for the loss of credibility American foreign policy is currently experiencing.
BTW, I would appreciate civil responses to my posting.
There were Canadians in Afghanistan.
And then, thanks to some trigger-happy pilots, there were a few less Canadians in Afghanistan.
hag57,
the wmds are in Syria nimrod! there is no bull shit involved in the Iraq war. mass murdering, terrorist supporting-collaborating mad man put out of business. democratic muslim nation being born. it won’t be a cake walk but it wasn’t in germany or japan either. don’t worry foreigners the US will guard you and keep the boogie man away!
Well,
I’m sure that’s not the only time in history something like that happened ahole! Get a grip!
Very interesting….. and a bit scary
At about the time our original 13 states adopted their new constitution, in the year 1787, Alexander Tyler (a Scottish history professor at The University of Edinborough) had this to say about “The Fall of The Athenian Republic” some 2,000 years prior.
“A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.
From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by a dictatorship.”
“The average age of the worlds greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:
From Bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage.”
�
Professor Joseph Olson of HamlineUniversitySchoolof Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the most recent Presidential election:
Population of counties won by:
Gore = 127 million
Bush = 143 million
Square miles of land won by:
Gore = 580,000
Bush = 2,2427,000
States won by:
Gore = 19
Bush = 29
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by:
Gore = 13.2
Bush = 2.1
Professor Olson adds: “In aggregate, the map of the territory Bush won was mostly the land owned by the tax-paying citizens of this great country. Gore’s territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off government welfare…”
Olson believes the U.S.is now somewhere between the “complacency and “apathy” phase of Professor Tyler’s definition of democracy; with some 40 percent of the nation’s population already having reached the “governmental dependency” phase.
Pass this along to help everyone realize just how much is at stake in this Election Year and that apathy is the greatest danger to our freedom.