Mar 30
I read an interesting post (followed by a host of comments and replies) entitled “Why does Microsoft not respect my firewall?” For most people this is just a bunch of techno-geek-speak, but some good points are made regarding network security. Businesses invest a lot of time and effort on the part of their Information Technology [...] [...more]
Posted: under Business.
Tags: firewall, Linux, MS SQL Server, Unix
I read an interesting post (followed by a host of comments and replies) entitled “Why does Microsoft not respect my firewall?” For most people this is just a bunch of techno-geek-speak, but some good points are made regarding network security. Businesses invest a lot of time and effort on the part of their Information Technology (IT) departments to make sure their local area networks (LANs) are protected from the hackers, crackers, sniffers, snoopers, spammers, scammers, and other technology sinners and devients. We set up firewalls with complex, convoluted rules to baffle and thwart attempts to break in. We put our web services in Demilitarized Zones (DMZs) to convenience the general users needing access to our business websites, online catalogs and shopping carts, etc. We use firewalls to allow us to export data to our web servers to keep them current and synchronized with our internal databases, without allowing traffic to pass from web server back into the internal LAN. We get everything working efficiently, securely, and reliably. Then Microsoft sells a new service or application or system or update/upgrade that requires us to punch a hole in our firewall so it will work. Why?
I’m glad for now we can do everything we need to do using Linux servers. Unfortunately one of our primary application vendors has announced that their next version will require installation on Microsoft SQL Server. To my knowledge this won’t require us to lower our defences, but if Microsoft continues this trend we may have to be ready to work around the problem. It would sure be nice if this application vendor will rethink their resolve to force all us UNIX / Linux / AIX / *NIX users to switch to MSSQL Servers. Let us keep our stable, secure, reliable, beloved technologies. Support or at least allow installation on platforms other than Microsoft, please.
Tracy Henness
Mar 13
There has been a lot of talk about “going green” and reducing one’s “carbon footprint”. That’s all well and good, but there is much debate about how much good or harm we are actually doing. The fact of the matter is that everyone needs to be responsible stewards of all they’ve been given. Every good [...] [...more]
Posted: under Going Green.
Tags: carbon footprint
There has been a lot of talk about “going green” and reducing one’s “carbon footprint”. That’s all well and good, but there is much debate about how much good or harm we are actually doing. The fact of the matter is that everyone needs to be responsible stewards of all they’ve been given. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning. (James 1:17) All is His and He is able to take care of it. But He does expect us to be responsible and not wasteful.
In periods of tough economic times, businesses naturally want to find ways to cut costs, reduce overhead, optimize raw material inventories, maximize efficiencies, etc. Some of the things companies do to save money automatically reduce their “carbon footprint”, while some try to bypass government regulations such as proper waste disposal, thus harming the environment and offsetting the efforts of the responsible.
Some of the things we have done in recent years at Clinton Displays that has reduce our carbon footprint include consolidating the number of servers in our computer room and installing motion-sensing lights in the cafeteria. We also try to be responsible in our use and reuse of raw materials, sustain equipment as much as possible to keep from cluttering our landfills, etc. We used to have 3 Novell file servers, a Linux file server, a web server, an e-mail server, as well as all the routers and switches and UPSs and firewalls in our server room, all consuming electricity, generating heat, causing us to use more energy just to keep the room temperature under control. We have outsourced our web and e-mail services and consolidated the 3 Novell and one Linux servers into one small-footprint, high-capacity Linux server, thus cutting our electricity usage in that room significantly.
But the question comes regarding what happened to the hardware that was taken out of service. Did it get thrown out only to clutter a landfill and leach harmful elements into the environment? No, we reutilize the components as much as possible. Anything salvageable or reuseable either gets used to enhance existing equipment or stored for replacement of failed components, or recycled when possible. It’s just a matter of being responsible and not wasteful.
Not everything that is done in the name of all things “green” is truly environmentally friendly, economically effective, or even successful. But interesting technological strides are being made, and we should applaud those efforts. It is said that “necessity is the mother of invention.” And as long as we keep being told that we must do more to save the planet there will be an increase in innovation, some good, some not. Be it far from me to discourage good innovations.
Christians, for the most part, don’t worry about trying to save the planet from the future destruction resulting from everyday life activities. We know that scriptures tell us in several places that this world will pass away, that there will be destructive forces, both in the spiritual and natural realms. Jesus tell us that these things must be (Luke 21:8-11). Peter tells us the earth will be destroyed by fire and melt away with fervent heat (2 Peter 3:10-13). John also tells us there will be a new heaven and a new earth, for the old will have passed away (Revelation 21:1).
We are not out to bring about the destruction of earth, we simply know our efforts to save it will not hinder God’s ultimate and wonderful plan. It’s not a waste of time to act responsibly, but it is a waste of time to worry about the condition of earth tens of thousands of years into the future.
Tracy Henness
Mar 09
The unending drumbeat decrying the salaries and perks paid to executives of stock held companies and financial institutions is not only infuriating but it is sinful. Corporate leaders are paid commensurate to the performance of the company’s business and increased value of its stock. The owners of the company (shareholders) determine the amount of [...] [...more]
Posted: under Economy.
The unending drumbeat decrying the salaries and perks paid to executives of stock held companies and financial institutions is not only infuriating but it is sinful. Corporate leaders are paid commensurate to the performance of the company’s business and increased value of its stock. The owners of the company (shareholders) determine the amount of profits which are paid to those who run the business on their behalf. If they do not perform, they are replaced by someone who will make decisions and issue directive which will reduce cost while increasing productivity, increase market share, introduce new products, remove obstacles to growth in order for the company to generate as much profit as possible. If a corporation makes an after tax profit of $100 million on sales of $3 billion (3000 million); this represents only a 3 % profit. If the owners of the company paid the CEO $3 million in annual salary (which is already accounted for in the pretax expenses of the company) and decide to give the person an additional $1 million in bonus (1% of the profits) this leaves 99% of the profit for those who never made a decision, never negotiated any contracts, never made a sale, never cut any cost. Jesus addresses the issue of compensation in Matt. 20. He tells a story about a farmer who needed laborers to harvest his crop. The farmer hired men at 6:00AM, 9:00AM, 12:00PM, 3:00PM and 6:00PM. He offered to pay the men hired at 6:00AM, a days wages (one denarius) and to each of the other groups he offered to pay ‘whatever is right’. At the close of the day, he told the foreman to pay the men beginning with last group to the first. He gave each group the same amount – 1 denarius. The men who worked from the first grumbled that they received the same as the rest although working through the heat of the day. The owner replied to one of them (they had a bargaining agent and sent him to complain), ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? (14) ‘Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. (15) ‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’ In this story Jesus gives an example of class envy and He is against it. When a board of directors of a corporation choose to be generous to the executives for working hard to create wealth for the owner(s); IT IS NO ONE’S BUSINESS how much they pay them. The money belongs to the owners and it is theirs to do with as they please. Envy (covetousness) is a sin wherever and whenever it occurs. Socialism deceives those who do not have into thinking that if they are resentful and bitter to those who do have, that their lives will be better. By tearing down the wealthy, not one more dollar is added to the poor. In fact as the rich lose their wealth, jobs disappear, charities are penniless, and the truly needy are bereft of help!
