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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2002-12-16

A Free Email Newsletter from Fred Langa
That Helps You Get More From Your Hardware, 
Software, and Time Online

Please visit our sponsors and help keep the LangaList S.E. free!

1) End Of An Era

On December 31 this year (2002), Windows 95 and Windows 3x will reach what Microsoft calls "EOL," or "end of life." In short, there'll be no further support, no further patches, updates, or online help available for these products from Microsoft.

It got me thinking: I had a front row seat when both products first came out. In 1990, when Win3.0 was released, I was the Editor In Chief of Byte Magazine. In 1995, when Win95 was released, I was the Editorial Director of Windows Magazine.

I spent some time rummaging through some material from 1990 and 1995: For example, in a dusty box of floppies I found my copy of the original Windows 3.0--- it's on four 1.2MB/5.25" floppies; a little under 5MB total. (In comparison, today’s Windows XP Professional setup CD comes filled with roughly 100 times as much code; a little under 500MB total!) I also found a stack of the 30 or so private beta CDs that Microsoft shipped over the last two years of development of Windows 95; a new beta very 3-4 weeks on average, for some two years! And I have print archives, which I dug into to see what typical PCs were like and how much they cost in 1990 and 1995; I then played with the prices to convert them to current (2002) dollars, and to trace the evolution of PC hardware and software over the last decade.

When I was done, I'd come to the conclusion that Win3x/Win9x were arguably the most important commercial OS releases ever; and that no future OS release, ever, will match their impact. Love them or hate them, Win95 and Win3x had an enormous impact on us all--- on everyone who has used any computer, including Macs and Linux boxes, in the last dozen years.

I put it all down in an end-of-the-year column for Informationweek.Com. It's available (for free) at http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20021211S0008 , and it shows you what the computing landscape was like before Windows hit the scene, and what impact (both good and bad) the OS had on software and hardware.

Although there have been major downsides to the arrival of Windows (see the next item, for example), I think the positives far outweigh the negatives: I firmly believe that Win3x/Win9x were arguably the most important commercial OS releases ever. And I think I can prove it:

Please check out the article, and then join in the discussion: Am I overstating the importance of these OSes? How might history have played out if Microsoft hadn't released Windows 3? What would the computing world look like today without Windows? Join in!

http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20021211S0008

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2) Holiday Gifts (Not!) From Microsoft

Although item #1, above, argues that Win3x/Win9x were the most important commercial OS releases ever; note that "important" doesn't mean "best" or "ideal." In fact, Windows software has a *huge* range of problems. The current versions of Windows software have required a staggering--- and depressing--- 70+ patches and upgrades this year alone.

The last batch was released in an end-of-the-year flurry:

Revised Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer 5.5 and 6
Impact: Allow an attacker to execute commands on a user's system.
Max Risk: Critical
http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms02-068.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS02-068.asp

Flaw in SMB Signing (Windows 2000, pre-SP1 Windows XP)
Max Risk: Moderate
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS02-070.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms02-070.asp

Flaw in Windows WM_TIMER Message Handling (NT 4.0, Win2000, and WinXP)
Impact: Privilege elevation
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS02-071.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms02-071.asp

Flaw in Microsoft VM (in most versions of Windows and IE)
Impact: Eight vulnerabilities, the most serious of which would enable an attacker to gain control over another user's system.
Max Risk: Critical
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS02-069.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms02-069.asp

E-mail Header Processing Flaw Could Cause Outlook 2002 to Fail
Impact: Denial of Service
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS02-067.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/MS02-067.asp

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3) More Free Tools For "Dodging Hack Attempts"

Greetings Fred: In reference to your "Dodging Hack Attempts" article ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2002/2002-12-12.htm#3 ), I thought I'd let you know about my "IPNotify" freeware for Windows. This little utility keeps an eye on your local IP and logs all changes to a text file. It is also useful to cable modem owners who loose their IP when they stay inactive for a while (e.g having ZoneAlarm into lock mode for some time). In that case, instead of rebooting, unlock ZoneAlarm and wait for IPNotify to beep (or popup) when you receive an IP. You can download it here, at the bottom of the Webpage (370Kb, zip, with install and uninstall) http://www.codexcel.com/sw/ If you think it could be useful to your readers, feel free to provide the link.... Your readers shouldn't worry too much if they occasionally receive an IP heavily targeted by hackers. That IP was probably previously allocated to an unprotected machine and hackers hope to hit it again. If they get hit frequently, regardless of the IP, then they may be unprotected themselves and should take care of that in a hurry. A well configured ZoneAlarm seems to be a good protection for a standalone machine. The "pull the plug" procedure you mention in your article is the best way to force the ISP to allocate a new IP to your machine. Lastly, thanks for your excellent newsletter.
---Dan Taverney

Fred, In regards to "Dodging Hack Attempts" and the [command-line] tool for Win-XP... there is another way: You can get Wntipcfg.exe Windows NT IPConfig Utility (the graphical Ip configuration tool meant for Win-2000) from Microsoft and it works just fine under Win-XP. The MS url is: http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/tools/existing/wntipcfg-o.asp
---Dieter Schack

Thank you, Dan and Dieter!

4) A "Wow!" Tool From Google

Google ( http://www.google.com ) just keeps getting better and better. First, it was merely (!) the world's best search engine. Then it got a toolbar. Then it got the ability to search the huge amount of user-to-user info in Usenet news "groups," or to search just for images, or to search just news feeds, or to use it as a portal-like "directory" service. Then Google added the Zeitgeist ("spirit of the time/moment") at http://www.google.com/press/zeitgeist.html that lets you see trends in what your fellow Google-oids are searching for. And now, this:

Hi Fred-  Do you know about the Google Viewer? Here is the intro "The Google Viewer displays the pages found as a result of your Google search as a continuous scrolling slide show. You can view your search results without using your keyboard or mouse and you can adjust the speed with which the images move across your screen. Each image of a page's contents is accompanied by a short "snippet" describing that page."

Check it out! http://labs.google.com/gviewer.html

Cheers, Brian Fisk - grateful LangaList Plus subscriber

Wow! No, I hadn't seen that yet, Brian: It's a tool that lets Google display your search results in a kind of slide show, starting with the most-relevant site for your query, and moving down the list automatically, at a pace you control. Although it wouldn't be very helpful for already-targeted searches, it could be great for fuzzy searching (where you don't know exactly what you're looking for, but want to browse a bunch of sites related to a general topic) or for fun searches. Very cool!

5) Refining XP Searching

Speaking of searches:

Fred, I really enjoy reading your newsletter - it helps keep me updated on all the stuff going on in the world of computers. I've run across a Windows XP "gotcha" and wanted to bring to everyone's attention so that they can avoid similar problems. I was trying to do a search for a text string in a file that I knew existed because I copied the string from the file itself. Doing a search for that string yielded "no files found". WHAT?? You're kidding!

On searching the Windows KB I found an article discussing this problem - http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;309173 . Seems like in Windows XP there is something called "filter components" which can prevent a search from returning correct results even if a file exists with the phrase/string being searched for. I used Method 2 mentioned in the KB article and after that a search brought back the expected results. I was fortunate to discover this weirdness, and it makes me wonder what other "gotchas" may be lurking undiscovered in the depths of Windows. I hope everyone reads this article as it could help you prevent some unexpected problems in the future. ---Albert Lickei

Thanks, Albert. This is another area where WinXP is way, way more powerful than Win9x--- but taming that power can take some work. <g>

But the article you cite can help, as can this related item from the Knowledgebase:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;309447

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6) Don’t Make Me Beg! 8-)

If you think the LangaList is a worthwhile read, just use the following link to recommend the LangaList to a friend. Your friend just may find a new source of useful information; I just may gain a new subscriber; and you just may win $10,000 for your trouble (full details also available via this link): http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=143182

Or, win a no-strings $30 Gift Certificate for any item at Amazon.Com--- books, software, hardware, kitchenware, toys... and more. To have a shot at winning, just use the following link to recommend the LangaList to a friend. Your friend just may find a new source of useful information; I just may gain a new subscriber; and you just may win a $30 Gift Certificate! (Full details also available via this link): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm

Either way, thank you, and good luck!

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7) Free "Bayesian" Spam Filter For Outlook

As we've discussed, "blacklists" (like SpamCop's) are hideously ineffective, and yet they remain popular: Every time I send out this newsletter, a chunk of readers won't get their issue because some boneheaded spam filter somewhere decides that I, or this newsletter, or the mailing service I use, is spamming. Sigh.

People who use blacklists may do so with the best of intentions, but blacklists actually block more valid emails than they do spam and thus actually INCREASE the spam-to-good mail ratio. That's right: By taking out huge amounts of valid mail, blacklists actually increase the percentage of remaining mail that's pure spam. Percentage-wise, blacklists actually make spam *worse,* not better! Doh!

Alas, the fans of blacklists are often very closed-minded, so I don't know how willing they'll be to change. But better tools are on the way, as we discussed in "Real-Life Spam Solutions." ( http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20021115S0018 ) When that article was written, there were only a few tools available that used the far superior Bayesian method of identifying spam. But reader Bob Schaefer found another:

Fred, Thanks SO much for the exposure you gave Paul Graham and his Bayesian approach to spam filtering. After reading his article on this approach, I was sold, and wanted to try it out immediately. Problem is, almost all of the tools based on Bayesian analysis are either standalone tools or intended for use on a server. I wanted something that would integrate directly into my e-mail client (Outlook 2002).

Fortunately, Paul himself provided the solution His FAQ links to a little program for Outlook called Spammunition (Freeware - http://www.upserve.com ). The program is very new; its author, Alex Collins, only released it to the public last week, and it is still in beta. Even so, Alex has done a fine job with it, and he has some excellent ideas for improving Spammunition for future releases.

As far as I know, Alex's program is the only Bayesian filter to integrate directly into Outlook, and for that alone it deserves mention. His willingness to give it away to anyone who wants it --despite its obvious commercial potential -- makes it an even better find.

Please let your readers know about this excellent little program. If they use Outlook, it just might make their lives quite a bit happier in a big hurry. =)

Thanks for publishing the best newsletter on the Net! Regards, Bob

Thanks, Bob. The more tools like this, the better. Blacklists are hurting us all, and need to go away ASAP.

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8) They Just Keep Coming And Coming And Coming...

Over 2,500 of your fellow readers have "Loaded the code." Please click over to http://www.langa.com/code.htm , and maybe you can join them! (If you've already "Loaded The Code" and are wondering if your site will appear here or on the Langa.Com web site, please see http://www.langa.com/link.txt )

Speaking of which: Here's another eclectic sample of reader sites--- some professional, some very personal:

View A Randomly-Chosen Reader Site
http://www.langa.com/randomlink.htm

Manually Browse All Posted-to-Date Sites Starting At
http://www.langa.com/readersites.htm

JONATHON T. WIZARD (magic)
http://www.wizard.magicplace.com/

John Hanna Software, Links, Etc.
http://www.johnhanna.us/

Gerry's Weather and Radio Page
http://www.geocities.com/kc0cat/

"The Road To Internet Success"
http://www.the-road-to-success.com/

The Painted Desert (Texas Paintball)
http://www.the-painted-desert.com/home.html

DDDesign By Danny Simms
http://www.geocities.com/DDDesign71/

Noguts Country Club
http://www.noguts.us/langa.html

Jennifer Ann's Attic
http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Chelsea/5244/

Trombone USA
http://www.trombone.us/

DANCES WITH MARMOTS (A Kiwi hikes North America)
http://www.angelfire.com/trek/nz_usa/

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9) Freeware System Monitor

Greetings Fred: I've been a reader of your "Plus" for awhile, have found it very informative and useful. Thought I might bring a program to your and your readers attention that I quite enjoy. It is essentially an information program that resides at the top of your screen and can be optioned to provide a great deal of useful information.... The program is "Winbar" and can be found at  http://www.winbar.nl . Enjoy, Andy Gillean

Thanks, Andy! Winbar packs a lot of info into a small space, and makes it easy to access various settings and tweaks that might otherwise take several (or many) steps to get at. Although I personally prefer to keep my system "clean" of add-ons like this, many users find them a real time-saver.

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10) Just For Grins

Reader "kdt15" sends along this short list of "Christmas Songs... As Understood By Kids:"

"Deck the Halls with Buddy Holly"

"On the first day of Christmas, my tulip gave to me ..."

"He's making a list, chicken and rice ..."

"Sleep in heavenly peas ..."

"You'll go down in Listerine ..."

"O come, froggy faithful ..."

"Later on we'll perspire, as we dream by the fire ..."

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11) Plus! Edition Highlights:

• New Version Of Archives En Route
• Site Actually Seeks Spam
• Comparing Netscape, Mozilla, Opera, IE...

Today's LangaList Plus! Edition contains all ten items above, plus about 30% more content including: info on a coming update to the LangaList Helpfile Archives that will be made available to all Plus! subscribers. As before, this one will place the contents of all past issues--- all the way back to 1997!--- right at your fingertips in convenient Helpfile format for super-fast local searching. Today's Plus! issue also has information on a site that's seeking to gather as much spam as possible; and a comparison of the "Big Four" browsers.

The Plus! Edition is still just pennies per issue. Info: http://www.langa.com/plus.htm

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See you next issue!

Best,

Fred
( Editor@Langa.Com )

Please recommend the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win $10,000!I)

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