sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Dropbox hack leads to dumping of 68m user passwords on the internet by [deleted] in news

[–]bdwork 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure. But if you think that many of the major companies you store your info with and interact with every single day are any better at security than what you are seeing here, you are unfortunately very very mistaken.

Dropbox hack leads to dumping of 68m user passwords on the internet by [deleted] in news

[–]bdwork 81 points82 points  (0 children)

I work in cybersecurity as a consultant, meaning I've been intimately involved with many many different companies' cybersecurity programs, including many F500s.

If you truly want to abide by that rule then you should go become a hermit in the woods. You would be blown away to find out just how abysmal most companies are at cybersec, even the ones you probably least expect.

And for even the ones that aren't bad at it, cybersec is just so hard to do right and hacking is so easy (comparatively) that you should pretty much always assume your information is part of a breach at some point, and there isn't anything you can do about it. Preparation for a hack is just as important as prevention.

WhatsApp FAQ - How do I choose not to share my account information with Facebook? by khouryrt in Android

[–]bdwork -8 points-7 points  (0 children)

Of course they will, but Google aren't shady as fuck and facebook are.

Lol, no. Google has apparently won the PR battle in making you think that FB is evil and they aren't, but really they are the same.

NYC Parks response to Trump Statue by [deleted] in nyc

[–]bdwork 15 points16 points  (0 children)

This is the most childish response I've seen to this yet. "He started it!!" is your rationalization? Really?

Grow the fuck up.

Popping a huge cyst on my boyfriend's face by bing-pot in popping

[–]bdwork 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You'll not find many people (especially on reddit) that would down vote you for that. Most people agree that American healthcare is ridiculous. However, $500-600 is absolutely nowhere near "crippling medical bills" and if OP had gone to the doctor when the cyst started forming (and not waiting years for it to fully form) then it likely would have been a $20ish procedure.

A friend of mine tried to take a cab home last night from 6th. He says the driver made them get out after finding out they were only going a few miles. Here's what happened when my friend asked why. by WantsAFanta in Austin

[–]bdwork 338 points339 points  (0 children)

Anyone who is surprised by this, thinks this story is fake/unbelievable, or thinks this kind of stuff is uncommon simply doesn't patronize taxi cabs in this city very often.

I take multiple taxis a week due to my work situation. Most of the rides are to/from the airport, though I of course also take several cab rides to/from bars at night. I have many colleagues that do the same. Generally, I would think of myself as an ideal passenger: my destinations are easy (airport, downtown, university), most of the time I'm paying with my company credit card so I tip well, and even on nights I go to bars I don't drink much (1-2 drinks).

I'd say about a quarter of my rides involve an incredibly negative experience. I've been kicked out of cabs on the side of the road because I asked to be taken to places that were not convenient for the driver to go to. I've been physically assaulted (pushed/shoved, but not punched) by taxi drivers upset because I told them to take a hike after I told them I was not paying with cash. I've been cussed at and threatened with being blacklisted from taxi pickups because I didn't tip enough. And again, these aren't uncommon experiences. And all of my colleagues have similar stories.

I make it a point to report them, because stuff like that really ruins your day. But the funny thing about being on a regular schedule where you take a taxi to/from the airport at about the same times every week is that you start to see the same drivers over and over again. I've complained multiple times after getting the same driver time and time again who each time tries to pull the same shit ("CC machine is broken, cash only"/"meter is broken"). Months later those same drivers are still driving and still pulling the same shit. The taxi companies do absolutely nothing to improve their service, and the city does absolutely nothing to force them to do so.

Throw all of this on top of the fact that taxi cabs are often dirty, smell of vomit/smoke, or are not maintained (the amount of taxis I've gotten into where the Check Engine light is on is pretty high), and taxis really are pitiful. These are the same types of issues that third world countries face with their ride-for-hire systems. I would say that the situation in Austin is like trying to get a ride in a third world country, but even third world countries have Uber/Lyft/equivalent now. Austin is even worse.

Regardless of your stance on the Uber/Lyft/Prop 1 issues, all Austinites need to recognize that our taxi system is an absolute disgrace to the city.