On Tue, Jan 7, 2014 at 3:50 AM, Mandar Vaze / मंदार वझे <mandarv...@gmail.com> wrote: >> Can you elaborate what "moving with times means"? Tools of the newer times >> make me no more productive than those of yesteryear, so I don't see much a >> point. >> > > It was a generic remark - may or may not apply in the context of "mutt" - > hence the "Disclaimer" at the end of my original email > Anyway, let me try to elaborate further. Since we are talking "generic" the > situation may or may not apply in your case. > > When choosing a tool, I typically check when was the last "active" > development. > If my requirement is low enough - something that isn't updated in few years > might also work for me "now" > but when I need a security update, and no one is maintaining it, I am out > of luck (I know, open source, fix it yourself, but honestly just because > one has access to source, doesn't mean one has skills to fix) > > In this scenario - I might be better off with something that is "actively" > being developed (Doesn't mean bleeding edge, cause it has different > problems) > > That is what I meant by "moving with times" [...]
There may not be security updates, but there may not be security issues in the first place. The only way to ensure this is to lookup the quality of developers' on that tool - actively maintained, but too many cooks may not be optimum from a security point of view. Consider the case of Linux kernel - clearly security isn't a priority, especially because they accept binary blobs left, right and center. World domination is. Contrast this with OpenBSD, which operates on a very conservative model of development, with accurate documentation to match (they pride themselves in having up-to-date and accurate documentation) - their manpages have code that can be copy-pasted "as is", rather than having toy code with all sorts of fluffy disclaimers. OpenBSD still uses cvs, because it is mature, stable, and works for them. Oh yes, one can argue OpenBSD does not control the firmware on the network cards, which can be rogue. Definitely, but their bar of security is way high than what Linux accepts. If security is your priority, then maybe Linux is not the correct answer. If using a generic, out-of-the-box usable, and open source OS is, then probably stick with Linux. OpenBSD is just another example here, you can substitute it with your choice of known secure OS. I personally feel it is very important to decide where your priorities lie, and put enough effort into understanding, and then make a choice of tools/OS/whatever. > On a lighter note - Original comment was in the context of "feeling like > part of museum". > If "you" feel productive with your current set of tools, then "you" > shouldn't feel ancient/part of museum/endangered specie. > What am I missing ? [...] You are missing the fad, which essentially means you are missing nothing. Twitter, Facebook are all blown out of proportion for their actual usefulness, and end up being huge time-wasters. Think of it - how much time you spend on facebook/twitter/<<insert latest fad here>> as compared to a few years ago when these were not available? Now justify that time spent with the productivity quotient for yourself, and you'll have the answer. Twitter/Facebook are good to keep in touch with friends, but then when you overdo (as 95% of the populate, FB and Twitter ain't going high on the stocks just like that) you are actually decreasing the overall productivity of the populace in the name of social networking. Really, the sad situation is this - most new technology is fad these days, with moron Silicon Valley investors who cannot differentiate sh**, and the overall economy overspending on technology that brings you little benefit as compared to the amount being invested. Personally for me, I stick with the right tool for the job, haven't changed most of my tools in a decade, and haven't seen a decrease in productivity at all. Right tools are all that are required, not new ones (think of a hammer, now would you want a hammer that mails you a reminder that you need to hammer a nail?). ;-) -ag _______________________________________ Pune GNU/Linux Users Group Mailing List