Journey to Rantville

Windows Media Player 7.0 puts in a new ASPI layer without telling you.  I wouldn't have noticed except a program stopped working, the one I use to rip the MP3s from CDs we actually own.  Grr.  My CD.  My laptop.  Don't go breaking things without even asking.

Can we introduce a new software law?  I want every member of the product development team, from management and marketing all the way up to the alpha geek, to be sentenced to actually use their #$%@ software for a week before sending it out the door.  Maybe then I wouldn't have to use such utter cruft.  Grr again.  Go read the Jargon File for more on cruft and related subjects like hairy programs, crapplets, feeping creaturism, and hacked up code.

Internet Explorer has yet another gaping security hole, no fix yet, but someone could use a web page to reformat your hard drive.  Lovely.  To quote Topher, "I thought I'd once again harp on alternatives.  :)" like Phoenix, Mozilla, Chimera, and Opera.  Anything that can block pop-ups unless you explicitly click on the link to open, say, a blog comment box, has got to be good.  Upgrade now.  Go!