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For six years, the Internet Nexus served as my technology blog, but I've since started blogging at the SuperSite Blog instead. If you're looking for the blog, please head there. --Paul

Thursday, May 27, 2004

Fear And Loathing Fueling The Virus Revolt

Lindows.com: "It's a sad time when people are afraid of their own computers, but that's where Microsoft Windows users are at currently. It's reminiscent of Hal from Space Odyssey. Computer owners fear that if they launch the wrong program, visit a 'bad' website or simply view an email, they will trigger an unstoppable torrent of emails and virus spewing from their computer. Then comes public humiliation and chastising for not having performed the mandatory daily software and virus update routine (which often times wouldn't have prevented it anyway). If the PC were any other type of product, it would have been recalled by its manufacturer, and congress would have stepped in, demanding accountability. Lets be clear where the blame lies - it is on Microsoft's shoulders for writing very low quality software and then even worse, not standing behind that software in spite of garnering unprecedented profits. Each new outbreak prompts the Microsoft PR machine to point fingers at users for not maintaining their computers, or at deviant hackers, when they should really be pointing the finger at their own wobbly software. I'm not excusing virus authors. In most countries, authoring software which intentionally harms computers is a criminal offense and it should be. I should point out also, that all software will have vulnerabilities since it is authored by fallible humans. What I'm challenging is the number of vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, and Microsoft's abandonment of their responsibility to invest a tiny sliver of their profits in proactively resolving the problem."

Given my recent experience with a nasty Trojan in XP, he might just have a point.

[ Posted at 7:14 PM | Permalink ]