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Windows Security Breach Du Jour |
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 BREAKING NEWS
This just in: according to a CNET article, Microsoft is warning users of a widespread flaw for many versions of its Windows operating systems. According to the bulletin, "If left unpatched, the security hole could allow a worm to spread quickly throughout the Internet, causing an incident similar to the MSBlast attack last summer".
Oh my lord! Batten the hatches! Run for the hills! Stick your head in a hole! Slap the leprechauns and circle the wagons! Or launch your virus scanners, make sure your definitions are up to date, and download the latest Windoze patch. Whichever you prefer.
But getting serious for just a moment, do we really continually need "news" like this? It seems that every week there's a new virus and/or security issue with Microsoft Windows, and every week the news sources rehash all the same stories. (Plus they generally seem to only change the name of the virus/worm/security breach - which must be nice for the writer as they can just pull last week's article, make a few quick changes and mail it in, making for an easy day at the office!)
Late last week it was the MyDoom/Novarg worm, which already has a few variants (the most recent of which at time of writing is DoomJuice....mmmm DoomJuice). Before that there was Dumaru, and Sobig, and LoveSan/Blaster - and those are just the really major ones!
Week after week, we get these stories. You'd think it would be relegated to back page news after a few years but no, we're constantly peppered by them! The headlines proclaim "New warning over son of MyDoom virus", "Huge security fix for XP on way", "2003 viruses caused $55B damage, antivirus firm says", "I'm not wearing pants and neither should you". (Ok, I'm not sure about that last one, but maybe it'll be used as a future title for a 2 Guys' story.)
Do we really need to be reminded that Windows is insecure and that viruses and worms abound? It's like saying "If you eat too much McDonalds food you'll get fat"! Or "You know, it really sucks when you're deprived of Oxygen for an extended period of time". Or "I take a shower once a month whether I need it or not, but for some reason my co-workers don't like to talk to me".
I mean come on, really. Windows has lots of flaws and if some people don't know that by now, well they'll probably never learn.
One thing people may not know, however is that there are alternatives to putting up with it. Buy a Mac! Sure you pay a little more out of the gate, but down the homestretch is where it counts! It's proven that Macs have a lower total cost of ownership. Plus you get all the great iApps, ease of use, yadda yadda yadda. I could go on and on, but the veteran Mac users have heard it all, and if you're a newbie just ask a Mac user (or ask in our comments or forums) and you'll get all the info you need.
Heck if you can't afford a Mac, talk to a geeky friend, relative, or co-worker about installing Linux on your PC. They usually work pretty cheap (like throw 'em a burger and a beer) and can get you set up in no time. Of course you won't have the games Windows has or the apps and ease-of-use of a Mac, but at least you'll be secure!
And you'll never again have to waste your time reading articles like this:
"BULLETIN: [insert name of security issue here] affects Windows users everyhwere! Worst security issue in history! Run for your lives! Women and children first! Don't forget to turn off your oven! And put some pants on first fer cryin' out loud!" |
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February 10 2004, 7:07 PM EDT, by
 |
Comments:
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| rlhamon |
2/10/04, 9:14 PM EDT |
You know Apple should make a commercial about these news articles I can see it now...
The NEWS would tell of another security flaw alert and when the family hears the news they would run around screaming and yelling and a mother curled up in a corner crying and weeping "Why oh Why ... oh Whyyyy!" and Steve Jobs in a super hero outfit would kick the door melt the Windows Pc with his heat vision then hand the family a powerbook and say have no fear citizens this Apple Powerbook with a G4 running a 1.25 ghz processor with Mac OSX.3 with the spender iApps will save you from the security flawed and virus ridden Microsoft Windows!
Everyone would cheer and would thank Super Steve and then you would hear another distress call and Steve would say sorry family but I have to leave now to save another family from the evil security flawed Microsoft Windows.
That would be cool!
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| sweetjimmyhugs |
2/10/04, 9:20 PM EDT |
A windows security flaw... hmm who'd of thunk it? I do have to say, as is my duty to do so (unlike Shaft's duty to 'please that booty'), that the trolls will be out slamming the site because us "Mac Zealots" are focusing on all of the bad things that "happen" to Windows users and not the fact that windows can play a bunch of crappy games. Assuming that their PC is fully operational and not infected with God-knows-what, of course.
To save any potential trolls the time it would take them to form a coherent thought, I am going to make your argument about how PC's rule and Macs suck for you. Here goes:
1: "Windows is so much cooler than the Mac because I can play [insert name of popular game here] and all you guys have is MineSweeper or whatever it is that you play on your stupid Macs."
2: "Your computers are too expensive. I saw a Dell for $599. That's like $200 cheaper than an eMac, and everyone knows that Dell makes the best computers in the world. And at $599 I can buy a new computer every year, which I kinda-hafta do because it falls apart when looked at funny."
3: "Now that I think of it, Macs are better, but I'll never admit that I am wrong. Even if I did admit I was wrong, I would never do it on a Mac website."
There you have it, the top 3 PC arguments on why PCs are better than Macs. You'll notice that I didn't put any responses up there. That's because those arguments don't hold any water (except number 3).
What's my point? I don't have one.
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| stickman67 |
2/10/04, 11:07 PM EDT |
In other earth-shattering news today:
Water is wet.
Janet Jackson needs a new bra.
Mammals are animals.
And US television networks are filled with cr*p.
More really obvious headlines at 6. Over to you, Balloon Chest the Weather Girl!
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| iKen |
2/11/04, 7:35 AM EDT |
did you know that Microsoft sat on this hole for 6 months while making a patch? 6 months! Click my name for slash dot story.
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| Jonahan |
2/11/04, 8:16 AM EDT |
And Slashdot probably sat on the story for 6 days before posting it. Stellar bunch of news guys they are - always quick to the punch!
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| Jonahan |
2/11/04, 12:34 PM EDT |
And you guys are every bit as looney as me! I absolutely love these comments! =)
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| Jonathan |
2/11/04, 3:06 PM EDT |
You forgot #4 sweetjimmyhugs: But, but the Mac doesn't have 8,123,345,233,234,121,643 craptastic applications that will slow down my PC to a crawl, the mouse moves too fast otherwise.
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| ikirb |
2/11/04, 6:26 PM EDT |
What really torques me off about these new virus articles is that they rarely ever mention that this affects Windows only thus perpetuating the myth that there is no difference which OS you use.
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| HTML Samurai |
2/12/04, 9:15 AM EDT |
Speeking of total cost of ownership, I recently saw a banner on O'Reilly's Linux Dev Center about Windows having a lower TCO than Linux... I know, its a little off topic, but WTF?
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| okcalla |
2/13/04, 4:00 PM EDT |
gates will say anything to get people to buy once theyve invested the money all they can do is for somthing that works eventually maybe they'l see the light. and having 8,123.345,233,234,121,643 programs boils down to 100 programs that actually work and 6 that do what they should and there all viruses created by people that hate windows.
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Instead of a trap door, what about a trap window? The guy looks out it, and if he leans too far, he falls out. Wait. I guess that's like a regular window.
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