6 Things I don't get....

[sld72382]

1. I don't get the aversion people have to installing Microsoft runtimes (example: .NET Framework 2.0) in order to make software they want to install work. I've been on forums where some people said they would rather refuse to install the software rather than have to download the runtime. Why? IT'S FREE!! Then they bitch at the vendor for requiring the runtime then they bitch at Microsoft for making it.

2. I don't get why people buy PCs that can barely run the OS that's installed on them, then bitch at me for saying that the PC only has enough memory to run the OS and if they want better performance they need to upgrade. Then they bitch at the manufacturer for making the PC underpowered and then bitch that the store sold them a piece of crap.

3. I don't get it when a person gets infected because good ol' IE let in a virus, I advise them to use a 3rd party browser (FF or Opera) and they quip "I like IE, I won't use anything else!" Then they act like you insulted them when you tell them "Ok, then continue to use IE but you'll keep getting infested." Then if they DO download a 3rd party browser they refuse to download the plugins to make it even safer. Example: NoScript.

4. I don't get why Norton and McAfee are still so popular, yet half the time they miss threats and get easily disabled by viruses. Also, they get pretty venomous when they expire (slowness, loss of access to secure sites, etc...).

5. Speaking of security software, I don't get why ISP-provided security suites are so crappy. The Verizon Internet Security (they one people pay $5 a month for) is the worst offender, EVERY time I get a client that has it installed I have to remove it to fix the issue. I'm not kidding. Another bad one is CA Internet Security. It runs like crap even on PCs with lots of memory. Usually, I just uninstall it and the issue is fixed. I then tell clients it's best to pay for a reputable suite that will be better off for them.

6. I don't get why Lexmark printers are still popular, yet they are consistently low-rated in publications and suck ink like it's going out of style. I try to tell people to stay away, but they end up being taken by the machine's low purchase price. Then they bitch that the printer is "drinking ink like a fish." Not to mention the build quality is terrible. I owned a Lexmark printer for a year and the cover broke off in six months! I got rid of it in less than a year of ownership for an HP. Never again!

[Bright_Star]

I use McAfee. It does the job BUT if you know something that's better then I'm all ears. Better to have McAfee than not to use nothing at all.

[gunsage]

Points taken. In concerns to Lexmark, I really don't know why I opted to get another one after the BS I dealt with with my old one. What also irritates me is you can never seem to get parallel cables for printers anymore. Look, I don't have very many USB ports. Yes, I could get a USB hub, but hey, I'm cheap...so sue me (and I'll laugh at your settlement of 5 cents). :lol:

As far as the Norton/McAfee problem, never used McAfee, but from what I can tell, most installations are trials that are preset on the PC when you go to buy them. And in regards to Norton, all the tools and such are nice little features, but they've been around enough that people deliberately go about exploiting aspects of Norton to the point that it's a laughable source of security anymore. I opted for security through obscurity by getting an antivirus I'd never heard of but was apparently high rated (Kaspersky) and I'm liking it so far, though it can be a little restrictive.

Ditto on the ISP security suites being crap. I don't even recommend mine. If a customer specifically asks about it, yeah, I'll transfer to level 2, but I don't like to. As far as system specs, you know, each ISP has the minimum requirements for service somewhere easily accessible, often on their website. It's the customer's own dumbass fault if he/she opts NOT to do research. Sure, IT'S TEH INTARWEBZ!!111!...but come on...it's still going to use resources just like EVERYTHING ELSE if your Snail PC.

[trunks2k]

I use McAfee. It does the job BUT if you know something that's better then I'm all ears. Better to have McAfee than not to use nothing at all.

AVG Free Edition works for me.

[Lingering Grin]

AVG Free Edition works for me.

Yup, been using it for years. It's great!

http://free.grisoft.com

[vman]

In defense of IE, you *can* make it pretty safe to use by setting the right options. It's not that hard, and hell, doesn't even require that you download plugins (which themselves could contain keyloggers, whee).

[Geek King]

Points taken. In concerns to Lexmark, I really don't know why I opted to get another one after the BS I dealt with with my old one. What also irritates me is you can never seem to get parallel cables for printers anymore. Look, I don't have very many USB ports. Yes, I could get a USB hub, but hey, I'm cheap...so sue me (and I'll laugh at your settlement of 5 cents). :lol:



Here you go, all kinds. Enjoy :D

http://www.pacificcable.com/ParallelCables.htm

[Gurndigarn]

6. I don't get why Lexmark printers are still popular, yet they are consistently low-rated in publications and suck ink like it's going out of style. I try to tell people to stay away, but they end up being taken by the machine's low purchase price.

You got it right there. Yeah, Lexmark sucks. But they're usually given away free with the computer (after mail-in rebate). My best success was with Canon. CHEAP ink, and it doesn't go through it all that fast, either, and decent enough print quality for me.

[symposes]

Norton is so fun. My father and I both, refuse to use it. And if were asked to fix a computer that has it. The VERY first thing we do is uninstall norton... sad thing is, 99% of the time, that fixes the problem.

I use AVG myself, too.

[marasbaras]

AVG here.

Low-end printers of all brands are utter crap these days. They're ink/toner guzzlers.

I have a couple Samsung lasers that work great. 17ppm on 8.5x11. Just simple B&W lasers. Love them. Indestructable.

[sld72382]

Norton is so fun. My father and I both, refuse to use it. And if were asked to fix a computer that has it. The VERY first thing we do is uninstall norton... sad thing is, 99% of the time, that fixes the problem.

I use AVG myself, too.

I have the paid edition of AVG Internet Security, mainly because I have Vista x64 and
the Free AVG isn't x64 compatible.

As far as removing Norton, I don't know why but 80% of my fellow techs seem to have an aversion to removing ANY security software to try and fix a problem (not just Norton). Mainly because I was told if the tech removed the software and the client did not replace it with anything, the client could very well go after us if he/she got a virus with "well the tech removed it and left me with nothing!" Which is why I perform an easy CYA move: have the client verbally acknowledge that they need to replace it with something, and put it in the case notes.

This aversion has caused me grief when I get clients that are upset that I'm the 5th or 6th tech and the issue hasn't been resolved yet, and all I have to do is remove the security software and all is well. It makes the other people look like idiots when I solved the issue in 30 minutes and the other techs wrung them around with fruitless scans for 2 hours.

[Ree]

I used to use the free version of AVG, and I installed it on my daughter's old laptop.
I downloaded it right from their site.
I had used the free version for years and never had any issues, but about a year ago, she began to get a message every day saying she was using a bootleg version of their software, and telling her to go to their site and buy their original AVG software.
(On my own old computer, I had used the free version for a long time, but then decided to pay for the full program. That computer died on me, and I lost the registration code to install the paid version on the other computer.)

[Broomjockey]

I have the paid edition of AVG Internet Security, mainly because I have Vista x64 and
the Free AVG isn't x64 compatible.


...Yeah it is. I can prove it. *goes to desktop* *checks anti-virus*. Yep. AVG Free. x64 Vista. There you go. Not sure what happened when you tried to install it, but I didn't have any issues other than actually *finding* it. I kept getting directed to trial versions and downloabable full versions.

[technical.angel]

2. I don't get why people buy PCs that can barely run the OS that's installed on them, then bitch at me for saying that the PC only has enough memory to run the OS and if they want better performance they need to upgrade. Then they bitch at the manufacturer for making the PC underpowered and then bitch that the store sold them a piece of crap.

Wow, one straight out of my day.

Girl comes in complaining that she has a virus, and the virus scan wasn't picking it up. Since virus is the one word used to explain any issue on campus, C had her start up the laptop so she could show us the issue.

SS- Sucky Student

C - "It says you're out of hard drive space."
SS - "It said that before, but I cleaned it out!"
C - "You have 37kb free."
SS - "I told you, I ALREADY cleaned it out! I need this program to work!"

After a bit of back and forth, I gather that the program in question is a video editing software. I look at the laptop.

It has a 40gb harddrive. 40gb. C's still acting like she's going to troubleshoot this baby. The student is nearly hyperventilating. What is it about me and freaked out students lately??

It all started with "People are listening into my phone conversations" girl, I think.

So, I explain in very simple terms. Video editing bad. New hard drive good. Best Buy good, Helpdesk BAD.

She then figures she could move a gig of stuff onto her thumb drive and be good, so she starts quizzing me about backing up her iTUNES. HER FREAKING iTUNES.

I finally get her to go away.

She calls a little bit later, saying she couldn't remove a program.

Yep, folks, her laptop was so full, it couldn't write the necessary backup info TO REMOVE A PROGRAM.

So, once again, I told her she needed to move as many files as possible onto her thumb drive, then try again.

"Do I have to delete them off my computer after they're on the thumb drive?"

Only if you WANT THE DA..... RN thing to work!!!!!

She finally goes away... again.

Then, yes, she calls... AGAIN.

Now, our antivirus is throwing up errors, and once again, "YOU NEED TO REMOVE STUFF FROM THE LAPTOP".

I explain, she's going to have to get some space cleared up, uninstall the program, and get a disc from us and reinstall.

I get a frustrated "UGH!" and a click.

I was actually glad someone hung up on me.

Shocking.

[LostMyMind]

1. I don't get the aversion people have to installing Microsoft runtimes (example: .NET Framework 2.0) in order to make software they want to install work.
I have to admit I'm one of those people. I hate the NET runtimes (mostly because it not just runtime). Version 2.0 not bad, but still won't put 1.1 on my computer. But I know my reason for why, and I don't push my reason on to other people.

[HawaiianShirts]

After all this discussion of security programs, what I don't get is this:

I don't get why people insist that they don't need security software. I can understand them telling me they don't want my store's techs to install security. That's fine. But why do they claim they don't need it at all? Especially when they're buying a new computer because it's too expensive to clean out all the virus/spyware infections in their current computer.

It's also confusing when they realize that viruses can be a problem but tell me they don't need security because they'll be taking the computer to another country (I've posted about that before) like Mexico. Are there people who really believe that American internet is different from the internet in other countries and that virus/spyware infections can only be contracted in the USA?

[technical.angel]

Cause the tubes are smaller, so less stuff can get through.

[trunks2k]

I used to use the free version of AVG, and I installed it on my daughter's old laptop.
I downloaded it right from their site.
I had used the free version for years and never had any issues, but about a year ago, she began to get a message every day saying she was using a bootleg version of their software, and telling her to go to their site and buy their original AVG software.

??? I wonder if she had some other non-viral spyware installed, as AVG has NEVER in the 6 years I've used it asked me to buy it. Maybe she was confusing the message it was saying a while back that they were no longer supporting a version and you had to go download the newest version (version 7 I believe). I remember my mom was telling me that her AVG was telling her that they will no longer support the Free Edition and you had to go buy it. But what the message said was something akin to "AVG Free Version 6 will no longer be supported as of date X and no more updates will be available for it. Please update to AVG 7"

The only issue I had with AVG didn't effect me. An update would accidentally result in the deletion of a certain system file when the virus scan was done. That deletion would cause an infinite reboot loop - deleting the file would cause the computer to reboot, on boot AVG would detect the file again and delete it, causing a reboot. Fortunately this issue didn't affect me, but AVG handled resolving the issue pretty poorly.

[Ree]

Hmmm...it definitely said she was using a "bootleg" version.

I even went to their site and downloaded the very latest free one again, but the message still came up.

It's possible she had something spyware related, because it took me ages to clean up her laptop after she got back from college.
I installed SpyBot and AdAware, as well as the Microsoft antispyware program, but who knows.

[sld72382]

...Yeah it is. I can prove it. *goes to desktop* *checks anti-virus*. Yep. AVG Free. x64 Vista. There you go. Not sure what happened when you tried to install it, but I didn't have any issues other than actually *finding* it. I kept getting directed to trial versions and downloabable full versions.

When I built my PC in March of last year, it said right on Grisoft's site that the free AVG wasn't x64 aware, but the paid versions were. That's why I bought the paid edition. I just looked on Grisoft's site and the free AVG is now x64 aware, so I guess they recently updated it to make it work.

[Broomjockey]

When I built my PC in March of last year, it said right on Grisoft's site that the free AVG wasn't x64 aware, but the paid versions were. That's why I bought the paid edition. I just looked on Grisoft's site and the free AVG is now x64 aware, so I guess they recently updated it to make it work.

Ah, okay then. Makes more sense now, actually, on multiple fronts. Now, for my next question. And this one's a toughie.

Is it worth the cash?

[Taurus52]

Computers are my business. If you have a dialup connect AVG free is fine. It's update process is dialup friendly. If you have broadband Try Avira found at:

www.free-av.com

You can schedule weekly scans. The paid version is always top rated by av-comparatives.org. The free version uses the same engine.

Of course the real solution is to move to Linux, but that is another discussion:)

[sld72382]

Ah, okay then. Makes more sense now, actually, on multiple fronts. Now, for my next question. And this one's a toughie.

Is it worth the cash?

AVG Internet Security is worth it, everything all-in-one with no system slowdown and a 2 year subscription for the same as Norton.

[Kyree]

I used AVG up until it decided that WoW was a virus. Not a file in WoW, but the game itself. :headscratch: I ended up having to delete both and reinstall WoW. Not fun.

[technical.angel]

Someone with more experience with AVG will have to add, but you should be able to tell AVG to ignore WoW.

[RichS]

I used AVG up until it decided that WoW was a virus.

I used AVG as well, until it and Steam didn't want to get along. See link here (http://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?p_faqid=397) and read #3. I also had to uninstall both and install Steam again. At least I backed up the games first (dial-up).

Now I use the free version of Avast! - I've had some experience with it on my notebook, and it's been running well.

[Shabo]

Lexmark printers are the worst. Canons aren't bad printers, but if you ever lose the CD that came with the drivers on it... well, have fun trying to find the drivers on their website. I usually just google it and see what comes up... and spend another 15 minutes looking for the correct driver off the website. So I have a real aversion to Canon for that reason.

I also have a simple Samsung laser b&w printer, and I love it. I got one for my bf as well so he could have one.


Anti-virus is never perfect. The more popular that software is, the more likely it is to be attacked by viruses et al. Example: Microsoft users get the most viruses. Microsoft clearly dominates the PC field, therefore it will give the most return to people programming viruses as it will infect the most computers. It's not that the Mac operating system is inherently better, just that it's less used and not worth *most* programmers time to find the exploits-- but exploits are certainly still found with all systems. The most important thing is that the company acknowledges the exploits and fixes them right away. (Anyone remember that lovely little trick that Microsoft pulled a few months ago with Adobe? Yes, Microsoft sat there and claimed that there was a vulnerability with Adobe software, but of course Adobe claimed differently. And whaddya know, Microsoft rescinded their statement a few weeks later and fixed their vulnerability with a patch. Tsk tsk.)

So yes, lesser known anti-virus will be better because it won't be attacked like the big boys will be.

And let's not knock the big companies for causing issues with software. There are probably billions (if not more) of combinations of software and whatnot that could be on any one computer at any one point in time. The fact that standard software works so well considering is pretty amazing. No, they aren't perfect, but no software is.



Ok, thing I don't get #7 is people who don't believe in viruses. Yes, I had one guy tell me that he didn't have anit-virus protection because he didn't believe they existed. After I got over the initial shock of that statement, I quickly told him about things like keyloggers, trojans, worms... I explained that personal information could be stolen because of an infected computer... I certainly hope that he listened and changed his mind, cuz that's just scary. Especially since he was a professor with access to confidential student records!

[technical.angel]

Lexmark printers are the worst. Unless you're on a domain. The magic and spells needed to get an HP printer connected to a printer on the domain is crazy.

Remove from domain
Unplug network cable
restart
delete registry keys
change permission on registry keys
Stand in bucket of water
Turn counter-clockwise while patting your head and rubbing your belly.

[Geek King]

Unless you're on a domain. The magic and spells needed to get an HP printer connected to a printer on the domain is crazy.



We use HP printers quite a bit where I'm working, and all we usually have to do is set the IP address (both reserving it on the network and setting the printer itself) and plug it into the network. After that its all adding the printer on the user's PCs. Not sure why you would have to go through so many hoops on yours. Sometimes we have to bounce the printing services on the controller, and once we had to replace the network card on the printer.

[technical.angel]

Oh, no no no, I'm not talking about putting a printer on the domain. That's not my job.

I'm talking about just locally connecting via USB a printer to a computer connected to the domain.

[sld72382]

Ok, thing I don't get #7 is people who don't believe in viruses. Yes, I had one guy tell me that he didn't have anit-virus protection because he didn't believe they existed. After I got over the initial shock of that statement, I quickly told him about things like keyloggers, trojans, worms... I explained that personal information could be stolen because of an infected computer... I certainly hope that he listened and changed his mind, cuz that's just scary. Especially since he was a professor with access to confidential student records!

On a slight variation of your #7, I got some people who actually think that it's the antivirus companies themselves that are creating the viruses so you can coaxed into buying the software.

I always have one response to that: "If that was the case, there would have been someone blowing the whistle by now."

[PCGameGuy]

After all this discussion of security programs, what I don't get is this:

I don't get why people insist that they don't need security software. I can understand them telling me they don't want my store's techs to install security. That's fine. But why do they claim they don't need it at all? Especially when they're buying a new computer because it's too expensive to clean out all the virus/spyware infections in their current computer.

It's also confusing when they realize that viruses can be a problem but tell me they don't need security because they'll be taking the computer to another country (I've posted about that before) like Mexico. Are there people who really believe that American internet is different from the internet in other countries and that virus/spyware infections can only be contracted in the USA?

The analogy I read a while back made the most sense to me, and it may help others, so here it is:

Imagine there is a problem with home invasion robberies in your neighborhood. There is a thief trying to get into the houses and steal what he can, and mess up or break random stuff as well. He goes down a random street, trying doors until he finds an unlocked one, then goes in and does his deed. If all the doors are locked, he tries the next street over, or tries a simple 'bump the door' break in method. He is hitting houses every day, regularly, and all you have to do to stop him is lock the door with a decent lock.

Now, multiply 'he' by about 1000, make 'every day' into 'every second' and 'your neighborhood' into 'your state/region/country' and replace 'decent lock' with 'antivirus/firewall'. It really is that bad, and it really can be that easy to protect yourself.

Anyone who chooses not to install the software is just leaving their door unlocked.

This actually seemed to help me get the idea across to less technically inclined people. :)

[PepperElf]

Last year in March I found the answer to items 1-4 ... in the form of a cute MacBook :)

1. Microsoft runtime: 'nuff said :D
2. Enough to run the OS: I personally saw a man installing Leopard to a G4 laptop. For those of you who don't know Mac products, the G4 is about 7 years old. Yeah, Leopard works on OLD computers. :D
3. Internet Explorer: the default Mac program is Safari, but I usually use Firefox myself.
4. Antivirus? What's Antivirus? I'll be the first to admit...No I don't use it. It's not that I don't think there are viruses out there...it's just that most of them are still scripted for Microsoft. I did get curious the other day and went to Trend Micro to run a free virus scan...but it came up without any viruses.


And a couple of notes...
a: the dept of homeland security also recommends NOT using IE because of the way it's tied to your operating system

b: if you use ad-aware to get rid of spyware you'll notice something interesting if you stop using IE for browsing... most spyware will go away. Yeah. back when I had a PC my scans came up pretty empty...and I was making it scan just about *everything*

c: get a router. it solves a lot of issue #5 with the isp based security. BUT you have to change the password. Many hackers know what the default passwords are so...if you don't bother changing them, they can f**k with your stuff.
and yes, one of my friends use to do that to his neighbor jsut for fun.... since the guy never changed the router password my friend would hack in and change the desktop picture. He could have done much worse but... he chose not to.

d: don't share out your C drive if you're on a freakin wireless network. At least put in a freakin password on it. I mean it's one thing to do it on your own network when there's just a couple of computers there, but...when you're on a public wireless....ANYONE else on that network can see your drive.

Yeah. I was surfing one day and looked at the avaialble computers on the shared networks (a nice apple feature!).. one guy had his entire freakin C DRIVE shared out and public. Helllllloooooooo? No. I didn't fuck with his computer though I could have. Hell... I SHOULD have edited his MSCONFIG to run a notepad file every time he turns the comptuer on... a file that reads, "NOTICE: YOUR C-DRIVE IS PUBLICALLY SHARED WITHOUT A PASSWORD PROTECT. ... BY NOW YOU'RE REALIZING WHAT KIND OF SECURITY RISK YOU CREATED. HAVE A NICE DAY. :wave:" ... heh that would have freaked him out! :D

e: simple rules still apply... don't open attachments and read what you're agreeing to before you click OK.
One of my old coworkers use to click OK to EVERYTHING that popped up, which is freakin awesome when he's surfing for free MP3 downloads at questionable sites. What's worse is that he had no f**king clue that HE was the one giving our computers viruses... he decided in his ultimate wisdome that it was all MY fault for installing Google Toolbar. then again M___ deserves his own thread anyway....(yeah that bad)

[technical.angel]

4 - most viruses are still for PCs not macs. I went to Trend Micro for a free scan and found...nothing on the macbook :)

That's not quite as true as it used to be. Now that more people are switching to Mac, more viruses are starting to be written for Mac.

The trainer for the class I took at the state and education ISP provider gave us a figure of how many known viruses there are for Mac.

Just remember that nothing is safe. An ounce of prevention sort of thing.

[PepperElf]

o yes. There are some out there...but still not as many.
and that's also why i did the online virus scan....

plus... i was surfing and looking for lyrics and came on a page that tried to force an EXE download to my computer. it took a while to get otu of that loop, cos it didn't like me clicking "cancel" and refusing the download. Then it popped up a script that claimed I had thousands of viruses - simple ad crap but it did get me thinking.

so... once I got that page closed out, that's when I went to do the free scan, which came up empty :D

but... keep in mind, i also only surf via my home network with the wireless router. said router has its own password (using upper & lower case letters, numbers, & symbols). And a different password for the wireless network...granted I didn't bother with the numbers & symbols (less secure I know) but...considering the pw is over 15 characters, I'm not too worried about it either :devil:

now granted that only protects me from asshats trying to hack in, and not from where I go online...which is why I try to be careful about where I go. :)

[Broomjockey]

Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but now that Macs use intel chips, that opens up the possibility of cross-platform virii? So with the free anti-virus scanners, I can't really see why you'd tempt fate like that.

[lordlundar]

Not likely, as CPUs don't have any real programming in them. The BIOS is a target, but it always has been.

[Decker]

Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but now that Macs use intel chips, that opens up the possibility of cross-platform virii? So with the free anti-virus scanners, I can't really see why you'd tempt fate like that.

Yeah. I'm pretty sure the actual hardware used has little to do with what viruses can affect it. Hardware drivers maybe, but not the hardware itself.

[Broomjockey]

Not likely.

Yeah. I'm pretty sure the actual hardware used has little to do with what viruses can affect it.

Eh, well, it was a while ago, I wasn't terribly interested, and it's a vague recollection at best. I was wrong. Everyone mark your calendars, you won't be hearing me say that again for a while :p

Though now I'm kinda wondering what exactly they were talking about that day... :shrug:

[PepperElf]

So with the free anti-virus scanners, I can't really see why you'd tempt fate like that.
cos of ... several things.

1) most viruses come from either bad emails or weird places you go online. so... being careful with where i go or what emails i open covers those.

2) hackers who actively search for computers... need to break into the firewall / router first. intel chip or no, you can't hack if you can't get to it.

3) and i've worked computers... but in my opinion, the people who are use to PCs are more apt to be virus-shy... meaning they're more use to having to protect themselves all the time. It's gonna sound strange but... I kinda feel that some of the anti-virus companies are banking on that fear to get some extra money.

and... microsoft office / pop email programs. try to avoid those if you can, at least for home use. a lot of those email-viruses are scripted for them. yeah there's some that are scripted for gmail... but i've only heard ONE person tell me that he knew one guy who got a gmail virus. (as opposed to how many people we've all heard get hit by an outlook viruses?)

and lastly... the biggest issue. as i said before, you can't hack what you can't get into.
if you suspect a hack attempt just ... disconnect the internet. not very hollywood-like but much more effective than trying to out-code them back

[edible_hat]

On a slight variation of your #7, I got some people who actually think that it's the antivirus companies themselves that are creating the viruses so you can coaxed into buying the software.

I always have one response to that: "If that was the case, there would have been someone blowing the whistle by now."

They won't even employ people who have written viruses in the past, even if those viruses were never released into the wild.

[lordlundar]

Though now I'm kinda wondering what exactly they were talking about that day... :shrug:

Like I said before, it was probably the BIOS. Written carefully, they can be indistinguishable from a flash program, and about 50 times a lethal to a computer. Used to be a fun target for hackers to use against each other, but with the difficulty in writing, no ability to transfer once infected, and low application rate (how many people do you know flash the BIOS?), it's not a popular option.

[Cyphr]

if you suspect a hack attempt just ... disconnect the internet. not very hollywood-like but much more effective than trying to out-code them back

well then again watch live free of die hard see what hollywood thinks PC's can do they think they can detonate gas pipelines from miles away and other things like that

[Broomjockey]

they think they can detonate gas pipelines from miles away and other things like that

To be fair, if the system was automated, it could be possible to ratched up the pressure to a point where the gas could blow out the pipes and ignite in the resulting blow-out, though any system worth using would have some mechanical failsafes put in that would vent with that kind of pressure buildup. You can make the logic work, but you have to work too hard to do it. It's a Bruce Willis action movie. Stop overthinking it! :p

[PepperElf]

lol. not to mention it was a die hard movie featuring the "Mac Guy" from the US commercials.
but yeah, hollywood always over-does things.

i'm just curious... how would those anti-virus companies find out that "person x made a virus" if it was never released?

[Geek King]

They won't even employ people who have written viruses in the past, even if those viruses were never released into the wild.

Why in the world not? Wouldn't you want someone on the staff who knew how these things worked? There's a good reason why companies are recruiting hackers who turn 'white hat.' Takes a thief to catch a thief, and all that.

I could understand severe screening of persons like that though. You want to make sure they're not going to take advantage of the system before you turn them loose.

[edible_hat]

Why in the world not? Wouldn't you want someone on the staff who knew how these things worked? There's a good reason why companies are recruiting hackers who turn 'white hat.' Takes a thief to catch a thief, and all that.

I could understand severe screening of persons like that though. You want to make sure they're not going to take advantage of the system before you turn them loose.

So that they can't be accused of hiring people who write viruses.

[Geek King]

So that they can't be accused of hiring people who write viruses.

Right. Sorry. I got to thinking with common sense again. My mistake. :rolleyes:

[Jadedcarguy]

I use FireFox. Since I switched from IE, AdAware has become something of an afterthought. :D

[powerboy]

I use FireFox with all the right plug ins. Plus I also use Avast.

[sld72382]

Firefox + Adblock + NoScript = surfing goodness. :)

[xaenon]

> 2. I don't get why people buy PCs that can barely run the OS that's installed on
> them, then bitch at me for saying that the PC only has enough memory to
> run the OS and if they want better performance they need to upgrade. Then
> they bitch at the manufacturer for making the PC underpowered and then bitch
> that the store sold them a piece of crap.

Most customers don't consider the technical aspects of a computer. They don't
get why some processors should be avoided (the original Intel Celerons, for
example, were castrated Pentium-IIs - fine for MS-Word, but very poor for games
and multimedia) or why you want to stuff the machine to the limits with RAM and
storage.

I cannot tell you how many times I've heard "I don't need a powerful machine,
I just want to play games" - and how many times I've had to explain its the
GAMES that tend to push the limits of the hardware - particularly processor,
video, and memory. In their defense, though, most of my customers were
the relatively cash-strapped individuals from a tiny little Indiana town, and
buying a 'good' machine that's optioned with the newer heavy-hitter chips,
lotsa memory, and big-arse hard drives tends to cost considerably more than
that $399 minimal-configuration eMachine in the window.


If they're just buying a computer for email and internet browsing, the cheapie
usually does just fine - until they either find the porn sites and/or install some
file-sharing service like Limewire or (God help them) Kazaa.

> 4. I don't get why Norton and McAfee are still so popular, yet half the time they
> miss threats and get easily disabled by viruses. Also, they get pretty venomous
> when they expire (slowness, loss of access to secure sites, etc...).

You don't get this? It's called extortion. "You won't renew our product?! Well,
then, guess you don't really NEED the internet, do ya?..."

Frankly, I wouldn't be a bit surprised to find out that the AV companies CREATE
half of the viruses out there. What better way to drum up business?

> 5. Speaking of security software, I don't get why ISP-provided security suites
> are so crappy.

Typically the companies that create this software erroneously assume the end
user will have some massive powerhouse rig, with lots of extra CPU cycles and
memory to spare. It's also the ISP's job to determine which suite will best suit
their customers - but it usually gets cut down to 'which one is the cheapest for
them to provide and make a profit on' - and this tends to be the the suite that
has the heaviest demand on the end user's rig.

> 6. I don't get why Lexmark printers are still popular, yet they are consistently
> low-rated in publications and suck ink like it's going out of style.

It's called Gillette Marketing, modeled after what the razor manufacturer did
decades ago. They sold the basic razor for very little (in fact, Gillette supplied
razors to the US Army during and for some time after the first world war), then
you get to sell supplies for it for quite some time afterward - at a premium, of
course. How much does ink cost for a Lexmark? About the same as it does for
an HP. Is the Lexmark ink better quality? Based on the quality of their printers,
I seriously doubt it. So, they sucker the customer in by advertising a low, low
Walmart price on a printer, but few customers consider the costs of the suppies
they'll use over the printer's lifetime. So, if a Lexmark printer survives long
enough for the customer to have to buy about five sets of ink cartridges (two
cartridges to a set, black and color), at roughly $25-35 per cartridge, it's easy
to see where Lexmark makes their money. It helps, too, that Lexmark usually
uses much more ink than other brands.

[lordlundar]

Frankly, I wouldn't be a bit surprised to find out that the AV companies CREATE
half of the viruses out there. What better way to drum up business?

I've lost track of how many times this conspiracy theory has cropped up. This is honestly a case of "cite your source". In this case, consider this:

6.5 Billion people in the world.
roughly a fifth of that in a Tech 3 country (high tech)
for the sake of argument a fifth of that has a computer
of those, .1% are hackers capable and willing to create a virus that is problematic in some way.

That is 260 Thousand people there. And I'm pretty sure my numbers are flawed in several ways, most likely raising the number.

Do they really need the help?:p

[Andara Bledin]

I used to use Norton, and my company is completely Norton for our security. I know that a lot of people have problems with it, but aside from one installation issue I had due to my hard drive being slightly defective, I never did.

AVG, however, has caused both me personally, and my company many, many problems. Not the least of which was being completely useless against a virus some dipstick porn surfer picked up on a warehouse computer. Everybody had AVG, and some also had Norton. The Norton machines were fine, but every AVG-only machine had to be cleaned. I have never had a decent experience with AVG.

Also, in most of the AV showdowns I've looked up, AVG and Norton are usually neck and neck on stopping threats and removing them, but both are far below a number of other solutions such as Avast! and Kaspersky.

I currently run a free version of Kaspersky in an AOL label. It's the same version as the full paid version, for the most part. Except for random twitchiness on updates, it's worked great for me.

I think anyone who uses a computer without proper safeguards pretty much is asking for anythying that happens to them. I have no sympathy.

^-.-^

[42_42_42]

AVG Free Edition works for me.

That's what I was gonna say.