Wednesday, January 12, 2005
I do some side work as a computer technician/consultant. But lately, with the massive proliferation of spyware and other malware for Windows, I've been turning down work, work for which I could be paid pretty well on an hourly basis but a fight that is, essentially, unwinnable. The spyware and adware is so malignant that it can infect a computer almost faster than it can be patched... so I can spend hours on a PC, trying to clean it off, only to have it remain infected.
It looks bad, even though I'm using all the skills I've learned over the years, to have the customer's PC still get pop-up ads and have it's home page set to porn. Lately when I'm asked, I give a couple of pointers on programs that will do a decent job of removing the spyware, and then tell them that Windows is rapidly becoming unusable because of spyware.
But now... because the Mac mini is so damned cheap... I've got a new recommendation.
Just buy a Mac if you want to surf in peace.
If you want to deal with Windows... then you'll need to learn how to remove spyware on a regular basis.
Macs -- easy to use, and now just as cheap (cheaper, even, if you consider all the excellent software it comes with)than a Dell. And a hell of a lot more stable and secure.
Yay, Apple! They're gonna sell a freakin' metric tonne of these...
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Getting everyone to buy a Mac doesnt fix the philosophic problem that the advent of graphical interfaces has supressed any desire for "users" to understand how their computer works, or how to work it. It is good that Apple used a *nix base, so if desired, one can ACTUALLY CONTROL the thing they paid for, but still, as long as there are people that don't care how they work, there will be malware that capitalizes on this apathy.
Perhaps this is the natural evolution of technology. Do most people understand how thier car works? Do people fsck up thier cars, and then pay to have them fixed? Sure. I don't know that you should turn-down such jobs. You should give them the information, but if they choose to still shoot themselves in the foot - it is their choice.
--
Caleb
Perhaps this is the natural evolution of technology. Do most people understand how thier car works? Do people fsck up thier cars, and then pay to have them fixed? Sure. I don't know that you should turn-down such jobs. You should give them the information, but if they choose to still shoot themselves in the foot - it is their choice.
--
Caleb
#
posted by 
:: 1/13/2005 12:28 PM
:: 1/13/2005 12:28 PM
Point by point:
Caleb: "Getting everyone to buy a Mac doesnt fix the philosophic problem that the advent of graphical interfaces has supressed any desire for "users" to understand how their computer works, or how to work it."
Is it my responsibility to fix a philosophic problem? :)
"It is good that Apple used a *nix base..."
I think Apple did that for economic reasons more than philosophic reasons, as a way to leapfrog development of an already far-too-delayed upgrade to Mac OS (Google "Copeland" and "Pink" in reference to failed Apple projects for more info). Plus they had the guy who wrote the Mach kernel as their VP of Software Development, which didn't hurt. But the good press of being on the side of the Open Source movement ([newt voice]...mostly[/newt voice]) is a side benefit, me thinks.
Caleb: "...as long as there are people that don't care how they work, there will be malware that capitalizes on this apathy."
Does the malware capitalize on *user's*apathy*? Or does it capitalize on the insecurity built into Microsoft operating systems, and the ubiquity of said insecure products? (Although I don't buy the "Apple's only spyware-free because no one uses it" theory all that much).
This analogy is flawed, in my opinion:
Caleb: "Do most people understand how thier car works? Do people fsck up thier cars, and then pay to have them fixed? Sure."
...flawed because there are damned few industries designed to take specific advantage of the weaknesses found in most (but not all) cars. Yes, there is theft, and insurance... hmmm. Maybe not so flawed on second thought. But the "cars/theft/insurance" triad seems to suggest a different route for filling in the "computers/malware/?????" triad; the third item shouldn't be "repair" it should be "spyware insurance"? Or maybe a monthly retainer for re-imaging? Damn, there's a million-dollar idea in here but I can't complete the thought right now...
Caleb: "You should give them the information, but if they choose to still shoot themselves in the foot - it is their choice."
That's kind of what I'm saying... except that Windows is such a faulty product that there's no simple way to clean it effectively in one swoop. Note: "wipe clean and reinstall" is not a *simple* solution on most PCs.
PS: this comment is going to be too geeky for some (Hi, Christi!) but it's my blog, innit? :)
Caleb: "Getting everyone to buy a Mac doesnt fix the philosophic problem that the advent of graphical interfaces has supressed any desire for "users" to understand how their computer works, or how to work it."
Is it my responsibility to fix a philosophic problem? :)
"It is good that Apple used a *nix base..."
I think Apple did that for economic reasons more than philosophic reasons, as a way to leapfrog development of an already far-too-delayed upgrade to Mac OS (Google "Copeland" and "Pink" in reference to failed Apple projects for more info). Plus they had the guy who wrote the Mach kernel as their VP of Software Development, which didn't hurt. But the good press of being on the side of the Open Source movement ([newt voice]...mostly[/newt voice]) is a side benefit, me thinks.
Caleb: "...as long as there are people that don't care how they work, there will be malware that capitalizes on this apathy."
Does the malware capitalize on *user's*apathy*? Or does it capitalize on the insecurity built into Microsoft operating systems, and the ubiquity of said insecure products? (Although I don't buy the "Apple's only spyware-free because no one uses it" theory all that much).
This analogy is flawed, in my opinion:
Caleb: "Do most people understand how thier car works? Do people fsck up thier cars, and then pay to have them fixed? Sure."
...flawed because there are damned few industries designed to take specific advantage of the weaknesses found in most (but not all) cars. Yes, there is theft, and insurance... hmmm. Maybe not so flawed on second thought. But the "cars/theft/insurance" triad seems to suggest a different route for filling in the "computers/malware/?????" triad; the third item shouldn't be "repair" it should be "spyware insurance"? Or maybe a monthly retainer for re-imaging? Damn, there's a million-dollar idea in here but I can't complete the thought right now...
Caleb: "You should give them the information, but if they choose to still shoot themselves in the foot - it is their choice."
That's kind of what I'm saying... except that Windows is such a faulty product that there's no simple way to clean it effectively in one swoop. Note: "wipe clean and reinstall" is not a *simple* solution on most PCs.
PS: this comment is going to be too geeky for some (Hi, Christi!) but it's my blog, innit? :)
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