WARNING VIRUS/WORM

[Igorian]

How the computer industry has got away with things for so long is a mystery to me (well it is and it isn't), can you imagine buying a domestic appliance that 'might work OK' then again 'might not'?

Not a fair comparison really. A washing machine washes, a cooker cooks. But neither can do both and you can't buy 'add-ons' that will make them.

PCs are dynamic beasts. We add new hardware, update the software daily, mix components from different manufacturers. We expect them to be word processors, games machines, control systems, communication devices, database managers, music makers...

When you consider the amount of variables involved, it's amazing that they work at all!

As an example of exploits in the appliance world, take a gas hob. We all know you turn on the gas and then press the ignition button. But there is nothing to stop you from turning on the gas and not igniting it! Is this a bug, feature or exploit?

 

[AdamW]

Have some friends using Apple Comps in publishing, they say the Apple kit is far better than the Winds stuff, which they originally accquired and retain.
Is it not horses for courses ?

P

Well, back in the earlier days of DeskTop Publishing (DTP), the best (albeit only!) software available was Mac-only. Well, there was software out there for the Amiga but people would find it hard to take it seriously as it was a home computer optimised for gaming.

Anyway, because of this, the DTP industry (and other publishing industries) got into their Macs (how do you like them Apples ). And when something becomes "industry standard" it is difficult for people to change to something else, even if what they are using is now inferior to the Wintel stuff.

Seeing as the PC is now Adobe's primary platform this could be taken as evidence of where the Mac now lies!

I think it is amusing how tribal people get with their computer platform of choice. I know people who get very aggressive if you point out a shortcoming of Linux, and I also know a Mac owner who gets very angry when you start to talk about the size of the software and support base! And it is always a sore point when they are forced to use MS products at work.

 

[pipme]

Come on lads ! ........ Look at the time ..... back to work please ! Think of the Master .....

P

 

[Studders]

Those that criticise Microsoft so vehemently are usually individuals that don't understand the diverse and complicated market out there and seem to be living in their own ideal world!(I usually find that the biggest critics of others are usually pretty useless at doing things themselves and use their criticisms of others to cover their own shortcomings)

Well that's me told.

I usually find those people that attack ad hominem do so as they have no valid argument to offer.

 

[Studders]

How the computer industry has got away with things for so long is a mystery to me (well it is and it isn't), can you imagine buying a domestic appliance that 'might work OK' then again 'might not'?

Not a fair comparison really. A washing machine washes, a cooker cooks. But neither can do both and you can't buy 'add-ons' that will make them.

PCs are dynamic beasts. We add new hardware, update the software daily, mix components from different manufacturers. We expect them to be word processors, games machines, control systems, communication devices, database managers, music makers...

When you consider the amount of variables involved, it's amazing that they work at all!

As an example of exploits in the appliance world, take a gas hob. We all know you turn on the gas and then press the ignition button. But there is nothing to stop you from turning on the gas and not igniting it! Is this a bug, feature or exploit?

All valid points, you can't error trap for idiots. Nowhere in my washing machine manual does it state I cannot wash bricks.
It would be nice though if, just for once, Microshaft addressed issues in current releases instead of spending so much time and effort trying to ship out 'newlottabugs 2005'.

 

[Studders]

I think it is amusing how tribal people get with their computer platform of choice. I know people who get very aggressive if you point out a shortcoming of Linux, and I also know a Mac owner who gets very angry when you start to talk about the size of the software and support base! And it is always a sore point when they are forced to use MS products at work.

Ahhh but what about those that use PC and Mac on an equal and regular basis?
Surely they are in a better position to judge?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Those that criticise Microsoft so vehemently are usually individuals that don't understand the diverse and complicated market out there and seem to be living in their own ideal world

Ah - well, I do understand the diverse and complicated world out there, and I do know that when you compare Windoze to Unix, either at the level of administering systems to keep them running, or as close as you can get to the internals of the operating systems, the Microsoft philosophy is, and always has been "What's the minimum we can get away with?", rather then "What's the best we can do?"

 

[Igorian]

Ahhh but what about those that use PC and Mac on an equal and regular basis?
Surely they are in a better position to judge?

They would just argue with themselves

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I think it is amusing how tribal people get with their computer platform of choice. I know people who get very aggressive if you point out a shortcoming of Linux, and I also know a Mac owner who gets very angry when you start to talk about the size of the software and support base! And it is always a sore point when they are forced to use MS products at work.

You should appreciate this then:

 

[AdamW]

Nowhere in my washing machine manual does it state I cannot wash bricks.

In the user manual for my Aprilia it says "This motorcycle is made from non-edible parts. Do not attempt to bite, suck, chew or eat any part of the vehicle."

I love that cartoon!

 

[kendor]

Those that criticise Microsoft so vehemently are usually individuals that don't understand the diverse and complicated market out there and seem to be living in their own ideal world

Ah - well, I do understand the diverse and complicated world out there, and I do know that when you compare Windoze to Unix, either at the level of administering systems to keep them running, or as close as you can get to the internals of the operating systems, the Microsoft philosophy is, and always has been "What's the minimum we can get away with?", rather then "What's the best we can do?"

let me put it another way then:
There is a system out there that is far more sophisticated than linux, unix, windows or mac it has to deal with almost infinite variables, it has more processing power than all the pc's out there but it still makes mistakes or fails in it's working properly all the time.
And this wondrous machine is...............the human brain!
We all know it has it's shortcomings but we don't keep criticising it's inventor, creator whatever you wish to call God, we realise that the brain has capabilities we are still only dreaming about and it won't reach it's full capabilities for a long time yet but we accept this is how it is and that it is evoluting.
The same stands for software of any shape or form it's evoluting and may never get to the point where it will satisfy all needs, If Bill gates came out tomorrow with the most perfect operating system there could be with no faults(bugs) and able to drive any pc no matter it's configuration or application then i think we would have to worry whether he is a mortal or perhaps an advanced species from a different plane of existance.
a piece of individual software written for a certain application could be written very well if all the possible ways in which it would be used were given to the programmers beforehand and they kept strictly to this remit.
but an operating system doesn't cater for individual use, if it did then there would be no need for any updates anymore.
I'm not saying that the clever programmers out there couldn't come up with a better system that would walk all over windows but those systems will still have their critics and they are guaranteed not to be perfect in every way.

 

[Studders]

Ahhh but what about those that use PC and Mac on an equal and regular basis?
Surely they are in a better position to judge?

They would just argue with themselves

No I wouldn't...







Oh yes you would....




Damn.

 

[Studders]

Nowhere in my washing machine manual does it state I cannot wash bricks.

In the user manual for my Aprilia it says "This motorcycle is made from non-edible parts. Do not attempt to bite, suck, chew or eat any part of the vehicle."

I love that cartoon!

Me too.... 'burrrrrrrp' Ooo pardon moi, I think this seat is a touch overdone.


Instructions on car windscreen sunshade packet "caution, remove sunshade before attempting to drive vehicle" ??? Don't tell me there is actually people out there that don't??

 

[breezer]

speaking of what you cant do, i have heard ogf the packet of salted peanuts that states "warning may contain nuts"

 

[pipme]

Good God Watson !! Pass me the matches, this looks like a two pipe job !