quite incorrect
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| tzafrir Oct 14, 2005 10:35 AM EDT |
a. That product is of no use b. Isn't ?ClamAV commercially-developped in a way? c. F-prot has been available for Linux home users for quite a while (and is still just as useless) d. Would you give a product from such a clueless company access to your personal data? Allow it to call home every day for updates? |
| sharkscott Oct 14, 2005 11:09 AM EDT |
tzafrir: You are correct, correct, correct and correct again!! First they say that there is going to be a huge surge in Linux Viruses(makes me wonder if they are creating a few of their own) and then they create and promote a Linux anti-virus solution? Does anyone smell something? I smell it, and I know what it is when I do... As soon as I ACTUALLY get a virus or malware or anything on my system, I'll worry about it. My Linux machine has been connected to the internet continously(broadband) since about March or so. In that time I have yet to find a single thing on my system that I did not put there myself. Between Firefox and Thunderbird, I don't have to worry about much at all :) |
| tadelste Oct 14, 2005 11:46 AM EDT |
While I agree with both of you, consider a little larger picture. Linux is on a major upswing. We get serious hits on Lxer from countries I did not know existed. Publishers tell me Linux book sales over last year have doubled. You have a system up since March and I've had one up since March of 1999 with no viruses. But, we're in the perception business, not because that's what we want, but because Microsoft wants to destroy Linux. The operative words btw is destroy. Microsoft is not an up and coming company and Windows is not an up and coming OS. That's why they hate Linux so much. They're getting old and Linux is new and exciting. The typical Linux user today doesn't write scripts to ./start a device like a wireless card. They use Gnome and KDE and sit and wonder if spyware and virus have infected their machines. So, I just want to express another point of view. Yeah! Someone has been willing to put the chancellor's of IT for Vanuatu mind at ease. OK, Linux has virus protection for the people in his office. I prefer that to saying nothing here, move on. That doesn't take anything away from your points. I wish that the people who wonder about viruses and spyware in Linux knew more about the system. But they don't. Maybe they will read your posts and it will help. I sure hope so. I really, really do. I just wanted to provide another POV. |
| tuxchick Oct 14, 2005 12:00 PM EDT |
"Someone has been willing to put the chancellor's of IT for Vanuatu mind at ease. OK, Linux has virus protection for the people in his office." Are we so hardened by Microshaft's continual flood of lies that we are too pooped to defend the truth? I think it would be a lot more reassuring to say "Linux doesn't need that, because it is not a porous, malware-friendly piece of dung. You are safe with Linux. Relax." Shame on Grisoft for shameless scare-mongering. Shame shame shame. Oh yeah, and shame. |
| tadelste Oct 14, 2005 12:13 PM EDT |
OK. You're right. Put it in an article, you shameless woman. |
| helios Oct 14, 2005 12:23 PM EDT |
Since I posted about this on the initial story, I have been calling and emailing Grisoft concerning this issue. I believe I am now on "speed-ignore" as opposed to speed dial. I did talk to as Mr. Randall Mesa in New Jersey. I was connected to him via Tech Support and was never given a direct line or extension number. I explained to Mr. Mesa that I owned a Linux advocacy website and would be interested in interviewing him concerning the upcoming release for Linux. Come to find out, he is not with R&D or software engineering, but PR. When asked pointed questions about the Linux Product, he actually became what I consider to be a bit defensive and just wanted to talk about Grisoft's past successes in the field and how he hoped Grisoft could bring the same level of "don't worry - be happy" feelings to Linux Users. He would neither address specific questions or refer me to anyone who could. I'm thinkin' maybe the responses to many of the talkback sections on many websites regarding this issue indicate an attitude they were not expecting or wanting. Looks like the calvary is charging into a situation where they are not only unneccesary, but unwanted. helios |
| sharkscott Oct 14, 2005 4:15 PM EDT |
tadelste: You make good points and yes it is good that IT managers can tell their clueless CEO's that they have a virus solution. You are right as well, DESTROY is the operative word, I think it is high time to start fighting fire with fire. When someone wants to "kill" you, the only way to stop them, is to "kill" them. Its ugly, but it is the ONLY thing that will work. The reasoning is human, not perfect, and this is a human problem, not a computer problem. This is about humans having a choice, or not having choice, with their computers. If it was a computer problem, we wouldn't have to kill the computer to fix it :) |
| tadelste Oct 14, 2005 4:21 PM EDT |
sharkscott: Microsoft does not play by the rules. My late father told me that when someone doesn't play by the rules you can play by his rules. Then a friend of mine at Gateway 2000 named Ryk, said that when someone doesn't play by the rules there are no rules. He was from Brooklyn. I like Ryk. |
| sharkscott Oct 14, 2005 4:34 PM EDT |
I went to 7th, 8th and 9th grades in New Hyde Park, on long Island, just outside Queens, and Ryk is right, because that's how you survive on the street. And maybe that is what's wrong here, we want to try and deal with this rationally and logically. When we can't, the only thing being rational and logical will get you on the street, is dead. |
| salparadise Oct 14, 2005 11:09 PM EDT |
"My late father told me that when someone doesn't play by the rules you can play by his rules." If the Linux community starts to behave like MIcrosoft, I for one, am off. There is a new lie about these days. It goes like this. In order to overcome evil, good has to become a little evil itself. This is utter rubbish (and probably dangerous as well). The more I watch Microsoft the more I am reminded of the scene from The Marx Brothers "A Day At The Races" where Groucho wants to put a bet on a horse and gets sold more books than he can carry and then misses the race reading them to find out who to bet on. |
| tadelste Oct 15, 2005 9:08 AM EDT |
salparadise wrote: If the Linux community starts to behave like MIcrosoft, I for one, am off. I would be off too. Thank you for pointing out the possible misconception. Excellent observation. If Microsoft is going to play illegally, it seems that exposing them with good journalistic practices and investigation in a persistent manner would make sense. |
| dinotrac Oct 15, 2005 11:19 AM EDT |
I hate to say this, but John Dvorak's recent column inspired a train of thought in me that may be the best way to address Linux security and anti-virus software. In the column, he teed off on Microsoft's new security service, and asked a very logical question: Instead of writing special security software to protect against a vulnerability or to clean off a virus, why not just fix the problem? As soon as I read that, I realized that Dvorak had identified the Linux advantage and why anti-virus software isn't likely to be a big deal in Linux land. It has nothing to do with technical superiority. Over all the years I've used Linux, I have never been fond of claiming that it is technically superior to Windows. I think it is. I know my uptimes are great. I know my systems seem to work well. Most people, however, will glaze over at any effort to explain the technical differences. Besides, smug complacency is the enemy of security. Security problems that permit root exploits happen all the time. The day may come when somebody actually does unleash a damaging virus or worm or other noxious little creepy crawly critter. Dvorak has the real answer: In Microsoftland, we have no choice but to create antivirus tools because the OS code is kept. We (including the anti-virus companies) can't fix it. All we can do is build walls around it and employ guard dogs. In Open Source land, the code is out there. Instead of writing yet another protection into anti-virus software, we can get rid of the problem. Ahhh..... |
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