On Tue, 26 Mar 2002, michael brown wrote:

> > Cool. Maybe you'll learn how to install anti-virus software
> > on your computer so you can do something more productive
> > than spread the magistr virus. Prick
>
> Aw come on now Jinxy, that's a little harsh. ;-)  You'll be seeing more of
> this virus and many others.  People don't spread them "intentionally", but
> they don't usually give each other aids intentionally either.  Viruses: The
> computer gift that keeps on giving.

Only if you're careless.  I've been using PCs since 198 or '84, and micros
since a few years before that.  In all that time I have managed to fall
victim to exactly *one* virus -- and that was when an infected customer's
machine infected our diagnostic floppy.  I think that was in '92.  Folks,
there have been antivirus programs available since very shortly after the
appearance of computer virii, and even with that steaming pile of code
known as Windows a few very simple precautions will keep you from
spreading the latest middle-schooler's idea of a joke.

It should be quite obvious to even the most casual observer that there are
several things you just simply Should Not Do(tm), no matter how mindless
and convenient they are.  I could get to work more conveniently in the
morning if I drove on the wrong side of the bloody road, but it's
dangerous (to myself and those around me) and not too bright to do so.
Kind of like connecting a Windows system to the Internet and using Outlook
Express without taking reasonable precautions.

> As soon as I saw the subject line, I knew what it was going to be.  It looks
> like it picked a real good subject line to help ensure maximum spread.
> Beware, you can get viruses without doing anything other than connecting to
> the internet, thanks to file and printer sharing.

Only if you're careless and thoughtless enough to make it so.  Again, one
would expect that people would take basic safety measures before venturing
ot onto a shared road.

> PLEASE EVERYONE:
> Go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
> click on "Product Updates"
> OK the pesky security warning (doing it here is ok, not for most other
> sites)
> Make sure the "Critical Updates" box is checked
> click download
> wait an eternity (if you are using a modem) for it to download about 8Mb of
> patches
> the patches will install themselves
> reboot your computer (of course)
> do this again next week (and the next, and the next.....)
>
> This won't guarantee you not to get a virus, but it will sure go a long way
> towards that goal.  This will fix serious problems in IE and OE along with a
> bunch of other things.

Absolutely.  That's a very good place to *start*.

Sorry if I seem a little unforgiving about this, but I'm just so bloody
sick and tired of people claiming there's no way to avoid computer virii,
it's just too hard, there's nothing you can do.  Hogwash.

Dale

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