Well.. Well.. Well..
This is not a fact that Microsoft write application that server as platform of viruses, the fact is that Microsoft application are fully integrated and could be connected to each one by using COM, VBSCript, Visual Basic for Application, etc... Now if you are regarding Linux and MAC, the compatibility with Hardware are reduced, the communication between application an only be done via old mechanism or custom mechanism... Techno like CORBA are only accessible to high developper... etc...
- They've introduced whole new classes
- of viruses that weren't possible before. Those who have been on the
- internet more than 4 years ago might remember that, until Outlook came
- along, the concept of an email virus was a widely propagated hoax!
- There was no such thing!
Yes, but they also instroduced new features, concepts, possibilities, etc..
Visual Basic for application and COM objects integrated with Outlook gives a great way to interract with the email client, with the contact list, etc... And because this is so easy (and now everyone is able to customize its application using VB or COM, this is very good). But some people use it to create virus... Every new technologies are potentialy not immune to any virus. Microsoft Outlook is a the best email client available. It can do many things and integrate calendar, contact, task in a single application and database and all that are accessible only by a single COM interface. That's great...
On Linux and Mac, because of the security the system is not open and only "veterant" developpers are able to customize applications. So it's easy to say that Microsoft application are open to virus but there are also 500% more accessible and customizable by prog than Linux/Mac application. (This is a generality so don't give me an example of 1 software easly accessible or customizable by prog)...
Also Microsoft Windows is used on 80% of all the PC in the world. So If I choose to write a virus I will certainly do it for Microsoft Windows not for Linux or MacOS. That's why there are a lot a virus exeisting Microsoft Windows and not for other systems. Linux and MacOS are also vulnerable but no one is interrested by writing virus for them...
Laurent
-----Original Message-----
From: Karl von Laudermann [mailto:karlvonl@rcn.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2002 11:17
To: Yves Rutschle
Cc: pusers
Subject: Re: Virus Notification
On Thursday, October 10, 2002, at 05:30 AM, Yves Rutschle wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 09, 2002 at 01:50:24PM -0400, Karl von Laudermann wrote:
>> I prefer to follow a more general rule of thumb, which is not to use
>> any software made by Microsoft. I'm not saying this as a joke; I'm
>> serious. I've been following this rule for years and happily ignoring
>> all of the virus warnings and security breach alerts that show up in
>> the tech media every week or so, since they don't apply to any
>> software
>> I'm running.
>>
>> Get a Mac, or a Linux box. You'll be much happier in the long run.
>
> Didn't the OpenSSL package get a big security breach a
> couple of months back, that allowed anyone to remotely log
> in as root on Linux/*BSD systems running ssh?
Ok, so maybe I shouldn't have said that I've been able to happily
ignore *all* of the security warnings that come out. But I hope you're
not implying that the one or two security issues that come up for other
OSes compare to the dozens that come up for MS software all the time.
Then there's the fact that Microsoft is the only company who writes
email applications, word processors, and spreadsheet programs that can
serve as a platform for viruses. They've introduced whole new classes
of viruses that weren't possible before. Those who have been on the
internet more than 4 years ago might remember that, until Outlook came
along, the concept of an email virus was a widely propagated hoax!
There was no such thing! The first time I got an email warning about
the I Love You virus, I thought that was a hoax, too. Now email viruses
are real.
Anyway, this is probably way off topic. Let's get back to gaming. :-)
--
Karl J. von Laudermann
karlvonl@rcn.com
http://www.geocities.com/~karlvonl/
Richard's PBeM Server ID: karlvonl
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