“The project was announced today at the German IT summit in Stuttgart. Starting in 2010, ISPs will track down customers with infected PCs, e.g., by looking for communication with botnet controllers. These customers will then be directed to a special website offering advice on removing the malware. If this is unsuccessful (or the site is blocked by the malware), people will get access to a call center, where a staff of about 40 will try to fix the problem,” Weimer reports.
“SPIEGEL ONLINE reports that the BSI refused to disclose the costs for the project, citing procurement regulations,” Weimer reports.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Not unbelievable, unfortunately.
It is not the function of our government to keep the citizen from falling into error; it is the function of the citizen to keep the government from falling into error. — Robert Houghwout Jackson
Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action. — George Washington
The nine most dangerous words in the English language are “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” — Ronald Reagan
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Mark P.” and “NixoN” for the heads up.]
Sounds like Germany has hit on an idea to provide full employment for their citizens.
Microsoft ought to be prosecuted for crimes against humanity. What a massive waste of time, productivity, and dollars Microsoft have wrought.
It figures that the Germans want to misuse the people’s money to help Redmond continue fscking the ignorant when far better, much more cost effective solutions exist.
This sounds like something the neophyte empty suit Obama would concoct over here in the U.S.
By the way, Obama’s job approval rating has fallen to 47% in the latest Gallup poll, the lowest ever recorded for any U.S. president at this point in his term.
That even includes Carter.
http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/news/lone_republican/index.php/2009/12/08/lowest-numbers-ever/
I do not know how, but Microsoft has gotten at least one thing right. This is proof that they have the best sales force in the world.
If only someone selling Macs could come up with a sales pitch. It would need to show that swapping out the infected PC for a free Mac would actually be faster and actually cost less than having a staff of 40, trying to fix.
I wonder if there is going to be a press release of a new government program that would put people to work digging holes, with another crew coming behind them, filling them back up.
Just an example of a bureaucrat creating a job for life.
Send Obama to Germany – No, that wouldn’t work, he’s only done community organizing so far. He wouldn’t know to work at a real job, like fixing Windows thingies. I f he did he would have full employment. Roll on 2012.
SB – how to work at a real job.
I don’t believe the staff of 40 will be able to fix the problem on the phone.
40 only?
These customers will then be directed to a special website offering advice on removing the malware.
“Achtung, Herr Dummkopf: http://www.apple.com/de/“
a staff of 40? Talk about priceless. I wish I could TiVo this mess in action. So of the millions of Windoze machines in the hands of the ignorant, it would be a safe bet that every freekin one of them have a booger. OK, Fine. Not all of them. I’ll go with vast majority.
“…crimes against humanity…..” No sheeeiiit!
So microsht sells craptacular os’s for years, profits billions by raping naive and innocent pc buyers, and IS the cause of malwares and viruses… Yet even after releasing windows7 (my idea),m$ needs help from German government. WTF?! can’t m$ with it’s billion$ do something itself?? They create faulty software for years and constantly fail. M$ should be shut down.
I am amazed at how the world tolerates the likes of Microsoft and the way they put out products that are so shoddy and full of weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
What is even more amazing is that the customers (individuals and corporates) of these companies willingly part with cash to acquire such defective products.
And yet more staggering is that society (in the form of the German Government) has bought into the line that it is quite acceptable to have holes in these products. And that society feels that it is incumbent on the consumer to address the holes rather than have the backbone to demand that the provider of the products fix the product in the first place through remedial recall!
Absolute lunacy!
The German government ought to just mail ‘dividend cheques’ directly to the shareholders of Microsoft, Symantect et al.
I put it down to the lack of visibility. No one can see how much real damage is inflicted on the World by the combination of shoddy software, viruses and the lack of regulators.
If this company made aircraft, every plane that fell out of the sky killing a couple of hundered passengers would create a natural ‘catalytic mechanism’ ensuring a drive to find and fix faults quickly. In that industry, society has even created regulators like the FAA and NTSB to create further urgency to do so. Heck, at times, entire fleets of aircraft get grounded!
And in the event of a fatal air crash, regulators, insurance companies, lawyers and the in particular, families of the victims, all collectively bring pressure to bear on the manufacturer (in the form of litigation and large payouts) to ensure that ‘tombstone evolution’ occurs. Companies are either tombstoned (e.g., ValueJet) or they learn from the ‘tombstoning’ of their passengers and fix the problems at root.
Not so in the cushy world of software where no one tracks how many deaths were caused by failures in software let alone the cost of a virus attack!
Just why is it that software manufacturers are allowed to do this? Why aren’t the consumer groups vocal on this point?
Now, wouldn’t it be a ‘game-changer’ if the German government were to ‘tax’ Microshaft for the cost of setting up and running this scheme…
Sounds like something the asshats in the Hussein Administration, with that lefty mouth Pelosi, would do.
Instead of this, they should give the money to the citizens so they could go and get themselves malware-proof Macs. Problem solved.
U see, we live in world where Apple faces multiple class-action law suites over scratches on iPhones….
While M$hit causes trillions of $$$ in damages in lost time and productivity, not to mentions enabling hords of criminal gangs to rape the ignorant masses.
This Call Centre isn’t funded by a Virus / Malware software company by any chance is it? “Hello, yes you have a virus installed. Might we recommend …”
@x
Actually it sounds more like something the previous administration would do, i.e., help out their friends at large corporations to the detriment of the general welfare.
You’ve got to wonder why the German government are bailing Micr$oft out (considering all the billion$ M$ has in the bank) – still, there’s a certain amount of Schadenfreude to be had out of the situation..
“By the way, Obama’s job approval rating has fallen to 47% in the latest Gallup poll, the lowest ever recorded for any U.S. president at this point in his term.”
“Thus far in December, Obama has averaged 50% job approval. That is similar to the December averages for Ronald Reagan (49%) and Bill Clinton (53%), who also took office when the economy was struggling.”
http://www.gallup.com/poll/124610/Brief-Uptick-Obama-Approval-Slips.aspx
@x
“Actually it sounds more like something the previous administration would do, i.e., help out their friends at large corporations to the detriment of the general welfare.”
Actually, the previous administration was in favor of making loads and loads of money. They were also in favor of letting as many people as possible keep as much money as possible.
Unfortunately, they felt and acted this way for 7 to 7 1/2 years. Only when they went liberal to help out the large corporations, as you say, did it not work. Had they stuck to their principles and let a few of the corporations fail, we would have been better off.
Revisionist history is in full effect right now. What was Bush’s highest unemployment numbers, or deficit?
@m159
Reagan had a part in his speeches. Had he used a TelePrompTer in Berlin, we may still have a wall there. I was not at the speech, but I did go to Berlin prior to it coming down.
It’s good there are examples of civilized democracies like Germany, where the people recognize that the government is them. Here’s my quote from a famous American: “If you can’t trust the government in an open democracy, then your society is in big trouble, you might as well throw in the towel.”
Here in knuckle-dragging Third-World America, we would prefer having large capitalist corporations tell us what to do, like having insurance companies tell doctors how they should treat patients, or in having large banks or wireless phone providers tack on fees by stealth methods. In this kind of “democracy”, we make government so feeble that it becomes a pawn to moneyed power whose only intent is to manipulate the masses. Go for it MDN, you’re so smart!
@RyanC says: “If only someone selling Macs could come up with a sales pitch. It would need to show that swapping out the infected PC for a free Mac would actually be faster and actually cost less than having a staff of 40, trying to fix. ” This actually happened to a PC-pushing associate of mine about three years ago. He was having continual troubles with his brand new Dell laptop and was constantly on the phone with Dell tech support. In one of the last conversations my associate had with Dell tech support they seriously suggested that he get a Macintosh to do what he was trying to do – make Power Point presentations – my associate got a Mac.
Regarding the article… What the hell?! Germans are debatably good at three things: Microphones, Cars and Watches, which does not make them masters of the universe. They should leave software and computing hardware issues to other ethnic groups and cultures. Sounds to me like the temptation to fall in behind behind those who presume to try and dominate the world is still strong. Oh well, some things never change.
Renaldo,
You are coming from Fantasy Island. I won’t even respond with everything that went through my mind with your post. Just look at it simply. Replace Insurance Companies with GOVERNMENT. Your buddy wants to make GOVERNMENT control everything then they can be STRONG for you. Let’s replace Capitalism with Socialism and then the GOVERNMENT will surely be better for America.
Right now the lawyers are telling Insurance Companies who are telling Doctors how to treat patients.
Are you ignorant or just stupid?
The German Government said that my Windows Machine is infected by malware trojans. So I ditched my Windows PC and when right out and bought a new Mac.
For every affected system the ISP’s find the German government should send Microsoft a bill to fix it and clean it up. Minimum charge to Microsoft should be 6 Hours @ $60.00 (Bulk discount rate (50% off the standard going rate of $120.00/hour)) $360.00. Then every country should adopt this program and start charging Microsoft for the clean up at the $360.00+/per Window system.
Oh look, another big corporation colluding with the government. Dangerous sh*t, to say the least. Just like the arrangement we have here where the Fed colludes with private companies (banks), takes the taxpayers monies and uses them as they see fit (in secrecy, of course).
The government is incapable of creating jobs. It can only STEAL and TRANSFER wealth from one individual to another. Only the private sector can create jobs. Do you think for one second Apple would even exist if the government ran everything? There would be no legend about the two men who started this amazing company in their garage because they would have been riddled with paperwork, regulations and disincentives from day one.
Go capitalism. Go free markets. Go US Constitution. Go Ron Paul.
Waiting for the German govt. to sue MS for hooking everyone on their insecure products.