“Now I’m really mad. A virus killed my family’s computer. Not just a little cough-cough I’m clogged with spyware and slowing down kind of thing. We’re talking a senseless, untimely death. I’m past denial. Deep into anger,” Kevin Maney writes for USA Today. “It was probably the Sasser virus, according to my new best friends on the Microsoft help desk.”
“Anger about this stuff is spreading as fast as the viruses. At our end-of-summer block party, I mentioned to a group of neighbors that a virus had crashed our PC. Instantly, every one of them launched into stories about unstoppable blitzes of adware (which throws pop-up ads on your screen, or worse) and spyware (which can find stuff on your PC and send it somewhere) and computers brought down by viruses,” Maney writes. “I found out the hard way that it’s a new world out there on the Internet. It feels like living in Mayberry RFD one minute and Blade Runner the next. We had been able to leave the doors unlocked, but suddenly we find ourselves installing bars on the windows and multiple alarm systems. It’s sick. And I’m still ticked off.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: It is sick, Kevin. But, don’t get mad, get a Mac. For our Windows-only friends, information about how to smoothly add a secure Mac OS X machine to your computing arsenal can be found here. After all, in a world without fences and walls, who needs Gates and Windows?
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Is Mac OS X really inherently more secure than Windows? – August 26, 2003
BusinessWeek’s Haddad gets it wrong; thinks low market share spares Macs from viruses – August 28, 2003
Shattering the Mac OS X ‘security through obscurity’ myth – August 28, 2003
Fortune columnist: ‘get a Mac’ to thwart viruses; right answer for the wrong reasons – September 02, 2003
New York Times: Mac OS X ‘much more secure than Windows XP’ – September 18, 2003
Columnist tries the ‘security through obscurity’ myth to defend Windows vs. Macs on virus front – October 1, 2003
Gates: Windows ‘by far the most secure’ system; tries to use ‘Mac OS X secure through obscurity’ myth – January 27, 2004
Mac OS X has no viruses; what’s wrong with Windows? – February 11, 2004
Spyware, adware plague Windows users online; Mac OS X users surf freely – April 19, 2004
Gartner: Worms jack up the total cost of Microsoft Windows – May 07, 2004
Windows ‘Scob’ virus designed to steal financial data, passwords; Macintosh unaffected – June 26, 2004
Tired of patching patches to patch Windows patches? Writer suggests getting a Mac – August 03, 2004
Millions of Windows PC’s hijacked by hackers, turned into zombies; Macintosh unaffected – September 08, 2004
Security is top priority in Apple’s Mac OS X – September 12, 2004
Windows XP worm speaks to users as it deletes their files; Macintosh unaffected – September 13, 2004
University of Chicago recommends all students patch Windows at least once a day – September 14, 2004
I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS QUOTE FROM THE ARTICLE:
In-the-know tech people these days constantly run three or four software programs such as Spybot Search & Destroy and Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware to keep the ads and spyware and other annoying stuff to a minimum. On top of that, they run firewall software on their PCs and don’t just rely on a router. They run at least one anti-virus program and make sure they get the automatic updates, which come in over the Internet and add protection against newly discovered viruses.
WALT MOSSBERG IS “IN-THE-KNOW” AND HE SUGGESTS CHUNKING WINDOWS.
“Constantly run? “No truer words were ever spoken. Does leave much time for much else. Bring back the lemmings commercial!
This was my response to Kevin’s response to my email.
From: “Maney, Kevin” <kmaney@usatoday.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2004 11:05:41 -0400
To: “Beverly Martin” <bjmartin55@comcast.net>
Subject: RE: Computer Infections
Thanks, but I do know this already.
It’s a funny thing — why do Mac users feel a need to tell others to get a Mac? It really seems cultish, like the Moonies or something.
Kevin
Kevin Maney
703 854 3489
[url=http://www.kevinmaney.com]http://www.kevinmaney.com[/url]
Kevin,
Not telling, merely suggesting. The decision is yours. Us liberal Democrats aren�t usually pushy.
Personally I don�t want the Mac to ever have equal or greater market share than Windows. If it did then people would exploit OS X as much as Windows is now. Harder but still possible.
So now you�re going to compare us (Mac users) to some nutcase who claims to be God? Sun Myung Moon promises the moon and stars, Apple delivers a real live product. It�s called brand loyalty. I can�t speak for other Mac users but I use mine because it just simply works. I don�t have to spend a huge chunk of my time fighting an operating system. I can spend my time on the computer doing what I went there for in the fist place, being productive and doing it intuitively.
You could have got a lot of writing done in the time you wasted trying to fix your system and on the phone at $XX.XX per minute. But you did get an article idea out of it. In the 15+ years I�ve been using my Mac I�ve had to call Apple 0 times and other software vendors 0 times. I did have to call HP once with an issue with my Color LaserJet but it turned out to be a hardware problem.
Sorry I can�t send you a picture of my Mac but I read this morning that someone has figured out a way to attach a virus to jpg files to infect Windows. Wouldn�t want to worry you.
Beverly Martin
Cu Chi, 1968
Editor, Washington State Vietnam Veteran
http://www.pbase.com/bjmartin5
Jimbo von Winskinheimer:
See my previous post below yours.
I cannot believe this guy wrote you back asking why all Mac users feel the need to tell others to get a Mac. Hell this guy is crying in his beer about Windows and he does not have enough sense to do anything about it.
I guess there is not much that can be done for this guy. Kinda makes you wonder how he can rate a column in a national newspaper. My respect for Walt Mossburg has just escalated. Just send him of copy of Walt’s article. Maybe he will have a little more respect for your advice coming from a collegue.
They will learn when they lose 3 years worth of family phots and movies!
That is what happened to me and I vowed NEVER to use anything by Microsoft again!
I now use mac and have happy and worryfree internet useage!
If i ever got another windows pc the first thing i would throw away from the box would be the modem lead that connected it to the net!
How many precious files, irreplacable family photos or documents have these guys got to lose before they learn to switch to Mac???
Once files are gone theyre gone FOREVER!
Sorry for multiple posts but this really chaps me. This is what I wrote kmaney:
Stop crying in your beer for heaven’s sake.
If in-the-know tech people are constantly doing what you described, does it not make you wonder?
Walt Mossberg is certainly in-the-know and he suggests chunking Windows and getting a Mac.
I don’t believe that you will be smart enough to take this advice. Happy plugging and patching. As for me, I have work to do.
And to think, Windows users accuse Mac users of undying loyalty? I would drop Mac in a heatbeat if it caused me the kind of problems Windows causes. I would return to pencil and paper if necessary.
iggyb:
> Windows-drones will keep continuing to use the Windoze OS
No, some do change. We’ve been Windows users for many years (5 or 6 currently running at last count), but my wife now has an eMac and my PowerMac gets delivered tomorrow. A brave new world for us….
McDeans…
Congratulations !!…. Youre well on your way to worry-free computing !!
Tell your friends !!
“He wrote me back asking why all Mac users feel the need to tell others to get a Mac. He likened it to a cult.
I responed, telling him that it’s like when you tell a friend about a good restaurant you found, or telling someone about your favorite barber – you want your friends to have the good experience you did.”
Or you could have answered a question with a question, “Why do Windows users feel the need to constantly tell us about their virus problems?” Kind of cultish. They wear their virus infections like a badge of honor.
I also wrote to Kevin:
Dear Kevin,
I’m very sorry to hear about your problems with viruses on your computer. I would like to say “I know how you feel”, but I don’t. You see, I don’t have any problems with viruses, adware, spyware or any of those other aggravations that take up so much of your useful time. I have discovered a computing nirvana that has kept me protected, such that I haven’t so much as crossed paths with a virus in the last ten years. That nirvana is called Macintosh.
Now I am not some computing hermit; I have an “always-on” broadband connection and I spend several hours a day “surfing”. I just enjoy my time at the computer. Why don’t you give it a try? You may be a little put off when you see the sticker price but, believe me, you aren’t just paying for a plastic box and some wire, like with those other manufacturers; you are buying into a whole new way of doing your computing (and let’s face it, in your case that means earning your living). Simpler, easier and without hassles. You won’t spend all that time and money trying to keep your computer running, you’ll just be able to sit down and do your work.
Of course, your columns may become a bit boring (“well, folks, nothing happened this week”) and you won’t have anything to talk about at the summer block-party, but your life will be a whole lot happier. Go on, just try it! Millions of us have and, though some people in the media often try to make us out as kooks (oh, that would be you, sorry), we’re very happy that we did. And we are free of Windows hassles forever! Now isn’t that tempting…
regards, Peter
After reading the posts here I’m actually looking forward to a reply…
A Guerilla Marketing technique I do sometimes is when I go to a Magazine Store I take the Mac Addict and other Mac Magazines and put them in front in a prominent position and sometime put them in 3 or 4 positions so anyone looking through the Magazines will have the Mac Mags staring them in the face. It only takes about 15 seconds and doesn’t cost a dime.
I thanked Mr. Maney for reading my email. Now I’m wondering if I should have given him the benefit of the doubt, considering he sent me the same canned response he sent Beverly and likely everyone else.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the same “auto-response” were sent to Mossberg and Pogue and Chadwick and Booch.
I tried to direct my PC friend to this article. He’s been suffering from the usual virus, worms, ads/spyware for the longest time. I even helped him re-insall XP (which took over 6 hours), but the stuff just came back. His response? He didn’t want to even look at it. I just don’t understand why they want to keep prolonging their suffering?
I got the same response:
Thanks, but I do know this already.
It’s a funny thing — why do Mac users feel a need to tell others to get a Mac? It really seems cultish, like the Moonies or something.
Kevin
Ever notice how a Windows user will never recommend his/her own platform? Or how they never praise its positive virtues (heh) or open a welcome door for Mac users?
But that’s ok because Longhorn (or Longshot) will be the Holy Grail and fix everything once and for all. Just like Copland…
-sip
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