Make sure your computer is ready for Monday

[SinCityVoluntaryist]

 Being that most of you are tech junkies, you're probably well-aware of the news going about regarding a computer virus that has the ability to shut down your internet access. Apparently, the shutdown will take place on Monday if you're not ready. I keep my computer updated on a constant basis, so I shouldn't have anything to worry about. If you want to make sure your system is safe, visit this website:
http://dns-ok.us/

 If you see a green square, you're good.

[victim77]

[MAM]

Linux rules...

[Script]

". . . estimates that almost 66,000 computers could be affected. . ."

In other news, you could get killed in a car accident today.

Also.  Linux.

[BobRobertson]

Some people still run Windows. That's their choice.

As a Voluntaryist, I'm in no position to interfere with their choice to do so.

I can, however, and have been doing so since Code Red and Nimda, point and laugh at the silly person who got themselves infected by using that Windows crap.

Linux live CDs and DVDs are available for nothing more than the price of the media to write them to.

Debian Live, Knoppix, PCLinuxOS, even (shudder) Ubuntu.

Get off your whining bug-ridden butt or get thee to a nunnery.

[JustSayNoToStatism]

"Windows always gets viruses" is the story for people who have no self-control on the internet. I've run windows my whole life, and never had a virus problem. I once had an ANTI-VIRUS program mess up my computer to the point that I had to do a system restore, but other than that I've never had to deal with anything serious. This includes plenty of time running Windows without having any anti-virus at all. If you look at links before clicking them, you really shouldn't have any problems.

[SinCityVoluntaryist]

". I once had an ANTI-VIRUS program mess up my computer to the point that I had to do a system restore"

 Let me guess: Norton.

[Syock]

I've had the same experience as JSNTS on this issue. 

[JustSayNoToStatism]

". I once had an ANTI-VIRUS program mess up my computer to the point that I had to do a system restore"

 Let me guess: Norton.

Yes.

[SinCityVoluntaryist]

 Norton is a contradiction of its own existence.

[MAM]

I'm not saying that Windoze always gets viruses I am saying the following: 1. There aren't many viruses for Linux. 2. Linux allows you to see things without levels of abstraction. 3. Everything requires your explicit permission. 4. Microsoft's design policy seems to be "our users are stupid". 5. Windoze is malware, and so is OSX for that matter.

[Script]

I'm not saying that Windoze always gets viruses I am saying the following: 1. There aren't many viruses for Linux. 2. Linux allows you to see things without levels of abstraction. 3. Everything requires your explicit permission. 4. Microsoft's design policy seems to be "our users are stupid". 5. Windoze is malware, and so is OSX for that matter.

Yes, but some users are really "stupid".  That is, my mother-in-law needs a simple operating system that doesn't require her to know how to use a command line in order to install programs.  Windows has it's purpose, and if used correctly, is not that bad.  In some ways it is certainly way more convenient than Linux. 

I've had to expend a lot of time to bring my knowledge up to a point where Linux is finally becoming a very useful operating system.  However, I worry less about viruses when using Linux and certain privacy features seem to be easier to implement.

Can you expand on (5)? 

[Syock]

Yes, but some users are really "stupid".  That is, my mother-in-law needs a simple operating system that doesn't require her to know how to use a command line in order to install programs.  Windows has it's purpose, and if used correctly, is not that bad.  In some ways it is certainly way more convenient than Linux. 

Some versions of Linux are even simpler than windows in my opinion.  They can install as easily as windows.  They can come with more preloaded software.  When they want new software, they can just go through a list with user ratings and pick it. 

I have loaded linux on computers for people who knew nothing of computers, and they took to it as easily as people take to windows. 

[BobRobertson]

I've had to expend a lot of time to bring my knowledge up to a point where Linux is finally becoming a very useful operating system.

I believe the correct phrase would be "begging the question", just how many years did you use Windows, the expertise with which you are comparing to your expertise with Linux?

Can you expand on (5)? 

Win95 and I got along wonderfully. I was able to pare it down to practically nothing, almost no system services at all, which meant that it was fast and secure. Latter Windows versions have made such efficiencies impossible, which is one reason that Windows just doesn't work for me.

While I'm not the one who posted (5), I understand exactly what MAM means. The immense bloat and ever increasing complexity of Windows means more and more system resources dedicated not to running the application I want, but just to run the "Operating System" that I do not want.

Software that I do not want and cannot turn off is, by definition, "malware".

With a F/OSS system, if I wish, I can turn off anything I do not want. There is no artificial limit imposed by someone who "knows better than the user what is good for them".

[MAM]

BobRobertson has hit the nail on the head with his explanation. But I will give a few examples.

On OSX you can't customize you desktop setting in anything more than a superficial way, I think this is due to the fact that Apple wants you to be able to look at the Desktop environment and know that it is an Apple product. The iPhone which uses a version of OSX (I know this because the file system, even has the same directories) has to be hacked before you can even get 5 icons on the front (there's room, they just don't let you) while these things are of course Apple's prerogative, and Apple is superior to Windoze from what I've seen those traits are not desirable (to me). Perhaps this superiority is due to the fact that OSX is a unix like environment.

Though I have never owned an Apple a friend of mine has and he did in fact remove OSX and put Linux on it (I believe Arch).

With Windoze which I have had far more experience with the problems abound. My laptop isn't the most spectacular thing in the world, when I bought it it had Vista and idled at 89% processor usage, with Debian Squeeze it idles at 2%. There is a program in Windoze XP and I'm pretty sure it's in the others as well that puts the logs every time there is an error causing something to crash into a text file and sends it to Windoze... This program starts everytime you boot. (I used to go into the Task manager, and kill the process, every time my computer started running slow, the effect was immediate improvement).

Not only is this what I would consider a violation of privacy, it also caused my computer to crash on more than one occasion.

Point is when there is software on a machine that you can't get rid of and don't want, that is malware. Windoze is so bloated it is ridiculous and Windoze 7 came out so soon after Vista(Because Vista is trash) that it is an unpolished mess (if you say that the garbage Windoze normally produces is "polished"). Note: 7 has been improved since it first came out.