Experts say ...

Full article:
http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/experts.html

Don't forget to check the scam email example linked in the article above!!

Comments are welcome.

Cheers all,
Mrk

 

It's a little difficult to take an article seriously that gives a "post date" two years in the future (2009). It also seems to have a focus on commercial solutions (4 out of the 5 programs recommended) when there are plenty of free options also (e.g. AVG, Avast or AOL AVS for virus scanning) and it overlooks basic web filtering (e.g. blocking ActiveX, Java, Javascript) while confusing privacy (cookies) with security.

A paragraph like "There are many vulnerabilities in Firefox,"..."They have not been discovered yet and there is no proof to any of them, but this is no reason to feel complacent." is rather empty speculation - all software has vulnerabilities, the issue is which ones have the least (Opera seems to be the current leader among mainstream browsers).

"Windows users are also advised to update from their stable version of XP to the latest Windows Vista, which offers as much as 50% reduction in performance." - is this really a recommendation for Vista? (which has far less third party security software due to PatchGuard and other issues).

The Linux viewpoint is especially questionable: "...most people are not ready to switch. They will be asking for their favorite programs like Solitaire and Word." - the only real problem for Linux is Windows gaming, it has dozens of card games and word processors (KOffice, Crossover Office, OpenOffice, etc). And anyone thinking Distrowatch is a "bad site" (it tracks Linux distributions) has probably been overindulging in Steve Ballmer.

 

Hello,

All of the points you raise are valid - and exactly what I wanted to highlight.
It reflects how I feel when I read articles similar to that one ... Kind of a mirror reflection that you get once you jump through the mirror...
Cheers,
Mrk

P.S. Don't take it seriously...It's the naked-king-style one man rant...

 

and at times it is very useful to examine things with tongue firmly in cheek....

Seriously though, a viable way to pressure check one's assumptions and actions are to view them from an extreme position, which is what Mrk has done.

First, is there hype out there? No doubt. Some of that may be a reflection of large bodies of users not taking more rational discussions seriously, some of it is pure marketing hype, and some firmly believe the hype as fact. The whole discussion is complicated by the circumstance that the line between hype and objective fact is fluid and dependent on the user. This is one area where hype to me is pretty much an objective fact to someone else since you simply cannot decouple the objective impact of a potential or existing threat from an individual users experience, knowledge, and usage profile. This really complicates any general discussion one might wish to have, and this doesn't even address the question of who one should listen to (in other words, who's an expert....?) given the divergence and direct conflict in the advice generally offered .

Blue

 

That is a funny line. Hey ronjor, you should have told the author to stay on topic.

 

lol at Mrk

 

I agree that this is nothing more than an attempt to sell some software. On the other hand, most people have little or no idea on how to prevent malware. They might keep up there windows updates but really care only about surfing & reading email. If they buy a computer they usually keep what ever apps it came with for the life of the computer. Simply installing firefox will usually keep you safe. After I installed FireFox almost all Malware disappeared off both of my computers. Simply assumeing that Firefox will become insecure over time is foolish as its constantly being developed. I am not sure that Microsoft really cares about instantly issueing updates to deal with malware. Upgradeing to Vista might solve some of these problems but most people would have to scrap perfectly good computers to do so. Since most of the people I know are older they prefer to run their computers until they die even with totally obsolete operateing systems.

 

LOL

I was needing a good laugh

 

Hell,
I would have executed that ... so convincing ...
Mrk

 

LOL

I did.
Hhheeelllppp mmmmeee.......

Nice one MrK

 

Mrk, your threads point in one clear direction. This time you stick a neon sign about your opinion. I can agree with you since i got here. Very true.

You even followed their usual structure in their articles.
Heck, i think you were checking with at least one in particular.

Of course, somethings i do not agree. I prefer to keep it out of this thread, because this is a great point you're making. And funny.

This is great as a joke.

 

I wish that I could say the same on that.

Absolutely true in my case.