Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!super!udel!gatech!rutgers!uwvax!uwslh!lishka From: lishka@uwslh.UUCP (Fish-Guts) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: The ultimate fix!!! Message-ID: <392@uwslh.UUCP> Date: 10 Oct 88 13:32:16 GMT References: <8810081911.AA17305@cory.Berkeley.EDU> <2774@sugar.uu.net> Reply-To: lishka@uwslh.UUCP (Fish-Guts) Organization: U of Wisconsin-Madison, State Hygiene Lab Lines: 57 In article <2774@sugar.uu.net> peter@sugar.uu.net (Peter da Silva) writes: >In article <8810081911.AA17305@cory.Berkeley.EDU>, dillon@CORY.BERKELEY.EDU (Matt Dillon) writes: >> Excuse me, bullshit. I wish people would drop this "virus's can be >> stopped" crap, it just isn't possible. The whole thing can be characterized >> by a single statement: > [A lot of followup replies and examples by Mr. da Silva deleted here] > >Let's look at this virus analogy for a minute. We live in a world of real >viruses, any of which would kill us in days or hours if our cells didn't >have some protective mechanisms. Yes, there are things like AIDS. But that >doesn't mean we should all turn our immune systems off and give up. Our disks have protective mechanisms: the write-protect tabs. We have virus-checking programs. However, there is a limit to how far one wants to protect oneself. For instance, the best protection against AIDS is abstinence. The same goes for software: if you don't want any possibility of a virus, do not introduce new software into it. Otherwise you "run the risk." I think what Mr. Dillon is getting annoyed at is the many radical ideas that have been posted. For instance, someone went as far as to propose putting boot-block checks in the Kickstart ROMs. Although I do not agree with Mr. Dillon's language, I do agree with his feelings (if I have indeed read them correctly, which I may not have). >It's convenient to copy binary software. It's convenient to trade disks. >It's convenient to run unprotected. But a little bit of security... from >buggy software as well as viruses can keep your computer healthier longer. Of the many aspects of life is getting a virus in your body every now and then. Almost everyone gets sick. The same can happen to your computer if you expose it to a lot of outside software. When people get sick, they take medicine. The same can be done with the computer. This agrees with your analogy. Personally, I have *never* caught a computer virus, and I get Fred Fish disks from the local users' group monthly, as well as commercial software. My friend, who is the President of the users' group, and who downloads a lot of programs from a local BBS, has also never encountered a virus. Other friends with other machines have not had any trouble with viruses. At least from my end, they do not appear to be that much of a problem that a lot of computer "antigens" (i.e. virus checkers) are needed. When I do get a computer virus, I will eliminate it from my disks, pull out my backups, recopy my important games (which I always run write-protected or using a copy), re-install my other bootables, and I will be virus-free. No problem. > Peter da Silva `-_-' peter@sugar.uu.net -- Christopher Lishka ...!{rutgers|ucbvax|...}!uwvax!uwslh!lishka Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene lishka%uwslh.uucp@cs.wisc.edu Immunology Section (608)262-1617 lishka@uwslh.uucp ---- "...Just because someone is shy and gets straight A's does not mean they won't put wads of gum in your arm pits." - Lynda Barry, "Ernie Pook's Commeek: Gum of Mystery"