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Story: Unix users up in arms at Bill Gates' knighthood

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Posted by: Smithy (Wednesday 28 January 2004, 12:34 AM)

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The other point I want to take David Hallowell on is, he claims that : " ....l MS does deserve a lot of the blame too. Imagine buying a car that was advertised for its security features and then someone manages to steal it using a paperclip - the criminal may be the person to blame, but the manufacturer shipped an insecure product despite the knowledge that someone would take advantage. "

Your analogy simply does not hold water in this case.
I am going to give you a quote from CNN on this "MyDoom" virus, which was written by Linux fanatics to cause mayhem and destruction and designed to do as much damage to Microsoft as possible, and bring SCO to it's knees for daring to demand that their stolen property be returned to them.

In the piece entitled "Experts: Vicious worm 'Linux war' weapon" here is a quote:
(http://edition.cnn.com/2004/TECH/internet/01/27/mydoom.spread/index.html)

"While many computer users are savvy about not opening executable files or other attachments that may contain viruses, the latest worm masks itself as an innocuous text document or a file that your computer appears unable to read.

"This one is almost begging you to click on the attachment," said Sharon Ruckman, the head of anti-virus firm Symantec's security response team"

Bill Gates can do a lot of things. But he sure can't stop someone from clicking on an "exe" file and effectively installing a virus on his own computer.
Microsoft has set up a web site for all Windows users telling them what steps to take to prevent such things from happening and has in conjunction with the FBI launched an extended education campaign for Windws users.
Are you saying that if you click on a virus execution file in Lnux or Unix, it won't damage your computer or what?

The analogy you should be giving is someone who buys a car, sees (or des not see) a truck crossing the road, and drives into it, then turns around and balmes the car manufacturerer. It just won't wash.

And another thing, for you Linux/Unix evangelists to say a Linux system is secure is funny.
Why? Because hardly anyone is attacking Linux at all.

The overwhelming majority of viruses are wrtten against Windows , a lot of them (like the "MyDoom" virus) writen by open source/Linux fanatics to do damage to Microsoft.
Linux has basically not been subject to anything close to the virus attacks on Windows. So how can you even dream of saying its more secure than Windows? Cetainly the figures from CERT don't back you up. n fact according to CERT's figures, Windows 2003 server is much more secure than Linux.

Its like sying the French army can fight, just because they strut about and look fierce in their uniforms, when in fact we know for a fact that anytime the Germans decided to take France n the last century, they just came up and gave the French a clobbering, taking only 6 weeks to smoke the French in World War Two!
Same thing with Linux.
In any head to head shoot out, Windows smokes Linux everytime, in every department.

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Full Talkback thread

Story: Unix users up in arms at Bill Gates' knighthood

  1. Uk Unix User Group : "Microsoft's software has bee... Smithy
  2. Smithy, I can say that this user group is not rapi... David Hallowell
  3. I think Smithy, NY is off the mark. I, and I exp... Charles Curran
  4. David Hallowell :"Smithy, I can say that this user... Smithy
  5. The other point I want to take David Hallowell on... Smithy
  6. Perhaps the reason the UKUUG has not commented on... David Hallowell
  7. David Hallowell : "Bill Gates' charity contributio... Smithy
  8. Answering your next lot of comments, I have to say... David Hallowell
  9. "This is especially inpressive given that he is no... David Hallowell
  10. David Hallowell : " have to say anyone who believe... Smithy
  11. Remember I said I didn't want to see any operating... David Hallowell
  12. David Hallowell, it doesn't matter what the attach... Smithy
  13. Smithy writes: I am going to give you a quote from... James Youngman
  14. One cannot help but stare at wonder at the manner... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  15. James Youngman : "Well, most Unix mail clients don... Smithy
  16. Adebayo Omo-Dare, from your name I take it you are... Smithy
  17. Smithy, if the person who wrote the virus that att... Jonsaw
  18. Smithy, though you may speak of plundering, povert... adebayo omo-dare
  19. Ps. With regards to leaders, new/old, and corrupt... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  20. I would like to question Smithy on his knowledge a... Bascule
  21. Smithys points on the debian servers being hacked:... Bascule
  22. adebayo omo-dare asserts that : "one would say t... Smithy
  23. adebayo omo-dare : "To me what Microsoft does or d... Smithy
  24. Adebayo Omo-Dare asserts : "Here too, I care littl... Smithy
  25. According to Bascule : "Many many companies are ha... Smithy
  26. Bascule : "You also said in anything windows smoke... Smithy
  27. Jonsaw : " Smithy, if the person who wrote the vi... Smithy
  28. Smithy I think you are merely a troll. You are the... Bascule
  29. Bascule, the linux fundamentalist, screeches "You... Smithy
  30. Bascule whines: "Scalability - 2003 running on 32... Smithy
  31. Smithy, type in to google - ambassador peru nunez... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  32. Smithy, I am not at all ignorant about economic di... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  33. Adebayo Omo-Dare : "One wonders how long you have... Smithy
  34. Adebayo Omo-Dare : "Neither am I ignorant about th... Smithy
  35. smithy ' they Linux ource code was easily hacked.... Bascule
  36. Bascule :"The debian source code got stolen??? It... Smithy
  37. Bascule : "Though I agree there are far to few ben... Smithy
  38. Windows 2003 smokes Linux yet again! Figures for f... Smithy
  39. Microsoft VeriTest, a division of Lionbridge Tech... Bascule
  40. http://www.openbsd.org/ Less secure? One flaw in 7... Bascule
  41. Smithy : "Doesn't oppose the dev of Open Source So... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  42. We now go on to your issue about the Jews... Tough... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  43. Then, Smithy, there is the economy. One must say t... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  44. Smithy: "US GDP a sizzling ...." Well you appear t... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  45. One does apologise, smithy, I did mean abolition a... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  46. Bascule whines : "Microsoft VeriTest, a division... Smithy
  47. Bascule : "Less secure? One flaw in 7 years" Wrong... Smithy
  48. aAebayo Omo-Dare screeches : "Each countries gov... Smithy
  49. Adebayo Omo-Dare : "Under your principle one shoul... Smithy
  50. Adebayo Omo-Dare : "One guesses that this is one o... Smithy
  51. I couldn't find those figures you mentioned, just... azura
  52. "azura" the moronic, uneducated, semi-illiterate,... Smithy
  53. "Smithy" is clearly a troll. He has used pers... Mike
  54. "Bascule : "Less secure? One flaw in 7 y... Dash
  55. Why do you Poms moan so much? Bill Gates should ha... Michael Allan
  56. Glad to see that we are aproaching something close... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  57. Smithy, one smiles when you praise Gates for the m... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  58. With regard to your stay in Germany, Smithy, one c... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  59. hi, so what else are thay prepered to denigrate,... bryan allen
  60. I would like to invite you to this event. The cool... misterMarc
  61. Well, at the very least it's a devaluation of the... Gerard ter Beke
  62. LOL.... from what I see Smithy knows absolutely no... TS
  63. It's common knowledge that if you mention Hitler i... Anonymous

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