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Average PC users don't understand what they're up against
Regarding computer malware, it would be helpful if more of the general public would think of their personal computer as they would think of a child: full of infinite potential for good if trained correctly, but naturally inclined towards all kinds of mischief, especially if exposed to bad influences.

How are most users training their computers? They get them from the factory highly-trained and well-behaved. Once the computer is connected to the Internet, many other peers immediately try to start brainwashing and re-training. These peers in general cannot be trusted, and use deception to try to appear that they are harmless.

The Internet is a neighborhood where many computers want to teach your computer all kinds of bad habits, rob it of its lunch money and beat it up all the time. People must understand that, like raising a child, they must take the time to teach their computer to avoid the bad peers (firewall), use self-defense (auto-updates and antivirus), say no to drugs (avoid enticing software downloads) and be street-smart (use high-quality software and configure it correctly).

I think that when people finally start to understand the effort involved in "nurturing" their PC to keep it "healthy", the analogy to a child will dawn on them, and they may start asking: "Do I really want to invest the time and energy to raise another kid? Especially in this tough neighborhood?".
Posted by: gas_z   Posted on: 12/29/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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This has gotten too old  Jeff Spicoli | 12/29/04
Don't get too excited  alterego_z | 12/29/04
Awesome  Jeff Spicoli | 12/29/04
Awesome  paganloreli | 01/01/05
GWB attack is also on it's way !  Prognosticator | 12/29/04
The sub $500 Apple computer is COMING!!!  chiwawa | 12/29/04
Exactly what I was waiting for  dave95 | 12/29/04
Please  Richard Flude | 12/29/04
C'mon  dave95 | 12/29/04
It's only a G4 though  Jeff Spicoli | 12/29/04
More than good enough for the majority of tasks.....  LazLong | 12/29/04
True true  Jeff Spicoli | 12/29/04
Agreed  dave95 | 12/29/04
G3, G4, G5 in the real world  j.m.galvin | 12/30/04
Whoa. Now that's something to look forward to.  Linux_Developer | 12/29/04
I do hope it is more than a rumor...  LazLong | 12/29/04
Too little, But probably not too late  amp06 | 12/29/04
See dave95, told you so (nt)  Richard Flude | 12/29/04
"Imagine Beowolf Cluster of These"...  LazLong | 12/29/04
Not Exactly  Roger Ramjet | 01/03/05
Exactly!  Jeff Spicoli | 12/29/04
I?m wondering why Apple listened me, not Tic?  Vily Clay | 12/29/04
Apple listened to you?  tic swayback | 12/30/04
Does the master respect opinions of slaves or freemen?  Vily Clay | 12/30/04
VIly, you're always entertaining  tic swayback | 12/31/04
Funny Thing  voska | 12/31/04
Apple's zombie (Tic) found an excuse to be a zombie.  Vily Clay | 12/31/04
No lies here  tic swayback | 01/01/05
Tic, why didn?t you take a good policy ? to judge things you know? (NT)  Vily Clay | 01/02/05
Tic, how long you see such visions? Need help? (NT)  Vily Clay | 01/02/05
Vily, why didn?t you take a good policy--to try to make sense in your posts  tic swayback | 01/03/05
Tic, you see what you want = you cannot understand what you read. (NT)  Vily Clay | 01/03/05
And Vily, you can not understand facts  tic swayback | 01/03/05
S. Jobs lies: G3-Macs are 2 times faster WIntel-PC, etc. (NT)  Vily Clay | 01/04/05
No Internet Wintel-PC + Internet Linux-PC = much cheaper than Mac (NT)  Vily Clay | 01/04/05
Re: The sub $500 Apple computer is COMING!!!  richdave | 12/30/04
Desperation  tic swayback | 12/30/04
Do you remember a day when Apple stock felt in half?  Vily Clay | 12/30/04
The sky is falling, the sky is falling  tic swayback | 12/31/04
And only thanks to you (Tic) the sky did fall, right?  Vily Clay | 12/31/04
No, but thanks to me, monkeys flew out of your butt (nt)  tic swayback | 01/01/05
T*c, how long you see such visions? Need help? (NT)  Vily Clay | 01/02/05
I use both Mac and PC. WHAZZADIF?  jtonge | 12/31/04
more detail: I used a (Mac,MacPlus,LC475,.....) Mac and a (386/486/586 ..)  hipparchus2000 | 01/03/05
Comparing Apples with...(oranges?) other computers  jtonge | 01/11/05
Average PC users don't understand what they're up against  gas_z | 12/29/04
Too many users instead view it as a fancy television ...  ac2_z | 12/29/04
True, but why shouldn?t they  dave95 | 12/29/04
You have a point  PA-ITGuy | 12/29/04
Point taken  dave95 | 12/29/04
Yes they should learn to use them  voska | 12/30/04
Agreed, but  dave95 | 12/31/04
Yup, a lemon alright  voska | 12/31/04
Instead of explaining....  Jomo_z | 12/30/04
Linspire!!!  seadog59 | 12/29/04
Here is a suggestion MS  dave95 | 12/29/04
Online miscreants...  Xunil_Sierutuf | 12/29/04
It is all about user education...  Mike Cox | 12/30/04
awesome dude  Jeff Spicoli | 12/30/04
I have to agree with you  bugmenotznet | 12/30/04
Mike, I always patch Windows (including IE)  Grayson Peddie | 12/30/04
Blocking CEO  IT_Critic | 12/31/04
misunderstanding  hipparchus2000 | 01/03/05
Glad you're back Mikey, my exwife was driving me nuts  Squawkbox | 12/31/04
it's all about users being in control  JasonL31 | 12/31/04
lack of understanding of the ease of use of microsoft software  hipparchus2000 | 01/03/05
8.5  Real World | 01/03/05
Meanwhile, Linux offers totally secure browsing ...  George Mitchell | 12/30/04
Careful, George...  Confused by religion | 12/30/04
Technically George is right  voska | 12/30/04
Yes, IF you could run Windows off a CD-ROM...  Zogg | 12/31/04
If you did get infrected  voska | 12/31/04
It's closer than you think  Chad_z | 01/02/05
Careful Milly..  Jeff Spicoli | 12/30/04
Of course...  rapson | 12/30/04
How do you fit the registry...  Confused by religion | 12/30/04
Well...  rapson | 12/31/04
It can't be done with Windows because ...  George Mitchell | 12/30/04
It HAS been done  boxmonkey | 12/30/04
"Not entirely legal"? Well that's no use then... wink.  Zogg | 12/31/04
Its neither legal NOR portable between systems ...  George Mitchell | 12/31/04
Windows Run Off the CD already  voska | 12/31/04
But we're not talking about an install  rapson | 12/31/04
So where do I buy it?  George Mitchell | 12/31/04
Point taken  rapson | 12/31/04
it's using a Lifestyle  FilledOut | 12/31/04
I think 2004 will be the year of the penguin  Chad_z | 01/03/05
The tide is changing!  dave95 | 01/03/05
2005 Will Be The Year No_Ax Gets PWNED  itanalyst | 01/03/05

What do you think?

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