On TV.com: CHUCK Spied a Return Date
BNET Business Network:
BNET
TechRepublic
ZDNet
TalkBack 1 of 149:
Next »
Excellent analysis
I guess that people have come to expect bad news so much that journalists no longer verify their sources; if it's bad news about computer threats, it must be true.

To be fair, this sort of problem (relying on bad sources that themselves rely on bad sources) is a problem everywhere, even in academia. I remember one instance where there was this footnote that relied on an old source, which relied on an even older source and so forth, ending in a bogus claim dating from the early 19th Century.
Posted by: LB75   Posted on: 06/02/08 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
Reply to Story Reply to Message

Alert moderator to an offensive message

Subscribe to this discussion via Email or RSS

Excellent analysis  LB75 | 06/02/08
THANK GOD FOR A GOOD REPORTER!  JABBER_WOLF | 06/03/08
Ed; You're Not Doing Your Part In Propagating The Paranoid!  Kromaethius | 06/02/08
Good point....  cgdams | 06/03/08
Thanks, I was just being funny...  Kromaethius | 06/03/08
Just another example of the circular "proof" used...  ye | 06/02/08
RE: Debunking yet another bogus malware study  hserus | 06/02/08
Not nitpicking  Ed Bott ZDNet Moderator | 06/02/08
Did you read the title of that report, Ed?  hserus | 06/02/08
Not only did I read the title...  Ed Bott ZDNet Moderator | 06/03/08
Sturgeon's Revelation  fairportfan | 06/03/08
Original was "crud"  Ed Bott ZDNet Moderator | 06/03/08
Damn!  Dr_Zinj | 06/05/08
Leaving aside this debate on numbers ..  hserus | 06/05/08
But then doesn't OECD have an agenda?  Pliny the Elder | 06/03/08
Sorry to say...  John L. Ries | 06/02/08
The security experts I've spoken with disagree with you  Ed Bott ZDNet Moderator | 06/02/08
Hehe, nice one  NonZealot | 06/02/08
Overoptimistic  klumper | 06/02/08
Overoptimistic PS  klumper | 06/02/08
I can't say never for myelf, but...  brble | 06/03/08
You're too squeaky clean to believe  klumper | 06/03/08
Yes, all systems are on the 'net...  brble | 06/04/08
You're a ray of hope  klumper | 06/04/08
I don't know that I'm doing anything special  brble | 06/04/08
Well now you know  klumper | 06/04/08
But apparently you don't know.  brble | 06/04/08
Keep hugging your illusion  klumper | 06/04/08
UAC means...  cburkitt2 | 06/04/08
Ha. True, but....  klumper | 06/04/08
...and where's the data supporting your estimations?  cgdams | 06/03/08
daily experience  klumper | 06/03/08
Again where are the facts?  ye | 06/03/08
Misreading Klumper Post  chessmen | 06/03/08
Don't give Klumper the benefit of the doubt  jvenezia | 06/03/08
Who's yelling?  klumper | 06/03/08
Now THERE'S some science!  Ethical_Loner | 06/09/08
The thing is...  John L. Ries | 06/02/08
Older (2005) zombies paper from Joe St.Sauver (UOregon)  hserus | 06/03/08
2005 is not 2008  Ed Bott ZDNet Moderator | 06/03/08
Re: Sorry to say...  none none | 06/02/08
Myopia is more rampant than you know  klumper | 06/02/08
Hmmm  cgdams | 06/03/08
Someday you may get your chance  klumper | 06/03/08
Telling you your business....  cgdams | 06/04/08
Studying "defective" PC is not statistically accurate  mombo | 06/05/08
You're presuming that  klumper | 06/05/08
Thanks Ed  tonymcs@... | 06/02/08
I have to say I tend to agree with the report  marks055@... | 06/02/08
Security is a racket.  osreinstall | 06/03/08
Question  klumper | 06/03/08
The security vendors mainly.  osreinstall | 06/03/08
Agreed in many ways  klumper | 06/03/08
It is a PEBCAK issue.  osreinstall | 06/03/08
Don't forget PICNIC either  klumper | 06/03/08
Security is mainly behavior.  osreinstall | 06/03/08
Try tell the doddling fools  klumper | 06/03/08
I wouldn't call them doddling fools.  osreinstall | 06/04/08
We're all fools  klumper | 06/04/08
At times we can be.  osreinstall | 06/04/08
Back to point one  klumper | 06/04/08
Ok.  osreinstall | 06/04/08
Let's meet halfway  klumper | 06/04/08
I thought I did.  osreinstall | 06/04/08
It's a matter of complacency  klumper | 06/04/08
I give you that.  osreinstall | 06/04/08
Yet another reason to always question statistics  CobraA1 | 06/03/08
Bump to ZDNet scripters  klumper | 06/03/08
Bump again  klumper | 06/03/08
Even at 10% of that figure, it's still bad  ejhonda | 06/03/08
The point is people spout off numbers they no nothing about.  ye | 06/03/08
How can I dispute the numbers?  Ed Bott ZDNet Moderator | 06/03/08
Facts matter indeed  klumper | 06/03/08
Note to ZDNet scripters  klumper | 06/03/08
I'll pass your feedback along  Ed Bott ZDNet Moderator | 06/03/08
Thanks  klumper | 06/03/08
They also made some changes to the Feedback page  Ed Bott ZDNet Moderator | 06/03/08
I don't care about studies, or whether this is wrong or right...  BitTwiddler | 06/03/08
Journalists don't know math or science  scott1329 | 06/03/08
Ars got it right, Inky was wrong  Ed Bott ZDNet Moderator | 06/03/08
Can I suggest you apply same drill down into ZDnet stories?  whisperycat | 06/03/08
Wow  Ed Bott ZDNet Moderator | 06/03/08
Wow indeed  whisperycat | 06/03/08
Ha!  Ed Bott ZDNet Moderator | 06/03/08
Ha?  Harry Bardal | 06/03/08
re: Ha?  Badgered | 06/03/08
SMBs  Harry Bardal | 06/03/08
re: SMBs  Badgered | 06/03/08
Simple  Harry Bardal | 06/03/08
You're really missing something here...  dkawalec | 06/03/08
Forum For Self Congratulation  Harry Bardal | 06/03/08
You're the one who seems overly-pleased with himself ...  dkawalec | 06/04/08
You're completely blind and raving mad if you don't see what is now  Mikael_z | 06/04/08
The Apple Monopoly Myth  Harry Bardal | 06/05/08
Come on Harry  klumper | 06/05/08
No, have to correct ya there.  TripleII | 06/03/08
Sounds like the wrong combination ...  dkawalec | 06/03/08
Sorry Mr. Elitist  jasonp@... | 06/03/08
Anecdotes  Ed Bott ZDNet Moderator | 06/03/08
Anecdotes?  klumper | 06/03/08
One more ED, c/o Vint Cerf  klumper | 06/04/08
Consequences  Harry Bardal | 06/03/08
Just Curious  brble | 06/03/08
Users  Harry Bardal | 06/03/08
Such Vitriol  brble | 06/03/08
The Larger Economy  Harry Bardal | 06/04/08
Harry,  brble | 06/04/08
This is Tiresome  Harry Bardal | 06/05/08
I Agree  brble | 06/05/08
RE: Debunking yet another bogus malware study  CMHeywood | 06/03/08
RE: Debunking yet another bogus malware study  ramnet@... | 06/03/08
RE: Debunking yet another bogus malware study  Mel-M | 06/03/08
More Issues  Harry Bardal | 06/03/08
reply from StopBadware  EricaGeorge | 06/03/08
Thanks, Erica  Ed Bott ZDNet Moderator | 06/03/08
I'll let Google know  EricaGeorge | 06/04/08
Oh, you mean like the over the top and wrong security stories about Flash?  TtfnJohn | 06/03/08
I'm not their editor  Ed Bott ZDNet Moderator | 06/03/08
I'm not asking you to...  TtfnJohn | 06/03/08
Say it again  klumper | 06/03/08
One out of four..what..computers  beoz | 06/03/08
Note to Ed  klumper | 06/03/08
I'm still doing the reporting  Ed Bott ZDNet Moderator | 06/03/08
Excellent investigation Ed...  lawryll@... | 06/03/08
Debunking The Debunker  chessmen | 06/03/08
Heresay  beoz | 06/03/08
Have a Drink, Relax!  chessmen | 06/04/08
yeah, right...  cgdams | 06/04/08
it's a comon tactic,  rtk | 06/04/08
He he! Ole man is watching  Ole Man | 06/05/08
Oh, I like reading the talkbacks  beoz | 06/04/08
Google Warning  seanferd | 06/03/08
RE: Debunking yet another bogus malware study  windjammer_z | 06/03/08
Thanks Ed, its the Best of times, the Worst of times...  bill_abbott_iv | 06/03/08
Any hints to where Vint Cerf's estimations are based on?  cgdams | 06/04/08
...and may i bump ZDNets scripters, too?  cgdams | 06/04/08
So perhaps I'm not such a fool, eh wink  klumper | 06/04/08
PS re Cerf + final word  klumper | 06/04/08
Sorry, but that doesn't answer the question...  cgdams | 06/05/08
Come on now, how much clearer need it be?  klumper | 06/05/08
Facts are tricky things  Ed Bott ZDNet Moderator | 06/05/08
Ok, let's see what you uncover  klumper | 06/05/08
Again, facts are tricky things  Ed Bott ZDNet Moderator | 06/05/08
Fair enough  klumper | 06/05/08
It wasn't a speech  Ed Bott ZDNet Moderator | 06/04/08
Thanks, Ed,  cgdams | 06/05/08
Those figures are probably fairly accurate  YeaiBetYouDo | 06/13/08
Ha! Glad I checked back in on this one  klumper | 06/13/08
Your experience leads to wrong conclusions...  cgdams | 06/15/08

What do you think?

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

advertisement
advertisement
  • Smart Tech Expert advice on innovations in healthcare and the green technologies that make it happen. Find out more
  • Smart Business Discussion and advice on management issues that revolve around making your world smarter and more useful. More Smart Advice
  • Smart People The best and worst moves in the management and strategy trenches. Learn More