Date: Sat, 29 Dec 2001 22:08:18 +0100 From: "Anthony Atkielski" <anthony@freebie.atkielski.com> To: "Cliff Sarginson" <cliff@raggedclown.net>, <freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: Re: Teaching parents UNIX Message-ID: <000401c190ac$f0ee7aa0$0a00000a@atkielski.com> References: <Pine.LNX.4.40.0112282250220.27385-100000@zx750.ninja.com> <02eb01c1902e$69629bd0$fe00a8c0@wskatinka> <20011229122459.GE3776@raggedclown.net>
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Cliff writes: > One since Microsoft software is almost > single-handedly responsible for the spread > of viruses across the globe ... Microsoft software is not responsible for the spread of viruses, any more than water is responsible for the spread of cholera. The more widely used a given software product is, the more likely it is that children will write viruses intended to infect that product; but that does not make the product responsible for spreading the viruses. That would be like saying that Microsoft Word is responsible for the spread of great literature. > ... then Microsoft should be responsible enough > to give all users of their OS'es a lifetime > subscription gratis to an anti-viral service. Microsoft doesn't do this for a number of reasons, one of which is the risk of liability should an anti-virus product fail to stop a virus. Anti-virus products only stop viruses that have already infected many thousands of machines, for the most part. > Solution 2. People should accept the expense > of buying an anti-viral agent as being necessary > to the safe-keeping of the Internet. Viruses aren't common enough or caught easily enough to justify such universal precautions. > Solution 3. ISP's should be held responsible > for any of their users who spread viruses through > non-use of anti-viral agents. That would deprive them of common-carrier status, as they would be exercising control over content. There are serious consequences to such a move, and I'd recommend that ISPs avoid such actions at all costs. > This is called social-responsibility. You're overlooking the most obvious solution by far: Don't open suspicious attachments to e-mail. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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