Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 12:36:08 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Keith F. Lynch" <kfl at KeithLynch.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: A geeky question
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

"Michael Walsh" <MJW at mail.press.jhu.edu> wrote:
> Are other operating systems designed to be worm/virus immune?

Mostly, yes.  There was one Unix worm fifteen years ago, written by a
real expert, but Unix was quickly repaired.

It's a solved problem.  This stuff was understood decades ago.
Microsoft ignores hard-won experience, industry standards, and
academic studies.  And they lie about it.

> Or that no one cares to write worms/viruses for most other operating
> systems.

In the same sense as "no one cares to" break into Fort Knox.

Let me put it this way:  In 31 years of using computers, I have
*never* used a firewall or anti-virus software.  And I have *never*
had a computer infected with a virus or worm.  Not once.

Also, my computers don't crash.  My PC (running NetBSD) has been up
for nearly a year (I powered it down when I was away for two weeks
at last year's Worldcon), during which time I've run thousands of
applications on it, including hundreds programs I wrote myself.  If
it were to crash, I would be 99% certain it was a hardware problem,
not software.

I also have three machines running OpenVMS, none of which have ever
crashed or been infected.

> & let's keep the Microsoft bashing to a dull roar . . .

There's a reason why Microsoft is so universally despised among
knowledgable people.  It's a thin gloss of eye candy on top of a
thoroughly rotten foundation.  Nobody would put up with such crap
with any other kind of product, but since most people had no previous
experience with computers, they don't know what they're missing.

And no, Ted, not all businesses use Microsoft.
--
Keith F. Lynch - kfl at keithlynch.net - http://keithlynch.net/
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