At 11:02 19/06/2005, Arnt Gulbrandsen wrote:
Paul Smith writes:
On Sat, 18 Jun 2005 17:55:25 +0100, Keith Moore
<moore(_at_)cs(_dot_)utk(_dot_)edu> wrote:
I'd even go so far as to say we're going to continue to have massive
amounts of spam as long as Windows is the dominant PC operating system.
I'm sorry, but that's just ridiculous. The only link between Windows and
spam is that lots of people have Windows, and it's relatively easy to
use, so lots of spammers use it. Lots of spammers also use Linux or Macs,
you just see less of that, because there are less of those systems in use
by the 'spammer' sort of person, but if that's all there was, that's what
the spammers would use.
Easy to use, you say.
I read a computer magazine called c't. High-quality thing. For example,
when it reviews Windows games, the review specifically notes whether the
game requires administrator rights to play. (Not to install. To play.)
About 40-50% of the reviewed games require that. Now, isn't that ridiculous?
Yes - but that's not Windows fault, or Microsoft's fault... It's the fault
of the people who write the games software, and the users who accept that
state. Because 50-60% of the reviewed games DON'T require administrator
rights to play, it shows that it's not an OS problem, as those 50-60% of
game developers have been able to done the job right with the same OS as
those who haven't bothered.
I could easily write a Linux game which requires you to be logged in as
root to play it. That wouldn't be Mr Torvald's fault. However, if I did
write such a game, I wouldn't expect to sell many copies because Linux
users tend to be more security aware than Windows users.
I bet that if Microsoft ever changes Windows such that people don't
routinely run their day-to-day applications as Administrator, Windows will
also be less "easy to use" for spammers.
Agreed - but whether that's Microsoft's fault or the application developers
faults is debateable.
Paul VPOP3 - Internet Email Server/Gateway
support(_at_)pscs(_dot_)co(_dot_)uk http://www.pscs.co.uk/