OFF: Virus alert (genuine)

[JOHN M GRAY]

That's real funny, as a network administrator, I use all three systems, and
MS is the one that's best for use of use and doesn't crash with bugs.  All
are open to security problems.  Comments like yours makes me wonder what
experience you base it on.  I am a administrator on a 1200 computer network
running 4 different OS's, I think I have some experience on how much MS
"sucks".  I think there is a lot of sour grapes and people who run other
OS's on a few boxes and base all their "experience on how well it works on
their "big" network.  If MS sucks so bad then why isn't everyone rushing to
buy something else?  Oh yeah, the MS police force you to use MS, I forgot!
Ha!
John

----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Mather <paul at GROMIT.DLIB.VT.EDU>
To: <BOC-L at LISTSERV.SPC.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2000 8:32 PM
Subject: Re: OFF: Virus alert (genuine)


> On Thu, 4 May 2000, JOHN M GRAY complained:
>
> => Jeez,  I really get sick of hearing people slamming MS products when
> => something like this virus hits.  The only reason people direct their
viruses
> => at MS is that it achieves maximum impact.  If Linux or any other
operating
> => system were as popular as MS then they would be writing the virus for
them
> => and we would all be complaining how vulnerable that OS was.  Popularity
> => breeds contempt and I see it on this list all the time about MS.  Get
real
> => people, MS has good products and has immeasurably improved the computer
> => industry.   Yes, there are many companies with products better but MS
> => software is overall pretty damn good.
>
> Ha ha.  I haven't had a good laugh like this in a long time.  Hey, they
> don't call it M$-Winblows for nothing.  If you're happy with a system
> that is as unreliable and expensive as M$-Windoze then, heck, more power
> to you.  But don't try and kid people that M$ has "good products."  They
> don't.  They are wildly successful, but their technology blows big
> chunks.  ("Get real!":)
>
> People target M$ because, yes, it achieves maximum impact, but also
> because it's so easy, it's like taking candy from a baby.  It's not even
> a challenge.  "Micro$oft security" and "Micro$oft reliability" are both
> oxymorons.  You have to wonder about a product (Windoze) that spawned an
> entire industry devoted to selling third-party products ("CrashGuard,"
> "Windoze First Aid," etc.) designed to make that product work
> semi-reliably (or, as it should in the first place).
>
> Fortunately for Micro$oft, they've managed to develop a business
> strategy in which they are able to sell bug fixes as "product
> upgrades."  Pay us $99 and we'll fix all the shoddy stuff we sold you
> last time.  Heheh.  Nice work if you can get it, and proof that the old
> adage of "there's a sucker born every minute" still rings true.  I'd say
> Micro$oft marketing, not their software, is "pretty damn good."
>
> Fortunately, I do not use M$ "products" on a regular basis.  A friend
> that does is always cursing at her system, which usually crashes several
> times a day.  On an unrelated note, the system I use on a daily basis
> (gromit) is about to pass the 140 days uptime mark (despite constant use
> as a FTP server when I'm not using it).  The last time it went down was
> actually due to flaky power in our lab (power interruption during a bad
> storm).  Similarly, a server for a project I'm involved with (and which
> also hosts several other projects) passed the 200 day uptime mark; the
> last time that machine went down was due to a hardware failure (hard
> disc + mainboard failure).  Both are Unix systems.  The M$-Windoze NT
> systems in our lab (ostensibly the more "reliable" M$ platform) rarely
> manage more than about 1 week of uptime between software-induced
> crashes.
>
> I know people from our lab who have gone to work for Micro$oft, and even
> they admit it blows, but, heck, it pays the rent...
>
> I have no objection to people using Micro$oft products, but, please,
> let's try and see it for what it is.  (And "pretty good" it ain't...:)
>
> Cheers,
>
> Paul.
>
> PS: Word to the wise: "Linux" != "Unix"
>
> e-mail: paul at gromit.dlib.vt.edu
>
> "Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production
>  deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid."
>         --- Frank Vincent Zappa