New Worm, Same Old Problem

No, that's not a 2004 Democrat victory headline.

It's another computer virus.

And it's your fault.

But don't shake your fists in the direction of Redmond, Wash. The issue isn't necessarily security flaws in Microsoft's products so much as it is gullible computer users who continue to ignore the advice of cyber-security experts and the office techie down the hall.  Cynthia Webb WaPo article

It's not the fault of some anarchist computer hacks. And God knows Microsoft isn't culpable. It's your fault, you gullible computer user.

Do home computer users have "techies" down the hall?

Okay, I do believe that there is a responsibility for users of products to understand what they're doing. But if we are going to expect product users to understand the technical workings of every product they purchase and use, then we are not going to have very many users of anything more complex than a flyswatter. And how the hell are we going to support our consumer society that way?

I wouldn't be allowed to drive my truck if I had to know how the engine works.

If you're going to sell me a product, particularly one that, when I use it could affect millions of other users, then provide me a product that I can't easily screw up. If you can't do that, then take your goddamn knocks when I do screw up, without whining about it.

The mass-mailing worm, called "Mydoom" or "Novarg ," arrives with various subject lines and comes with a ".zip" attachment file that, when opened, can pick off e-mail addresses on a computer's hard drive and fire off infected e-mails to other computers. A computer is only infected when the attached file is opened -- and how many times have we been told not to open attachments we aren't expecting?

Well, we have been told numerous times, but I assume that those of us who have been told that have stopped doing it - and probably the first time we were told, or at least after the first time we opened a virus-infected attachment. How many new users and sporadic users and kids do you imagine there might be who haven't yet heard it? And future users. Get used to it, Cynthia.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.