[vox] Re: [OT] WinXP applications spamming me

[lugod at jbbrown9.mailshell.com]

I hear you. I got the free firewall, anti spyware, antivirus, anti
whatever trials with my new home PC. I didn't buy any of them, and they
have now all expired. I get warnings and popups all the time now saying
I have to buy the full version of whatever to protect me from some evil
virus that's taking over the world. The other day, one even said I am
infected witih something and they'll get it off if I buy the full
version. I'm pretty sure it was an applet in a web page. If only I
wasn't too lazy to go uninstall it all.



> Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 10:29:26 -0700
> From: Bill Kendrick <nbs at sonic.net>
> Subject: [vox] [OT] WinXP applications spamming me
> To: LUGOD <vox at lists.lugod.org>
> Message-ID: <20050818172926.GA26028 at sonic.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> 
> 
> So I just turned my laptop on at work and booted into Windows XP.
> The first thing I get is that Adobe Reader Download Manager "needs my
> attention."  Okay, yeah, it was trying to install some kind of update
> yesterday, and I told it "Remind me later."  That's fine.
> 
> Then McAfee pops up warning me about some new Windows virus.  High
> threat.
> It can cause my computer to reboot continuously.  Simply "going online"
> can get me infected.  I don't have their virus scanner installed, but
> have their firewall or something.  To me, this warning is three things:
> 
> (1) Useless.  "Going online."  Oops, too late.  I'm online.  Am I
> infected?
>     How can I tell?  Does it matter if I run any particular apps?
>     (IE? Outlook?  I run Mozilla Navigator and Mozilla Mail.)
>     What about firewalls?  We have one on the LAN, and I have one on my
>     laptop itself.
> 
> (2) Scary.  See most of above.  I bet grandmas everywhere are fainting.
> 
> (3) Spamy.  So, how can I tell if I'm infected?  O-o-ohh... riiiight.
>     "30 day free trial."
> 
> *close*
> 
> 
> Then the Adobe download manager doo-dad pops up another window saying
> it's all done.  It has a big "Quit" button.  I click it.
> Guess what happens?  Suddenly, Adobe Reader pops up and starts loading
> some PDF file to show me.
> 
> *close*
> 
> 
> File this under:  "Reasons I like Linux."
> 
>