[meteorite-list] [OT] Norton behind the Virus

From: geoking_at_notkin.net <geoking_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:07:00 2004
Message-ID: <v0422082cb9cd70f35cd7_at_[64.157.64.90]>

Dear Ken, Kim and List:

I realize this is more than a little OT and probably wasting some
people's time -- so I apologize in advance -- but I just couldn't
resist. Of all the weird things I've seen on the M-List (and there
have been plenty), accusing Symantec of creating new viruses in order
to sell their own products is one of the nuttiest . . . right up
there with the Frass meteorite even!

Kim posted:

> Norton has to behind this, who else is making out.
> Norton paying these guys to this.


Ken posted:

>I agree with you, Norton was behind this!
>I vowed then and there not to buy their product!


People create viruses for all sorts of reasons: Kids do it for fun;
anarchists do it because it's anarchistic; hackers target companies
they don't like; disgruntled employees ditto; and so on. In the
hacker subculture it is a major status symbol to have created a virus
that's caused international mayhem. You may not have encountered
these types of characters in real life but I have, and I assure you
they are active, numerous, and damn clever. I suppose you could say
they are the digital age's version of the neighborhood prankster.
Some have eventually been employed by our own government, in a sort
of "If we can't beat them, get them on the payroll" scenario.

Symantec -- the company that manufactures Norton Antivirus, Norton
Utilities, Systemworks, etc. -- is an excellent outfit and in my
opinion vital to the professional computer user. I couldn't have kept
my numerous computer stations running all these years with them. I've
employed nearly all of their products for as long as I've been using
computers for a living. They've helped me root out all kinds of virus
trouble, hardware problems, prevented hackers getting into my
systems, and on and on.

I don't want to waste the List's time with OT discussions, but -- no
offense intended -- your statements are absolute nonsense, and could
actually be damaging by negatively influencing List subscribers who
might otherwise buy these useful products. Hence the rebuttal.

We all get angry over virus issues, and really I do sympathize with
you guys, but posting preposterous statements about one of the few
companies that combats the problem is not going to help. If you would
like to discuss this further, please write to me off-List. I would be
happy to furnish you with additional information on the subject that
may be useful to you.


Sincerely,

Geoff N.
www.notkin.net
www.paleozoic.org
Received on Sat 12 Oct 2002 03:18:12 AM PDT