Spyware, viruses, & security : Is it ever right to give a virus?

by gobraves97 - 11/11/09 3:55 AM

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Is it ever right to give a virus?

by gobraves97 - 11/11/09 3:55 AM

I've had people that are so uptight, the worst being my older sister, that they won't let me install an anti-virus, a firewall, a spyware remover, a registry cleaner---ANYTHING. Today was especially bad because she won't even let me download and run Glarys, AVG, Ad-Aware or defrag even after getting a Boot Load Failure warning! The explanation? "This happened last time and all I had to do was go in and get it fixed. Don't worry, all I have to do is restart it 5-10 times and it will boot." Word for painful word.

That leads back to the subject. I never want to use what I know for evil but this is a good sorta evil, right? I could just do it anyway without her knowing but if she doesn't know she needs these things, what good will it do besides a temporary fix? I want to put something on the computer she's networked to---hers is already messed up beyond belief but if she sees a working computer suddenly go down then rebound thanks to these great utilities, she'll let me run the whole nine yards on hers.

Ponder that. I don't know if I was really asking a question or just venting!

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Post 2 of 7

I think you're venting :D

by Donna Buenaventura

- 11/11/09 7:44 AM In reply to: Is it ever right to give a virus? by gobraves97

You know well that her method (to reboot few or many times to get it back running again) is not the permanent solution. You know the permanent solution - to scan, to clean-up and defrag

I hope you can convince her. Try it so you can show her that there's no need to boot many times but once only

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Post 3 of 7

Frequently, It's a Crime

by Grif Thomas

- 11/11/09 4:12 PM In reply to: Is it ever right to give a virus? by gobraves97

Since virus and malware writers that spread such things are commonly prosecuted, it wouldn't be wise.. And more importantly, is it ever good to give a person small-pox, or any other disease, just to show them they need to get vaccinated? I don't think so but you may feel differently.

More importantly, and I have done this with customers who have failed to take may advice, I just let them continue on as they are.. When the computer crashes or no longer functions, I let them also PAY for the fix when it occurs..It's funny how well money can change the ways someone acts. Although it's always good to provide advice and suggest ways to fix something, if the user won't do so, it's beyond your control...EXCEPT to say: "I told you so" when things break.

Hope this helps.

Grif

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Post 4 of 7

Issues---no shortage here!

by gobraves97 - 11/12/09 2:40 AM In reply to: Frequently, It's a Crime by Grif Thomas

Donna- I could theoretically do that with a short brainstorm and 10 minutes of her undivided attention, but I like my chances better converting Roe v Wade sides in the same time span. I've met people who are touchy about their computer but this is one special kind of stubborn. I did indeed go behind her back and run a Glary Utility sweep but that's the quickest (and by itself rather useless) app I could think of in the time I had.

Grif- Well I have always done a fair job in separating what's right vs what's legal and vice versa without causing much interruption to my life, hence my quickfire post. Obviously I would never enter yet another entry into the cesspool just because someone else doesn't know a cesspool exists. Besides, I do have rights as a visitor to the networked computer I'm currently using so all I really need to do to prove my point is to act afraid when a ZoneAlarm red alert appears before closing it---and the option to hide these alerts, of course.

Long story short I agree with all of us (yeah, including me ha). There are equally as devious but less harmful and immoral ways to get around a thick skull. 70 desktop items on top of it all suggests hours of downloads and scans will save her little of the money Grif suggests to let one drop. Pretty much anyone who reads or posts in these forums have met their share. Their inconvenience, their money, their data<---a moral only a good rant could return!

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Post 5 of 7

Yep, Glary Has Been Spammed On This Site..

by Grif Thomas

- 11/13/09 4:47 PM In reply to: Issues---no shortage here! by gobraves97

...and most find it's not worth having and potentially could cause more harm.. Like most such SPAMMED items, Uninstall it.

Good luck with your issue.

Grif

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