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Microsoft AntiSpyware thinks Firefox is Spyware

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the most-worms-are-spread-via-outlook dept.

brightertimes writes "It seems that microsoft's new AntiSpyware (beta) is now advising users to remove Firefox on their computers.. A Zeropaid.com thread shows the offending screenshot in action. Once your scanning has been done, if Firefox is found on your computer it provides the user with a "high" threat level and advising removal due to of lack of security updates." CT Several users have noted that the screenshot is likely fake.

22 of 454 comments (clear)

  1. Predicted on Slashdot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Two months ago.

    1. Re:Predicted on Slashdot by d3ac0n · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The most important part of any scam:

      No matter how outrageous your claim, if you make it believeable, people will fall for it.

      Nicely done gentlemen, nicely done indeed.

      --
      Official Heretic from the "Church of Global Warming". Proven right thanks to whistle blowers. AGW = Flat Earth Theory
  2. Not true.... by scifience · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I just ran a "Deep Scan" with MS Anti-Spyware on a machine with Firefox 1.0 installed. I got 0 results for spyware.

    1. Re:Not true.... by epedersen · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I have ran the scan on my computers with both Firefox 1.0 and Firefox 1.0.1 and the only Spyware that the MS Anti-Spyware finds is RealVNC.

    2. Re:Not true.... by Martin+Taylor · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Jesus H, It's obviously a photoshop, the thread that they link to is clearly a joke. It took about 10 seconds to tell that this is a hoax. How in the hell can this make the front page? It's just insane. People subscribe to /.? People are paid to run this site? For this and same-day dupes?

    3. Re:Not true.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Because Slashdot's policy is to never ever remove an article once posted. They believe that that policy helps immunize them from some types of lawsuits - because if they make decisions about some articles being worthy of removal, then someone can claim "This article which we don't like should be one of the ones you remove"; whereas with the no-removals policy, Slashdot thinks it's more free to say, "You'll have to force us!"

      A better question would be, how did the article get posted in the first place?

  3. One Word. by JS_RIDDLER · · Score: 5, Informative

    -Photoshop

    --
    _JS
  4. Slashdot got FARKed by CashCarSTAR · · Score: 5, Informative

    Later on in the thread they admit it's a fake.

    Way to go Editor.

  5. TACO IS AN IDIOT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    This is clearly a fake, and they even state as much in the forum.

    WAY TO GO, TACO!

    1. Re:TACO IS AN IDIOT by 0x461FAB0BD7D2 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Or perhaps Slashdot is adding a comedy section to their news.

      I'd welcome it.

    2. Re:TACO IS AN IDIOT by kiltedtaco · · Score: 5, Funny

      I can't wait until the dupe of this story gets posted in a week!

    3. Re:TACO IS AN IDIOT by reboot246 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Well, it's the funniest thing I've read all day. But, the day isn't over yet and chances are this story will show up here again.

    4. Re:TACO IS AN IDIOT by game+kid · · Score: 5, Funny
      (story above) CT Several users have noted that the screenshot is likely fake.

      In other news, Windows likely has a calculator, a text editor, a much-hated activation requirement, and a much-despised Web browser. At the risk of being banned from /., I must agree with the parent here.

      --
      You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
    5. Re:TACO IS AN IDIOT by Mr2cents · · Score: 5, Funny

      * Stickers improving your battery life!
      * Random number generators predict "important" events!
      * IPods prefer certain songs!

      Just to name a few recent embarrassing stories. Slashdot has gone New Age, methinks.

      --
      "It's too bad that stupidity isn't painful." - Anton LaVey
    6. Re:TACO IS AN IDIOT by LordNightwalker · · Score: 5, Informative

      Here's the sticker story; here's the random number genarator story and this is the iPod shuffle link. Enjoy.

      --
      Install windows on my workstation? You crazy? Got any idea how much I paid for the damn thing?
    7. Re:TACO IS AN IDIOT by rebeka+thomas · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Before blasting slashdot, I think slashdot has handled this better simply by nature than most other news sites.

      I've seen links to this image at least half a dozen times already. Only on slashdot have I seen the uproar in comments that it's a fake. Only on slashdot have people bothered researching the info behind the photograph to see what happened. Hell, only on slashdot was a link given to the original thread so we could find this out for ourselves. Everywhere else just had a bunch of drooling fools looking over the image and laughing at how desperate MS looks, while here we find the true story because of the strength of comments and the comment moderation system.

      Slashdot is doing better than regular news sources that regularly print misinformation, one sided stories and complete fabrications with no recourse for comments by readers who do know better.

      --
      RST
  6. Read by Monx · · Score: 5, Informative

    What made you think the screenshot was photoshopped (bar the fact you didn't get the same results?)

    In the linked forum, the person who posted the image said so?

  7. Taco by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "CT Several users have noted that the screenshot is likely fake."

    should read

    "CT The article notes that the screenshot is fake."

    1. Re:Taco by Amtiskaw · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I love how they weren't skeptical enough about this picture to even consider the possibility it was faked, but they're skeptical enough about the actual author saying it's "obviously faked" to conclude that it's just "likely".

  8. Tacogate: Taco must go by aggressivepedestrian · · Score: 5, Funny

    First, there needs to be a media firestorm about this. Then, just as in Rathergate, Slashdot should fire a few low-level scapegoats now, claiming shoddy journalistic standards. Then Commander Taco should be be allowed to resign "for personal reasons" in a few months.

  9. O rly? by Vicsun · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "CT: Several users have noted that the screenshot is likely fake." Likely? I'd love to see what evidence is needed before it's conclusively determined it's fake.

  10. Comedy for nerds, stuff that doesn't matter by The_Incubator · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Last week I told myself I was quitting slashdot cold-Turky after the late Febuary posting of a "news" story about Dell entering the HDTV market with a plasma panel that was reviewed by CNET in November. I thought that story making the front page pretty much embodied everything that has come to suck about Slashdot.

    I lasted about a day, and then I thought "oh hell, I've been reading Slashdot for years, I can't stop so I'll just read it once a day or something."

    Now this story makes me realize that Slashdot has simply evolved and I've taken too long to catch up. This isn't a new site anymore, it's a comedy site. It's pure comedy to watch the bumbling idiots who run this site post same-day dupes, fake stories, last year's news today, etc. etc.

    So while I used to read slashdot as a news site and get exasperated at it's terrible execution as such, now I read it as a comedy show and laugh my ass off. It's like reading the class clown's blog.

    Nick