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Microsoft VP Suggests 'Net Tax To Clean Computers
Ian Lamont writes "Microsoft's Vice President for Trustworthy Computing, Scott Charney, speaking at the RSA conference in San Francisco, has floated an interesting proposal to deal with infected computers: Approach the problem of dealing with malware infections like the healthcare industry, and consider using 'general taxation' to pay for inspection and quarantine. Using taxes to deal with online criminal activity is not a new idea, as demonstrated by last year's Louisiana House vote to levy a monthly surcharge on Internet access to deal with online baddies."
Do Mac or Linux users get a tax credit?
Microsoft Security Essentials is free too, and works pretty good.
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Who do they think they are, bankers?
The rules of the House of Representatives require that if you propose a new government program that costs money, you also have to propose a tax or some way to pay for what you're doing... with the neutral CBO's stat-based "scoring" telling you when you're doing something level.
Don't you love the government?
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Proverbs 16:25 (NKJV)
* When a webpage informs me that it has SCANNED MY COMPUTER and VIRUS DETECTED, I remember that I did not, in fact, install a virus scanner, and that the message is fake, and I do not have to install their special software to fix it. Instead, I close the web page.
lol@that
It's funny to see those pages on Linux. "OMG UR WINDOWS ARE INFECTED"
I don't get viruses because I don't do stupid shit.
QFT
Sorry, but I just can't see what Quantum Field Theory has to do with this.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
Ah... but does it run... never mind.
NO SIG
Exactly. Lets see here, if I don't keep any confidential information on my computer, don't use it for e-commerce much (or you know, boot into Linux if I need to buy something which honestly I boot into Linux 90% of the time....) an anti-virus is going to use up more resources than a virus and negatively impact your experience.
Lets see here an average anti-virus is going to:
A) Waste lots of network resources downloading updates
B) Constantly use up I/O resources scanning every file
C) Mess with defaults
D) Use a completely different theme ruining whatever aesthetic pleasure there was in Windows
E) Constantly use CPU time
F) Constantly say that your subscription has OMG 60 DAYS LEFT!!!! THATS LESS THAN 3 MONTHS!!!! Usually when giving a presentation
G) Interrupt gaming
H) Ignore all -real- threats like the Sony Rootkit and the like
An average virus is going to
Use some I/O resources finding sensitive files, use light network resources sending spam and generally work in the background.
My experience is going to be less interrupted with a virus than an AV.
Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
Microsoft Security Essentials is free too, and works pretty good.
AFAIK, it doesn't work on pirated Windows, nor does it work on Win2K.
It does work on pirated Windows. Not that I would know, myself. But some guy told me. I think he lives in Canada but I don't remember.
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
No, 2009 is still correct, if that's when he copyrighted his sig, (hah!). It will still be the correct copyright date in 2011 and 2012 and 2013... no scratch that last one. The world will (apparently) not likely make it past 2012.
"A revolution without dancing is... a revolution not worth having"
Baloney. Only *******s benefit from an educated and healthy society.
*counts out the stars*
..."machines"? So, only machines benefit from an educated and healthy society? Gasp! You're right! What fools we've all been! The more educated we are, the more machines we make, and the more healthy we are, the more time we have to make the machines better! It's all coming together now! The machines have already taken over other countries with standardized healthcare, and they're trying to take over the United States with...
...oh, wait, that's not what you meant, is it? Eh. Mine was way more interesting.
Demanding constant attention will only lead to attention.
Someone hasn't used an AV in a while.
Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
Does it work on Linux?