In the last 8 hours I've gotten 12 Sobig virus emails.

How about you?

Air Canada was forced to delay and cancel some flights yesterday because of computer malfunctions the airline attributed to an In­ternet worm, dubbed Welchia

http://theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030820.rworm0820/BNStory/Business/

I've also gotten several notices that the virus was sent from my e-mail address too. I'm scanning now just to make sure there's nothing on my computer.

But then, I use Linux.

Look, I consider Windows products, on the Internet, equivalent to walking butt-naked into a Federal Prison towing a cart with a 55 gallon kit drum on a cart behind you. You just know what is gonna come next.

Choose a Linux distro. Set it up in a dual-boot configuration, or have someone do it for you. Linux User Groups are great for that.

Stop Surfing Naked and Exposed. Dangers lurk. Closely.

but I can tell you that a majority of people who want to change to something like Linux are doing it becuase "Windows is so hard to figure out".

I'm a software engineer and worked on different platforms. I tell them that if they think Windows is hard, you'll LOVE Linux. I'm not putting it down (honestly), I'm just saying that for many people, it's not realistic to goto Linux if they can't spell PC.

A modern, fit and finished Linux Distro recently. Like, oh say, Mandrake 9.1?

It ain't a command-line funfest any longer. In Lehigh Valley, PA, there is a program to distribute refurbed used computers to families in reduced financial circumstances. Each and every one is equipped wih Linux, to get around the licensing hassles.

It is pretty successful. People, children especially, are doing what they need to do, without hassle.

I will agree that the Mandrake 9.1 has a great "out of box" experience.

But it still has a lot of work to go on ease of use once you decide you want to start making changes like installing a piece of software that says it installed and yet is buried in some bin folder instead of being added to the kde menu.

Some of the simplest things in Linux distros seem really unintuitive to most people (like installing a printer or changing a screen setting).

It's making progress, but still has a way to go until it's "dumbed down" enough for Grandma and Grandpa.

On edit: And things like burning a cd or dvd under linux apps currently suck.

I grew up in Allentown, but now live in Michigan.

A lot of it is just user stupidity. 80 percent of these viruses need user interaction to infect your system, usually by opening an unknown attachment.

I have used Windows (and Linux) for years and never gotten a virus because I don't use an scripting and html enabled email client (I use agent so I get everything in plain text) and when I do get attachments, I make sure I know what they are before opening them.

Run up to date anti-virus and don't open any attachment unless you know what it is.

mail server has stopped over 1000 of these from coming in to my company today.

But all to an e-mail address I use only for a local dem org. All the phony senders were politician and media.

Started yesterday at about 8:30 and quit about 4:30. First one came in this morning about 8:50am (central). Seems slower today but we are just getting started.

again about what Not to open? Please! And I do have windowsxp..I'm new to the computer and had no idea about windows. I only heard that's what you were struck with for the internet. I had been questioning because I don't like bill gates from what I had heard about him.

so you can't tell. I got zip and pif. I think it was pif?

I tell my family and friends to never open .pif and .scr because they are rarely ever not viral.

Lots of my viral e-mails are coming in with phony senders that seem plausible so don't just open attachments even if you do know the sender.

I also heard that most people affected are those whose e-mail is posted on a website somewhere. Which might explains why my local dem parry email is getting hit but my personal e-mail addresses are not. I expect this is why it seem so spotty.

It's that simple.

If in doubt, email the person who sent you an attachment and ask them what it is, if they don't know, don't open it.

Your details
Thank you!
Re: Thank you!
Re: Details
Re: Re: My details
Re: Approved
Re: Your application
Re: Wicked screensaver
Re: That movie
but I guess there are others as well

In Internet Explorer pull down Tools and click on Windows Update. Follow directions there. Don't bother with anything but critical updates. XP is seriously flawed, and needs patches to protect against these worms.

still getting a ton of msblaster requests to port 135.

Unreal.

Later,
JM

.......but my firewall (BlackIce) is still stopping a whole lot of MSRPC TCP Port Probes for Port 135. For some reason a lot are coming from San Francisco and from Clearwater, Florida.

but at least ten with the attachments stripped off. boy I sure wish I was as cool as the Linux users and could keep insulting the 95 percent of the world who don't use it.

Ever notice the similarity between linux users and the guy at the local record store? both think they're cooler than you, but they still working for you.

I'm getting 1 to 2 every minute...F#$@$ %@%% %%@#%@#%!!!!!

allmost 400 this morning and just as I thought I was done another 64 came in. How long is this crap going to go on? Are the freepers getting nailed as well? Anyone brave enough to go over there and find out?

and then I was able to download the patch and everything has been good ..knock on wood

I always delete my e-mails without opening them if I don't know who they are from just because I don't have time to deal with any extraraneous crap.

Zone Alarm firewall
McAfee virus scan
Spysweeper
Ad-aware
Window Washer

And now AOL 9.0 has some new software that is filtering out some of the rest of the gunk. I typed in some key words: viagra, prescription, penis, enlargement, debt, loan, approved, credit. Seems to have worked.

One thing I have noticed, some DUers cookie the rest of us. Why is that? I don't want to name names, although I could. I just wonder why they are doing it.

.......Lolita, XXX, bestiality, mortgage, refinance, TV Descrambler. Use your imagination. I have about 200 filters (words & phrases) and it works fine for me.

we must be on the same spam list

Go me.

Yesterday my computer came back from the service depot AGAIN (long fucking story, you don't wanna go there, trust me on this) and the first thing I did was go to pick up the Windows update to protect myself from MSBlast. Whilst downloading the updates, I picked up Welchia.

At first I thought it was MSBlast but when the FixBlast tool didn't find it I downloaded the FixWelchia tool too, and THAT turned up positive. I think I have everything cleaned up now.

However, I am still getting a dozen of those @#$! SoBig virus attachment emails every time I check in. I have taken to reading on the web interface so I don't have to spend hours downloading the crap. I hope whoever is the source of this will eventually get cleaned up.

Sigh,

The Plaid Adder