Originally Posted by Chris (Post 35051732)

On the other hand, there's something more than a little wobbly about your own logic I think. I've never had an HIV test. Is it false for me to claim, beyond reasonable doubt, that I am not HIV+?

Originally Posted by Chris (Post 35051614)

As someone posted earlier, I could go to the trouble of installing software long enough to do a complete sweep, thereby proving the system is clean. But the absolutely tiny amount of malware that can even install itself on OSX simply doesn't justify the effort - hence my analogy with certain vaccinations earlier on. Why get yourself injected against typhoid if you're never going to travel anywhere you can get it?

As for viruses transferred ... what, exactly? And how? jpegs originated on my own camera and edited on my own machine? Word documents originated in NeoOffice in ODT format and saved off as MS .doc? Mpegs created in my copy of iMovie? I'm happy to be educated otherwise, but at the moment my understanding is that none of those poses a credible means of unwittingly transferring any kind of malware to anyone.

You are going to have a very, very hard time convincing me that there is any need to engage the same level of paranoia in keeping my Mac free of nasties as is clearly necessary when managing a Windows-based machine. ;)

Originally Posted by Xaccers (Post 35051759)

With your wobbly logic you would claim you are not HIV+, however you cannot be certain without testing for it, hence the wobbly nature of your logic.
How is it wobbly logic to say "I do not know if I'm HIV+ because I've never had a test" when it's an accurate statement (damn sight more accurate than claiming something is true when it's not been tested).

There is a huge difference between saying "I'm not likely to be infected" and what you've actually claimed which is "I've never been infected in the past 10 years"

Originally Posted by zing (Post 35051769)

Chances are you have never had a virus but without any form of detection you can not say that you are 100% definate you have not only that you believe you have not

Originally Posted by zing (Post 35051769)

You do not need to be paranoid to keep a windows machine clean you need to be careful and clever

Originally Posted by Ed2020 (Post 35051878)

Yep, the weakest point in the security of most computers is the interface between the chair and the keyboard. :)

Originally Posted by Xaccers (Post 35051405)

From personal experience of the MoD, if driving a white van and waving a shopping list, actually quite high :D


This thread reminds me of the alleged French attitude to BSE.
We have no BSE
How do you know?
We've never had a case of it.
Do you look for it?
No of course not.
Why not?
We have no BSE

Originally Posted by Raistlin (Post 35051538)

I've said it before, I'll say it again (and you'll have to trust me when I say that I speak from a position of some knowledge/experience): ANYBODY who is operating a computer that is a) connected to a network of any sort, or b) shares files/resources in any way with any other computer/processing device, and who believes that they don't need an AV program, other malware detection systems, some sort of firewall, proper patching, and proper user access controls, is either incredibly naive or incredibly irresponsible.

Originally Posted by Xaccers (Post 35051759)

With your wobbly logic you would claim you are not HIV+, however you cannot be certain without testing for it, hence the wobbly nature of your logic.
How is it wobbly logic to say "I do not know if I'm HIV+ because I've never had a test" when it's an accurate statement (damn sight more accurate than claiming something is true when it's not been tested).

There is a huge difference between saying "I'm not likely to be infected" and what you've actually claimed which is "I've never been infected in the past 10 years"

Originally Posted by Kymmy (Post 35051880)

Totally disagree there.. Weakest point of security is between modem and the internet, cut that wire and 99.999999% of people will never get a virus

Originally Posted by Kymmy (Post 35051880)

Totally disagree there.. Weakest point of security is between modem and the internet, cut that wire and 99.999999% of people will never get a virus

Originally Posted by Chris (Post 35051875)

In which case, your wobbly logic is at odds with the entire British justice system. You appear to be conveniently ignoring the concept of reasonable doubt or certainty and hanging your entire argument on the existence of a theoretical risk. A bit pointless, really, seeing as my iMac exists in the real world, not a debating chamber.

Originally Posted by ZrByte (Post 35052009)

Not entirely true..

Originally Posted by Kymmy (Post 35052018)

Well I did say 99.9999% and not 100% ;)

Originally Posted by Kymmy (Post 35051880)

Totally disagree there.. Weakest point of security is between modem and the internet, cut that wire and 99.999999% of people will never get a virus

Originally Posted by Xaccers (Post 35052013)

What the hell has it got to do with the british justice system? is that your way of showing just how illogical your argument is?
Would that be why you're now trying to crowbar "reasonable doubt" into your posts when you said no such thing when making the claim you've been virus free for 10 years?
next you'll be bringing up Godwin's :rolleyes:

Originally Posted by Stuart C (Post 35052134)

I think Kymmy's point was that if you cut the Internet Connection for a person, you reduce that person's chances of getting a virus by 99.999%. And you do, as even the most technologically inexperienced person would still need to physically install something on the PC to get a virus. Cut their access to any optical drives, USB/Firewire ports and Floppy drives, and you eliminate their chances of getting a virus, unless someone gives them a listing and persuades them to type it in..

Actually, Kymmy's point reminds me a little of something I read years ago. Microsoft were proudly proclaiming that Windows NT had DoD rated security (can't remember the exact rating, but it sounded impressive). Someone from the DoD wrote in an article that NT would only achieve that level of security providing it was not connected to a network.

Originally Posted by the-cable-guy (Post 35052199)

even if you dont install something you can still get a virus, an example of this would be if you mate lends you a CDr that they burnt with MP3's on it thats infected & before anyone says you cant get a virus from an MP3 yes you can.