Macs never get viruses

[Xaccers]

Originally Posted by Chris

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+?

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 Chris

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.

of course you do realise that if a virus or malware is installed on your Mac installing an AV or Malware program may well be rendered useless by the actions of the virus giving you a clean result that actually isnt correct

A virus could have been transferred to your machine from an image on a web page or a line of code added to a video on a website anywhere

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

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

Originally Posted by Xaccers

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"

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.

[Ed2020]

Originally Posted by zing

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

You can't be 100% sure even if you've used AV from day 1 of ownership.

Originally Posted by zing

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

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

[Kymmy]

Originally Posted by Ed2020

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

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

[the-cable-guy]

Originally Posted by Xaccers

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


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

nice1 i like it

---------- Post added at 16:20 ---------- Previous post was at 16:19 ----------

Originally Posted by Raistlin

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.

i second that & thats what iv been saying all along.

---------- Post added at 16:24 ---------- Previous post was at 16:20 ----------

Originally Posted by Xaccers

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"

exactly & i on the other hand can say that im free from HIV as i have been tested.

---------- Post added at 16:25 ---------- Previous post was at 16:24 ----------

Originally Posted by Kymmy

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

that made me laugh lol

[ZrByte]

Originally Posted by Kymmy

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

Not entirely true. You also need to disable the USB ports as I found about a year ago when I accidentally infected my Memory stick when I was out on a repair. The infected stick stayed in my laptop bag instead of being checked on my main machine like I always usually do. Then my mothers media centre needed a piece of software I keep on the stick so I connected it and presto my Mums media centre is infected with a virus and it has never been connected to the internet Doh!
Haven't made that mistake again. Now have AV running on my Mums machine just incase and I always check my memory stick if I use it in a suspect machine (Or any machine I don't own for that matter).

[Xaccers]

Originally Posted by Chris

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.

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

[Kymmy]

Originally Posted by ZrByte

Not entirely true..

Well I did say 99.9999% and not 100%

[ZrByte]

Originally Posted by Kymmy

Well I did say 99.9999% and not 100%

Good point. I feel special now, and not in a good way

[Ed2020]

Originally Posted by Kymmy

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

A person's Internet connection is not a security measure though. Their knowledge and behaviour are - and they should be the first line of defence. It's when other security measures are relied upon more than caution and common sense that malware infections occur

[Stuart]

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 Xaccers

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

Xac, some of us have better things to do than to try to make their first post on any given subject a comprehensive 5,000-word essay. This is a discussion forum, not a public speaking contest. The clue is in the title.

[the-cable-guy]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

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.

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.

[Kymmy]

Originally Posted by the-cable-guy

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.

Sounds like you speak from experience...... some mates.....

If an MP3 is infected then it would request a non-standard codec from the internet, not internet so no virus laden codec..


By the bye though as the disconnect from internet line is an old IT services joke that evolved from the ever famous "Do you still have the box for the computer, yes, then please put it back in the box and return it to the store you bought it from as you're too stupid to use it" which has been put down to many different companies and I first heard it whilst working for DEC in 1988

BTW, Mac's have got nothing on DEC's reputation for being virii free