Re: *&#$ AOL
From: 14tonks (mail.2.14tonks_at_recursor.net)
Date: 11/20/04
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Date: Sat, 20 Nov 2004 16:17:38 -0500
It's ridiculous that any ISP tries to load your system with code when all
you need to connect to the internet is to go to Network Connections, select
"Create a new connection", and enter a few pieces of information. AOL is
perhaps the worst offender, but I've seen obnoxious huge chunks of software
from Earthlink and others as well. I will use no ISP that does not offer
the option of manually creating a connection and mail and news accounts,
with no downloaded software required at all. It takes less than 5 minutes
to set everything up, with no additional code whatsoever to create problems.
There was a study done a little while ago on computers belonging to AOL
clients that showed a staggeringly large percentage to be infected with
malware, with a large proportion of the computers functioning as zombies to
spread spam and viruses, which I suppose is what is behind the new version
with included security features. (Please don't post indignantly demanding
the reference--it was in one of my reputable computer newsletters, but I am
not going to go searching for it at this point. I didn't post it at the
time, because I saw no point to doing so. And yes, I'm sure there are
plenty of non-AOL users equally infected. It's just that the study was done
on AOL customers, and I'm sure AOL wasn't happy with the resulting bad
publicity.)
I am all in favor of default-on firewalls, antivirus, antispyware and
antitrojans, but I prefer to pick my own software and configurations. McAfee
does, indeed, cause problems on a certain number of computers. So does
Norton. In addition, those who don't know how to configure a firewall in the
first place are always going to have trouble with things not working with
default settings. I don't know what the cure for that is beyond looking for
an ISP that offers a little better support if you are one of those who just
doesn't want to have to learn how to do the basics on your own computer.
Essentially, I agree with locking it all and forcing people to find out how
to unlock it to do what they want, rather than leaving it all open, knowing
people won't bother to learn how to secure things if they can use their
installed programs and connect to their desired sites. Computers taken over
by hackers create problems for the whole internet, not just their owners.
-- Sheila To reply to me, add the prefix real. to my address. "Jeannie Wilson" <jwilson421@comcastspamkills.net> wrote in message news:Xns95A7A01CE7B90jwilson421comcastnet@216.196.97.136... > "Ed Chait" <edchait4@earthlink.net> wrote here for all to > seenews:309hepF2q0s8uU1@uni-berlin.de: > > > Now, if you get tired of paying for all this abuse and sado-masochism, > > and decide to change to another ISP, when you uninstall AOL software > > there is a fairly good chance your pc will get porked even further, > > thereby giving AOL the last laugh. > > Ain't that the truth. My tech told me he'd have to do a clean install of > Windows or something like that if I truly wanted to get it all out of my > system and keep everything running like it should have. AOL integrates > itself everywhere.
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