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Member since:
2006-04-05
Member since:
2005-07-06
Funny enough my parents are back running Windows Vista and the first thing I installed was 'Microsoft Security Essentials'. As much as I'd love third parties to give Microsoft competition, it is time for third parties like the organisation in question to stop blaming Microsoft for their crap programming and look for another niche to carve out. This isn't the first time, anyone remember Application Enhancer from Unsanity, the most useless piece of crap ever devised? the same thing that causes blue screens of death on Mac? well, same thing is happening again for Microsoft.
Both Microsoft and Apple are faced with this problem and I really wished that there was some way to ring fence of the operating system from these sorts of crap. Third party software taking an otherwise perfect operating system and kill it within a few seconds.
Sorry if the above posts sounds like a out of control rant but it really pisses me off when I see things go tits up and the third party have the gaul to blame the operating system vendor instead of taking responsibility themselves.
Member since:2005-12-15
They merely stated that particular piece of malware is known for causing black screens. I didn't read it as they were blaming it in this particular case.
Not sure if you've re-read the article but there's an Update:
The black screen problem appears to be linked to improper alteration of the Shell value in the Windows registry, as explained in the blog post.
A bit of due diligence on the part of Prevx could have avoided this entirely. At least they apologised.
Member since:2005-07-11
It's good that they apologized, but still irritating that they didn't do this basic detective work beforehand. Many people won't ever see that follow up and they'll just remember hearing that Microsoft screwed up with their updates, and, to the extent it discourages people from patching regularly, it's especially bad since keeping software up to date is such an important part of keeping a system secure. In effect, this security firm helps create a less secure environment. This is why responsible disclosure is so important. I mean, if an investigation reveals there's a clear problem and the vendor dismisses or minimizes the issue, by all means raise a sh*tstorm, but at least try to work with them and do thorough research before making these kinds of claims. Incidents like this just lend credence to the notion that security firms are just fearmongering opportunists, and that this one in particular shouldn't be trusted.
Edited 2009-12-02 03:11 UTC
Member since:2008-12-09
exactly. no news/media website (or even TV or newspapers nowadays) does their job of verifying. If it sounds legit enough, and sentionalistic enough, it will make it through.
worse case, a few days later you can also post a withdrawal, you still got a zillion hits (= money) and desired effect (omg, hate microsoft quick! praise google quick!).
and it suck.
Member since:2005-07-22
Member since:2006-02-26
Member since:2009-05-20
Member since:2005-09-13
Member since:
2009-12-02
"They need to seed it, so they can sow it later on."
I thought this sounded weird, but had to google it to be sure I wasn't off base: sow=plant, so I think you are writing "they need to plant it so that they can plant it later on".
The cliche english expression is "to reap what you sow". Obviously, you can choose not to use the cliche, but the metaphor only makes sense if you preserve the meaning that reap=harvest and sow=plant.
Member since:2006-07-25
Member since:
2005-07-06
Member since:2005-09-21
I know people like this as well, on all platforms though and not just windows. Funny thing is, while with windows I have never had an update actually break or slow my system, ive had many a linux installs that went completely toe up from a seemingly innocent update, which required hours (cumulative) of screwing around to correct. This made me kind of apprehensive of any major updates, but I ultimately bit the bullet, because not being patched in any system is like leaving the door open, with a sign on your mailbox that lists all your nice goodies inside ready to take.
Member since:2005-06-29
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2009-12-02
Way to spread some FUD! It's already well-known that this problem is not an issue caused by Microsoft, but rather the crapware people choose to run or malware they blindly let install. Dealing with all sorts of PCs on a daily basis, I have NEVER seen a Black Screen of Death that was Windows fault, so hah!
That being said, am I the only one who has never heard of this Prevx company? Glad MS did their homework for them though, and then proceeded to hand their ass to them.
Edited 2009-12-02 12:47 UTC
Member since:2009-05-20
If the user can't edit his/her own apt sources then he/she shouldn't be installing anything not already provided by the current apt sources.)
And there is nothing that can cause the system to crap out in apt sources? The same fallacy that Fedora made.
Edited 2009-12-02 13:12 UTC
Member since:2005-07-06
I'm not sure what you mean, but there's nothing even remotely similar, no. And if something would cause the OSes of thousands of users to completely lock up then obviously the people making the OS would provide some means to fix it. But not MS.
[The comment preview here on OSnews is seriously b0rken. Usually in such a way that things look good in preview but not in the final version. E.g. nested quotes.]
Edited 2009-12-02 13:31 UTC
Member since:2009-05-20
I'm not sure what you mean, but there's nothing even remotely similar, no. And if something would cause the OSes of thousands of users to completely lock up then obviously the people making the OS would provide some means to fix it. But not MS.
I mean that while I haven't used Ubuntu for a while, I am sure that the repository contains all kinds of things (e.g. kernels, kernel modules, insecure daemons, SUID binaries, etc.) that can badly crap out the system in inept hands.
Member since:2005-07-06
Of course, but any such thing would never go on for days without getting fixed once someone suffers from it. The Black SoD has plagued people for several hundred days now, a couple of years even. I'm not criticizing MS for not being perfect, but for not fixing known critical faults. (On a related note, I wonder if the F-Spot devs are MS employees.. you know, with their 5+ years old data-destroying bug still unfixed and all..)
Member since:2005-08-11
Member since:2005-07-24
Well... unless you count the fact that such dubious "security tools" as antivirus are necessary in the first place. But yes, once things have reached a level of f--ked-upedness for long enough, it becomes difficult to accurately apportion the blame.
Member since:2005-07-06
AFAIK PrevX admitted no such thing. It'd be absurd to "admit" such an obvious untruth. You've probably confused the fact that MS didn't cause that particular Black SoD (at least not with their updates) with the fact that MS is responsible for there being such a thing that they won't fix.
(Also, I don't want anything to be MS's fault. I'd love to see MS being good and perfect in every way.)
Please make properly specific accusations if you feel the need to make any at all. I welcome negative criticism (even more than positive - one learns more from the former than from the latter).
Edited 2009-12-02 19:07 UTC
Member since:2005-08-11
Here, read this:
http://www.prevx.com/blog.asp.
Oh, and unless you have proof about a blackscreen of death that MS refuses to fix, stop making unsubstantiated claims. I've been in the business for ~20 years, I have yet to see what you describe in the numbers you claim. Also, read the comments, there is a lot of good info there.
Spreading FUD is what you are doing.
Edited 2009-12-02 19:19 UTC
Member since:2008-06-02
AFAIK PrevX admitted no such thing. It'd be absurd to "admit" such an obvious untruth. You've probably confused the fact that MS didn't cause that particular Black SoD (at least not with their updates) with the fact that MS is responsible for there being such a thing that they won't fix. "
By that reasoning, if you're careless while using a chainsaw and accidentally remove a few limbs, then it's the chainsaw's fault. No one would suggest that chainsaws should be "fixed" by making them incapable of cutting things... yet people have no problem claiming that Windows needs to be "fixed," when the only way to fix it would mean crippling it just as thoroughly.
Look at ChromeOS. It protects users from installing malware... in about the only way possible, by preventing them from installing ANY software locally or making any modifications to the underlying OS. And, amusingly, the Linux geeks are all cranky about how locked-down it is: they got what they asked for, and now they're whining about the results. Boo hoo.
Member since:2005-09-13
Member since:2005-07-06
No. If a manufacturer makes a product such that it's particularly easy for users to render it useless by mistake then it's the manufacturer's fault that so many such products get rendered useless. (Of course the primary responsibility still lies with the one operating the product, but that's irrelevant since this obviously is a case with more than one fault.)
Nobody drives drunk by mistake.
Along similar lines, it's not MS's fault if the OS fries as a result of the user switching non-hotswap RAMs on-the-fly. That'd be against the specs and not something one would do by mistake.
And there's no reason for name-calling. Try to be civil.