Linked by Thom Holwerda on Thu 5th Nov 2009 17:29 UTC
Computers are taking on ever more important roles in our daily lives. They used to be simple tools to get simple things done - work-related, mostly, maybe a few simple games, and that was it. However, over time, they have become the central hubs for all sorts of data - including precious data. For his Master of Fine Arts thesis project, Zach Gage illustrated just how important our computer data has become.
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Member since:2009-09-24
I agree that users SHOULD read onscreen notices, but the reality is that they DON'T. It's one of the reasons why malware has become such a persistent problem.
That's exactly what this software wants to prove. Even with warnings people do stupid things. If they are hurt they will blame the software instead of their ignorance.
This software/art project is a very explicit way of making this clear and makes us geeks more aware of this problem. We can try and act accordingly.
People learn about the dangers of driving and are instructed to use safety measure to avoid them. With computers, they don't know about all the dangers involved.
But these people are not at fault. Since computers have become such an import factor of our lives, they should be made aware of the dangers and safety measures. But who can and will?
PS: I want that game on a virtual machine!
Member since:2005-07-06
I agree that users SHOULD read onscreen notices, but the reality is that they DON'T. It's one of the reasons why malware has become such a persistent problem. Perhaps a better way to evaluate this software is to examine its purpose. IMHO, it was created to create chaos and destroy data -- no different than any other malicious malware. Even if there's a disclaimer.
Plus, what if someone with malicious intent repackages this software (standalone or with a collection of other games, for example) and removes the notices of data loss? Better to be proactive and detect it now, and I agree, it should be classed as malware. Even if not the developer's intent, people don't expect a game to delete their data.
A Symantec rep in the CNET article actually mentions this scenario:
"We are concerned that somebody could take this and modify it in some way where users aren't aware of the consequences," Kevin Haley, director of product management at Symantec Security Response, said in an interview on Wednesday. "We want to make people aware of what's on their machine and they can make the decision on whether to run it or not."
Edited 2009-11-08 18:37 UTC
Member since:2006-01-26
Plus, what if someone with malicious intent repackages this software (standalone or with a collection of other games, for example) and removes the notices of data loss? Better to be proactive and detect it now, and I agree, it should be classed as malware. Even if not the developer's intent, people don't expect a game to delete their data.
Do you really believe it's so difficult for someone to add this "feature" to any other game out there? Deleting files on a disk is a pretty trivial task...
Member since:
2006-01-06
You jumped over the part where the "malware" application starts up and before anything bad happens, the user is shown a full screen of red text declaring: "If you destroy an alien ship, it will destroy a file on your disk", along with a disclaimer about data loss as a result of using the software...
And if the user chooses to continue from there, doing what was described by the introduction screen, that the results would be exactly as described.
That's not malware, it's just User Idiocy. "
I agree that users SHOULD read onscreen notices, but the reality is that they DON'T. It's one of the reasons why malware has become such a persistent problem. Perhaps a better way to evaluate this software is to examine its purpose. IMHO, it was created to create chaos and destroy data -- no different than any other malicious malware. Even if there's a disclaimer.