RadioBanter - View Single Post

September 21st 03, 06:25 PM

In article ,
wrote:

On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 00:37:03 -0700, "Ed Price"
wrote:

In other words, nothing factual, just "as far as I'm concerned." Thank you
for your rant.

That was no rant, and pretty factual. Microsoft has left security
hole after security hole. Further, almost none of this would happen
if people would stop using Outlook and Outlook Express for mail. A
good text based email and news program like Agent goes a long way
toward preventing both accidental infection and spreading of the
trash that currently pollutes the system so heavily. Eudora used to
be good also, but I haven't used it in almost 10 years so it could
have given in to the weaknesses by now.

Eudora is a mail-only program, not a mail plus news program. It hasn't
given in to those weaknesses, at least not on the Mac platform, and I
understand that the Windows version of it is very similar to the Mac
version. (Historically, the Mac version of Eudora came first, and it was
ported to Windows when Qualcomm bought it from the University of
Illinois.)

The latest version, Eudora 6, has been available on both platforms for
several weeks now, and I recently upgraded to it. As has been the case for
some time, Eudora can be configured three ways: Light, Sponsored, and
Paid. The Paid version has no ads and has a new SPAM filter which can
learn what to do over time, very effective I am told. The Sponsored
version is the same as the Paid version except that it doesn't cost money,
there are small ads in the corner of the screen (easily ignorable, and I
ignore them), and the anti-SPAM feature is missing (but you can use other
SPAM-filtering software, or you can easily set up your own filters within
Eudora if you don't opt for Eudora's built-in method of filtering). The
Light version has no ads but lacks many features of the other two
versions. SFU and Telus have very effective SPAM-defeating and
virus-defeating features so I didn't spend the extra US $ 40 to get the
Paid version; otherwise, I would have done so.

Eudora can import mailboxes and address lists from many common e-mail
programs including Outlook and Outlook Express. Using this effective and
safe e-mail program, or another safe one, is an easy first step in
avoiding incoming malware.

Using a different browser than IE is another easy thing to do. My wife
likes Mozilla (available for both Windows and Macintosh). Mozilla today is
what Netscape will be many months from now. The latest completed version
is 1.4; 1.5 is in alpha or beta, but I don't play with such things.
Mozilla is OK but I like iCab better. iCab (Macs only) is an excellent
browser that can be configured to tell useful lies about its identity, and
that of the computer on which it is installed. My copy of iCab is
configured to claim to be IE 6 running on a Windows machine. This lets me
access certain sites (such as some banks) which, for no good reason, turn
away browsers other than IE, or computers other than Windows machines, or
both. Mozilla and iCab are a lot safer browsers than IE. Lying about being
IE doesn't make a browser susceptible to the things IE is susceptible, and
lying about being a Windows machine doesn't make a Mac susceptbile to
Windows-only worms and viruses.

By the way, what "J. McLaughlin" said in article

I am told by knowledgeable UNIX people (another partitioning of the
world) that the structure of UNIX is such that attacks can not be
successful. I am told that there are only three ports into/outof UNIX
modules and it is simple to guard them.
The Bill ware OSs allow all sorts of back doors and side doors and
over-the-transom ports.

agrees with what I have been told by people at SFU. It's not just the
popularity of Windows that accounts for its susceptibility to viruses and
worms.

To cheer everyone up some more, I just learned that a Windows variant will
be coming soon to an ATM near you. See

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,60497,00.html

When I gave this URL to an old friend of mine (currently a Windows user,
and not enjoying it) who is a retired IBM employee, she replied

Yuck! I wish I was back on OS/2.

David, ex-W8EZE, strong believer in safer computing

--
David or Jo Anne Ryeburn

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