Some computer users go overboard in trying to save money: Fact.

- ‘Not that there’s anything wrong with trying to save money: After all, why should you pay more than you need to with one retailer if you can get exactly the same product cheaper elsewhere? I myself am always looking for ways to reduce costs; especially when it comes to building computers, both for myself and for my customers. Let’s be realistic about this; whatever it costs me will be passed on to the customer.

I’m starting to wander off the point here; so back on track: There’s saving money and there’s theft. Running pirated software, which is a common way of saving money, is theft. – There it is in black and white. – But hey I’m no moralist or divine authority who has any right to tell you not to do what you may or may not be doing. That’s your choice and your responsibility if you wish to run illegal pirated software: You accept the consequences if you get caught. that’s between you and the law-enforcement authorities. – ‘Not my concern; ‘not my problem.

I’ll tender a little advice on the matter, though, from my own experiences: -

Somebody contacted me because their computer wasn’t working properly and wanted me to overhaul their software. They said that someone had upgraded their box to Vista during a hardware upgrade, in which this person had fitted a dual-cored processor and changed the graphics card. Since then their box had never been right and was getting progressively worse.

I took their box in and had a look at it: Firstly I noticed that they didn’t have a graphics card. – The machine was running on the motherboard’s onboard graphics. They also still had the original single-core processor fitted which had never  been replaced since the DDR motherboard was new.

To cut a long story short I got the order to rebuild the box and install XP in place of Vista. Using the original case, PSU, and hard-drive, I rebuilt the box; fitting a new and better motherboard with a better onboard graphics capability, new dual-core processor, DDR2 RAM, all professionally put together and delivered. Normally I don’t do rebuilds – I usually only build new. Normally I don’t do software overhauls either; but in this case I did. – Well I completely wiped the hard-disc and installed XP. – As this box was the worst bodge-job of pirated-software I’d ever seen and I wanted the chance to examine it. – Yes the Vista installation was pirated, as was almost every installed program bar the free software.

The hard-drive was crawling with viruses and malware too. – Because they were unable to install any patches and updates. They were actually running as an active member of at least two botnets, and I was surprised that they still had any identity or bank balance to themselves. Antivirus was installed, numerous times, all of which had reported thousands of malware incidences in various coloured boxes at the foot of the screen, and were asking ridiculous sums in payment to clean up the damage caused. Vista crashed regularly, behaved slowly and oddly, and half of the programs either didn’t run at all, or only partially worked.

What flabbergasted me most, though, was the fact that they’d payed some “technician” (hacker) to set up their computer so that they could have free computing: Several hundred pounds for a graphics card that didn’t exist, a dual-core processor that was the original single-core processor, and installation of pirated software which put their machine, their bank balance, and their identity, in danger of being stolen. – Also the privilege of being recruited into a number of botnets so that they could participate in a distributed-computing initiative too! If they’d paid for their software rather than tried to get something for nothing then they’d probably never have had to pay me to put the damage right in the first place. They now run a legitimate copy of XP, purchased via myself. I installed free and open-source alternatives to most of their pirated software, and I now have another happy customer.

Look at it this way: You buy a car; a diesel. It’s new. Would you top up the engine oil with used cooking fat to save money? Would you fill up the tank with cheap red diesel (Illegal in the UK for road vehicles, as well as corrosive on the engine.)? When the time came to service it; would you take it to a notorious criminal firm who run a breaker’s yard?

If you answered “Yes” to any or all of the questions in the last paragraph above, then you’re either insane, a redneck, or a fugitive from justice.

- So why would you want to run hacked software on the computer you payed for that instantly renders your computer unsafe? Hacked and cracked software is supposedly free; but it’s full of security holes, unpatched vulnerabilities and known exploits, added to which it’s illegal and you run the risk of prosecution. It’s full of unresolved bugs that will affect the running of your machine; plus the fact that poorly-written malware routines are often used to defeat the keycode on installation.

It’s just not worth the hassle; yet people are doing it nevertheless. Perhaps you’re one of those people? Here’s the bottom line: If you run pirate software it’ll save you money in the short term; but in the long run it’ll end up costing you more than if you’d bought legitimate software in the first place. – And if you get busted and fined for running pirate software it’ll cost you even more than that.

Is it really worth it? You decide.

Whilst I agree that there must be fair legislation with regard to anticompetitive practices, it may appear that the European Union has gone over the top in its latest antitrust probe against Microsoft: -

From Computer Buyer Magazine’s website: -

“The European Commission has told Microsoft that it believes the tying of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer web browser with its Windows operating system infringes EU antitrust laws.

The Commission has sent a Statement of Objections (SO) to Microsoft which outlines its view that the tying of IE to Windows provides Internet Explorer with an artificial distribution advantage which other web browsers are unable to match. This “harms competition between web browsers, undermines product innovation and ultimately reduces consumer choice”.

It EU executive is also concerned that “the ubiquity of IE creates artificial incentives for content providers and software developers to design websites or software primarily for Internet Explorer which ultimately risks undermining competition and innovation in the provision of services to consumers”.

Microsoft has eight weeks to reply the SO and will then have the right to an Oral Hearing. If SO findings confirmed, the Commission may impose a fine and require Microsoft to make changes to Windows that would ameliorate the Commission’s concerns.

In a short statement, Microsoft said it was still examining the SO.

“We are committed to conducting our business in full compliance with European law. We are studying the Statement of Objections now.”

The decision to issue the SO is based on legal principles established in the 2007 ruling by the European Court of First Instance, which upheld the Commission’s 2004 finding that Microsoft had abused its dominant position in the PC operating system market by tying Windows Media Player to its operating system.

That judgement saw Microsoft release a special N version of Windows XP without Media Player, which remained available as a free download. The company was also fined and has to date been ordered to pay fines totalling €1.68 billion for this and other antitrust violations.”

This is just too much: It’s no secret that the EU is a corrupt powerbase of political subterfuge and scam-mongering. This appears to be just another attempt to swell the EU coffers even further. Not content in just charging Britain millions of Euros in membership fees so that European politicians can hire call-girls and throw lush parties, the Eurocrats like to have a stab at Microsoft from time to time; as Microsoft is where the money is. In early 2008, Microsoft was fined 899m Euros by the European Commission for anti-competitive behaviour over bundling in the Windows Media Player and browser into Windows. As if that wasn’t enough loot for them, they’ve decided to have a second snipe and see if they can get some more out of the software giant.

Now this is rather ancient news from Computer Buyer; as on the 16th June I reported on this in the article “Europe Doesn’t want IE8”, and I also reported Microsoft’s solution to the problem: -

“In order to comply with European competition law, Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 will be removed from the European versions of Windows 7. Microsoft made the decision to drop the web browser in order to stay on the right side of the European Commission and avoid further possible fines. Versions of Windows 7 released in Europe will have an E suffix to show that they are European versions that don’t include Internet Explorer.”

- So if they don’t include IE then what browser do they include?

Internet Explorer is a fundamental software component of the Windows operating system; and it goes a lot deeper than just the browser GUI that IE users see. Without IE, there is, in all reality, no Windows as such. Without IE there are just a number of disjointed codes resembling an incomplete operating system. Conversely, Windows Media Player is more an app than an integral part of Windows.

This becomes puzzling now: How, if there’s no browser, does the customer add a browser so that they can download anything? ‘Beats me!

According to the BBC Website, in an article from 12th June 2009: -

"In terms of potential remedies, if the Commission were to find that Microsoft had committed an abuse, the Commission has suggested that consumers should be offered a choice of browser not that Windows should be supplied without a browser at all," said the Commission in a statement responding to Microsoft’s announcement.

It said Microsoft’s approach of offering the program to computer manufacturers "may potentially be more positive" in terms of remedying its alleged abusive behaviour.”

-Which still doesn’t really answer the question. – I mean if I were to buy a copy of Windows 7 E, post RTM, to install on a computer that I just built: OK I’ve installed it. How do I get a browser onto it? There is no browser. – No wait; I have a choice of browser? – If the EU have their way then yes. OK; I’ll install FireFox. Is that how it’s going to be? That would actually be rather good.

- The Eurocrats are targeting the IE GUI itself perhaps; and maybe they have a point: If the IE GUI is supplied along with Windows then it gives the IE browser an unfair advantage in a way; because many computer users aren’t geeks. -  In fact many (European) computer users are rather clueless when it comes to computers. – Other than instant messaging, browsing to find their family tree, and email, they really don’t have much idea of anything else that the internet has to offer. (I know, it’s a bit of a wild assertion; but if a lot of British users are anything to go by then it’s true.) – Therefore, when they buy the Windows operating system from Microsoft they stick it on their computer as is, if it isn’t preinstalled, and they use it as is: Sucky browser, the lot. Possibly half of them aren’t even aware that there’s an alternative to IE. The other half may have heard of FireFox, Opera, Safari… But are of the attitude: “If it works; why fix it?”

…But Microsoft have even included a function in Windows 7 to deactivate IE – The GUI bit, that is, for people who don’t want IE on their computer at all, even though they run Windows, as a primary or secondary OS. (Linux users come to mind.) Nevertheless the non-nerdy users probably won’t bother to deactivate IE and choose an alternative browser.

So what are the choices? Supply Windows with another browser? That’ll give the new browser an unfair advantage no matter which browser they use; although the Eurocrats may have problems getting any money out of Microsoft for promoting another company’s browser. – But Microsoft themselves probably wouldn’t be too happy about promoting someone else’s product.

What if they supplied Windows with no browser and let the customer make up their own mind which one to install? – The problem then would be that the customer has absolutely no way of downloading any software whatsoever: No browser = no browsing = no downloads.

Email a browser to the customer. – Yeah right. As soon as the malware distributors hear of that they’ll spoof the email and get everyone to download tons of malware into a blind operating system. Forget that straight away: It’s a definite non-starter.

The only option left, then, is to include a copy of every browser available that works with Windows on the installation disc, and let the customer choose which one is to be used from the offing as the operating system installs. As I said before; that appears to be how it’s going to work; but we might have to wait until the RTM to know for certain.

What do you think?

P.S. The next EU antitrust suite against Microsoft will probably be targeting Windows Live Mail, or maybe even Windows itself: -

“The European Commission has told Microsoft that it believes the tying of Microsoft’s Windows operating system with its range of Windows operating systems infringes EU antitrust laws.” 

– The Eurocrats have got to find enough money to continue to live in the lap of luxury somehow. – Those call-girls cost quite a bit!

33 Twitter users including Barack Obama (Yes; President – Elect Barack Obama.), Britney Spears, Rick Sanchez, Huffington Post, Facebook, and Fox News, have recently has their accounts hacked. Reports say that the hacker who did it compromised some of the Twitter tools; although no other information is currently forthcoming.

"Help! – I’ve been hacked!"

 There are also the phishing attacks going around Twitter, – Which I hope the Twitterite community are all aware of by now. – to try and steal your Twitter details: An email arrives containing a link to a web page. When you click the link it takes you to a phoney Twitter login page that asks for and subsequently harvests your details.

Be wary of these emails and don’t disclose details; as it looks like the phishers will use your account to send out other links which might lead to botnets, spam sites, and the like.

Yes they’re everywhere; even now infiltrating Twitter. Is there any surefire way, other than safe computing practices, of stopping them? Someone, somewhere, is illegitimately making a small fortune from this racket: if they weren’t they would try something else.

They can be tracked down eventually, shut down and prosecuted: I’t not always a successful exercise, but it has at least some effectiveness overall. Also we, as computer users, can help to thwart them by not falling into their trap and not being fooled by their tactics. Neither method is completely watertight though. Is there any way to snuff them out altogether? – Legally that is?

Your ideas please: -?

In short – Everyone needs them – That includes YOU!

I have seen people using an old computer running Windows ME without any firewall, antivirus, antispyware; totally unpatched. I was so shocked that I commented out loud about having found the local computer virus maternity unit: The owner, who was in the nextdoor room, came scurrying in with a look of puzzlement combined with anger on her face.

This person had been merrily using a totally unprotected computer for years and spreading viruses to all and sundry across the internet for years; totally unaware of any threat to herself or others.

"Oh but I only use it online about an hour a day." She exclaimed.

– How thoughtful of you. NOT!

Some computer users I’ve encountered have no idea what a firewall is. Others have said that they think they don’t need antivirus software because they only have a dialup connection. Still others have antivirus software but didn’t realise that it had to be updated. And yet others even have complained to me that the security bug fix that "Microsoft" emailed to them didn’t do anything but slow their machine down.

The worst instance was a person who had had their machine "upgraded"- Allegedly from a single-core to a dual-core processor, and had supposedly moved from a 32-bit to a 64-bit installation of Windows XP, which they’d paid a sizable amount of money for the privilege of having carried out. On my examination the operating system disk packaging didn’t shed any light on the question of exactly what this person was running, as there was only a clear case with a home-recorded CD inside it. The contents of this CD included a virus that had been rewritten to defeat the Microsoft Genuine Advantage software and reported a legitimate key. It soon became clear that this was an unprotected, non-updated, unpatched pirated copy of Windows Vista, which was being run on a machine that was hardly capable of running it:

The "upgraded" "dual-core" processor was a 2.2GHz AMD Athlon 64 single-core processor and the RAM it was using was still the old DDR rather than DDR2. The motherboard was a rather ancient Asus board made to run the early 1st generation Athlon 64s, which was what it was still doing. The system was riddled with viruses and malware: In fact I was surprised that it was still running. The operating system was totally unprotected and all the software that they were running was pirated also.

Both the cases I’ve written about lived within 15 miles of me, and are just two worst-case examples of the many similar cases I’ve seen that close in proximity to where I live: The possibilities from those statistics frighten me no end. I would estimate that there are nearly a million internet-connected users in England alone who are not using any online protection and whose computers are virus and botnet nurseries.

On the basis of that estimate alone it should be fairly obvious to you why a computer needs protection.

In general I think that most computer users are too lax don’t take security seriously enough.

I am fairly certain that the number of machines that are still unprotected by any kind of firewall is fairly big.

I am fairly certain that the percentage of machines unprotected by any kind of anti-virus and anti-spyware software is quite high: Higher than you’d imagine.

I am fairly certain that the number of people who have anti-virus and anti-virus software installed, but whose databases have never been updated is quite colossal.

I am fairly certain that the percentage of machines that have not once taken any update to Windows or Windows components is probably in the twenties.

I am also fairly certain that there are a number of people who’ll click on links or open attachments from unknown sources without giving it a second thought.

Owning a computer could be likened to owning a car: Both require maintenance, both need attention, both need care when using them. When you drive a car you don’t just get in and drive off taking any route that you fancy. There are do’s and don’ts; there are things you can do and things you shouldn’t do:

For instance if you don’t stick to the roads and drive cross-country you’re likely to end up stuck in a rut or broken down in the middle of nowhere. If you try to drive through tree trunks you’ll end up with a busted car. (I know this: I didn’t try to drive through a tree, but I lost it on a corner and hit one once. In that instance I discovered that evolution fashioned trees in a stronger design than Ford fashioned cars.) If you drive recklessly you’ll end up hurting yourself financially and/or physically. Maybe you’ll end up hurting others too.

The same is true when using a computer: if you don’t bother to maintain it and just "drive" it in any old fashion you’ll get reputation and you’ll end up with a computer that’s slow, faulty, and full of malware. That malware will spread from your computer to other users because that is what it is made to do. If a person doesn’t use anti-virus then their computer will become a virus nursery and infect other computers: That is carelessness and selfishness on their part. likewise with anti-spyware, firewall, etc.

People do exactly that though: they don’t bother, they don’t care. They might not mind having a machine full of malware; but other people don’t want that. As a result, we have botnets, spam, and constant virus and spyware attacks.

My advice to every computer user – Whether they run Windows, Linux, or Mac; but especially if they run Windows, is:

Windows is a targeted operating system; but other operating systems are by no means immune to attack.

Everyone needs education: That includes computer users. What do YOU think?

Well done Mozilla! According to my blog stats; Firefox 3 is making some impressive progress in terms of popularity. I must say that I’m rather impressed at their showing. The statistics show that more of my visitors are using Firefox 3 than are using Internet Explorer 7.

While 21.8% isn’t a fantastic figure; it is nevertheless 0.5% more than IE7.

In fact the cumulative statistics indicate that aall-in-all 57.9% of viewers are using Internet Explorer; while 36.3% are using a version of Firefox. In other words for every 8 of my viewers who are using Internet Explorer there are approximately 5 viewers using Firefox. That’s not bad at all, considering that IE ships as the default browser with Windows and therefore is, theoretically, the obvious choice for Windows users; who make up over 80% of my audience.

The open-source community will no doubt be pleased at such an achievement; and Microsoft had better hope that their Internet Explorer 8 browser is even better than it seems from the beta; otherwise they could be beaten into second place in the browser-races!