It's like the H1N1 of the tech world.
Lots of hype...but little comes from it.

The internet told me that Microsoft wrote this to screw people that had boot leg copies.

FTFA

are running bootlegged copies

And from experience, I'd agree. Everyone that I've known to have such a copy was riled with problems.


_{/in before the haters and trolls.}

imfallen_angel: And from experience, I'd agree. Everyone that I've known to have such a copy was riled with problems.

Considering my desktops were running pirated copies of Vista Ultimate when conficker was on an infection spree, I'd disagree. I'm going to go with "infects people too stupid to use the internet."

/ymmv

dreadprophet: Considering my desktops were running pirated copies of Vista Ultimate when conficker was on an infection spree, I'd disagree. I'm going to go with "infects people too stupid to use the internet."

/ymmv

Agreed. Most problems I've encoutered on people's machines were from going to hundreds and hundreds of porn sites - not the validity of the installed software

/"I don't know how it got on there!"
//"my nephew used it!"

Modified Cornstarch: dreadprophet: Considering my desktops were running pirated copies of Vista Ultimate when conficker was on an infection spree, I'd disagree. I'm going to go with "infects people too stupid to use the internet."

/ymmv

Agreed. Most problems I've encoutered on people's machines were from going to hundreds and hundreds of porn sites - not the validity of the installed software

/"I don't know how it got on there!"
//"my nephew used it!"

And you would be wrong Legitimate sites are infected often and anti-virus programs frequently miss new viruses. Its also trivial to get someone to go to a site they aren't supposed to go to.

/usually submits a new variant of a virus/malware to our anti-virus vendor every two to three weeks

imfallen_angel: FTFA

are running bootlegged copies

And from experience, I'd agree. Everyone that I've known to have such a copy was riled with problems.


/in before the haters and trolls.

I have had no problems getting updates for the computers that I have installed pirated copies of windows on. Just pirate the corporate edition.

It's not the pirated computers, ok, it is the pirated computers, but the pirated computers are far outnumbered by legitimate installs where the person does not update their computer or their anti-virus.

Too many people don't perform basic computer maintenance. Keeping ones anti-virus updated and their windows install updated is equivalent to performing oil changes on their car and keeping their insurance paid up.

dreadprophet: imfallen_angel: And from experience, I'd agree. Everyone that I've known to have such a copy was riled with problems.

Considering my desktops were running pirated copies of Vista Ultimate when conficker was on an infection spree, I'd disagree. I'm going to go with "infects people too stupid to use the internet."

/ymmv

Difference; can you spot it.

Sorry but the number of people that got a copy of a copy from a friend of a friend, etc. that turned out to be pre-infected from the install so that wherever these friends of friends that got these copies, were usually someone's teenage kid that because they knew how to find warez sites and how to torrent made them "computer smart" (I guess compared to the other people that had no clue at all).

In the end, all I've seen is problems with pirated-based machines.

I pretty much refuse to fix machines when someone calls and they don't have a licensed copy as it has always lead to the fact that I couldn't update it properly, it was too corrupt to work with, reinstall has never been possible as all of these install from the friend's friend, they never got a disk.

I'm saying that I don't really care if Microsoft gets money on not, but I do care about having a proper version. Eliminate cracked copies and most time, you eliminate most problems.

Like I've said to some clients, what you believe that you're saving from the pirated copy, means that at some point, you'll end up paying twice the price to get your machine fixed due to the problems you'll end up with and you still won't have the software (or other)... last guy was due to limewire and mp3 files.

Me fixing his machine and making backups of his files was a lot more than the dozen of mp3 that he got off Limewire (and of course, he did this from the advice of a friend telling him about all the free stuff that he'd be able to get.)

dreadprophet: imfallen_angel: And from experience, I'd agree. Everyone that I've known to have such a copy was riled with problems.

Considering my desktops were running pirated copies of Vista Ultimate when conficker was on an infection spree, I'd disagree. I'm going to go with "infects people too stupid to use the internet a farking thief and will steal money from you if you leave me alone in your home."

FTFY buddy.

Its spreading the swine flu.

Modified Cornstarch: dreadprophet: Considering my desktops were running pirated copies of Vista Ultimate when conficker was on an infection spree, I'd disagree. I'm going to go with "infects people too stupid to use the internet."

/ymmv

Agreed. Most problems I've encoutered on people's machines were from going to hundreds and hundreds of porn sites - not the validity of the installed software

/"I don't know how it got on there!"
//"my nephew used it!"

Whoa. Whoa. Wait a second... There's porn on the internet?

Jeng: I have had no problems getting updates for the computers that I have installed pirated copies of windows on. Just pirate the corporate edition.

It's not the pirated computers, ok, it is the pirated computers, but the pirated computers are far outnumbered by legitimate installs where the person does not update their computer or their anti-virus.

Too many people don't perform basic computer maintenance. Keeping ones anti-virus updated and their windows install updated is equivalent to performing oil changes on their car and keeping their insurance paid up.

As I said...

1) All pirated copies out there aren't equal, and all the ones I've seen were crap.

2) These are people going with the advice from a friend or a friend or a friend. They normally know nothing about computers, and most times do not have a proper set up or securities in the first place... or they turn them off because a free download told them to.

3) Without a proper copy, these people usually end up going from person to person and end up with having to go to stores and end up having to buy an authentic copy anyways... better for them to start off with it and then avoid problems later on and avoid surprises.

4) I consider some things (software) to be as hardware. I wouldn't tell someone to go shoplift a hard drive, so I'm not going to tell them to pirate software. There's way too much freeware that's as good, sometimes better than commercial stuff.

5) Some things I don't agree with the pricing or simply the fact that buying the software is impossible. (I had to use a cracked software for a few years because the company would NOT sell it to anyone in my country... when the company was purchased by a competitor, it made it available, and a real version was purchased)

6) if you're too freaking poor or cheap to buy something as important as an OS (or a software that you do your living off of), then maybe you should get a job or change career.

7) following 6)... most people that need software specific for their jobs, the office that they work at usually will buy it for you.

Ponzholio: Whoa. Whoa. Wait a second... There's porn on the internet?

Actually I believe that it consists of a few Paris Hilton home movies.

And you should know that some females movie stars are also bisexual.

Madbassist1: FTFY buddy.

Nah, I'll just wipe my dick on your drapes.

/don't be so hamfisted with your trolling

imfallen_angel: I'm saying that I don't really care if Microsoft gets money on not, but I do care about having a proper version. Eliminate cracked copies and most time, you eliminate most problems.

Like I've said to some clients, what you believe that you're saving from the pirated copy, means that at some point, you'll end up paying twice the price to get your machine fixed due to the problems you'll end up with and you still won't have the software (or other)... last guy was due to limewire and mp3 files.

Me fixing his machine and making backups of his files was a lot more than the dozen of mp3 that he got off Limewire (and of course, he did this from the advice of a friend telling him about all the free stuff that he'd be able to get.)

Fair enough, I imagine. I will agree that most people who use a cracked OS will probably screw it 7 ways to Sunday. Neither of the computers I ran it on were my primary system, though. One's my media center and the other's a spare (mostly a glorified backup hard drive at this point, actually).

I bought two copies of W7 and upgraded the laptop and the desktop I use to play games and such on last week. It's pretty good stuff.

no. jelly of the month club membership is the gift that keeps on giving.

Madbassist1: FTFY buddy.

Also - I'm not your buddy, pal.

Don't forget the so-called "IT Professionals" who colocate an IIS machine and then forget about ever touching it again. THOSE idiots were the bane of my existence as a sysadmin.

For every zombie desktop machine, there's gotta be at least one zombie "managed service"

most of the alleged pirating of windows in the US was caused by the 5-20% unreliability factor that older msft & XP were prone to.

So business and OCD users would feel the need to have a couple of clone boxes just in case of a random failure. Having backup clones all loaded & ready to go is not piracy, its common sense.

after the vista beta flop, XP suddenly got a lot better, and thats no accident. :(

If W7 is really stable to a 1/50 of a percent, maybe people [biz] will slow down on making so many clones.

pre sp3 .. 6 clones of xp, when one became questionable, plug in another clone and continue to operate biz.
soon enough, XP will be found at thrift stores and creegs list for free.

FTFA:

"This is certainly a botnet that could be weaponized," DeMinno said. "When you have a net of this magnitude, the sky's the limit in terms of what could be done."

AHHHHH!!!!! Everyone Panic ZOMG!?! We are all going to die!

/Skynet is here
//end of days
///Panic!!!!

Former Secretary of the Treasury Paulson used to be head of Goldman Sachs.

Our current Secretary of Treasure, Geithner, used to be head of the NY Fed and worked closely with Paulson to get Goldman their bailout.

The current head of the NY Fed is Stephen Friedman, who also, by pure luck, used to be head of Goldman. He also, quite by sheer coincidence, just got a ton of money due to a favorable ruling the NY Fed gave Goldman.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124139546243981801.html

But rest assured, while all these guys (and other not so much in the public eye) are all friends, they are dedicated professionals. Even though they know they will likely work together at some time in the futures, this does not make them prone to any sort of collusion or backroom deals. Its all just luck, happen stance and the desire to do what is right for America and its citizens.

imfallen_angel: 6) if you're too freaking poor or cheap to buy something as important as an OS (or a software that you do your living off of), then maybe you should get a job or change career.

Ain't no way in hell I would advise someone to use a pirated copy of software for any business related activities.

Yes I am cheap, but I am not that stupid.

Currently running the 7 Beta until it expires, planning on purchasing a copy at that time. Last Windows OS I purchased was Windows 98 Second Edition.

Jeng: imfallen_angel: 6) if you're too freaking poor or cheap to buy something as important as an OS (or a software that you do your living off of), then maybe you should get a job or change career.

Ain't no way in hell I would advise someone to use a pirated copy of software for any business related activities.

Yes I am cheap, but I am not that stupid.

Currently running the 7 Beta until it expires, planning on purchasing a copy at that time. Last Windows OS I purchased was Windows 98 Second Edition.

I haven't purchased an OS (98 / Xp / Vista) for years as I usually get a decent pre-built box that comes with it. (then upgrade the crap out of it which still ends up cheaper than buying all the parts)

What I find sad is some people I know that the office MUST buy them everything, even though they make excellent salaries and could easily get something better for themselves that the office will buy, plus the fact that they end up using it more for personal stuff than they'll admit.

And then there's the guy that use to make twice if not triple my salary but yet, was all over the place trying to find free RAM for his machine (this was a long while back). He was refusing to spend a penny on his machine, but whine constantly about it. (And yes, it was about games and internet)

Never understood this sort of people.

wingnut396: Its all just luck, happen stance and the desire to do what is right for America and its citizens.

So give them the Conficker worm?

imfallen_angel: I haven't purchased an OS (98 / Xp / Vista) for years as I usually get a decent pre-built box that comes with it.


I didn't even count copies of Windows that came with pre-built computers since it adds nothing to the cost. The OEM's are able to basically give the OS for free.

Hell, if Microsoft sold the OS for the price that they sell it to OEM's, well I doubt there would be near the amount of piracy.

Jeng: imfallen_angel: I haven't purchased an OS (98 / Xp / Vista) for years as I usually get a decent pre-built box that comes with it.


I didn't even count copies of Windows that came with pre-built computers since it adds nothing to the cost. The OEM's are able to basically give the OS for free.

Hell, if Microsoft sold the OS for the price that they sell it to OEM's, well I doubt there would be near the amount of piracy.

Well, that applies to just about anything.

Look at collectibles made of metal and plastics... No reason why they can't mass produce them and make them dirt cheap.

When I see something that sells for over 100$ while something that uses same materials, different mold, can sell for 10$ I just find it wrong.

But they are out to made money.

Just look at Chinese knock-offs, some are just as good or close enough, at a fraction of the price.

what if the pale horse is a computer virus

/just sayin

I think the originators will strike when it hits 10 million, any takers?

/The originators now have access to more processing power than any other person/group in the world, except maybe BOINC.
//What if it is some sort of illegal distributed computing project to calculate the first hyperspace jump or something?

dreadprophet: IP logged.

wingnut396: Former Secretary of the Treasury Paulson used to be head of Goldman Sachs.

Our current Secretary of Treasure, Geithner, used to be head of the NY Fed and worked closely with Paulson to get Goldman their bailout.

The current head of the NY Fed is Stephen Friedman, who also, by pure luck, used to be head of Goldman. He also, quite by sheer coincidence, just got a ton of money due to a favorable ruling the NY Fed gave Goldman.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124139546243981801.html

But rest assured, while all these guys (and other not so much in the public eye) are all friends, they are dedicated professionals. Even though they know they will likely work together at some time in the futures, this does not make them prone to any sort of collusion or backroom deals. Its all just luck, happen stance and the desire to do what is right for America and its citizens.

If you managed to still be infected after a year of all this hype, you deserve it.

i've been trying like hell to get infected with conficker, no luck with my Linux box.


oh well, its true. windows is more exciting than Linux and Mac.

I'm so freakin' SMUG (Sarasota Mac User Group).

Dr. Poison: I'm so freakin' SMUG (Sarasota Mac User Group).

Whatcha got for Linux_Idiot?

Linux_Yes: i've been trying like hell to get infected with conficker, no luck with my Linux box.


oh well, its true. windows is more exciting than Linux and Mac.

I fixed over 100 pc in the past year and conflicker was never a issue
/PSUs account for over half 20% was shiat I made up to make them pay more
\Douchebag

Saberus Terras: I think the originators will strike when it hits 10 million, any takers?



The originators are not returning. Sorry.