[AntiVirus + Ubuntu] was - Re: And another Ubuntu convert!

[Doug Pollard]

Doug Pollard wrote:
> Rashkae wrote:
>   
>> Smoot Carl-Mitchell wrote:
>>
>>   
>>     
>>> Creating vectors for the spread of malware seems to be the main threat
>>> these days.  To go back to the disease metaphor, running AV on a desktop
>>> Linux box might be the equivalent of a young healthy person getting a
>>> flu shot. The risk of side effects from the shot may be greater than the
>>> benefit.  However, if the young person spends a lot of time with his
>>> grandmother, then it may be worthwhile for that young person to get a
>>> flu shot to protect her grandmother who is in a high risk group. Think
>>> Windows desktops served by a Linux mail server.
>>>
>>> So whether you run AV software comes down to a risk assessment.  In the
>>> aggregate, I think the current Linux desktop user community is probably
>>> in a low risk group.  That could change as desktop Linux becomes more
>>> popular with less sophisticated users.
>>>     
>>>       
>> The nice thing about Linux is that it's really hard for the less
>> sophisticated users to aquire and execute malware.  Unlike windows
>> world, there is no click/install executables that you can aquire from
>> untrusted sources.
>>
>> The big big, and I think, in retrospect, unfortunate exception to this
>> is Firefox extensions.  Firefox will gleefully install extensions, that
>> can and are starting to be malicious, with nothing more than a click
>> through warning.  (and if experience in this field has taught me
>> anything, click through, even password through ala sudo, provides very
>> little protection from the less sophisticated user.)
>>
>>   
>>     
> As per usual I misunderstood the discussion. I guess  since I came late 
> to the subject  I did not realize we were talking about ships..  I was 
> thinking in terms of a smaller cruising sailboat. Maybe between 30and 40 
> feet with some modern accommodations.  Light and flexible might be a 
> great thing in such a boat. 
>     A 35 ft boat that could be pulled up on a beach would be a fine 
> thing in the Bahamas.  She would be great on Hamburger beach at 
> Georgetown and would be greatly admired by all setting out a norther at 
> anchor.
>
>   
Sorry all. I not only didn't understand the argument but then posted to 
the wrong group,   Sorry,                       Doug