If I were going to try to convince the US Justice Department to break
Microsoft into multiple entities and make Windows code open source, I'd
start with a virus like ILOVEYOU.
A year ago Melissa didn't do nearly as much damage because Dozeware
hadn't replaced as many far better operating environments [that no
longer had any support available because M$ drove the countries out of
business] last year.
If there is any single thing that should make clear that a single OS
with the problems inherent to "if it goes wrong for me it will, of
course go wrong for you" it is this type of attack. Hundreds of
millions of dollars were lost yesterday, and continue to be lost today
because there is always some cretin somewhere who decides "I think I
like this idea, renames the damn virus and turns it loose again."
As to opening the attachment when the message wasn't even in one's
native language -- the dozeUsers didn't. The *software* did. Since
I've never had that crap on my system I can not state as fact, but if
you install Win98 and MSIE to default values, isn't "open attachment"
going to be selected? Yes, that *is* absolutely stupid, but so is much
of dozeware. :<
Excuse me -- I need to go look for that Dept of Justic website that
allows me to contact them.
l8r
l.d.
--
-- "I need not like the company I keep, if that company helps me
attain my own personal goals and does me no harm." anon.
--
-- Arachne V1.61, NON-COMMERCIAL copy, http://arachne.cz/
