There are a few errors and mistakes in here. My comments can be found below the relevant items. At 20:41 13-04-00, you wrote:
Is Windows a Virus?
No, Windows is not a virus. Here's what viruses do:
1.They replicate quickly - okay, Windows does that.
Since when did Windows do anything quickly? ;-) Besides, Windows does not replicate.
2.Viruses use up valuable system resources, slowing down the system as they do so - okay, Windows does that.
3.Viruses will, from time to time, trash your hard disk - okay, Windows does that too.
Those two were OK.
4.Viruses are usually carried, unknown to the user, along with valuable programs and systems. Sigh... Windows does that, too.
Except for the "unknown to the user" part.
5.Viruses will occasionally make the user suspect their system is too slow (see 2) and the user will buy new hardware. Yup, Windows does that, too.
Until now it seems Windows is a virus but there are fundamental differences: Viruses are well supported by their authors, are running on most systems, their program code is fast, compact and efficient and they tend to become more sophisticated as they mature.
This is where you go completely off the mark. A virus is usually a small snippet of code that will only run on computers very similar to the one it was made for. Authors often take the code of an existing virus, modify it just a little, release it and then forget all about it to make the next one. In most cases, a virus could only be called fast or efficient because it only has one small purpose. Finally, the viruses we see today are really not that much more sophisticated than those of say 10-15 years ago.
So Windows is not a virus.
It's a bug.
At least you got the conclusion right. ;-) Remember, at all times, unless you want to be infected, you have to think Safe Hex. Regards Ole Kofoed Hansen okh@post.cybercity.dk ICQ# 25773325 -- To unsubscribe send e-mail to suse-linux-e-unsubscribe@suse.com For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the FAQ at http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/