Martin 53N 1W <ml_news@ddnospamddml1dd.co.uk.dd> wrote in message 
news:<RkgMc.628$895.191@newsfe2-gui.ntli.net>...
 

At least there's no unix/linux machines perpetrating the vandalism. The 
Windows people had better catch up with their updates & anti-virus.

Are you sure? These Windows machines involved are innocent victims; it
is Linux/Unix users that write and perpetrate the viruses and hacks.

You know, you show all the standard hallmarks of the arrogant computer
technocrat that makes me angry at my vulnerabilty as result of the
monopoly of MS in "my" world. I do not want a degree in computers to
run my desktop micro! It is simply a consumer appliance like my TV.
You, and all the other computer trained geeks and nerds, sneering &
demanding I have years of experience with  computers & software is a
complete non-starter. My late-youth was spent fiddling with Basic and
crashes where the added 16K memory was loose on its contacts and the
de-luxe plastic keyboard replaced Sinclair's rubber membrane jobby.
All this took place where snot-nosed, pimpley-arsed, coke-swigging
lardballs couldn't mess with my life or my toys. As long as I stayed
indoors.
 
XP is sold as a Plug and Play system for everybody from grandma to
little Jimmy. The fact that little Jimmy will be endlessly bombarded
with hard porn, grandma can open a worm attachment with Microsoft
written clearly all over it and Bill Gates can get rich on this pile
of horse manure. Simply proves that he's the biggest dungfly around.
 It is an appliance for communication and browsing in a
cream-coloured, tin & plastic box. No amount of techno-bullshit is
going to make it any different as far as I am concerned. Demanding
anything more of me is a colossal breach of trust in my desire to
learn everything I need to know. In order to surf safely, mess about
with a few images or send e-mails. While listening to jangly crap
pretending to be real music on a pair of yoghurt-carton-sized, plastic
loudspeakers.

If you aren't part of the problem then you are the problem. But I'm
not. Expect no more of me. I am simply not interested in learning how
the hydraulic pumps or an off-board power supply work before I get on
a 'plane. I don't need to know how the clutch works on my car before
pulling out from the kerb. (The fact that I do is irrelevant to the
argument) I have no interest in the program(mes) on a washing machine.
I want clean, dry clothes, low noise and something that doesn't piss
on my socked foot. My knowledge of HiFi electronics needs no
micro-manipulator to place firmly on the back of a stamp. I can build
everything else but keep me away from the soldering iron. Though the
lack of skll with the latter doesn't stop me from enjoying the music
or building cross-overs.

My desktop PC/toaster/juke-box/ionizing static dust attractor/DVD
film projector/perpetual calendar/video camera/games machine
(yuk)/crumb catcher/atomic-clock-radio/TV/air re-circulator/room
warmer shouldn't need any help from me. The fact that it does, only
reflects on the total inadequacy of the software running on it. I've
had a lifetime learning things in order to survive. Don't ask me to
learn how to steer my computer safely on a pond full of puss-faced,
adolescent sharks as well. The burden of knowledge is already becoming
intolerable. The buck stops with you. Not the consumer. Full stop.
Period. End!

Good grief man! I even resent having to type anything & everything
the dumb box needs of me! Typing was strictly girls work when I left
school. Filing punched cards in the early 60's at two very large
computer complexes. Did not qualify me, in the least, for leaning my
bicycle up against the cabinet of the card sorter. While I chatted to
the velvet-voiced, redhead, machine-operator. Let alone offer a
step-up to dusting the black-polished-toe-caps of the white coated &
Brylcreemed technocrats of the age. I bet any of them would open a
Microsoft hoax, e-mail, worm carrier today, without a noticable twitch
of an arrogantly raised eyebrow above the geeky, 1960's,
thick-black-plastic-framed specs!

Best,

Linus (its good to let it all out...)