Friday, February 18, 2005

Ranting about Mac Zealots! I was going to post on the news item of interest to me--John Negroponte named as the Director of National Intelligence.  Of course, the last email I received at work has set me off on a rant.  I work on a college campus, and we have a proverbial plethora of operating systems to manage: different flavors of Unix, different versions of Windows, Mac OSes, and Linux.  Recently, the Mac meatheads have decided to bash Windows, mainly because of the presence of this article.  The most recent email on a Mac-centric listserv (that I will be unsubscribing from) touted a screensaver to show their system uptime to all their Windows-encumbered brethren.  If I see another ill-informed boob tell me that a Mac is impervious to being hacked, I am going to make it my mission to hack into one.  Let's face it, folks: the underpinnings of Mac OSX is Unix.  Unix is hackable.  It is indeed much harder to hack than Windows, but it is certainly possible.  Rootkits are easily available, and getting them to work on the Mac would probably be a trivial matter.  The same comparison can be made of NetWare and Windows servers.  There are many more folks poking at Windows servers, probing them for vulnerabilities.  A large reason for this is the prevalence of Windows servers.  There are fewer security patches released for NetWare than for Windows.  If I am a security researcher, why spend time working on a relatively unused operating system looking for vulnerabilities.  The reason, pure and simple, is numbers--more Windows servers and Windows desktops than there are NetWare servers and Mac desktops.   software).  The nitwit in the article mentioned above poo-poos the notion that the Mac does not suffer the scourge of virii and malware because of the comparatively small number of Mac workstations.  He is dead wrong.  If the Mac OS were the dominant desktop OS, then they would be suffering this scourge.  Again, just like in the last paragraph: numbers mean something.  I am just tired of the superiority complex Mac users have.  Get the fuck over it, already!  I use a Windows PC, and I use a Linux laptop from time to time.  I have very few problems with either machine.  If you use a Mac and love it, that's wonderful.  I just don't need to hear you proclaiming the greatness of your OS.  At the end of the day, the computer you use is a tool.  Just like one carpenter prefers a DeWalt saw and another will prefer a Milwaukee.  They are both different tools used to do the same job.  I will never be convinced to use a Mac, and I will always remind a Mac user to get a real operating system when they bother me with this drivel.  Don't bother me about your Mac, and I will never bother you about my PC! So, ending my angry rant: Shut the hell up about your Mac, already!  Fuckers! 1:23:22 PM    comment []  trackback []

Thank God It's Friday Got into the office a little later than my usual ungodly hour that I arrive.  I did not eat breakfast, nor did I pack a lunch.  I blame my friend and occasional arch-nemesis beer for those small oversights.  The question will be what am I going to do for lunch here in lovely College Park.  For some reason, a  (chicken) burrito from Chipotle is calling my name.  Mmmmm.......burrito.  I need to spend some time visiting the "Land of the Swedes" today.  I also need to grab something from Target.  So, I will also pay a small visit while out grabbing some lunch.  In other consumer news, I received an email that my digital camera has shipped.  Time to find that CF card for the camera.  11:46:01 AM    comment []  trackback []