[Techtalk] WHY everyone should use Linux

[gebhard dettmar]

Hi,
On Wednesday 21 July 2004 17:36, Meryll Larkin wrote:
> 7/21/04
>
> [ ... ]
>
> Next, get them off Outlook for the same reason.  Switch to Eudora
> or ???
Well, I think, Outlook is a nice example. Of course you can configure 
it properly to get it safe but consider what you have to do and 
compare it to ??? (any sensible mail-client)
E.g. you'll want to stop it from showing eMail in html-format for 
obvious reasons. For Outlook 2000 you'll need a VBA-Script that 
converts html to rtf. What sort of crap is that? Is rtf safe? In 
outlook 2002 you'll have to download 16MB (or whatever it was) of 
Office SP1 and then add a dword-value in the 
HKEY_CURRENT_USER-registry-branch: ReadAsPlain. What kind of ...? In 
OE there is afaik no way to get rid of this completely unnecessary 
vulnerability (And shall I tell you what I had to do to use LDAP in 
Outlook 2002? Download all 4 Office-SPs!!! then, once again, 
Registry-Edit)
In Windows Explorer the default setting in View is 'Hide known 
Application Type-extensions' (like .vbs). 
Ok I quit ranting but what does this say about MS' security policy?
> [ ... ]
>
> I work at a shipping company.  The last thing any other worker in
> that company wants to do is need to learn new computer stuff.  As
> far as they are concerned the computers are for getting their work
> done as fast as possible and playing games and downloading spyware
> on their breaks.
I work at a University-institute. same with us. But there is one 
thing: people work with computers and get paid for it. If I worked on 
construction my employer would expect me to care about the security 
issues of the machines I need for my work. I don't expect anyone to 
become a computer nerd. But for the basic issues of the tools they 
need to get their work done one could expect a tiny little bit more 
interest sometimes. yesterday I read in the newspaper about severe 
security problems in Los Alamos and the Boss wrote a letter saying 
(sorry for mistakes in retranslation german -> english): "I don't 
care how many people I have to get rid of. If you think that rules 
are nonsense leave by your own and save me from firing you."
But as soon as computers are involved, employees can be as ignorant 
as they wanna be, everything's up to the Admin and dealing with 
something new or different is to great a demand
>
> Meryll
regards gebhard
>