viruses, e.t.c.
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viruses, e.t.c.
With all these viruses, hackers, child porn people e.t.c. is the internet a safe place to be anymore?
- Peter B
- posting addict
- Posts: 1135
- Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2003 1:17 pm
- Location: Edinburgh
I don't think the internet is becoming less safe. As it becomes easier to get online the number of people without any common sense on the net is bound to increase and when something bad happens, the media jump on it. Take the Nigerian Email scam as an example. The same type of thing has been going on using postal mail for years but some people don't apply the same standards when computers are involved.
I'm not entirely sure how you think "Child Porn People" make the internet a dangerous place any more than the same people make the real world unsafe. In fact, the chances of a child actually getting involved in this kind of thing over the internet must be far lower. The issue of chat room paedophiles is again an example of people not applying existing common sense to new situations. You'd think twice about going and meeting someone you had only talked to by mail and if you did go you would probably take a friend for backup. As for pornographic pop-up adverts, these very rarely appear on legitimate websites so chances are if you/your child stumbles upon one you/they aren't going to be shocked.
I'm going to make a bold statement now and say viruses are only a problem if you can't be bothered to educate yourself a little in how to use your computer. To use a personal example, I have had my current computer for over 2 years now and the last time I did a virus check the software reported the last time was over a year ago and there wasn't a single virus on my system. I don't open files in emails from people I don't know and I don't download files from sources I don't trust. It's that simple.
Your other concern was hackers. Again, in the 5 or so years I have been online I have never once had an incident. There's only one person I know who had a problem with a hacker on their home computer and that turned out to be the guys girlfriend trying to prove a point. The fact of the matter is that to your average hacker, a home computer just isn't a worthwhile target. There's nothing to be gained and often very little challenge.
In summary (whew... long post) no, the internet isn't a dangerous place.
-Peter
I'm not entirely sure how you think "Child Porn People" make the internet a dangerous place any more than the same people make the real world unsafe. In fact, the chances of a child actually getting involved in this kind of thing over the internet must be far lower. The issue of chat room paedophiles is again an example of people not applying existing common sense to new situations. You'd think twice about going and meeting someone you had only talked to by mail and if you did go you would probably take a friend for backup. As for pornographic pop-up adverts, these very rarely appear on legitimate websites so chances are if you/your child stumbles upon one you/they aren't going to be shocked.
I'm going to make a bold statement now and say viruses are only a problem if you can't be bothered to educate yourself a little in how to use your computer. To use a personal example, I have had my current computer for over 2 years now and the last time I did a virus check the software reported the last time was over a year ago and there wasn't a single virus on my system. I don't open files in emails from people I don't know and I don't download files from sources I don't trust. It's that simple.
Your other concern was hackers. Again, in the 5 or so years I have been online I have never once had an incident. There's only one person I know who had a problem with a hacker on their home computer and that turned out to be the guys girlfriend trying to prove a point. The fact of the matter is that to your average hacker, a home computer just isn't a worthwhile target. There's nothing to be gained and often very little challenge.
In summary (whew... long post) no, the internet isn't a dangerous place.
-Peter
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PeterG - diehard
- Posts: 872
- Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2003 6:21 pm
- Location: Edinburgh
nice essay peter.
i will read the second half tomorrow when i have a spare 2 hours.
but u r right. the net is dangerous for people who are stoopid and/or doing stuff they shouldnt be
yes oleg, that's right. those videos didnt just appear on your laptop. they got there from stuff you did.
i will read the second half tomorrow when i have a spare 2 hours.
but u r right. the net is dangerous for people who are stoopid and/or doing stuff they shouldnt be
yes oleg, that's right. those videos didnt just appear on your laptop. they got there from stuff you did.
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samsonite - class clown
- Posts: 1863
- Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2003 10:33 am
- Location: in the belly of the beast
To be fair it is the same all over the place, the people with no common sense are being looked after by the nanny state. It used to be the case that sooner, rather than later, they would be removed by a cruel twist of Darwinism.
Now, I know you're a feminist, and I think that's adorable, but this is grown-up time and I'm the man.
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Braddie - light green
- Posts: 264
- Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2004 6:06 pm
- Location: London
gotta be the horrid people viruses (nowt too bad likes) and heather has had the "brooner" disease for a while. And she never got that off the internet. although i did have a virus on my comp for a while but got that sorted quicker than any bug i've had.
“Success is 99% failure� -- Soichiro Honda
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brooner - [nope] cartel
- Posts: 3931
- Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2003 1:46 pm
- Location: Sydney
not nearly as fatal, being browned puts you out of action for years, mine only lasts a couple of weeks and can be cured with modern medicine ie painkillers & lemsips generally.
“Success is 99% failure� -- Soichiro Honda
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brooner - [nope] cartel
- Posts: 3931
- Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2003 1:46 pm
- Location: Sydney
I was thinking it was just the Scottish strain.
But not the Scottish Strain. Unless there's something he's not telling us...
But not the Scottish Strain. Unless there's something he's not telling us...
It's a magical world. Let's go exploring.
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Nailest - diehard
- Posts: 671
- Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2003 2:19 pm
- Location: mmm... 'burgher...
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