Re: ** READ THIS BEFORE POSTING - answers to frequently asked questions 2003.10.08

From: Phil Weldon (notdisclosed_at_mindjump.com)
Date: 10/10/03

  • Next message: ian: "zone alert" 
    Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2003 04:13:23 GMT

    The swen worm posts the fake Microsoft security bulletin to newsgroups.
    When it does, the messages are crossposted to six to ten different
    newsgroups. It is a 'look and feel issue.'

    I agree that posting 'FAQ's is a very good idea; it is just that there are a
    bunch of users coming here who really are starting from a very basic level.
    It is a difficult task to best meet their needs.

    Most newsreader do have a very good search engine, and there is always the
    google archives, but there again, who wants to learn how to use as newsgroup
    or search engine while in the grips of a virus infection or while the target
    of an e-mail flood (though of course this type of situation may be the best
    impetus to learm such skills. On the gripping hand, search engines and
    newsgroup structure is less useful when posts are added to a thread headed
    'Virus' in a virus newsgroup.

    I think I had in mind two or three sentences of explanation to introduce
    each URL.

    Finally, an FAQ might be 250 KBytes, but it could come in mighty hand to
    have that 250 KByte text stored locally when a virus or worm might keep you
    from successfuly using the internet. 

    -- 
Phil Weldon, pweldonatmindjumpdotcom
For communication,
replace "at" with the 'at sign'
replace "mindjump" with "mindspring."
replace "dot" with "."
"Karl Levinson [x y] mvp" <levinson_k@despammed.com> wrote in message
news:ux9q6esjDHA.2580@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> levinson_k@despammed.com is my real email address, you are certainly
welcome
> to use it, it works.
>
> I actually did start out with the FAQ as a single plain text file posted
> here, to mirror the other Usenet FAQs like the alt.comp.virus group where
I
> used to hang out in Usenet some eight or nine years ago... but the FAQ is
> now over 250KB in size, and I would think most users nowadays don't want
to
> read that much plaintext, where the links to www.grisoft.com and
> www.kerio.com have to be copied and pasted into their browser manually,
etc.
>
> I'm not sure why anyone would need to "navigate" the web page.  The links
> I've posted should bring them directly to the article they seek, and I
feel
> in this day and age, most people are more adept at navigating web pages
than
> navigating Usenet... especially since the web page has a search engine
while
> Usenet posts do not.  Additionally, there is at least one or two mini-FAQs
> in the virus newsgroups maintained by other people that match the format
you
> are suggesting, where the answers are actually in the post itself.
>
> I will look into ways I might be able to post as six different posts to
the
> various newsgroups instead of one crosspost.  I could of course be wrong
on
> any or all of this.  [I'm not sure I see the connection between
crossposting
> and viruses spreading BTW.]  Thanks for taking the time to offer
suggestions
> for improvement, it is appreciated.
>
>
> "Phil Weldon" <notdisclosed@mindjump.com> wrote in message
> news:9Rjhb.7926$Eo2.5634@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> > And this to "Karl Levinson [x y] mvp" <levinson_k@despammed.com>, posted
> > here because there is no other way to contact you.
> >
> > Could I suggest that, at least in the microsoft.public.security.virus
> > newsgroup you post a short explanation for each of the 'frequently asked
> > questions' in addition to URL's?  For an inexperienced user (those most
> > desperately in need of help,) being asked to navigate yet another
webpage
> in
> > search of an answer is not very welcome.  It is necessary to post the
URL,
> > but ease the passage.
> >
> > Also, it should be clear from this thread and other recent threads that
> > crossposting is usually a bad bad thing.  If for no other reason the
very
> > long half-life and the numerous sub threads that will be spawned.  Take
a
> > look at the "Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-040 - 828750" thread; it
now
> > has over 200 posts, and, among other things, has generated a fictional
> > narrative.
> >
> > Crossposting also tends to throw long term newsgroup participants togeth
er
> > who have no shared basis of respect based on reading past posts; some
> people
> > don't take kindly to assumed authority lacking a history.
> >
> > Penultimately, crossposting is a documented tactic used by a group that
> > specializes in generating flame wars (start a crosspost with a seemingly
> > innocuous post, chime in later with a post (from another member) that is
> > mildly confrontational, then sit back and stir the posts when necessary.
> > The message volume on the affected newsgroups can easily double or
triple,
> > vastly increasing the signal to noise ratio.
> >
> > Finally, crossposting to Usenet newsgroups is programmed into some
worms.
> > In fact, there is no reason a worm could not be programmed to ... well I
> > don't want to go there, and I sure hope a worm writer doesn't go there.
> >
> > By the way, I completely agree with you that switching to a less popular
> > operating system brings its own set of problems.  It is the world we
live
> > in, not that that relieves any person or corporate entity of
> responsiblity.
> >
> > --
> > Phil Weldon, pweldonatmindjumpdotcom
> > For communication,
> > replace "at" with the 'at sign'
> > replace "mindjump" with "mindspring."
> > replace "dot" with "."
> >
> > "Karl Levinson [x y] mvp" <levinson_k@despammed.com> wrote in message
> > news:uP6j1aljDHA.4008@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> > >
> > > "Perplexed" <per@plexed.com> wrote in message
> > > news:8Z5hb.6388$Eo2.4813@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> > >
> > > > linux might soon become a reality in my box.  want to buy
> approximately
> > > > $1000 worth of microsoft garbage?  if i go the linux route i'll want
> to
> > > > unload this win2k and office xp crap (and a smattering of other
> > microcrap
> > > > fluff).  i'll let you know when i post it to ebay.
> > >
> > > Groan... so many people come in here threatening to move to *nix.  If
> you
> > > were going to do it, you would have done it by now.  For goodness
sakes,
> > if
> > > you're going to do it, just DO it already.  I'll even make it easy for
> > you,
> > > go to http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-old-en.html for a boot CD
> that
> > > lets you boot Linux entirely from a CD, no installation required.
> > >
> > > Linux is getting easier and easier, but I think many Microsoft users
> that
> > > move to Linux will be in for a surprise when they find that all their
> > > problems with insecure default installs and security vulnerabilities
> > > requiring patches don't magically go away.  Linux takes an investment
of
> > > time and effort and gaining expertise, just like Microsoft does [if
not
> > more
> > > so].
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
  • Next message: ian: "zone alert"

    Relevant Pages
    • Quantcast