What would you do with this? (originally at http://www.df-21.net/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002527.html )
MW:
Symantec, as well as several other anti-virus manufacturers, also have free online full spectrum virus scanners, that can find any virii and not just an individual virus.
What is more important, however, is to always check out your email on the server instead of on your local computer - and delete any suspicious emails before you even download them! Personally, I use SimpleCheck for that, though I'm sure there are other programs that can do the same thing. By doing so, you A) lower your bandwith usage (and thus with some ISPs your Internet cost), B) make sure you can never get infected by email, and C) will never have to read a single spam message again.
Me: [B]What is more important, however, is to always check out your email on the server instead of on your local computer - and
Not necessarily. Not if you have a sane email client.
Since I use Linux, I'm pretty much immune to these worms.
MW: Well, most people aren't masochist, so they don't use Linux. For people using real OSes, deleting unwanted email on the server is still the best option.
And even if you are using a fake OS like Linux, manually deleting spam is still a more efficient method than trusting the email client to do so automatically.
Me: Please define real OS.
MW: An OS natively based around the Win32 or Win64 API.
Me: That's not a real definition.
MW: Of course it is. It might just be a definition you don't like.
But I should really change the term "OS" to "working OS" in the definition.
Me: Linux works for me. Maybe you're just incompetent.
MW: Haha. I'm competent enough to realize that the only practical OS to run is Win32. But since you are using Linux, you've already proven that you are indeed incompetent yourself.
Anyway, since only masochists and dumb people use Linux, the fact that I don't is proof enough that I'm competent.
Thus, your arguments have no bearing in the real world.
Me: No, *your* arguments have no bearing in the real world. I suppose in your fantasy world, Windows is secure, all the worms attack Linux, no one uses Linux, everyone's happy with Windows, it never crashes....