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The LangaList
24-Feb-00
A Free Email Newsletter from Fred
Langa
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A number of readers who use
Norton Antivirus 2000 got a virus warning when they tried to download the Java
"sandbox" patch I told you about in the last issue. (see http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/feb-21-00.htm#1)
It seems that Norton claims to have found a version of "NiceDay virus"
in the download. It's a false positive--- and not
the first one that Norton has found in software that's actually safe. Other
versions of Norton AV that use exactly the same set of virus definitions do NOT
report any virus in the download at all. It's just that AV2K is hypersensitive,
and tends to jump at shadows. <g> I guess erring on the side of
false positives is better than missing a real virus, but it's curious that only
AV2K, among all the Norton AV products, has this hypersensitivity. Too many
false alarms can be just as bad as no alarms. In any case, the Java download is
safe; you can safely ignore the AV2K warnings. Click to
email this item to a friend Other readers had trouble getting
to the Java downloads at all. The links were fine when I wrote the newsletter,
but Microsoft chose to move things around just as the issue went out. That happens--- and it's one
reason why I usually try to include an alternate "for more
information" link. Alas, Microsoft choose to move that link, too! The main Microsoft page for all
info on this "sandbox" patch (including how-to instructions and links
to the actual downloads) is currently at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms00-011.asp. The main security page for *all*
issues and downloads is http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/default.asp,
so if the former link has moved again, try the latter one, which should be
stable. I apologize for the confusion,
but I can't control when an external link will change or go bad! Click to
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At long last, the retail CDs are
being delivered: The beta-based speculation can end, and reality-based testing
of the shipping code can start. In short, it's time to call the shot on Win2K. In two previous columns, I
discussed the things I liked best and least about the new OS. I give it high
marks for its: 1) Speed and Stability:
Win2K is noticeably faster than NT, and it seems significantly faster than
Windows 98, too: In fact, Microsoft claims it's up to 40% faster than Win98. In
any case, Win2K performs admirably on relatively inexpensive Celeron-class
systems with 64MB or RAM or more. 2) Better Hardware
Support: Win2K ships with a wide range of drivers, and should install on a huge
range of hardware of reasonably recent vintage. 3) Software Support:
There's a ton of Win2K software in the pipeline, and most NT-based software runs
just fine on Win2K, too. 4) Easier Setup: Win2K
installs and works easily on a very wide range of existing systems--- even if
Microsoft's claim of a "three-click upgrade" is perhaps somewhat
exaggerated. 5) UI Improvements: Five
magic words---"reduced training and support costs." But all is not rosy. Win2K also
has some serious problems: 1) It's too Expensive. A
full copy of the professional version costs $319. 2) It's Not A Giant Step
Above Its Siblings. Win2K is better, but I don't know if it's enough of a step
up to warrant an immediate upgrade for in-place and up-to-date Win98 or NT4
installations, especially at the prices Microsoft is demanding. 3) It's Too Big For Many
Laptops… And Some Desktops. RAM may be an especially thorny issue, as you need
128MB of RAM to really let Win2K run well. 4) It Still Has Many
Hardware Compatibility Issues. BIOS and driver problems are still around. 5) It Still Has Myriad
Little "Gotchas." For a fuller account of the
above, plus reader reactions and additions to the list, see http://www.informationweek.com/langaletter/011200langa.htm
and http://www.informationweek.com/langaletter/012600langa.htm
. But now it's your turn: After
all, it's your opinion (and the opinions of others like you) who will determine
the fate of Win2K, and whether or not Microsoft's "bet the business"
gamble will pay off. Please click on over to http://www.informationweek.com/langaletter
and cast your vote in the live, interactive poll. When you submit your vote,
you'll be able to see where your vote falls in the range of responses collected
to date. And then, please click over to the discussion area to discuss whether
it's "Yea or Nay for Win2K!" Click to
email this item to a friend Last issue, we discussed
DoubleClick's apparent attempts to defeat Cookie privacy. (See http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/feb-21-00.htm#2
) Reader David J Snyder dug out a bunch of opt-out links for DoubleClick and
many other ad-tracking companies as well; he says he got the URLs from an issue
of PC Computing. http://www.247media.com/privacy.htm http://www.flycast.com/about_us/index.cfm?sub=pri&content=privacy#optout http://www.matchlogic.com/privacy/policy.htm http://www.adforce.com/home/comp3_priv.html http://www.engage.com/privacy/koptout.htm http://www.doubleclick.net/company_info/about_doubleclick/privacy/privacy2.htm#optout Thanks, Dave! Click to
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A number of readers asked about
the AOL class-action suit I mentioned (see http://content.techweb.com/winmag//columns/explorer/2000/02.htm
and http://content.techweb.com/winmag//columns/explorer/2000/03.htm
). I just got email from a person
(I'll withhold his name) that reads in part: Mr. Langa, I declined to participate for a
variety of reasons. Participating in a legal action against any company I write
about might create either the appearance or reality of a conflict of interest
for me; if I'm to do my job, I have to remain a neutral observer and not a
participant. That's the same reason why I own no stocks in any of the companies
I write about: To remain neutral, I can't become financially entangled with any
of the companies I write about. I also have ethical qualms about
the too-litigious society we live in. AOL didn't force anyone to install or
upgrade; people chose to do
so. I don't think it's correct to say "I choose to install a piece of
cruddy software, and now I want someone to sue the software vendor for me."
I think lawsuits of that sort are silly and serve mainly only to enrich a small
number of lawyers who look for companies with deep pockets to sue. It seems, to
me, that their motive is rarely to right wrongs; it's more often to get
themselves rich. The fact that the AOL software is
poorly designed and badly implemented simply means it's a bad product: To me,
the correct response is to vote with your dollars, and refrain from doing
further business with AOL. If enough people leave the service, the problem
self-corrects: AOL will either crash and burn, or will wake up and do a better
job with its software. If you're angry about AOL (or
Microsoft, or any company) then my suggestion is for you to avoid using their
software, and use your influence to convince your friends and business
associates to do likewise. Consider this: If each of the 100,000 LangaList
readers could convince just three cohorts to drop software product X, and each
of those three found three more friends who'd drop the system, you're talking
1.3 million people dropping the software. For each additional generation of
software-droppers, the number grows geometrically. It doesn't take a lot to begin to
effect positive change, and no lawyers need be involved. 8-) Click to
email this item to a friend Various email services (both
public and private) commonly use "filters" to screen and sort inbound
email. If an arriving email contains a prohibited word or topic, the email may
get rerouted, returned, or trashed. Sometimes it's funny: A Mailbot
at "Liberty Life Email Administration" in Zaire sent me this: From MAILsweeper@mail1.liberty.co.za This is a system
generated message, please do not reply to it. You sent an email to (user).liberty.co.za,
entitled [langalist] 20-Dec-99 LangaList. This message was classified as a joke.
Liberty Life's Email Gateway rejects all jokes. Wow! A deadly insult, delivered
by mail robot! 8-) More seriously, many readers have
missed past LangaList discussions of various viruses: If I include a discussion
of, say, the m*lissa virus (I won't actually write the full name, which uses an
"e" instead of the "*") some email gateways assume that the
email contains the named virus, and throws the message away. Duh! But the worst of the recent
filter implementations is what Yahoo is doing on their free mail system: They're
tossing all bulk mail into a junk folder. Alas, most mailing list
newsletters---including this one---are legitimately and accurately classed as
bulk mail, so the LangaList gets tossed in with the ads for Viagra On Line,
"Barely Legal Teens," and the secrets of instant wealth and eternal
life. 8-) I wrote to Yahoo, and did
everything they asked to get the LangaList off their banned list: I sent copies
of the newsletter, pointers to the unsubscribe options, a list of the specific
IP addresses the mail servers use, and lots of additional information they
requested--- but they did nothing, and the LangaList is still getting tossed in
with the junk. Many Yahoo-based readers who
cleaned out their bulk mail folders and found their missing LangaList issues
there have written to Yahoo to tell them the LangaList is not spam, but Yahoo
simply isn't responsive. It's a little frustrating, to say
the least. Maybe if every Yahoo-based reader forwarded a note to Yahoo mail
support, they'd change the settings. But I have my doubts. But if you ever miss an issue,
now you know one reason why: Perhaps a too-dumb, too-crude email filter decided
that you shouldn't see something in that issue! Click to
email this item to a friend On Feb 29, I'll
choose another monthly winner of a copy of "Poor Richard's E-Mail
Publishing: Creating Newsletters, Bulletins, Discussion Groups and Other
Powerful Communications Tools." This book has been described as "An
excellent, straightforward manual on email publishing, banner ads, driving
traffic and especially ethics." To have a shot at
winning, just use the following link to recommend the LangaList to a
friend. Your friend just may find a new source of useful information; I just may
gain a new subscriber; and you just may win a book! (Full details also available
via this link): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#2 The more times you
make a recommendation, the greater your chances are of winning! Or, if you'd like to
try to win $10,000(!), try this link (full details also available here): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#1 Either way, thank
you, and good luck! Click to
email this item to a friend Like to see what your fellow
readers are up to? Here's an eclectic selection of reader sites--- some
professional, some very personal--- from among the many readers who have taken
me up on my "Load the Code" offer. Do you have a home page or website?
(It doesn't matter what size.) Please click on over to http://www.langa.com/code.htm,
and maybe your page can be featured here too! http://www.nettechdesign.com/otakou/index.htm http://members.home.net/dyerkb/ http://members.tripod.com/~Vitke/ http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/6179/ http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Alley/2684/ http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/6253/ http://www.telepath.com/katwolf/ Click to
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Steve Gibson--- yes, *that* Steve
Gibson ( of http://www.grc.com ) sent this
along: The Washington Post's
Style Invitational asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it
by adding, subtracting or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here
are some recent winners Sarchasm: The gulf
between the author of sarcastic wit and the reader who doesn't get it. Reintarnation: Coming
back to life as a hillbilly. Giraffiti: Vandalism
spray-painted very high. Foreploy: Any
misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of obtaining sex. Inoculatte: To take
coffee intravenously. Osteopornosis: A
degenerate disease. Dopeler effect: The
tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly. Karmageddon: It's like,
when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like,
the Earth explodes and it's like a serious bummer. Glibido: All talk and no
action. Intaxication: Euphoria
at getting a refund from the IRS, which lasts until you realize it was your
money to start with. Ignoranus: A person
who's both stupid and an butthole. Click to
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LangaList Sponsor!) ------------
Baker's
Dozen Great Books Check
out computer-related books personally recommended http://www.langa.com/books.htm --------------( the above is an
advertisement )--------------
See you next issue! Best, (Please recommend
the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win $10,000!) An easier-to read formatted HTML version is
available in the "what's new" section of http://www.langa.com.
(The HTML version of each issue normally is available by 9AM EST [GMT-5] of the
issue date.) All past LangaList issues are also available via the same link. Why are you getting this newsletter? There are
only two ways to get on the list (direct email request or via the WinMag mail
list signup page) so if you're getting this newsletter; your name came to me
through one of those channels. SUBSCRIBE (it's free!): Send email to subscribe-langalist@lyris.dundee.net About
the advertisers: Langa Consulting LLC will never knowingly accept
advertising for a fraudulent product, company or service. However, Langa Consulting LLC makes no implied or explicit warranty, recommendation or endorsement
of or for the products, companies or services mentioned in the ads. Disclaimer:
The tips and other information given in the newsletter are researched and are
believed to be accurate, but we cannot and do not guarantee that all the
information here will work on all systems, for all users, all the time. All
information herein is offered as-is and without warranty of any kind. Neither
Langa Consulting LLC, nor its employees nor contributors are responsible for any
loss, injury, or damage, direct or consequential, resulting from application of
any information presented here. This newsletter is a free service of Langa Consulting LLC and is Copyright © 2000 Langa Consulting LLC. All rights reserved.1)
Java Fix Infected?
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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Java Fix Missing?
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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Yea or Nay on Win2K?
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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More Opt-Out Info
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
return to top of page5)
AOL Class-Action Suit Info
I am an attorney at a San Francisco law firm that has filed a class action suit
against AOL based on its distribution of the Version 5.0 upgrade. I am very
interested in discussing the case with you, given your obvious interest in the
subject. I would appreciate your giving me a call when you have an opportunity.
Thank you.
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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Bulk Mail Blues
To fred@langa.com
Date Wed, 22 Dec 1999 191234 +0200 (EET)
Subject Unaccepted message.
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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Last Week To Enter February's FREE Book Drawing
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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Reader Sites
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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Just For Grins
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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(At a 20% Discount!)
by Fred Langa and available at Amazon.Com's deepest discounts!
Fred
(fred@langa.com)
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