On Feb 13, 2008 3:28 PM, JC Dill <lists05@equinephotoart.com> wrote: JC, Nice conjecture.
I'm really surprised that ISPs haven't banded together to sue Microsoft for negligently selling and distributing an insecure OS that is an Attractive Nuisance - causing the ISPs (who don't own the OS infected computers) harm from the network traffic the infected OSs send, and causing them untold support dollars to handle the problem.
I'm really surprised, too. However, it's more complicated than that. Read the book, "Geekonomics" for more information on this topic.
If every big ISP joined a class action lawsuit to force Microsoft to pay up for the time ISPs spend fixing viruses on Windows computer, Microsoft would get a LOT more proactive about solving this problem directly. The consumers have no redress against MS because of the EULA, but this doesn't extend to other computer owners (e.g. ISPs) who didn't agree to the EULA on the infected machine but who are impacted by the infection.
Hence the "Trustworthy Computing Initiative" which was started by Bill Gates / Craig Mundie in 2002 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trustworthy_Computing Only now we're too late - Bill has a parachute. Cheers, Andre