Re: Santa Fe city government computers knocked out by worm
On Sun, 16 Nov 2003 06:22:08 -0500 (EST), Sean Donelan wrote:
http://kobtv.com/index.cfm?viewer=storyviewer&id=6232&cat=HOME
No explaination why Sante Fe officials had not patched the city's computers in the three months since Microsoft announced the vulnerability and released the software updates. Nor why Sante Fe didn't have up to date anti-virus programs running on its computers.
Nor why they were using such rubbish software for a mission- critical system.
No explaination why Sante Fe officials had not patched the city's computers in the three months since Microsoft announced the vulnerability and released the software updates. Nor why Sante Fe didn't have up to date anti-virus programs running on its computers.
Nor why they were using such rubbish software for a mission- critical system.
Because for people outside our little industry the software is a tool to get a JOB done, not the job itself. Alex
On Mon, 17 Nov 2003 06:26:50 EST, Alex Yuriev said:
Because for people outside our little industry the software is a tool to get a JOB done, not the job itself.
It doesn't take long for the average mechanic to learn that buying cheap wrenches is a bad idea.
On Mon, 17 Nov 2003 06:26:50 EST, Alex Yuriev said:
Because for people outside our little industry the software is a tool to get a JOB done, not the job itself.
It doesn't take long for the average mechanic to learn that buying cheap wrenches is a bad idea.
Do you take your car to McLaren service center? Why not? They definitely have better tools. Alex
On Mon, 17 Nov 2003 06:26:50 EST, Alex Yuriev said:
Because for people outside our little industry the software is a tool to get a JOB done, not the job itself.
Valdis Kletnieks responded:
It doesn't take long for the average mechanic to learn that buying cheap wrenches is a bad idea.
to which Alex replied:
Do you take your car to McLaren service center? Why not? They definitely have better tools.
To which I say: No, but if the mechanic I did go to had a habit of using tools that regularly caused my car to halt and catch fire with me in it, I think I'd switch mechanics until I found somebody that used more reliable tools. -- Scott Francis || darkuncle (at) darkuncle (dot) net illum oportet crescere me autem minui
Valdis Kletnieks responded:
It doesn't take long for the average mechanic to learn that buying cheap wrenches is a bad idea.
to which Alex replied:
Do you take your car to McLaren service center? Why not? They definitely have better tools.
To which I say: No, but if the mechanic I did go to had a habit of using tools that regularly caused my car to halt and catch fire with me in it, I think I'd switch mechanics until I found somebody that used more reliable tools.
Again, for the end customer, the level of damage that they are experiencing is too little to bother. Alex
On Mon, Nov 17, 2003 at 09:40:01AM -0500, alex@yuriev.com said:
Valdis Kletnieks responded:
It doesn't take long for the average mechanic to learn that buying cheap wrenches is a bad idea.
to which Alex replied:
Do you take your car to McLaren service center? Why not? They definitely have better tools.
To which I say: No, but if the mechanic I did go to had a habit of using tools that regularly caused my car to halt and catch fire with me in it, I think I'd switch mechanics until I found somebody that used more reliable tools.
Alex said:
Again, for the end customer, the level of damage that they are experiencing is too little to bother.
I would definitely take exception to that statement, based only on the end users of Wintel machines I hear from (the rest of my family). They come fairly close to being average Windows end-users, have zero knowledge other than 'click here', and the latest round of worms and the truckload of critical security updates in the last month has had me on the phone trying to walk them through WindowsUpdate at least half a dozen times in the past week or two (as they're on dial-up, getting in from outside is a bit trickier). My dad threatens to turn the computer into a pile of twisted aluminum on a regular basis due to all the problems he's facing (some of which are due to the typical Windows user experience, some are due to worms, some to dialup, some to hardware (printer ink cartridges), all of which are exacerbated by lack of knowledge and experience). This is not what I would qualify as a level of damage "too little to bother" with. Shoulda bought them a Mac last year ... -- Scott Francis || darkuncle (at) darkuncle (dot) net illum oportet crescere me autem minui
On Mon, 17 Nov 2003 06:26:50 -0500 (EST), you wrote:
No explaination why Sante Fe officials had not patched the city's computers in the three months since Microsoft announced the vulnerability and released the software updates. Nor why Sante Fe didn't have up to date anti-virus programs running on its computers.
Nor why they were using such rubbish software for a mission- critical system.
Because for people outside our little industry the software is a tool to get a JOB done, not the job itself.
Alex
A perceptive comment, but not actionable. This incident is what happens when non-tool oriented people must use tools. Our responsibility is to teach; theirs is to learn. Some people spend too much time sharpening their tools. Others too little. Neither is innocent when the job fails to get done. /kenw
participants (5)
-
Alex Yuriev -
Dr. Jeffrey Race -
kenw＠kmsi.net -
Scott Francis -
Valdis.Kletnieks＠vt.edu