Wednesday, June 16, 2004

Microsoft to Sell Anti-Virus Software

An article from Rueters is claiming that Microsoft will start developing their own AV (anti-virus) software. Microsoft is saying that their anti-virus program will be sold as a separate piece of software their operating systems. This is another step towards the "Trustworthy Computing" campaign that they started in 2002.

I have several thoughts about this subject. First virus creation is at an all time high, and they are spreading across the internet faster and faster everyday. It makes sense that the AV and Patch management become a more intergral part of the OS (Operating System). Not just Microsoft's Operating Systems, but all of them, Apple, Linux, freeBSD, all of them. Anti-virus will be just as important as disk management and memory management. I person doesn't have to know how a mouse or keyboard work to use them, the same thing goes with AV.

Lets just say hypothetically that Microsoft is successful in securing all of their Operating Systems and users. (I know this is really a stretch, but lets just go with it) The virus writers will turn their attention to the other Operating Systems. While the users of non-microsoft OSs are usually more technical, it is still a lot of work to keep a workstation, patched and the virus definitions up today. Truthfully, why should we have to spend time everyday updating our machines? It seems to me that technology is far enough along that all operating systems to a certain extent should be self-healing. Currently IBM server running AIX claim this, but isn't this need more on the desktop arena than in the server room?

Now lets go back to the 95% of the computer population that is running a Microsoft operating systems. Most of these people are office or home users. They use their machines for spreadsheets, documents and email. These are the people that are at a higher risk. These are the people that need to have a machine that updates itself, and auto-hides emails that could be viruses. Shouldn't these be the systems that are self-healing?

There is another barrier to AV protection that is usually over looked are inital and ongoing costs. When people buy a new computer, they usually get McAffe, or Norton loaded and ready to go with a 90 day subscription. Of course 90 days go by and the users forgets to purchase the subscription or can't afford it. So now there are machines that have AV software on them, but the definitions on them are so old that the software is close to useless. So why can't the subscriptions be either included in the cost of the new PC? Why can't their be a 10 dollar a year subscription for AV? I personally know of people that are using older machines, because they can't afford new once, and can't afford to spend 100 dollars a year on AV. However 10 dollars a year, is down right cheap. Everyone should be able to afford that. 10 dollars from 100 people, will always be more then 100 dollars from 2 people. So the software companies won't be losing money, and the comsumers are protected.

Stupid Google Tricks

If you go to google and type in ".NET" and click on the "I'm feeling lucky". So where do you think it would go? Microsoft site, some .NET developers blog? Nope none of those. It goes to the PHP.NET web site...Pretty funny huh?

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

Lost and Found

Did you ever find something you thought was lost and would never see again? That just happened to me this morning. I found something that made me very nostalgic. It isn't a toy from my childhood, or a picture. Its my work. Work that I thought I would never see again. My first pages as a "Webmaster" back when I started. My first site that I designed and impemented from start to finish. I found them. Where, where else on the web. The Wayback Machine of The Internet Archive. I have worked as a consultant doing sites for clients, in house html specialist, web developer, web master, and currently I am a Sr. Web Developer. So I have grown as the internet has grown. It's so nice to take a look back at my web developement baby pictures as it were.

Sunday, June 13, 2004

2.6 Miles

So I made it 2.6 miles today before I got a flat. I was going for 3.8 miles. Which distance from my house to my Mom and Dad's but alas I didn't get there with out a ride. That is okay, I will make it next time and I was smart enough to take my cellphone with me this time. You know what gets me is I use to not even be warmed up till 4 miles into a ride. Today however I am a little sore just from the 2.6, well I will work back up to it. We were always better in our memories anyhow right?

Paceline

Paceline is the new fan site for Lance Armstrong and the USPS cycling team. If you don't know who Lance Armstrong is in, short he is an amazing cyclist, the best american cyclist in a decade. If that isn't enough he was diagnosed with cancer, beat it and has since won 5 tour de france titles. Lance has a new commercial with Nike that is just outstanding. Check it out.

Time to start Riding

This afternoon I got my bike back from the shop. It's a 1990 Centurion Le Mans. It's a very nice bike and I have had it since it was new. It's almost hard for me to believe that this bike is 14 years old. I've put a lot of miles on it, and it still rides great. I put it into the shop to get a tune-up and the bar tape put on it. I use to ride a lot. Everyday I use to get up and at least ride 8 miles or so, and then get ready for school or work. The last 5 or 6 years it has been in the garage. It has been patiently waiting till I have had time. Time to ride it, time to take care of it, time to just get on the road and pedal.

My goal is to start riding at least three times a week. Being in IT for 7 years now, I have the typical IT body type. I admit I need to lose a couple of pounds (my ego won't let me write down the real number but it is over 2). So apparently sitting in front of a computer all day and eating nachos and drinking vanilla coke one after another isn't as healthy for you as once thought.  Who knows, I may actually build up to riding to work one of these days.