Wednesday, November 26, 2003
Flirting with disaster
So, sometime over the last two days my computer, apparently, became suddenly infested with adware and spyware -- of the sort that makes things constantly pop up that I for one have no desire to see. Yuck, yuck, yuck. As a result, have spent the last two days trying to figure out what these programs are, where they are, and how to get rid of them. Alas, the non-comprehensiveness of "Add/Remove Programs"! Instead, I've been learning the arcana of regedit and regsvr32, deleting keys with reckless abandon. Twelve uninstalled applications, three disappeared/reappeared toolbars, and one download later, my browser is, mostly, back to its old self again. Here's hoping no major negative consequences ensue... Kind of sinister -- and yet impressive -- what these programs can do. Redirect you to other search engines, pop up little windows all over the place, send your personal info back to their developers, change your homepage... all without ever telling you they're even on your machine. I'm sure there are other sites, but I looked here and here for info on the parasites.
Doesn't it seem like there's some sort of basic right being violated here? Certainly privacy, for the ones that steal your name, e-mail, and address from Outlook and Word. It's tempting to think in terms of a right to freedom from speech -- but that runs into all the same problems as the do-not-call list, for instance. So maybe it's not so much an issue of the user's rights as of the developer's obligation to disclose. I know nobody ever reads those software licensing agreements, so tacking them onto every download wouldn't have much effect. But it seems like a website should at least have to tell you what you're getting, and point you in the right direction for more information. Like ingredient listings on food packages. After all, just because nobody knows what carrageenan and guar gum actually do, that doesn't mean we don't want to know they're in there...
So, sometime over the last two days my computer, apparently, became suddenly infested with adware and spyware -- of the sort that makes things constantly pop up that I for one have no desire to see. Yuck, yuck, yuck. As a result, have spent the last two days trying to figure out what these programs are, where they are, and how to get rid of them. Alas, the non-comprehensiveness of "Add/Remove Programs"! Instead, I've been learning the arcana of regedit and regsvr32, deleting keys with reckless abandon. Twelve uninstalled applications, three disappeared/reappeared toolbars, and one download later, my browser is, mostly, back to its old self again. Here's hoping no major negative consequences ensue... Kind of sinister -- and yet impressive -- what these programs can do. Redirect you to other search engines, pop up little windows all over the place, send your personal info back to their developers, change your homepage... all without ever telling you they're even on your machine. I'm sure there are other sites, but I looked here and here for info on the parasites.
Doesn't it seem like there's some sort of basic right being violated here? Certainly privacy, for the ones that steal your name, e-mail, and address from Outlook and Word. It's tempting to think in terms of a right to freedom from speech -- but that runs into all the same problems as the do-not-call list, for instance. So maybe it's not so much an issue of the user's rights as of the developer's obligation to disclose. I know nobody ever reads those software licensing agreements, so tacking them onto every download wouldn't have much effect. But it seems like a website should at least have to tell you what you're getting, and point you in the right direction for more information. Like ingredient listings on food packages. After all, just because nobody knows what carrageenan and guar gum actually do, that doesn't mean we don't want to know they're in there...
Thursday, November 20, 2003
Hazy shade
Walking down High Street today at twenty-five minutes past four, I noticed two people stop to take a photograph. Looked up. The low gothic buildings were already darkened, casting shadows over the sidewalk and street. But above that, one tower, lit up, the last of the sun turning the gray stones to bronze. Back on the ground, the light picked out the few colors of a late November afternoon -- the green shrubbery, the warm yellow-brown of fallen leaves.
There is only one red tree left on Cross Campus. In a couple of days the wind will have stripped this last one, too.
Walking down High Street today at twenty-five minutes past four, I noticed two people stop to take a photograph. Looked up. The low gothic buildings were already darkened, casting shadows over the sidewalk and street. But above that, one tower, lit up, the last of the sun turning the gray stones to bronze. Back on the ground, the light picked out the few colors of a late November afternoon -- the green shrubbery, the warm yellow-brown of fallen leaves.
There is only one red tree left on Cross Campus. In a couple of days the wind will have stripped this last one, too.
Sunday, November 02, 2003
Happy birthday, T.C.!
And thanks to all who came over to help us celebrate. :-D
And thanks to all who came over to help us celebrate. :-D
