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North American Network Operators Group Date Prev | Date Next | Date Index | Thread Index | Author Index | Historical Re: Microsoft XP SP2 (was Re: Lazy network operators - NOT)
I agree. 90% users CAN NOT UPDATE. How? - (1) updates are too big to be diownloaded by modem , which fail every 20 - 40 minutes (which is common in many countries); - (2) if you connect to Internet for update, you are infected by virus much faster than you install update. I saw it. Home user install Win2K, then connect to internet to get update... and catch virus. > > ** Reply to message from Drew Weaver <[email protected]> on Mon, > 19 Apr 2004 13:42:53 -0400 > > > -- Jeff said -- > > > > > > Patches either need to be of a size that a dialup user doesn't have to > > be dialed in for 24 hours to download and install them. Or .iso's > > should be available for ISP's to download, turn into CD's and > > distribute as appropriate. Wouldn't that be nice for a dialup user - > > getting Windows Update on a CD-ROM from their ISP? > > > > To which I reply: > > > > It is somewhat unreasonable to think that ISPs should be responsible > > for the security of its users' systems on a systematic basis. > > Responsible? No. > Able to assist in maintaining that security (and thus that of the ISP's > network)? Yes. > > >Another reason > > the idea of a 'CD with updates' most likely wouldn't be effective is because > > by the time the ISP produced the CD, the user got the CD, and installed it, > > the patches would most likely not be the most recent available. > > I can burn a CD from ISO in about 5 minutes - how about you? > I'm talking about XP users who haven't even updated as far as SP1. > Win98 users who have never run an update in their life... > Win2k users are usually the most patched up that I've seen - because > that went into mostly business environments. > This would at least get them up to the level of the playing field, > where the routine updates are not as much of a hassle. Sure, you'll > get the little old ladies and gentlemen who will drop by every month > for their service pack fix, but that's just customer service. > > > Also, do you > > realize how much the 'average technical school graduate type' makes just > > from acquaintances who complain that their computers are slow, by simply > > removing whatever "flavor of the month backdoor spam proxy virus" > > Ah, now you are talking about why I happily promote Ad-Aware and > Spybot. > > >I bet a > > good number of 'tech service calls' that companies such as PC On Call and > > people who service residences get could've been avoided by patching in a > > reasonable time period. > > And your problem with the local ISP having this stuff available for > their users is? > > > However, awhile ago we tried an idea of sending out E-Mail alerts to > > our customers whenever a critical update of "Remote execution" or worse was > > released. We found that most of our users were annoyed by this, a different > > time we used a network sniffing tool to find a few dozen handfuls of your > > average home Dial-Up users who were infected with various malicious agents > > (I.e. Nimda, et cetera) and we actually contacted those users, to let them > > know and again we were met with more hostility. > > You definitely don't have our customers then. Our usually appreciate > being told that their systems are screwed up. > > > From this interesting pattern I would surmise that users want their > > ISPs to be hands-off unless the problem that they're causing is effecting > > them directly. End users on the Internet see their connectivity as a right, > > and not a privilege. I remember when I was 13 (that was only 11 years ago) > > Some of ours are like that. Most seem to realize their limitations and > are happy to know that at some level we are looking out for them. BTW, > for me 13 was many more years ago than that... RTM wasn't even in > college yet, I imagine. > > > and I signed up for my Freenet account at the Columbus Public Library (I > > believe it was, ? still is? Through OSU), they really made me feel like it > > was a privilege to be using the Internet, and I honored that. > > Dial-up, or using their systems at the library? And you weren't paying > for the privilege, at least not directly. > > > Its just difficult to explain from a professional level what the effects > > these peoples' behavior (or lack there of) is having on the rest of the > > community. Think of it like people who drive monster SUV's, they can afford > > the gas, and the insurance so they don't believe that the harm that these > > beasts do to our environment matter, because again its their god given right > > to drive them. > > > That's a whole 'nuther horse to kill there. > -- > Jeff Shultz > Network Technician > Willamette Valley Internet
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