Computer Virus Protection
I was writing computer programs in the late 1960s, and by the 1970s I had my first personal computer.
The internet has become very useful (some would say essential) within the last 5 or 10 years. The internet has exposed a real dark side of humanity. Why are there so many hackers, and so many people trying to cause random pain and destruction to people who have done noting to harm them? Not to mention all the crooks and scam artists who are constantly trying to get their hands on your money or steal your identity.
Over the years I have had experience with several different software packages which attempt to protect one’s computer from these depredations. I currently have Norton installed on one of my machines and McCafee on another. For a few years I used Norman. As far as I can tell they each do a good job of stopping viruses from infecting your computer.
Both of my current suppliers of virus protection charge around $50- per year to provide “protection.” And both are engaged in a practice which I consider highly questionable ethically. Once you buy into their “protection” you are automatically renewed each year. You are not easily allowed to opt-out of this automatic renewal by either of these large providers. I am sure that there are lots of dead computers laying in the trash heap or stored away in the back of people’s closets that have up to date virus protection which is automatically being charged to their credit cards each year.
Visualize a small business owner in New York City who has to pay the mafia for “protection.” This is a racket.
On the PC which uses McCafee I have shut off their child protection feature. I am an adult, I do not have children, and I have no desire to allow someone to censor my web surfing. This is the kind of stuff they do in China. But because I have shut off the child protection feature, McCafee puts a very prominent red X on the screen and continues to warn me that I am not adequately protected. This is like condoms. I no longer carry a rubber in my wallet. I have reached that age where I no longer have sex with other people. Since I do not own a condom some would say that I am not properly protected, but to them I would say Hogwash.
The government authorities should provide citizens with protection from criminals and bad guys automatically. That is their job. Thanks to years of deregulation and the constantly reiterated lie that government is the problem, not the solution, the authorities do not have the resources to provide this type of “protection” so they now just shut their eyes to it.
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