You windoze users

[AnimeSpirit]

Originally Posted by Pocahontas

It never ends either! I never know if I truly need to update my software or not?? It always seems like I just did. I'm probably good for around 10 years, but that won't stop the updates! They want me to spend spend spend!

Virus software must have regular updates because new viruses are being written all the time. It's a viral software war out there. If you don't put up the fence and keep up the maintenance on it, the bugs will get in.

Many virus software packages these days come with free updates. AVG is the best one I have seen. It gets regular updates and you can set the program to do its thing during the late hours of the evening while you're in bed. My computer gets updated and scanned every night and I never have to watch it happen.

As for you, LateNight, I'm sure there are far fewer viruses for Macs because fewer people use them. If everyone used Macs, there would be more people writing viruses to infect them. The virus software industry would then turn its guns on the Macintosh, and then Macs will require regular updating too.

[joepole]

1. You can turn off the virus warnings

2. Antivirus software is pretty useless/superfluous for competent users.

[rhertz]

Originally Posted by joepole

2. Antivirus software is pretty useless/superfluous for competent users.

I don't think the virus and spyware threats are influenced by the conpetency of the user nearly as much as where the user goes and what activities they engage in over the web. (warez, porn, downloads, free offers, etc.)

[joepole]

Those are the same thing.

[AnimeSpirit]

Originally Posted by joepole

2. Antivirus software is pretty useless/superfluous for competent users.

You actually have a point. I can clean my system by hand if needed. I normally use AVG though so I don't have to worry about it.

[joepole]

I have never in my life had to clean out spyware, a virus, a trojan, adware, or anything else similar on my own PC. I've also never installed a virus scanner on my own PC.

Why? Because I don't do stupid things like click on links in email messages or run ActiveX controls on sites I don't trust.

[rhertz]

Originally Posted by joepole

I have never in my life had to clean out spyware, a virus, a trojan, adware, or anything else similar on my own PC. I've also never installed a virus scanner on my own PC.

If you do any shopping online or researching via search engines, then I'm willing to bet that you are host to dozens of threats right now. Conversely if you ran adaware or spybot, etc., I seriously doubt it would come back with 0 threats found.

[AnimeSpirit]

True. At the very least, Ad-aware would find tracking cookies.

[joepole]

Tracking cookies are neither harmful nor dangerous.