[OT] links in posts

From: Howard (alicebt_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 07/23/04 

Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 22:06:40 GMT

"Me" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message news:2mar2uFkjci5U1@uni-berlin.de...
> Howard wrote:
>
> > Why, I think I'll just click on this here little link to a zip file!
> > Surely, nothing BAD could happen... :-O
>
> Does just clicking on it activate the virus? I thought you had to
> unzip the stuff inside and execute the contents?
>
>
>

It depends. I think that it's possible to have archives automatically
opened when downloading them, in which case you're hosed as soon as it
downloads. But otherwise, you're probably right. Of course, once it's on
your hard drive, you may forget what it is and someday accidently open it,
and again you're hosed.

However, I'd never cliick on *any* suspect link, mainly because Windows is
so often compromised that a new virus that uses a "known flaw" in the OS
could easily reside on the linked-to page that is not yet protected by my
anti-virus software. Not to mention interminable pop-ups!

And you also want to be sure, if you *do* follow a "suspect" link, that you
check the message source to be sure the link goes where it *appears* to go.
Sometimes what you see is NOT what you get!

But, my original response was really just sarcasm/humor, on the assumption
that the folks in these language newsgroups are smart enough to know not to
follow such an obviously fake link.

-Howard

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