Re: [school-discuss] Help in persuading

[Leon Brooks <leon@brooks.fdns.net>]

On Saturday 27 April 2002 08:39, Dave Prentice wrote:
> I have snuck in 2 Linux boxes to my school network, but I am
> concerned about what will happen when I try to get questions answered
> about connectivity. The school district got badly burned a few months
> ago with the Nimda virus, so they want all PCs to access the school
> network through the "Panda" antivirus filter. Since it only works for
> Windows, and since nobody in the district knows anything about Linux,
> they might try to make me take my machines offline. Does anyone have
> documentation showing that Linux (specifically RH 7.2) doesn't need
> anything like Panda to prevent virus spread?

Hmm, I can mail you a paper letter explaining that, and offering as evidence 
the fact that I support, directly or indirectly, hundreds of computers - none 
of the Linux boxes have ever succumbed to a virus, none of them have virus 
scanners (except the ones that scan mail, proxied web connections and SMB 
shares for Windows viruses to protect Windows machines) but the Windows boxes 
get them regularly, sometimes even when they're protected by *two* competent 
virus-scanning packages (one at the gateway and one on the box).

It should be pointed out strongly and starting now that practically 
*all*viruses*are*Microsoft*viruses* NOT `computer viruses' - even the 
application (macro) varieties. If Outlook, Office, IIS and IE never existed, 
much less than 0.1% of the viruses that we have now would be effective.

Call your enemy by its true name, always refer to `Microsoft viruses' and 
never `computer viruses'.

Cheers; Leon