[nflug] RE: Copy of Red Hat 7.2

[David W. Aquilina]

On Tue, Dec 06, 2005 at 08:01:27PM -0800, ptgoodman wrote:
> I'm sorry that your latest versions of Linux and Linux applications are
> so deficient as to be unable to handle my simple Email with an
> underlined character.

It's not a matter of software being able to handle it. HTML e-mail is considered to be rude and wasteful among all of the technical circles which I count myself a member of - including other LUGs. It obfuscates the text of the message and generally causes the composer to spend more time considering the font, colors, and decorations which adorn their text rather than the text itself. It also provides less worthy e-mail clients and less clueful users more opportunities to open themselves to vulnerabilties and breaches of privacy. Not an optimal situation when simple text is sufficient. 

> I'm only trying to help someone else in this UG so you needn't read my
> post(s) regarding the early version of Red Hat Linux. I use an Apple
> computer for Email correspondence. Apple OS X *****is***** invulnerable

No operating system is invulnerable, nor is any computer (aside from the one which is turned off, disconnected from everything and entombed in a block of concrete. Apple has released a large number of security errata for each release they ship. I know as I use OSX myself. 

> and has yet to be compromised, whatever compromised means.

Spammers and black hats take advantage of systems which have flaws allowing them to be remotely controlled to take over the system and use it to send spam or launch attacks against other systems. The vast majority of victims are not even ware their system has been taken over. This very well could include you or I or anyone else on this list. 

> seem that you are a greater threat to the Linux community, the
> Internet, and all living things on earth, than me or my computer. It is
> a matter of when ( not if ) your system becomes compromised. Further,
> it seems unreasonable to dictate to others what version of Red Hat
> Linux they should use.

It is not responsible to allow someone to use a piece of software (a rather critical piece as far as operation of a computer is concerned) when you are aware that it is easily compromised with nary a mention of better alternatives. 

While I'm certainly biased towards Red Hat and Fedora, I'd happy suggest someone use an up to date version of Ubuntu, or Debian, or one of the BSDs, or even Solaris instead of seeing them contribute towards the deluge of spam that every one of us sees on the internet. Unless you enjoy spam, in which case I'd be happy to bounce every single piece of it I receive to you. 

> If you want to argue about something neither of
> us really cares about, please Email me directly. Others shouldn't be
> further troubled with this non-issue.<br>

Please do not presume to know what I do and do not care about. I believe that computer security should be a high priority to any knowledgable and responsible community. Like it or not, this LUG is a community and you cannot arbitrarily decide what is and is not an apropos discussion. 

--
David W. Aquilina
david at starkindler.us
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