(Editors Jody/Robbie: if you have to edit this, please don't publish it.
Thanks ...at least you'll have read it....)

This forum is not the place for this Internet stuff.

But I MUST respond to Larry Smith's article.

The Digest is for Mechanical Music people ... and I do not want them to
be broadsided by a biased article on a subject that is WAY off the mark
for this forum.

Larry states his opinions as if they're facts. They're just
opinions....his interpretations of facts.

I also have some strong interpretations of facts:

He has many of the details of the Explorer security problems "not exactly
correct".   I've been an Explorer Beta tester for two years. I know the
holes in the software. "Joe Average User" will *never* be hurt by them.
And, even those tiny security holes have been fixed. Go to
"www.microsoft.com/ie" for way more than you ever wanted to know about
security issues. Microsoft is not covering up...they are simply truly
boring in the details...and few Press people bother to really try to
understand the endless details as a whole. I've also been a Netscape Beta
site for a year. It also has had security holes. Again, nothing worth
mentioning. It's mainly a Press feeding frenzy...not an imminent threat
to users.  Both Internet Explorer and Netscape are very safe to use.  (A
determined hacker can still break either one....but they won't go after
YOU).

I take strong exception to Larry's attitude about Microsoft. I've never
worked for Microsoft. Neither do I hate them.  I do use just about every
software product they sell...because there's not much better out there.

Microsoft is simply the biggest kid on the block....(and perhaps,
competitively, the meanest. They can be mean to the competition, and some
of their earlier corporate licensing policies were harsh).

Their products perpetually win top-rating in practically every category
there is: word-processing, spreadsheet, database, development tools,
etc., etc., by practically any measure there is. In most cases they
"killed" their competition by the simple "ruse" of producing far better
software. Someday a Microsoft-killer application or system will come
along (remember IBM?)....  probably out of left field....

In my opinion: Linux is for computer professionals, only, as is the vast
majority of Unix systems. Very few non-computer people can sit down to a
Linux/Unix keyboard and simply edit and send a letter to their Mom
without going through a very, very steep learning curve.   Installing
Linux/Unix on a computer can be very difficult even for professionals.
Macintosh is the easiest to use...but most restrictive. (Apple has
committed business suicide , though, and well may not be around in 18
months.)  Win95 is too complicated...but it is absolutely everywhere...a
universal PC standard by default.

I agree with the positive comments about PGP (I should, I worked on it
and Nautilus, the voice encryption system).   But PGP works poorly with
current advanced word-processors and Email programs. Microsoft offers
high-level encryption, but it also is difficult to use. Excellent
high-level encryption is available with the Email Connection from
Connectsoft (www.connectsoft.com ), but it's not a standardized system.
Real, easy-to-use, world-wide standardized Email strong encryption is not
here yet.

Overall, MMD'ers:   Using the Internet for Browsing, Email, and even for
secure-site purchases is quite safe. You stand a much, much better chance
of getting your VISA/MasterCard number ripped off by a store or
restaurant than by *anyone* on the Internet.

As far as having your system trashed...it's possible....but improbable to
the level of nigh impossible. Don't worry....or, rather, worry if you
really want to.....but I worry much more about comets hitting my
home....or thunderclouds raining frogs....or whether the NSA can, or
would want to, crack my PGP keyset....

The above are my opinions. Facts and Truth are very elusive things.....

There are a *huge* number of security, hacker/cracker, conspiracy,
Microsoft -hater/lover, Linux, and Unix message forums out there. Use
them for this Internet stuff, please.

Please, let's use this forum for MMD functions...there's more than enough
to go through daily as it is.... thanks primarily to the efforts of Jody
and Robbie.

Regards,

Pat Mullarky¶
NW Computer Engineering¶
pat@nwce.com  www.nwce.com¶
206 451-7916   206-453-9699 fax

 [ Editor's Note:
 [
 [ As requested, I've let Pat's reply to Larry's not run, unedited.
 [ However, I'm going to make an editorial comment, and then ask
 [ that the discussion on this topic STOP.  If you want to
 [ discuss these issues further, I'll be happy to discuss them
 [ privately at "rollreq@foxtail.com".
 [
 [ First, I want to explain why we run "Internet Related" articles
 [ from time to time.  Many of our readers are not particularly
 [ computer literate.  Some are exploring the Internet, and
 [ some are experimenting with downloading files, and sometimes
 [ even programs to try out.  Since many of the Digest's subscribers
 [ would like to share more than text with other subscribers,
 [ Robbie and I have encouraged discussions of how to transfer
 [ files over the Internet.
 [
 [ I don't want to get into a "Microsoft Bashing" discussion.
 [ However it is a fact that while Unix (with roots in the early
 [ 70's) and some other operating systems evolved using memory
 [ management techniques which protected programs from each other,
 [ (and the operating system from faulty programs), both Microsoft
 [ and Apple developed operating systems which did not.  Historically
 [ those two operating systems evolved without memory management
 [ software because the cheap PC chips didn't have memory management.
 [ Today, all modern PC's have memory management capability, but the
 [ operating systems (DOS, Windows, Mac OS) still do not use the memory
 [ management capability to protect itself from errant programs.
 [ This makes viruses possible in PCs and Macs, and almost
 [ unheard of in the Unix community.
 [
 [ Other subtle security issues have come up.  With the exception
 [ of virus-infected executable programs which people download
 [ and run without virus checking them first, I agree that
 [ most of the security problems on the 'Net have not been
 [ of much interest to the average home computer user.
 [
 [ However, I do think its worthwhile to suggest to our
 [ readership that they do what they can to be cautious.  Back
 [ up your data.  Keep the backups somewhere physically
 [ separated from your PC (I use a safety deposit box at the bank).
 [ Virus check any program of unknown origin.  Update your
 [ software when bona-fide security problems are discovered.
 [
 [ I have read the published descriptions of the Internet Explorer
 [ security holes and agree that they are probably NOT
 [ a problem to most of our readers, but __I__ would get the
 [ corrected version if __I__ was using it. (I don't.  Like
 [ Pat, I use many Microsoft products, but its my personal
 [ choice to not use them when I don't have to.  I use and
 [ recommend Netscape Gold 3.01.  I use Intuit's Quicken
 [ instead of Microsoft Money, and I use Borland's C
 [ compiler for my PC-based software products.)
 [
 [ As for Linux, I'm sure that less than 5% of our readership
 [ are candidates.  However, for those that are, you get
 [ much more than virus-safe browsing.  You get a complete
 [ C language software development system.  You get the
 [ source code to all the utilities AND the operating
 [ system.  If you don't know what this means, than
 [ its not imporant to you.  If you do know what it means,
 [ its a big deal.  Again, I defer further discussions
 [ of this to the rollreq@foxtail.com address.
 [
 [ Sorry if I bored some of you!
 [ Jody