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[Thief^]

Do you not consider your email login details sensitive? You'd be amazed at how many services can be broken into if you have someone's email login.

[Thief^]

As a final thing before I leave this Argument On The Internet^tm, I have been a professional software developer for years, have practised good security for longer, I've built a large number of my own PCs and servers, and I've still seen machines get infected with viruses. I don't have the ego to assume that I couldn't get infected just because I know what I'm doing.

[Siquo]

Ninja-edit: Final Thing? No, brother, I did not type all this for nothing!


Theoretically it's possible to get into my webmail through a keylogger. I'd know if you did, though, I own my own domain, and that domain is hosted by the hosting company I work for: I have physical access to the machines on which it all runs, and root access to all logs, DNS servers and mail-servers around it (Which I only do at work, not on the home-machine). Theoretically you could cancel my 3-euro-per-month mobile phone subscription. Maybe get into my steam account, that's about 20 games you could steal from me, most of which I don't play anymore. Other than that, not much you can do with my email... Tell my friends I like to suck cock on my facebook, perhaps.

You'd be amazed how little damage you can do with just an email address

Source: I've been a professional  software developer for 12+ years, work at a highly security-aware hosting provider, and have been infected only once by the Tequila virus, because some gaywad at computercamp in 1993 went around with a floppy putting it into everyone's computer. I don't think I won't get infected, I just make sure it's not that big of a deal if I do

[Thief^]

I've also only been infected by one virus, Code Red (on a Windows Server 2003 IIS webserver from yonks ago), though the machines antivirus caught it and removed it before I knew about it. My AV scanner has picked up more in downloads I've done over the years (although I'm not stupid enough to run a an exe I'm not expecting so they likely wouldn't have actually infected my pc even if I didn't have AV). However I use the fact that I *have* been infected before as a reason to always run an AV.

Microsoft's AV is both free and uses very little system resources, there's no excuse not to run it. I bet you couldn't even benchmark a difference in your games between running it and not.

And now I really am going.

[Siquo]

Then I'll probably install it. Thanks for the tip!

[Tellemurius]

As a final thing before I leave this Argument On The Internet^tm, I have been a professional software developer for years, have practised good security for longer, I've built a large number of my own PCs and servers, and I've still seen machines get infected with viruses. I don't have the ego to assume that I couldn't get infected just because I know what I'm doing.

my major study project was how infections were going around people. Here was some interesting things: most infections come through installed adware that you allowed without knowing, pron doesn't get you much infected as coupons these days, pirating only bones you if you don't know the source, google does a good job of sorting out the dumbshit but you search up obvious targets (free money/pron) and you got a target on your back. Now as the saying goes "you can't fix stupid" these problems will never go away but since i know which vectors to avoid my chances of infection are near zero. You may be a professional software developer but im doing a dual degree on Comp Sci: Networking and IT Security, security is my field and is my life. im the guy that searches through all of the system paths and registry to find the infected files and remove them safely. I still download, still pirate, still watch porn, still bank, and still post in this forum and nothing is wrong.
It does happen, i seen customers computers that have on through the ages and have no infections, cause they practiced safe surfing and know what the hell is going on.

[miauw62]

That last sentence is a bit how i feel.
I can't remember the last virus i had. My brother had a browser hijacker that i managed to remove, but i only remember false positives (minecraft, something with a SNES emulator i removed) for me.

[GlyphGryph]

It turns out is LITERALLY impossible to buy Windows 8. They will only sell an actual copy to corporate customers and OEMs.

So there's that - You can turn the version you purchase at a store into a full version, but it requires a call to tech support - took me a little more than half an hour. It is not available for retail sale, so don't even try - just expect frustration.

Also, it sucks, so there's that too. Other "gotchas" - Capitalization is important. It is impossible to do a search without caps, BUT every word is capitalized, so make sure you always search with caps or nothing will come back.

[Tellemurius]

It turns out is LITERALLY impossible to buy Windows 8. They will only sell an actual copy to corporate customers and OEMs.

So there's that - You can turn the version you purchase at a store into a full version, but it requires a call to tech support - took me a little more than half an hour. It is not available for retail sale, so don't even try - just expect frustration.

Also, it sucks, so there's that too. Other "gotchas" - Capitalization is important. It is impossible to do a search without caps, BUT every word is capitalized, so make sure you always search with caps or nothing will come back.

wait a minute is this you purchasing a upgrade from them?

[GlyphGryph]

Upgrades are literally all they sell. They will NOT sell you a full copy. You can purchase an upgrade, and then call tech support to upgrade it to a full copy after installation.

I don't even pretend to understand this process, this is as explained to me by tech support when I called because I couldn't finish Activation.

[Tellemurius]

Upgrades are literally all they sell. They will NOT sell you a full copy. You can purchase an upgrade, and then call tech support to upgrade it to a full copy after installation.

I don't even pretend to understand this process, this is as explained to me by tech support when I called because I couldn't finish Activation.

yea they are kinda jackasses on the licenses, did you know there are over 23 different licenses of Windows 8?
OEM and Retail are considered full installations

[GlyphGryph]

Only certain kinds of retail. And the one's you can buy in stores like Best Buy and Target are not that kind. Only corporate customers, apparently, can purchase retail copies of the full version.

[Tellemurius]

Only certain kinds of retail. And the one's you can buy in stores like Best Buy and Target are not that kind. Only corporate customers, apparently, can purchase retail copies of the full version.

yea im sticking with OEMs for the rest of my life :/
Upgrade is only beneficial if you dont want to reinstall your stuff but its not worth the damn hassle to get it working.

[Siquo]

I build my own machines, so I don't have OEMs... Maybe I can pretend to upgrade my GF's laptop and then secretly install it to my desktop? How does that even work?

A friend got me a CoD:BO2 steam code (not my cup of tea but they can entertain me for a few hours at least), turns out after downloading megagigs of game that I can't run that on XP either. 

[Starver]

I build my own machines, so I don't have OEMs...

Not done that (for myself) since XP times, for various reasons[1], but back then I bought a processor (also a motherboard and HDD, which might have also counted, plus the case and various optical/floppy drives, which probably didn't; but I've forgotten the exact details) that allowed me to buy the OEM version license alongside these.  Is this not still the case?

(Trouble is, when it comes to Seven, I'm more used to "refurbisher" licenses, as the most cost-effective type for the eventual users.  Although for a personal machine I'd probably wish the freedom of a personal OEM, or whatever else would allow me to go "sod it, let's wipe and re-install" with the least difficulty.)


[1] Including taking over and heavily refitting OEM-licensed machines from other sources and re-installing from scratch using the OEM licence key I have.