compulsory anti virus for internet users

Do you use anti-virus software? I don't.
Have you ever had problems with your computer because of a virus? I haven't, I have more problems with Anti Virus Software mucking me around.

Do you think the govenment will support this and fund it? I hope not!

Govt is considering banning users from internet unless they have AVS, I wouldn't be able to use the internet unless my computer was certified as having AVS. isn't that sh!t??

OMG, you're right, It's a conspiracy man! Virus's are probably also made by a$$holes who feel better about themselves for doing it but aren't man enough to drink beer, swear and beat their wives (that's sarcasm people). They are also used by dishonest people probing for account details etc.

Of course the Govt has checked with tiny-soft if they think it's a good idea, surprisingly enough most software companies think its a good idea.

I've never been dragged down and beaten by a virus, and don't personally know anyone who has.

Will apple users need to get antivirus software, Aren't they supposed to be virus free because of some software writing function.

Now look what's happened.... I'm ranting

Oh no, not again

^^^^ Little Snitch... a great little program... at times a bit annoying, but at least you are in control of what comes out of your computer...

Anyway, how would they enforce such a law anyway... as far as i know, anti-virus is software on the client side... even if they came up with a detection method for all ISPs to implement (which i guess would also be a challenge to do and manage), it would all be software based... it wouldn't be long before workarounds and patches came out to avoid any imposed restrictions due to the lack of A/V...

How can they make such a law workable?

I have a Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii and PS3. They all connect to the Internet and none of them have anti virus software on them.

Both my wife and I have Nokia phones that can connect to the Internet. Neither of them have anti virus software running on them.

I don't have one anymore but I believe some people use Amigas to browse the web. Are they expected to get antivirus software?

I too have a mac that I couldn't be bothered putting A/V software on and so far in 3 years no problems with viruses.

What about all the routers that are out there? They are effectively computers.

How would they develop systems to check whether your Internet enabled device is running A/V software? Something to break through your firewall and probe your system. First thing that will come out are ways to stop the probes.

Stupid, unworkable idea. If the government tries something like this it will cost heaps for very little return and will be a massive invasion of privacy. Why the hell should the government or an ISP know what software is on my computer?

Getting your computer attacked by a virus is a bit like catching the flu.
You can go years without catching one and then get two or three in one year.

My sister never had an antivirus on her computer for about 8 years.
She then rang me up and said it was running a bit slow and asked me to fix it.
I knew it didn't have an antivirus so I said it was probably full of viruses and worms and dung beetles and possibly even kangaroo ticks.
(Why not? What would she know?)

Anyway, I offered to pull the hard drive out and connect it to my machine and do a virus scan.
After more than 8 years on the internet, not even one virus!
It did have the usual truckload of tracking cookies and stuff that Norton finds and deletes every time it does a scan, just so that it can joyfully present the results to you with all the expectations of approval that your dog has when it drops the rotted out shell of a long dead bird or lizzard on the kitchen floor.
It was just running slow because the hard drive was chocka-block full.

Anyway, a bit later someone else was setting up their computer and asked if she should get an antivirus. I related what I just said above so she decided to just go with AVG, a free one off the internet.
A few months later the whole thing crashed because of some bug that AVG didn't pick up.
I put Norton on it and that fixed it up.
I run Norton on my compuda but I don't like it much.
I think it slows down access to some sites while it goes away and checks for birth certificates or a Standard and Poors rating or something.
I sometimes just give up.

AVG seems to work pretty well

Norton effectively IS a virus.

It
> pisses you off.
> makes your computer run slow
> costs money to fix
> causes unsightly pop ups

It's tragic that people upgrade their PC because it's full of crap and therefore runs slow rather than because it actually is too slow. My parents are considering swapping their PC because it's full of gunk.

It's not a conspiracy - just a slightly screwed up status quo that no-one is keen to fix. It is part of the Microsoft-norton-intel benefiting loop that no-one will do anything about - except maybe google with their chrome OS

Have used both AVG & Avast, currently using AVG because it found a virus that had slipped past Avast, and Avast also slows your PC down too much.

Not a very tech minded PC user, but I cleaned out some programs that were running high in my processes list & I found that Windows Defender caused the majority of the issues, so I got rid of it as well & my PC runs about 50% faster now.

XP can remove it through control panel or msconfig...Vista - disable it though msconfig (I think?).

Or download uninst - it tends to find alot of programs that don't show on uninstall in control panel.