TheXerox
join:2002-04-05
Iowa
| reply to CatSnak
Re: Go figure...
I certainly hope they find a way to define it and soon. I do tech support for an ISP and I get a couple of spyware calls every day. It's made worse by the ever changing tactics these morons who create the spyware use (ie: hacking the hosts file, editing the registry, re-installing the spyware as someone is uninstalling it, etc). IMO, this would be a law which is long overdue but one which will be welcomed by myaself and many other techs. |
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Omega
Displaced Ohioan
Premium
join:2002-07-30
Cheyenne, WY
clubs:  | I help my freinds out with their computers, and spyware is the #1 thing that screws their computers up.
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"The doctor's X-Rayed my head and found nothing" |
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CatSnak
RIP Splashy - We miss you
Premium
join:2001-05-06
Lakeside, CA
| Yeah same here. Every time I get a call from someone with problems and I sit down at their PC to figure out there is almost always a *hit load of spyware or some such crap installed on it and they aren't even aware of it.
I have to give credit to one of my friends though. She isn't a PC guru but she knew enough to tell me that it was there she just didn't know how to get rid of it.
Thank god for Ad-aware. 
--
Former Director of Communications for the Crunchenstein Project
Join Us at Team Starfire
Join the BBRBF clan |
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LordMalak
join:2003-07-02
Brazil
|  reply to TheXerox
If I could have legislation my way simply because I'm a tech, i would go like this:
1. Anyone considering buying a PC would have to take a proficiency test, much like a driving exam. Oonly licensed computer users would be able to purchase a PC, thus reducing several problems commonly associated with viruses, DDOS attacks, etc.
2. Such proficiency test would include an IQ test. (low score, no PC).
3. All PCs would come with PC Anywhere pre-installed so techs could easily access a customer's PC for troubleshooting purposes, thus saving thousands of hours in troubleshooting time, increasing ROI, and reducting costs.
4. All judges, lawyers, DA's, politicians et al. would be subject to a PC proficiency test before engaging in any case or making any legislation involving PCs, Internet, and technology in general.
5. If you were smart enough to pass the proficiency test above and opted to buy a Mac, you should also be smart enough to realize that only about 5% of computer users have Macs, and fix it yourself.
5a. If you have an old Mac, you'd be forced to upgrade to OSX or be incarcerated and read Bill Gates' "The Road Ahead" 5 times over.
6. Learn that you'll need to contact different technical support lines, just like we need different doctors. Netopia tech support won't be able to do squat about replacing your Seagate hard drive.
7. Users would be humble, regardless of how many years of experience, Ph.D's, and IT certs they possess, and never assume they know more than the tech reps. If they did, they wouldn't be calling to begin with.
8. Users would not threaten to switch to another brand, cancel service, return equipment etc. hoping to scare techs. Techs are not salespeople. Techs get paid by the hour and could care less about what you do with your PC.
9. Users would be happy to be put on hold, because there are real reasons that techs do so. A tech who keeps customers on hold for too long is frowned upon by management big time. Everyone in a call center strives to keep hold times short.
10. Finally, users would understand that arguing with a tech is like mud wrestling with a pig. After a while, you realize the pig actually enjoys it.
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SBC DSL Tech Support. |
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biobob
join:2003-09-04
Bayside, NY | HAHA! Thats good stuff. I work in tech support, and I agree completly! |
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PinkySuavo
join:2001-08-23 | reply to LordMalak
Haha! You'll be out of a job then ;o |
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x____
join:2003-02-13
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clubs:
| reply to TheXerox
Not only is it annoying but it can stop the PC from working.
I had several calls from users who could not access the Internet anymore. Tried several browsers and none would work but they would ping to IPs. No FTP no Telnet, no HTTP.
DNS was working and they had proper IPs.
Reinstalled the first PC like that because it was the only way I could get it to work.
I was finally able to find out the problem though.
A registry key that was supposed to point to Wsock32 was pointing to newdotnet.dll
If anyone is interested, I'll dig up the exact location of the key. I exported the reg key to a file that's on another hard drive. |
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