[Foss-cafe] big storm in the cybersphere?

[Steven Hatfield]

I am a software developer for an insurance company.  Everyone at work 
in the IT department knows that I'm a GNU/Linux fan.  GNU/Linux is 
perfect for a server solution -- (relatively) easy to set up and rock 
solid once it gets set up.   Unfortunately, I work for a Windows shop, 
and it will likely remain that way.  At least until my manager gets 
tired of dealing with what I'm writing about in this email.

Last week we had a Windows 2000 Server that was going nuts -- 100% CPU 
load on random tasks -- it had completely lost its mind (if there is 
such a thing).  So one of the other developers reinstalled the OS from 
scratch, which took about a day to get set back up.

I came in this morning and the main info sec guy informed us that the 
server we had just installed was already hosed.  Explorer.exe had 
somehow gotten infected with a trojan, and Symantec A/V couldn't fix it 
-- just quarantine it.  Time to reinstall again!

What kills me is that every time something goes crazy in our software 
development efforts (Visual Studio's many bugs can certainly be 
challenging), one of the other developers always teases and says "I bet 
if it was Linux (pronouncing it "L-EYE-NICKS") it wouldn't be doing 
such-n-such!" -- with me knowing full well that he's just kidding 
around.

So what do I do when I'm standing there talking with this same 
developer about his soon-to-be-8-hours-of-wasted-time reinstalling this 
server?  I want to say "I bet if it was Linux (pronounced properly, 
sprinkled with the appropriate amount of love and affection), you 
wouldn't be spending another day installing this server!" -- but no... 
instead I bite my tongue because I'm better than that.  And he already 
knows it.

Here's the best part.  This developer (who is actually really cool, 
despite a complete lack of knowledge of the really cool stuff that is 
happening in the world of computers) and I attended a conference call 
with a developer from a 3rd party development house, to discuss some 
implementation details of some project we're working on.  Near the end 
of the call, the VP of our office asks the 3rd party developer "So 
where do you see this project that you are working on going in the 
future?".  And their response?  "We're checking out Linux and 
OpenOffice -- we believe that they will be very very big within the 
next couple of years!"  My manager immediately looked up at me and we 
exchanged a knowing glance.  He knows it's coming, and I think he's 
glad that I am there to help them prepare for it.

How's that for a "big storm in the cybersphere"?

-Steven


On Mar 25, 2004, at 2:04 PM, dep wrote:

> greets, folks!
>
> anybody know if this is a previously announced zombie trigger day?
> reason i ask is that my internet service went down this morning amid
> the kind of overload i haven't seen since code red. and i'm hearing
> here and there of dns problems.
>
> just wondering if this is fairly local or if we're getting ever closer
> to the big one. because one of these days, thanks to our friends in
> redmond, the internet is going to go down.
>
> (which does make what's generally perceived to be the *big* hammer, a
> virus or worm that nukes people's hard drives, or at least the hard
> drives of people running windows, seem like a public service by
> comparison. i mean, i can practically guarantee you that virtually all
> of the traffic i'm seeing on this branch of the system is zombie ddos
> stuff from windows boxen.)
> -- 
> dep
>
> the mind earns by doing. the heart earns by trying.
>
>
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