Very much in the path of Morgan Spurlock in the “Super Size Me” documentary about an exclusive McDonald’s diet and Giles Coren and Sue Perkins in the recent “The Supersizers Go...”, anti-virus developer McAfee gathered up a number of volunteers from ten countries to play the role of internet un-savvy guinea pigs in a pioneering experiment around spam emails for 30 days.The parameters of the experiment would include a brand new laptop with a basic McAfee anti-virus software given to the 50 participants instructed to browse the net to their liking. For documentation purposes, all participants were requested to create and daily update an online diary so as to record their experiences and thoughts as the experiment progressed. In the end the overall impact of spam would be evident, countable and easily shared with the rest of the world.
Eventually by the end of the 30-day experiment the 50 participants, who in the end of the experiment got to keep the infected laptops as a reward for their hassle, shared 104,000 unsolicited messages - more than 70 a day each. That not being the worst effect, they witnessed their laptops’ day-by-day degradation followed by numerous crashes.
Amazing, just goes to show that the spammers are always miles ahead of any anti-virus software.
ReplyDeleteThey also have the ability to penetrate the vulnerable Windows operating system.
The laptops are a treat though. you simply re-format them and watch which internet waves you are surfing this time. :)
Well said busydude! Thx for reading.
ReplyDelete