[conspire] People failing to learn about package gatekeeping, part 1

[paulz at ieee.org]

 Like many people, there are some things not available on Linux.  This season TurboTax and HRBlock TaxCut come to mind.
So I somehow got  a subscription to McAffe Security.  Lately it's efforts at self promotion are becoming very annoying. I download a PDF from a source, it pops up a notice that it is checking the file "just to be safe".  Obviously this also wastes a few seconds.  Other times, I am busy typing something into a file and a message pops up telling me this or that about security.  Naturally this window also means a sentence or two that I typed didn't get into my file.  


    On Sunday, April 17, 2022, 12:22:46 PM PDT, Rick Moen <rick at linuxmafia.com> wrote:  
 
 Deliberately circumventing your distro's package regime is reckless.
People keep learning that the hard way (or, worse, never figuring it
out.



IMO, one significant if not dominant reason for this prevailing badness
is that most articles about malware are slightly adapted press releases
from antimalware companies.  The latter have zero incentive to help
end-users correctly understand security.  To the contrary, their best
interest is served by stirring up users about alleged and real threats
_without_ understanding them, therefore motivating them to buy
antimalware companies' goods and services.  And, with some honourable
exceptions, that's the way they express themselves, which is then
reflected very strongly in the IT press coverage that cribs from them
(which amounts to almost all IT press coverage).


  
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