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                            Aspirin for computers

Difference of expectations.

Not once in nearly 20 years of computing have any of my computers received a
virus. Oh sure, I captured and disassembled a few computer virii during an
outbreak at FAU (Florida Atlantic University) [1] in 1988 (and I still have
the disks—amusing to think they might still work after all this time) but an
actual outbreak on any system I've owned?

Nope.

So it was rather surprising to find Spring [2] installing Norton Anti-Virus
[3] on the system we both share.

[So how do I shut this crap off?] [4]But Spring has had the rather
unfortunate experience of having her computer infected with a virus. And she
was installing Norton because she was scared of what would happen if I found
the computer infected. I have to remind myself it's the thought that counts,
because afterwards, I found the computer nearly unusable (and I was
definitely being too snarky over this).

I have a hard time wrapping my brain around the fact that a 2.2 GHz
(Gigahertz) machine can feel slow. But that's what happened after Norton was
installed.

And it started pimping for Microsoft Passport for some odd reason, and tossed
in the Microsoft Messenger in the system tray, which is damn impossible to
turn off because, and I quote:

> There are other applications currently using features provided by Windows
> Messenger. You must close these other applications before you can exit
> Windows Messenger. These applications may include Outlook, Outlook Express,
> MSN Explorer, and Internet Explorer.
>

Lord knows what's using it, because Outlook, Outlook Express, MSN Explorer or
Internet Explorer sure aren't running, as far as I can tell. I got it to shut
up about getting Passport, but that's about it.

And did I mention the system feels sluggish?

It's the thought that counts.

That, and I can disable Norton, which seems to help.

[1] http://www.fau.edu/
[2] http://www.springdew.com/
[3] http://www.symantec.com/smallbiz/nav/
[4] gopher://gopher.conman.org/IPhlog:2004/01/29/pimp.dot.net.passport.png

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