🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <581@ztivax.UUCP> hack@ztivax.UUCP (Gerald Hackenberg) writes:
>
>Computer ANIMALIES
>
>I'd like to propose a new (?) term for all that kind of
>weirdness striking our computer systems: "computer animalies".
>It should combine _anomly_ = abnormal behaviour as well as
>_animals_ = worms, trojan horses, viruses, bugs and so on.

(Much following deleted.)

I'm assuming Mr. Hackenberg was serious in this article.... I saw no funny
faces!

Seems to me his proposed terminology would only serve to further confuse the
issue.  Users are all too willing as it is to blame the slightest abnormal
behavior that they experience on their personal computer on some new virus.
The proposed use of the term "animalies" would only further blur the
distinction in the minds of users.  This despite the proposed classification
of "animalies."  (The typical user would _not_ bother to carefully classify
the "animalies" he observes.)

We need to work in the other direction: to educate users towards
distinguishing "normal" bugs form true viruses, etc.  Usage of "animalies"
would be counterproductive in achieving this.

Jim

-- 

Jim Macak  <lakesys!macak@csd1.milw.wisc.edu>