[OPLINTECH] OPLINTECH Digest, Vol 95, Issue 9

Tue Sep 17 22:24:52 EDT 2013

LOL! Ok semantics then! You said "virus-free" and I translated that to the
more general "malware". When dealing with my libraries, I've long since
stopped trying to clarify "virus" vs "spyware" vs "adware" vs "trojan" vs
"root kit" etc. I still think of them independently, but don't bother
trying to explain the differences to anyone. I just refer to the whole lot
as "malware". They don't care. They just want their computer to work.

I did the unthinkable. I assumed! (Arghh!) Since I haven't seen a true
virus on *any* platform in many years, I assumed you weren't specifically
talking about true viruses and really meant malware in general. Ya got me.
LOL!

That article you linked to could absolutely be true. There very well may
not be any currently known viruses that spread via MacOS (OS X, anyway). In
fact, I'm not sure I've heard of any real *nix-based viruses at all. The
only OSes that I'm completely certain have had viruses developed for them
are Windows and DOS. I also think AmigaOS may have had some back in the
day, too, but not as certain on that one. Pretty sure MacOS (pre-OS X) had
them too. True viruses aren't really all that popular any more...They
haven't really been the best way to spread for quite a few years now.
Nowadays, I think you're much more likely to get malware dropped via
infected websites. Also, gone are the days when it was obvious you had
something nasty in your computer. You don't see the rampant messages
popping up everywhere with porn or what-have-you. Now, stealth is all the
rage. That's where the real money is. The larger the botnet you command,
the more money you can make. When the malware code is poor and obvious, it
gets removed faster. When it's sophisticated, stealthy, and doesn't
interfere with the operation of the computer...it doesn't get
noticed/removed as quickly. Then, of course, you have the state-sponsored
malware....a class all by itself. Good luck with that one!

I like your ideas about being cloud-centric. I've been experimenting with a
Google-based environment for myself for almost a year now. No matter what I
do, though, I still can't seem to completely cut that umbilical cord to a
Windows OS. I keep trying to imagine a patron configuration that would work
in all situations and I just can't do it yet without running on a Windows
OS. Take your example where most public access patrons are interested in
web browsing and not so much the OS. A linux kiosk fits the bill. But that
doesn't work for all patrons that cruise the Internet. Monday, I was
watching some teens playing around on the computers...They ended up playing
Roblox, which requires a Windows platform. So we can't just switch all
Internet stations to linux kiosks without excluding those patrons that
still require a Windows platform...and now the staff have to support or at
least be aware of (which is often bad enough) two different OSes. (Yeah, I
know lots of libraries are already supporting multiple OSes, but the goal
here is to simplify, right?)

I think (hope!) we'll get to a cloud-based everything eventually. It's
going to be bumpy getting there, though! Google Apps, Microsoft's Office
Web Apps will definitely help in this arena. Keep an eye on ChromeOS and
the Chrome browser itself, too. Some very interesting things going on there
and hints of more to come.

It's late, and I think I'm rambling. If I've completely missed the point
and gone off on my own little tangent, I apologize!!! Just ignore me and
I'll wander off muttering into a corner somewhere.  :-)

______________________________
*Chad Neeper*
Senior Systems Engineer

*Level 9 Networks*
740-548-8070 (voice)
866-214-6607 (fax)

*Full LAN/WAN consulting services -- Specialized in libraries and schools*

On Tue, Sep 17, 2013 at 12:09 PM, Tim Burns <tim.burns at birchard.lib.oh.us>wrote:

> Unfortunately- this is exactly the conversation about Windows 8. Most of
> our public access patrons are interested in web browsing-- not so much the
> OS or any productivity tools. If I keep current, should I expect my public
> service staff also to keep current? (who's going to tell them ;) ).
>
> Thinking about software, I'd rather ask a user to login to an online
> account (google) and save documents in the cloud- for further reference.
> They don't require any high end word processing functionality. Are we not
> doing them a service by promoting/providing cloud-based computing?
>
> Further we some training here... (a la ECO or Broadband initiatives....)
> many libraries have been involved with this. Same question, why not take
> advantage of Google Apps, for example.
>
> So "yes", if there are libraries that have moved away from the travails of
> windows- that's what I'm looking to model.
>
> "Virus-free" is a correct assertion, as far as viruses in the wild. (
> http://guides.macrumors.com/Mac_Virus/Malware_FAQ ) Is this information
> inaccurate?
>
> Tim
>
> Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 15:34:49 +0000
> From: Greg Syferd <GSyferd at columbuslibrary.org>
>
> I agreed with Chad on this topic.  I'm a die hard Mac user, but in no way
> would I say they are the best tool for the job.  The majority of customers
> are going to be familiar with Windows and I don't see that changing any
> time soon.  Additionally, what's public service staff's ability to answer
> technical questions?  Are they comfortable with learning a new technology?
>
> Tim, I think you were onto something with your original statement, which I
> would encourage you to further explore.  All systems have a cost of
> ownership associated with them.  That's something that should weigh heavily
> into your decision.
>
> My experience has shown that *nix systems may not have a large capital
> cost.  However, they require expertise to stay on top of things, and there
> is constant volatility in the development community that could affect long
> term support of products.  Macs certainly have a larger capital investment,
> but you can get long life from them.  However, the cost of integration with
> other services is likely to be steep.  I think we all know about Windows
> and it's travails.
>
> My advice, don't make a decision just based on maintenance, virus
> experiences, etc.  Whenever you insert a new tech into your environment, be
> sure you've analyzed all the other systems/services that could be impacted.
>
> Good luck!
>
> Greg.
>
>
> On Sep 16, 2013, at 9:24 AM, Chad Neeper <cneeper at level9networks.com
> <mailto:cneeper at level9networks.com>> wrote:
>
> First and foremost, while *nix is generally more hardened than Windows,
> don't think "virus-free" is a correct or safe assertion. ...for either
> Apple devices or GNU/Linux devices. *nix-based devices can be attacked just
> as Windows-based devices are. It's simply economies of scale and
> cost/benefit. As *nix devices become more prevalent, they become more and
> more of an attractive target. We're already starting to see that in android
> (which is based on a Linux kernel, which is a variant of GNU, which could
> be thought of as a FOSS version of Unix). We've also seen it on the Apple
> OS X platforms (based upon Unix). So always take appropriate measures!
>
> That being said, I'm also using free open source Linux-based platforms
> where I can get away with it:  back-end servers (file/http/ftp/mail/etc
> servers), network perimeter firewalls, and single-purpose kiosk-type
> computers (web kiosk/catalog-only computers).  For the most part, though,
> the user-facing computers still remain Windows-based computers. Windows is
> what the staff/patrons/schools/community still seem to want the most from
> the libraries I work with. I'd be happy to put more Linux-based user-facing
> computers in, but we just don't quite seem to be there yet, on a wider
> scale.
>
> 2 cents,
> Chad
>
>
>
> ______________________________
> Chad Neeper
> Senior Systems Engineer
>
> Level 9 Networks
> 740-548-8070 (voice)
> 866-214-6607 (fax)
>
> Full LAN/WAN consulting services -- Specialized in libraries and schools
>
>
> On Fri, Sep 13, 2013 at 7:02 PM, Tim Burns <tim.burns at birchard.lib.oh.us
> <mailto:tim.burns at birchard.lib.oh.us>> wrote:
> Dear Braintrust,
>
> Are there any OPLIN libraries that have moved away from (or not been there
> to start with) Microsoft Windows? In light of the virus-free MacOS, and
> inexpensive Linux and derivatives, it would make sense to give
> consideration.  (At a Clevnet Tech meeting -- folks (Wayne County I think)
> were explaining some of the linux kiosk software and other utilities they
> use.)
>
> Sincerely,
> --
>
> Tim Burns
> Birchard Public Library
>
>
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