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.
[3] http://www.symantec.com/smallbiz/nav/
![[4] /boston/2004/01/29/pimp.dot.net.passport.png](/gemini.conman.org/boston/2004/01/29/pimp.dot.net.passport.png){kind=link}