Kaaza Virus Warning

[Senor Capper]

Both Kaaza & Kazza Lite.



The name: W32.Elem.Trojan

The slueths at Symantec Corps Norton anti-virus shop have traced it to the "wildy dangerous" Web based Kaaza file-swapping system.

When acquired over Kaaza,W32.Elem.Trojan overwrites key system files in computers with empty files.
This disables all kinds of functions, including elements called DLLs (dynamic link libraries) that handle things like recognizing hardware such as your CD & floppy drives.
So you need to remove the virus then reinstall the operating system.

Luckily the "bug" doesn't affect BIOS (thank GOD) or basic boot up settings so you can start the computer from the Windows CD and do the cleanup by reinstalling the op sys files.

To remove the virus you want to go to the Symantec Web site for instructions and use the virus name as a search term.

On the plus side peer-to-peer systems can be used to share files legitimately and are welcome tools for doing that.

Mostly, though, they're piracy hotbeds and virus breeding grounds :scared

 

[TheShrimp]

Now, this would be a great way for the record companies to respond.

Keep it out of the courts.

Stop suing college kids.

Just infect the hell out of peer-to-peer sites.

If file swapping is going to be their battle, then fight them on that battleground.

I have no sympathy for anyone who gets infected over kazaa.

 

[Blitz]

I have no sympathy for anyone who gets infected over kazaa.

 

[SixFive]

I have no sympathy for anyone who gets infected over kazaa.

But you do have sympathy for Larry Eustachy? Interesting.

 

[Stuman]

Apple just released a new form of downloading music. It is a new version of itunes which lets you browse for music right from the player itself. Supposedly, they have partnered up with the "big 5" in the music industry (BMG, Sony, etc) and have come up with a legal solution that most ppl should like. 99 cents per song or 9.99 per album. No it's not free, but it's reliable (unlike kazza et al) and is hosted on a very fast connection. A friend of mine purchased a song last night with a cable modem connection and the download took about 10 seconds. (3.8 mb) All music is professionally ripped so you don't have to worry about incomplete songs or corrupted songs (again, unlike kazza). You also can get a 30 second preview of any song you want before downloading. Supposedly the develpers of this system have been working on it for the past 18 months. I think they nailed it - it is extremely cool! I think this will be huge. Unfortunately, it is only available for Macs right now. But, they plan to have a Windows version of itunes by the end of the year. If you know anyone with a Mac, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

Here is a link.


Stuman

 

[DR STRANGELOVE]

I have no sympathy for anyone who gets infected over kazaa.

:nono:

That is harsh, but each to their own!


Cheers,

 

[TheShrimp]

Huge difference, SixNine. Eustachy went out and is getting shit for having a good time. These kazaa downloaders are getting shit for stealing music.

I got no sympathy for someone going to a site to avoid paying for music who then gets infected. It's like feeling bad for a bank robber who puts his gun in the back of his pants and shoots himself in the ass.

And if they come knocking because I got a stack of burned CD's at home, don't have any sympathy for me.

 

[SixFive]

not a big difference, shrimp, in both cases, Kazza users and Eustachy both must be responsible for and reap the punishment for their actions. There's a whole lot wrong with Eustachy's actions. I just thought it was comical that you were taking the "high road" on this Kazaa issue knowing your views on lots of other things. Also, it's SixFive, not SixNine. I didn't call you FiveFour did I, shrimp?

 

[shamrock]

shrimp, I hear your point, but with all due respects I disagree. As someone who used to go to 20 + live shows per year, and own literally thousands of albums, cassettes, cds, I no longer hold sympathy for any of these so called "artists".

In the last 5-7 years this industry has gone crazy, and the American public "fans" are the people getting screwed. Not to many "artists" seem to mind bending over the public and jamming it up their ass. Have you seen the price of some of these tours? Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, Aerosmith etc. etc., $150-300 for a single ticket for a 2 hour show?? Are you kidding me?? Who's stealing from whom?

As I said previously, I have supported the music industry for years, Hell all my life. But what goes around comes around, you reap what you sew. all of a sudden every has been that had a hit or 2 commands $200 a ticket, are you kidding? Every "artist" has to be a multi millionaire?? Hell I went to all the big music summer festivals around in the 80s, maybe $45 Bucks and you saw several of the times top bands in their prime for a complete day of entertainment. This entire industry is a thief, they get what they deserve.

Best
shamrock

 

[TheShrimp]

I was just joshing. FiveFour would be pretty accurate if you were to call me that, though.

I don't think it's a high ground on the music downloading thing though. Yeah, the music companies suffer, but the artists do too.

It's not like people doing the downloading are poor underpriviledged folk that finally get a chance to listen to music like everyone else. It's know-it-all punks with money and computers (like most of us here) that just don't want to pay for stuff that they use.

If the record companies can't stop the problem, the least they can do is make it inconvenient to download tunes.

In terms of being the scum of the internet, virus makers may be second only to spammers and Dr. Freeze (j/k, pal) , but like I said, I don't keep a special place in my heart for people downloading music and movies for free, either.

 

[TheShrimp]

Shammy -- I see where you're coming from too. But, hey, artiists charged what they could based on supply and demand. If they could sell 10000 tix for $200 a pop, they're doing better than if they sell 20000 tix for $75 a pop.

That doesn't justify ripping them off, though.