zz: Ooops, that was meant to be private | Virus issue

[Ted Nelson <ted@xxxxxxxxxx>]

As you no doubt just saw, I just expressed concern
 about a possible virus if somebody makes us a 
downloadable, executable Zip file for Windows.

This should NOT be taken as expressing suspicion
 of the most excellent individual who has volunteered
 to do it for us.  (My immediate apology to him.)  But
 it should be taken as expressing concern for possible
 icky circumstances which might, heaven forfend,
 result from all sorts of things.

Bad things could happen if bad folks wanted them to--
 and remember, thousands of people ARE creating
 computer viruses.

Virusmakers seem not to have noticed the Open Source
 world yet, as a possible delivery vector for their viruses. 
 No doubt they will.

And while ZigZag is not really Open Source-- meaning
 freebie public domain-- we're as vulnerable as anybody.
 And just think-- I' trusting a lot of folks I never met!

Those are my concerns.  I'm sure that on reflection
 you will share them.

This is not a problem I had thought about before.
 Fortunately Perl is easier to check out than other code--
 er, isn't it?

Best, Ted

____________________________________________________
Theodor Holm Nelson, Visiting Professor of Environmental Information
 Keio University, Shonan Fujisawa Campus, Fujisawa, Japan
 Home Fax from USA: 011-81-466-46-7368  (If in Japan, 0466-46-7368)
http://www.sfc.keio.ac.jp/~ted/  (Professorial page)
_____________________________________________________
Permanent: Project Xanadu, 3020 Bridgeway #295, Sausalito CA 94965
 Tel. 415/ 331-4422, fax 415/332-0136  
http://www.xanadu.net (see also Professorial page, above)
PERMANENT E-MAIL: ted@xxxxxxxxxx
_____________________________________________________
QOD 99.03.21
Some plexities are calmer than others.  TN99