Michael Gracie

A late breaking worm running around MySpace touting 9/11 conspiracies has been stopped. While I think it is awfully timely that we are hearing about bugs pushing politically charged topics at naive internet users, that is besides the point. What we are seeing is a shift from the inherent dangers of using the service, which really don’t exist unless you are voluntarily posting your name, address, social security number, and mother’s maiden name on the site (i.e. being really stupid), to the danger of getting some type of virus or malware from your visits.

Along with the worm, MySpace was getting hit by widespread adware exploits (that only work on Windows boxes, of course) over the last few weeks. Makes perfect sense with the advertising model. But what’s next - who knows?

My guess: when MySpace realizes the ad model isn’t getting them anywhere, they’ll start charging for products and/or the service itself. Then their databases will start getting pilfered. Of course, all the MySpace users may already be doing duty in the military or shopping at Walmart by then. Then they’ll be really safe.

***UPDATE***

According to TechCrunch, MySpace is trying to plug the holes, but may be doing more harm than good (to themselves), and still leaving users vulnerable as well.

So a whole bunch of people wind up fighting over low-priced laptops being sold at Walmart.

What does that mean for the rest of us? A bunch of computers are now floating around, invariably connected to “low-priced” broadband, in the homes of “low-intelligence” individuals, creating “low-friction” access on the part of “low-down” botnet creators and spammers.

I am so fricken glad I have a “high-priced” computer created by a “high-falootin” company like Apple.

If I happen to get infected by some strain of digital malfeasance, I am suing Walmart (with a “low-priced” lawyer of course).