Re: FBI tells the public to call their ISP for help

* Owen DeLong:

> Wouldn't it be more appropriate if the FBI told people
the phone
> number to Micr0$0ft?

No; most of them haven't got any existing contractual
relationship
with Microsoft.

If you alluded to Microsoft's support lines: well, why
should pay $90
(or what the single-call cost is) to fix a computer which
is
apparently working fine?

On Jun 15, 2007, at 12:42 PM, Florian Weimer wrote:

> * Owen DeLong:
>
>> Wouldn't it be more appropriate if the FBI told
people the phone
>> number to Micr0$0ft?
>
> No; most of them haven't got any existing contractual
relationship
> with Microsoft.
>
> If you alluded to Microsoft's support lines: well, why
should pay $90
> (or what the single-call cost is) to fix a computer
which is
> apparently working fine?

Wrong... Most of them are subject to the problems they have
because
of their contractual relationship with Micr0$0ft. 
Specifically, they  
made
the unfortunate mistake of purchasing software from
Micr0$0ft, agreeing
to the Micr0$0ft End User License Agreement (contractual
relationship)
and then running the Micr0$0ft software, which lead directly
to their
system getting owned (or pwn3d if you prefer) due to the
enormous
number of design flaws, well known exploits, and other
deficiencies
in the code purchased from Micr0$0ft.

In what way, exactly, is this in any part the ISPs fault? 
Why should  
their
ISP bear the brunt of the costs for Micr0$0ft's poorly
written code?

Owen