*sigh* And yet again...

[unixronin]

Attackers could take complete control of machines running versions of Microsoft Office, the software giant warned Tuesday.

You know ... I keep dreaming that one day, Microsoft will discover (and release a patch for) a bug that does NOT allow an attacker to completely own your box and make it his bitch.  Sometimes I wonder whether there's an undocumented sys0wnz0rThisB0xx0r() API.

And in other "You can't make this shit up" news:

Having eliminated all terrorism in the real world, the U.S. intelligence community is working to develop software that will detect violent extremists infiltrating World of Warcraft and other massive multiplayer games, according to a data-mining report from the Director of National Intelligence.

... I got nothin'.  That one's its own punchline.

Comments

[lonewolf545.livejournal.com]

Actually, from contacts I have, they HAVE been monitoring violent extremists who attempt to use WoW and other online gaming venues as an avenue to make contact with Americans in order to use the personal connections for their purposes (if nothing else, it allows them to learn American slang that makes it easier for them to blend in, it's NOT for them to commit terrorism within the games). Of course, the "eliminated all terrorism in the real world" isn't from the DNI report, it's interpretation from the reporter who wrote the story. The BBC story is much less sensationalist.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah, I figured that part was hyperbole. It's just ... the surreality of the whole thing.

('Course, personally I think anyone who chooses to conduct their terrorist activities using a venue the operator of which declares right up front that they monitor ALL traffic is several burritos short of a combination plate.)

[lonewolf545.livejournal.com]

They aren't using the games to directly organize any terrorist attacks or activities, they're just using them as an angle for social engineering.

[olafthunderfoot.livejournal.com]

mmmmm, burritos!

[bbullock.livejournal.com]

The AppleGeeks guys stepped up to the plate on that one (http://applegeeks.com/comics/viewcomic.php?issue=431).