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CallMeTheArrow

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 4, 2006
234
22
Hi all,

Just wanted to apologize if I offended anyone by posting some links with TinyURL links in them earlier today - I wasn't aware that this forum had been hit with a virus before and so on. Please forgive my lack of knowledge of those events.

Also, I have sort of trolled here for a while (lurked, if you will) and posted once in a while - but today I made more posts so I guess I'm new to most of you.

I just wanted to say hi, and introduce myself, and I'm sorry for the TinyURL things and any misunderstanding it may have caused.

I love MacRumors.com and visit it like 200 times a day :) (refresh, refresh refresh!)

I am using an Intel Core Duo Mac Mini (1 GB RAM) - I took the case apart myself and upgraded from the stock 512 MB last week - it was fun. :) Huge performance increase, especially in games.

I run XP SP2 and OS X 10.4.7 via BootCamp/dual-boot.

FYI I also have a PowerPC 1.42 GHz Mac Mini with 1 GB RAM (BlueTooth but no AirPort in that one) but it does have the DVD burner/SuperDrive).

Well that's all I have to say for now. Take care and thanks!

Anthony
 
I saw (one of?) the incidents you're discussing. I think it's no big. Some prominent people have used TinyURLs here before -- if I am not mistaken, eDesignUK (a mod) used to do so, if he doesn't still. But anyways, let us apologize for the panic involved. And thank you for being so understanding about what motivated that panic. You sound like you'll make an excellent addition to the family. :D
 
I think people freaked out because you don't know where they're going when you click them.

I think the concern has to do with macs that are set to auto-download/use safe files. I think with updated macs, this is still a non-issue, because the system will not let you download executables or archives that might contain executables without a warning, and will not automatically run them. But I think people remembered the "virus" that was originally distributed as an apparently safe file from a MacRumors thread, and are thinking fool me once, shame on me...

But actually, I think TinyURLs are relatively harmless, and the panic was relatively unjustified if you stop and think about it. (Unless your mac is seriously out of date).
 
mad jew said:
Mate, I don't think anyone's offended. We have a thread for welcoming new members that you may be interested in. Maybe post in there. :)

Thank you

Killyp said:
What's the problem with TinyURLs? :confused:

I guess the problem is that the user cannot see where the TinyURL link directs them to (could be a malaciou site or something). I assure you I would never do this to you but I realize there are probably people who would. In any case, all is well now.

dmw007 said:
Not sure that we met before, so hello AnthonyKinyon. :)

Hello, pleased to meet you :)

gauchogolfer said:
Welcome AnthonyKinyon,

It sounds like you'll get along fine here.

Thank you and hello there.

mad jew said:
Ahh, okay thanks. Yeah, that does seem a bit paranoid. Some people are just far too scared of the internet.

Well that's true but sometimes having a fear can be healthy I suppose. :) Oh well.

mkrishnan said:
I think people freaked out because you don't know where they're going when you click them.

I think the concern has to do with macs that are set to auto-download/use safe files. I think with updated macs, this is still a non-issue, because the system will not let you download executables or archives that might contain executables without a warning, and will not automatically run them. But I think people remembered the "virus" that was originally distributed as an apparently safe file from a MacRumors thread, and are thinking fool me once, shame on me...

But actually, I think TinyURLs are relatively harmless, and the panic was relatively unjustified if you stop and think about it. (Unless your mac is seriously out of date).

Thanks for the info etc. :) Agreed but I don't want to scare anyone so. :)
 
You don't have to be sorry for being enthusiastic and wanting to spread the word. :) You can stop lurking now--you certainly made a first impression on me. :D

Please realise that even without that one incident, I'm still cautious. Other people have complained about the MacBytes links in the past because they don't show the end result. TinyURL provides a service that is unnecessary and casts doubt on the person providing the link, in my opinion.

Even if any operating system is up to date with security fixes, that doesn't mean that it's necessarily safe. If a security problem hasn't been discovered, it doesn't mean that it's not there.
 
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