As a wake up call it has been good. Long overdue, I just changed my first account from admin to standard account and created a new admin account.
I am careful with what I open so I dont think in general I would infect myself, but I realise that working continuously as Admin is not that smart. In that respect I am guilty of user stupidity I guess
I dont remember what the splash screens are like when you get your new Mac, but certainly within accounts in System Preferences how much more clear can Apple be by giving you the option of standard and admin account!
However what i would say is that Apple dont explain certain things very clearly to the layman/first time user when it comes to the advantages of Mac OS X security. They should assume we are all very dumb and by default you should be obliged to set up two accounts when you first take possession of your Mac. The average Joe will go all weak at the prospect of electing to work daily within an administrator account (where you can break things totally) so they would use the standard account no problem and just have to accept that to be safe they have to input their passwords a lot at the start, but less as they get in the swing with their favourite apps. On the other hand, power users will know what they are letting themselves in for as admins, and good power users would still work daily in a standard account anyway. So that obligatory two accounts setup would cut out loads of backtracking switching accounts mid stream like what I and my work colleagues just did.
Also not being sanctimonious, although it does come easy, Apple should make a carefully worded splash screen that says they do everything possible to secure the system, but they cannot legislate for dumbasses who work from an admin account and willy nilly download and open potentially malicious applications hidden in ***** from kazaa or complete strangers etc.
And also slightly off topic, but still on security, I wonder what it is with people saying Apple are better than MS because Macs are more secure out the box. I have had to activate the firewall each time i installed a new system. Equating the average user to my mother, the average user really needs to turn on their Mac and not have to even think where to look for the firewall button. If power users are offended by this hand-holding, sorry, but I think Apple can do lots still to secure the system for the masses with minimal inconvenience to all.
I am careful with what I open so I dont think in general I would infect myself, but I realise that working continuously as Admin is not that smart. In that respect I am guilty of user stupidity I guess
I dont remember what the splash screens are like when you get your new Mac, but certainly within accounts in System Preferences how much more clear can Apple be by giving you the option of standard and admin account!
However what i would say is that Apple dont explain certain things very clearly to the layman/first time user when it comes to the advantages of Mac OS X security. They should assume we are all very dumb and by default you should be obliged to set up two accounts when you first take possession of your Mac. The average Joe will go all weak at the prospect of electing to work daily within an administrator account (where you can break things totally) so they would use the standard account no problem and just have to accept that to be safe they have to input their passwords a lot at the start, but less as they get in the swing with their favourite apps. On the other hand, power users will know what they are letting themselves in for as admins, and good power users would still work daily in a standard account anyway. So that obligatory two accounts setup would cut out loads of backtracking switching accounts mid stream like what I and my work colleagues just did.
Also not being sanctimonious, although it does come easy, Apple should make a carefully worded splash screen that says they do everything possible to secure the system, but they cannot legislate for dumbasses who work from an admin account and willy nilly download and open potentially malicious applications hidden in ***** from kazaa or complete strangers etc.
And also slightly off topic, but still on security, I wonder what it is with people saying Apple are better than MS because Macs are more secure out the box. I have had to activate the firewall each time i installed a new system. Equating the average user to my mother, the average user really needs to turn on their Mac and not have to even think where to look for the firewall button. If power users are offended by this hand-holding, sorry, but I think Apple can do lots still to secure the system for the masses with minimal inconvenience to all.
Excellent analogy!
