Techno Page

Beware: you may be infected

The first digital virus infected ARPANET, a large network used by the United States Defense Department and many universities. Since then many anti-virus programs (vaccines) that can periodically check your computer for known types of viruses have become available. A worm is a special type of virus that can replicate itself and use memory, but cannot attach itself to other programs.

Some anti-virus companies estimate at least 12% of computers may have some kind of virus and that infection rates are doubling annually. According to these statistics approximately every fifth computer in the world could be infected within the year, so it could mean that you will get files from the internet, friends and your colleagues that will be infected with viruses.

The Brain virus is thought to be the first MS DOS virus. It infected the boot sector of a PC's hard disc, one of the first things your computer looks for when it starts up. 

The rapid increase in virus infections over the last four years is due to the explosion in the numbers of people using email. Especially now when a virus can get access to your address book and get information about your colleagues and send itself to them. 
Types of viruses

*Visual Basic viruses account for 80% of the 10,000 or more different types of virus known to exist. Be careful with files ending in .vbs or .vba. They infect specific applications like word processors, causing actions to be performed automatically when the application is started. Visual basic viruses are most often spread by email. 

*File infector viruses affect executable files, they're the ones you have to choose to run. Executable files end with the suffix .exe. 

*The system or Boot Record Infector virus inserts itself into part of your computer's start up routine, making sure it's started up first. It'll make your computer unstable, or not work at all. 

*A stealth virus hides itself, and the changes its made in your machine, so that nothing appears to be wrong. 

*A polymorphic virus produces various different copies of itself so that virus scanning software will not detect all versions. 

Main features

The main feature of the future computer viruses will be self updating. When the virus author can control the infected computer and easily upload new modules to make the infection more serious, harder to detect and remove. 

Future defences may involve anti-virus applications with very high degrees of artificial intelligence, able to perform a complex diagnosis of your computer and detect virus-like actions. But at the moment, it's the virus writers who have the advantage.

Hoax virus alerts

Did a genuine computer security expert send you the alert?

If your mother-in-law forwarded a chain letter alert, which came from her dentist, who got it from his nurse's daughter, who supposedly received it at college directly from IBM's virus experts...

Does it urge you to forward the chain letter to everyone you know?

Genuine virus alerts won't ask you to participate in a chaotic email distribution scheme.

Does the email offer a link to an authoritative details page?

Email alerts shouldn't go into detail about a computer virus. Rather, the alert should summarize the threat and provide a link to a "for more info" page stored on a well-known computer security website. 
Beware: 

Some hoax alerts include generic links to respected websites. 

The hoaxster wants you to assume the website has important information about the virus. 

The link to more information should take you directly to more information about the threat. If it doesn't, then you should chide the sender for failing to give you accurate information.

The first ever bogus virus alert

There's a new virus on the loose that's worse than anything I've seen before! It gets in through the power line, riding on the power line 50 Hz sub carrier. It works by changing the serial port pinouts, and by reversing the direction one's disks spin. Over 300,000 systems have been hit already and that's just in the last 12 minutes.

It attacks DOS, UNIX, TOPS-20, Apple-II, VMS, MVS, Multics, Mac, RSX-11, ITS, TRS-80, and VHS systems.
To prevent the spread of the worm:

1) Don't use the power line.

2) Don't use batteries either, since there are rumours that this virus has invaded most major battery plants and is infecting the positive poles of the batteries. (You might try hooking up just the negative pole.)

3) Don't upload or download files.

4) Don't store files on floppy disks or hard disks.

5) Don't read messages. Not even this one!

6) Don't use serial ports, modems, or phone lines.

7) Don't use keyboards, screens, or printers.

8) Don't use switches, CPUs, memories, microprocessors, or mainframes.

9) Don't use electric lights, electric or gas heat or airconditioning, running water, writing, fire, clothing or the wheel.

I'm sure if we are all careful to follow these 9 easy steps, this virus can be eradicated, and the precious electronic fluids of our computers can be kept pure.
Did you know these?

Bit

A Binary Digit is the basic binary unit for storing data. It can either be 0 or 1. It takes 8 bits to equal a byte.

KB

Kilobyte: a unit of measure consisting of 1000 bytes.

KBps

Kilobytes per second: a performance measure used for mass storage devices and memory systems.

Kbit

Kilobit: a unit of measure consisting of 1000 bits. The unit often used in expressions of data transmission capacity.

KiB

Kibibyte: a unit of measure consisting of 1024 bytes. One of the names and symbols for prefixes for binary multiples for use in the fields of data processing and data transmission approved as an IEC International Standard in December 1998. 

GB

Gigabyte: a unit of measure consisting of 1000MB. 

GBps

Gigabytes per second: a performance measure used for mass storage devices and memory systems.

Gflops

Gigaflops: 1 thousand million floating-point instructions per second.

GiB

Gibibyte: a unit of measure consisting of 1024MiB. 

GOPS

Giga Operations Per Second: in the case of multimedia processing, more GOPS translate to better video quality.

Clothes Line

A teenage perspective

Then came the A/Ls. I don't have to deny pitfalls of an unrequited love. Turning back, I think it really could make you a "tough guy" to cope with anything (and that's a promise!). Most of the boys are attracted to girls when in their teens. In my case too I would like to have a girl: a "Justine" of "lonely planets" or a "Jenniffer" of "Intimate Escapes"? It's so normal.

During the last few years I've learnt a lot. A teenager could teach you wonders. I wasn't very keen about sports, though. After having worked in a school association for about three years, I became the Chairman. 'Teenage' is what you come across not only with educational stuff but also drugs, alcohol, violence, etc. As a teenager I knew all about these drug-addicted school girls and boys, suicides, teen pregnancies and all sorts of things that you don't even tell your best mate!! But I'm very proud today to have kept myself on the correct track and not got involved in any of these.

I'll be 19 years this December, the last of the teenage years! Teenage life is always wonderful. It teaches you how to play a game, how to go places, how to wink at a girl and of course to tell an innocent lie to your mom when she asks why you were so late 'last night'.

Now, I'm waiting to be a good citizen (and a good father, too!) Watching how life is gonna be shaped over years, for better or worse!!! 

B 12

Adios

I can now think straight. At last I know where to draw the line. I've been thinking a lot of things lately. About me, about my friends and one special friend who meant a lot to me, and about people that I have loved throughout. Anyway the best of friends make the best of mistakes, and here I am, hurt, hurt beyond measure. Hurt more than they'll ever know.

As the dawn breaks the night, as the night breaks the day, they broke my heart, without leaving space for me to breathe and hold on. At times like this my heart beat becomes unfamiliar to me, the silence becomes very loud. 

I regret nothing, because I have always won and will always win. I'm saved by the nature to reach the best. The rain evaporates ever so slowly back to where it belongs. And I walk solemnly back to where I always belonged. Where I always had a very special place and a warm embrace. A place where I feel protected and lucky. That is my home, my precious parents. Back to the little but honest world. Now I am the happiest, because they mean nothing to me. Nothing at all. And I am happy to hang my sincere thoughts on the "Clothes Line" to dry out, and to face a better tomorrow.

Jayakalani Alwis

Fathers are as important

Children need a father as well as a mother. And without a father there would be no children.

On Mother's Day, they get unbounded commendations over television, radio and other broadcasting stations. I'm not saying that Mother's Day should not be celebrated like this. It must be glorified in the highest way, because a mother is everything to us. But I also feel that Father's Day must be celebrated exactly like Mother's Day. 

Like a wife needs a husband, a child need a father and a mother. When a father sees his child's face, the ecstasy he feels, cannot be put into in words. And besides, a father would do almost anything to give his child everything. That's why he goes to work and sacrifices all his strength to earn money.

He cares about his children's future and parents contribute their entire lifetime just for their children.

However, I do agree that among those kind-hearted fathers, there are immoral and indecent fathers too. Yet needless to say that a family without a father would certainly be affected.

A father's heart is also crammed with love for his children as a mother. But the only dearth of a father is, he can't keep the unborn child for nine months in his abdomen and he can't change blood to milk. But this scarcity is fulfilled with the love, warmth and tenderness he gives to his children.

Father's Day has to be celebrated grandly. And we musn't forget that only two days aren't adequate for our parents. We must treat them, look after and care for them throughout their lifetime, because they've experienced infinite hardships to make us noble, dignified and virtuous human beings. And if you don't treat your parents righteously, you will definitely be ill-treated by your own children. Because according to reality "What you give is what you get in return."

Jade Rivi Jayasuriya

New education reforms

One might say that due to the new educational system, students must explore the atmosphere and learn, rather than heat their chairs. The authorities have arranged a new syllabus for every subject from Grade 1 to 13, but do they ever come to schools and consider the real situation? I think the 'flying squads' that suddenly broke into schools in our grandparents' era must appear again. I think that they may make the teachers more efficient.

And even for us students it's very hard to transform into 'play and learn' people so easily after facing many competitive years. But I commend the new educational reforms, which seem to be more enjoyable than the old one. The question is 'are they properly implemented?' 'To proceed with the modern technology' I think it is the main aim of introducing a new system. So modern equipment such as computers must be distributed to every school. Urban schools will manage somehow or the other, but what about the oppressed and suppressed children in rural areas? When thinking about this we come to the worry, whether this is another idea of extending the space bar between the haves and have-nots in our country.

Isuru Hewapathirana

Chubby and happy

Thank you 'Tom Cruise' for the lovely things you've said about "Chubby" (or rather FAT) girls. I, myself, am one of those chubby, plump people and I must say I'm quite happy about it. Because when I see girls who are very skinny (I mean very skinny, like a skeleton walking around) I feel rather sorry for them. I just want to know why they don't eat when they've got all the food they need. Even people who cannot afford to buy food are quite fit and plump looking. I would rather appreciate someone calling me "chubby" than "Miss Anorexia".

Some guys appreciate girls who've got 'bomb' figures and some don't. I always get comments from my friends and relatives that I'm too fat but compared to overweight people I am not!!! 

Even my ex-boyfriend didn't appreciate me for the way I am. He didn't like to appear with me much because of this reason. He used to give me stupid advice about dieting and exercising to get a figure like Naomi Campbell!! Well to start off I am perfectly fit because I do various sports in school so I don't have to do any other alternative exercises just to get thin! You seem like a very cuddly guy. You've said you wouldn't mind appreciating, adoring or even spoiling a girl. That is so sweet. I do hope you meet your dream chubby girl. That girl surely will be very lucky. I wouldn't mind meeting guys like you and I just hope there are more guys like you out there who will appreciate girls like ME!!!

Plump Girl!!!-

Love

True love comes your way only once
It passed my way when I was too young.
To understand its depths was no easy task
To figure it out clearly, I took months.
When I did my heart with joy sang
Now I am proud of the decision I've made.

As time passed I saw a weakness in my love
It is that my love didn't love me the way I thought
To make a decision she does hesitate
If it was I, her tower of strength I would make.
Is the fault mine?
Or is it hers for not trying?
It hurts to know that your love doesn't know where she stands
Is it just me or does she have different plans
Grief is at my door
But that grief given to me from her I adore.

Many luxurious comforts I denied
Just to be by her - I sacrificed
Sacrifice I did to my love 
Have I done enough to win my love
Why is it that she still says
"I don't know what to do it's better to die"
To stand by me she finds it hard
To let her go would stain my heart.

When I first saw love it was as sweet as honey
But as I went thru it, I thought it was funny
For hatred I found in my parents' hearts
And hesitation in my lover's thoughts
Love is painful but it's worth its cost
Love hurts, true - I know, but without it life is lost. 

TCM

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