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<blockquote data-quote="Randy B. Singer" data-source="post: 1586916" data-attributes="member: 190607"><p>In addition to being an attorney, I have two degrees in Anthropology. Within that field I've studied both linguistics and folklore. I know that language, including the English language, isn't static, and it isn't as a third grade English teacher might portray it. Words mean what people think they mean. They aren't set in stone, nor are they governed by a strict set of rules imposed by some authority. A dictionary definition can therefore be incorrect and/or hopelessly out of date. (Dictionaries get updated all the time.) In linguistics we use the term "common usage makes it right." And if common usage has made something "right", then it is not necessarily appropriate to go around forcing another definition on people. Indeed, some folks consider this to be annoying and rude. (Hence the term "pedantic.")</p><p></p><p>As an attorney I know that to be clear, you need to use the best words so that folks understand the idea you are trying to get across. Often that means using common idiom, if that seems the best choice, rather than go through the trouble, and uncertainty, of educating your audience.</p><p></p><p>I rarely come across anyone who is a personal computer user who thinks that "virus" means anything other than "all malware." Only folks who hang out on computer discussion lists all the time commonly know the difference, and not always then.</p><p></p><p>That being the case, I never assume that anyone knows the dictionary definition of "virus", and I never use the term without defining it if I don't intend it to mean what my audience likely thinks that it means. Doing otherwise would be misleading.</p><p></p><p>Most Mac users don't care about the difference between self-propagating malware (viruses), and Trojans, etc. At least they don't in the context of the question: "Are there viruses for the Macintosh?" All they want to know is if malicious software threats exist that they should be concerned about.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Go back and read my previous posts in this very thread. I mentioned Quarantine/XProtect and even gave links to more information about it.</p><p></p><p> Yes, and I agreed. Writing a virus for OS X is hard. It's time consuming and expensive and it is likely not a profitable endeavor for the sociopaths who might consider writing one for profit. </p><p></p><p>But, as I pointed out, there have *already* been several viruses created for OS X. I was just making the point that while it may not be "likely", that it isn't impossible as many folks like to go around saying.</p><p></p><p> Exactly. Saying that "there are no viruses for the Macintosh" is technically correct, but, given the definition that most people use for "virus", it would also be a deceitful statement without further explanation.</p><p></p><p>Thank you for your clarification!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Randy B. Singer, post: 1586916, member: 190607"] In addition to being an attorney, I have two degrees in Anthropology. Within that field I've studied both linguistics and folklore. I know that language, including the English language, isn't static, and it isn't as a third grade English teacher might portray it. Words mean what people think they mean. They aren't set in stone, nor are they governed by a strict set of rules imposed by some authority. A dictionary definition can therefore be incorrect and/or hopelessly out of date. (Dictionaries get updated all the time.) In linguistics we use the term "common usage makes it right." And if common usage has made something "right", then it is not necessarily appropriate to go around forcing another definition on people. Indeed, some folks consider this to be annoying and rude. (Hence the term "pedantic.") As an attorney I know that to be clear, you need to use the best words so that folks understand the idea you are trying to get across. Often that means using common idiom, if that seems the best choice, rather than go through the trouble, and uncertainty, of educating your audience. I rarely come across anyone who is a personal computer user who thinks that "virus" means anything other than "all malware." Only folks who hang out on computer discussion lists all the time commonly know the difference, and not always then. That being the case, I never assume that anyone knows the dictionary definition of "virus", and I never use the term without defining it if I don't intend it to mean what my audience likely thinks that it means. Doing otherwise would be misleading. Most Mac users don't care about the difference between self-propagating malware (viruses), and Trojans, etc. At least they don't in the context of the question: "Are there viruses for the Macintosh?" All they want to know is if malicious software threats exist that they should be concerned about. Go back and read my previous posts in this very thread. I mentioned Quarantine/XProtect and even gave links to more information about it. Yes, and I agreed. Writing a virus for OS X is hard. It's time consuming and expensive and it is likely not a profitable endeavor for the sociopaths who might consider writing one for profit. But, as I pointed out, there have *already* been several viruses created for OS X. I was just making the point that while it may not be "likely", that it isn't impossible as many folks like to go around saying. Exactly. Saying that "there are no viruses for the Macintosh" is technically correct, but, given the definition that most people use for "virus", it would also be a deceitful statement without further explanation. Thank you for your clarification! [/QUOTE]
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