Malware is not amusing but the study of it can be very informative. Do you remember the trolls telling us that 95% of the world used that other OS and GNU/Linux has no chance? Look at this.
That is a map of Conficker infections. It tells us where that other OS is. Notice where it is not: Brazil and Russia and China. Well there is a fair amount in China but with a 1000 million people and as many surfers as the USA (which should be embarrassed to use that other OS as much as it does). India is hard to know. They also have a 1000 million people and have a moderate level of infection.
My conclusion is that it is in everyone’s best interest to dump that other OS ASAP. I think it is wonderful for M$ to provide us a means of tracking that other OS so we can count GNU/Linux. Good. This also dispels the stories that GNU/Linux is being removed widely… HAHAHAHA
17408
12729
206
3
2
23841 
11831 
11683 
4612 
4236 
1641 
198 
14 
2 
0 
0 
0 
Did you notice where the infections in China are? Look closely. All along the bottom and right side. This is where people with money live. The interior of the country is where the poorer rural areas are located. There are no infections on the map, not because they run Linux, but because they aren’t running ANYTHING at all.
The page these maps came from says the maps are not very accurate, and you can see why. Look at the United States only. It’s nearly all red, which is odd when you look at the full US picture provided here:
http://www.confickerworkinggroup.org/wiki/uploads/ANY/conficker_us_map.png
Wow. Look at that! Almost everyone in Nevada must use Linux! Right? Wrong. Again, it scares me to death that you are teaching children. Let’s hope it’s not geography or math.
To the ill informed, this map looks very bad, but we have no real idea how many infections are represented in these areas. Should we be scared? Let’s look at the very same source you use for these maps. Their FAQ states:
Q: Should the general public be alarmed? Why or why not?
A: No, the general public should not be alarmed. Most home users have been protected by Microsoft Security Update MS08-067 being applied automatically.
I would like to make two points about this. It is true that many in the city can afford PCs with that other OS and many in the rural areas cannot. They can all afford PCs with GNU/Linux because, at the low end, the price is about half what it is in the middle. Further, all indications are that the growth in IT in the world today is in the emerging markets such as rural China where hundreds of millions may become connected as a part of government policy to bridge the gap and to stimulate the economy.
I welcome comments from people who have first-hand experience in China but I do not accept that a single viewpoint is the larger picture. I teach in northern Canada which has some of the characteristics of emerging markets: life is hard due to climate and location and communication and transportation infrastructure struggle to meet demand. Here, many are able to buy their first PC and they do not care whether it is GNU/Linux or that other OS as long as it works. In this case GNU/Linux has a shot and is chosen. That is true in China, Africa, South America and Russia. I do not have much information about India. It is a class-divided society still but GNU/Linux is very active there.
For one who criticizes me for not knowing about what I write, this comment is off the wall:”It frightens me to death…”. So, I cannot evaluate the situation of GNU/Linux globally because I have not been there and yet some feel they can evaluate my teaching by my blog. Hypocrisy.
O wise one, if China uses that other OS exclusively, and China has as many browsers as the USA, why does China have such a low incidence of Conficker infections? It could be that Conficker does not speak Chinese or it could be that the Chinese use a lot of GNU/Linux. Maybe both are factors but it is still a good idea to use GNU/Linux to protect one from malware.
Also, some trolls shout that in places where that other OS is not affordable, illegal copies abound. These are not protected from Conficker. Where are they in China? The trolls like to have things both ways.
@ Yonah X.
“To the ill informed, this map looks very bad” You just tagged about 90% of Windows users. Part of the accountability for that lies with people and networks like Leslie Stahl and CBS. She rattled on for 15 minutes on prime time television about the very dangerous and horrid Conficker worm and not once did she mention Microsoft. With corporate sponsored information like that, who needs ignorance.