Ok, looked up the particular virus and trusted internet forum sources said to download a Kaspersky virus removal application – did that… it scanned for 2 days and finally came right out and told me that 1) I had a deeply entrenched rootkit that was currently unfix-able, and 2) the virus (now confirmed) was also unfix-able… (crap! though all my important data appears to be intact on that drive I can no longer continue to use the installation of Windows XP that I had tweaked to my exact liking for years prior – argh! Had to take it offline for safety sake – I can live with a pesky virus but a irremovable ROOTKIT is bad news! Can’t trust anything anymore – that drive is currently enjoying a nice restful sleep on a bookshelf of mine until I’m ready for the challenge of trying to retrieve my important data without 1) infecting the host system, 2) allowing the virus and/or rootkit to phone home on the internet, or 3)copy infected versions of my data to any new machines.)

Ok, yes, I’m getting to the intended/reported subject of this post…

Ok, jump to… old machine (virus/rootkit ridden) machine is on mothballs until I’m ready for a challenge / battle one fine day. I’m sitting pretty since hot-swapped out my old main machine for my previous secondary auxiliary machine given to me as “junk” by my sister. Turns out (upon closer inspection and a few specification queries on the internet) that what was my “junk” machine is actually a couple of notches faster and able to hold twice as much ram as the old machine! Yay… ~! That, coupled with a built in SATA hard-disc controller and my freshly purchased super-fast and super-large SATA drive turned the turtle machine into a screamer !!! yay !

Ok, back to the intended SUBJECT if this thread (finally!) jeez.

Ok, I bought Kaspersky but it wouldn’t install with McAfee on the machine. Ok, there went my firewall – crap. Ok, Kaspersky installed and took charge brilliantly…. but I had to return to using the free version of ZoneAlarm (which incidentally is bundled with McAfee “Site Adviser”) I don’t know why but both McAfee Site Adviser AND Kaspersky’s own “site ratings” app insist on residing attached to all my browsers without mention nor permission given for them to be installed (!?) Worse, the apps appear to have no uninstall provisions… …and I just noticed another similar app installation appearing to be a direct ZoneAlarm app that duplicates the mission of the other two apps (?)

Ok, so I just said heck with it and decided to keep all three apps installed and running and see what they had to say / warn me about. Surprisingly, two of our own (I forget now which) beloved friendly network affiliated or sites have McAfee Site Adviser red flag ratings in a few generalized categories of oversimplified “issues” (look yours up HERE) Incidentally, you can sign up as a volunteer official site reviewer relatively easily (as I had) HERE If you are interested.

Anyways, the jist of this post is to open up your eyes (as mine had been suddenly through this ordeal) of the new trend of our old standby large and popular utility software provider corporations to stretching the limits by self-appointing themselves the “protector of the noobs” and while pushing the self-declaration that they are fit to act as the new internet police force imposing their own values upon the former vast free shapeless mass of democracy though SEO we call the internet.

I, myself, have decided to take a most active role wherever and whenever I am given the opportunity to do so by these conglomerates to innocently looking enough push my own promotional agenda (as an official “reviewer” whatever) upon these new policing services which essentially seek to short-circuit the current happily chaotic “those with the best promotional brains and those who simply pay attention persist and succeed” we all have learned to love, cherish, and manipulate all these years.

Oh well, lost my train of thought… maybe I’ll come back someday soon and finish this, or maybe I’ll blow it off… But, please don’t be oblivious to these new corporate forces playing upon the substance of the internet.