What I'm doing now
I'm attending Geek University, that's what! It fits -- I've always been the guy in the family that EVERYONE calls when they have a computer problem.

Geeks to Go! is a forum-style web site offering free assistance for people suffering from spyware/malware/virus infections. Assistance is offered by trained volunteers who can help users remove the malware and protect their computer from future infestations. I've used them as a "self-help" site before (they have some great program resources) and am trying to track down a particularly persistent trojan/spyware infestation right now.

I learned that they were accepting volunteers, so I checked it out. Geek University offers free training to those who want to assist others in the battle against unwanted computer infestations, all in a very family friendly environment (several of the volunteers are teenagers, which makes me feel OLD!).

Anyway, I have always hated bullies -- those who prey on the weak, the defenseless, or the ignorant. That's part of the reason I became a lawyer. I like fighting for the helpless when I can. I find it very satisfying.

In my mind, spamware/malware/virus generators are nothing more than bullies. They take advantage of people's trust and ignorance to interfere with, and sometimes damage, the victim's computer and software. I've dealt with this personally several times -- my nine year old son, in search of cheat codes for an XBox game, managed to get our old computer so infested and screwed up that I essentially had to reformat the hard drive and start from scratch.

All this so some spamware artist can get paid for generating "hits" to a sight for penis enlargement/weight reduction/meeting singles/refinancing mortgages/etc.?

That offends my sense of justice and fair play. So now, I'm going to help fight back.

If you need help, go to "Geeks to Go" through the link on the sidebar.
- posted by MrSpkr @ 10:32