Sony: "Most People Don't Even Know What A Rootkit Is"

[Ed Hansberry]

http://www.betanews.com/article/Sony_President_Rootkit_of_No_Concern/1131475197

Sony, who can grasp exactly what is good for the market, knowing what is best for you, perhaps rivaled in the past by Palm telling you what features you do and don't need, has immediately gotten inside your head on all of this rootkit nonsense and boiled it down to a simple sentence.

"Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?" - Sony BMG's Global Digital Business President Thomas Hesse. The above link takes you to an NPR interview available in Real Audio and Windows Media formats.

Mr. Hesse, most people don't know what familial adenomatous polyposis is either, but when you have it, you darn well care. Oh yeah, congrats on getting sued. I can't think of another recording company more deserving of it. You can read more about the rootkit Sony is sneaking on to your computer here.

[Ed Hansberry]

http://www.betanews.com/article/Sony_President_Rootkit_of_No_Concern/1131475197

Sony, who can grasp exactly what is good for the market, knowing what is best for you, perhaps rivaled in the past by Palm telling you what features you do and don't need, has immediately gotten inside your head on all of this rootkit nonsense and boiled it down to a simple sentence.

"Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?" - Sony BMG's Global Digital Business President Thomas Hesse. The above link takes you to an NPR interview available in Real Audio and Windows Media formats.

Mr. Hesse, most people don't know what familial adenomatous polyposis is either, but when you have it, you darn well care. Oh yeah, congrats on getting sued. I can't think of another recording company more deserving of it. You can read more about the rootkit Sony is sneaking on to your computer here.

[Phillip Dyson]

I just did a cursory browsing of the EFF website and didn't find any mention of "Sony-gate". I wonder if they're going to get involved.

[Sven]

If Upton Sinclair was still alive, he'd have material for a new book.

[rlobrecht]

Just to save you the google search. From http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic769.htm

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an autosomal dominant inherited disorder characterized by the presence of hundreds to thousands of adenomatous polyps throughout the colon. All patients with this syndrome develop colon cancer if they are not treated.

[applejosh]

Well, this just proves that bureaucrats in charge really don't have a full understanding of things. This guy was probably told that this software will help protect the music from being ripped. Nevermind all that other technical stuff about opening up security holes and such. How long before we see a worm/virus that utilizes the $sys$ method for evading detection?

[alabij]

Thomas Hesse isn't too smart. Sony really needs to rethink the people it puts in management. Just because consumers don't know the meanning of certain terminology doesn't mean they don't care.

Most consumers think that computer viruses are biological but they darn well care about not getting infected.

[applejosh]

Originally Posted by alabij

Most consumers think that computer viruses are biological but they darn well care about not getting infected.

If that were really the case, then maybe most people would understand that (updated) antivirus software is actually necessary. Most of the home systems I get to work on belong to clueless people who think antivirus software from 1998 (definitions from 1999) is "up-to-date" enough, if they have it at all. (Of course they learn real quick once they get the bill from the first time I have to clean/restore a system.)

[gibson042]

Originally Posted by applejosh

How long before we see a worm/virus that utilizes the $sys$ method for evading detection?

There's already a World of Warcraft cheat that does this. I suspect that a worm is already in the wild.

[wkspear]

I still listen to music on vinyl. Cassette tapes didn't kill the industry. I love music and books, so I know I would buy ebooks and iTunes music if they had a more flexible DRM technology. But I've tried both and they have some work to do. Sony is going in the wrong direction, and I'm actually glad in a way they did. Now people WILL know about rootkits. Maybe this will bring some balance to digital rights/consumer rights.

[stlbud]

Originally Posted by alabij

Thomas Hesse isn't too smart. Sony really needs to rethink the people it puts in management. Just because consumers don't know the meanning of certain terminology doesn't mean they don't care.

Maybe not but this is so very typical of Sony. Everything they make has as much proprietary hardware and software they think they can pass on to the public.

They have made PCs that can't be repaired because the rebuild disk will only recognize 1 and only 1 model of disk from 1 and only 1 manufacturer. So what if the drive isn't made any more, too bad.

Beta may have been a better format but it too was proprietary.

What about proprietary memory cards for -- cameras, pdas, and game consoles.

How many times have they reworked the OS on their PSP so no one can load foreign software?

It is so bad, that I'm beginning to think that anyone who buys anything with the Sony or Aiwa (owned by Sony) branding is going to be sorry.

I won't buy Sony. I certainly won't buy or rent anything with the Sony name for fear they have found some way to corrupt my entertainment equipment. I won't even go see their movies.