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View Full Version : Strangest rumor/lie/misinformation you have ever heard



Brandel Valico
December 26th, 2008, 09:30 PM
Okay I was sitting around reading the forums and ran across a thread where a respondent mentioned a rumor he had heard about Linux being a hacker OS.

It got me to thinking about the various rumors / lies / and misinformation the various OS's toss around to scare us away from the other guy or entice us towards them.

I recalled one a friend of mine told me back in the Windows 98 days (He was a loyal Mac/Apple user) it basically was this.

"Windows has a hidden file that inserts a subliminal message into the refresh time of the monitor that flashes by so quickly you never see it. That causes you to believe it is the best OS using various messages."

So what I'm curious about is what is the strangest thing you have ever heard about an OS.

damis648
December 26th, 2008, 09:34 PM
This (http://www.adequacy.org/stories/2001.12.2.42056.2147.html) was meant as a joke, and is pretty darn funny.

Sealbhach
December 26th, 2008, 09:46 PM
Okay I was sitting around reading the forums and ran across a thread where a respondent mentioned a rumor he had heard about Linux being a hacker OS.


Do they mean hacker or cracker? There's a big difference. Hacking is generally a good thing. Cracking is the bad stuff.


.

I-75
December 26th, 2008, 09:58 PM
Okay I was sitting around reading the forums and ran across a thread where a respondent mentioned a rumor he had heard about Linux being a hacker OS.

It got me to thinking about the various rumors / lies / and misinformation the various OS's toss around to scare us away from the other guy or entice us towards them.

I recalled one a friend of mine told me back in the Windows 98 days (He was a loyal Mac/Apple user) it basically was this.

"Windows has a hidden file that inserts a subliminal message into the refresh time of the monitor that flashes by so quickly you never see it. That causes you to believe it is the best OS using various messages."

So what I'm curious about is what is the strangest thing you have ever heard about an OS.


I heard that Windows has back doors that go to certain government agencies. Supposedly it started with Windows 95...I have been hearing that rumor for years.

Kernel Sanders
December 26th, 2008, 10:12 PM
I heard that Windows has back doors that go to certain government agencies. Supposedly it started with Windows 95...I have been hearing that rumor for years.

LOL! :lolflag:

That rumour has been doing the rounds for a few years now. Apparantly Vista was developed in conjunction with the NSA, and as such contains many backdoors for them and other government agencies to snoop on you and steal your data.

A few years ago a few Microsoft employees came out and said that it was all pure fiction, and that they would never work on any software project that contained backdoors to allow people/the government to snoop on the users.

I think it stems from the fact that Microsoft have been actively consulting with the US Government for years. After all, they want Windows to be on every computer in the US administration and every computer in every state's administration. For Vista they did work with the NSA and various hacker groups to beef up Vista's security, and it worked. They even spoke openly about it. Lack of security is not something you can bash Vista for.

However, the rumour mill started, and it spread that Microsoft was working with the NSA to put backdoors into Vista. FAIL.

Don't get me wrong though, Vista contains a hell of a lot of DRM, but nothing that would allow Governments to snoop on you :lolflag:

Ocxic
December 27th, 2008, 05:10 AM
Vista Banned on gov't computers, http://www.aaxnet.com/editor/edit043.html

BLTicklemonster
December 27th, 2008, 05:38 AM
I read somewhere online that the banks knew that they were loosing money on the home loans and decided to take drastic action. They decided to put money in petroleum and drive the price up sky high, which is why the price of gas went through the roof. They realized that the gig was up when people started blaming the high price on speculators, and pulled out. Things were so bad that, shortly thereafter, the housing market bubble popped, and since then the price of gas has fallen precipitously. The timing of it all sort of makes sense. I have yet to be able to find where I saw it. Like it was pulled from the internet shortly after it was put up. Anybody else see anything like that?

Grant A.
December 27th, 2008, 05:55 AM
That Duke Nukem Forever would one day be released.

MikeTheC
December 27th, 2008, 06:11 AM
I read somewhere online that the banks knew that they were loosing money on the home loans and decided to take drastic action. They decided to put money in petroleum and drive the price up sky high, which is why the price of gas went through the roof. They realized that the gig was up when people started blaming the high price on speculators, and pulled out. Things were so bad that, shortly thereafter, the housing market bubble popped, and since then the price of gas has fallen precipitously. The timing of it all sort of makes sense. I have yet to be able to find where I saw it. Like it was pulled from the internet shortly after it was put up. Anybody else see anything like that?

*looks around*

*shakes head*

Nope, nothing like that going on around here. You?

Kingsley
December 27th, 2008, 06:15 AM
According to one of my roommates, it's a proven fact that Macs are better than PCs. A professor of his supposedly said so. :shock:

bsharp
December 27th, 2008, 07:35 AM
This video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0

dannytatom
December 27th, 2008, 07:54 AM
Sorry if we can't talk about drugs here, but this has to be the weirdest thing I was ever told to be truth.

Long story short I was sitting in the police station, pretty high, and the cop was explaining to me why marijuana was bad. He said, and I quite, "You know that squigly line goin' down the middle of your brain? When you get high, your brain seperates at that, that's why you feel high. And sometimes, it can go back together wrong, and you'll go retarded."

I attached an image showing his hand motions during, sorry for my horrible mouse-drawing. ;p

MikeTheC
December 27th, 2008, 08:08 AM
Sorry if we can't talk about drugs here, but this has to be the weirdest thing I was ever told to be truth.

Long story short I was sitting in the police station, pretty high, and the cop was explaining to me why marijuana was bad. He said, and I quite, "You know that squigly line goin' down the middle of your brain? When you get high, your brain seperates at that, that's why you feel high. And sometimes, it can go back together wrong, and you'll go retarded."

I attached an image showing his hand motions during, sorry for my horrible mouse-drawing. ;p

Haven't tried that myself, but that's kind of funny, I think.

MikeTheC
December 27th, 2008, 08:11 AM
This video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0

Well, yeah, I'd agree. But then again, this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pANmsm3CwWM) is actually even more informative (and actually kinda interesting).

SonnHalter
December 27th, 2008, 09:02 AM
amd is a third-world based company who make inferior, "knock-off" copies of american processor chips. They use child labor extensively in their third world sweatshops, and they deliberately disable the security features that american processor makers, such as intel, use to prevent hacking. Amd chips are never sold in stores, and you will most likely be told that you have to order them from internet sites. Do not buy this chip! This is one request that you must refuse your son, if you are to have any hope of raising him well.


lol!!

I-75
December 27th, 2008, 09:08 AM
So what I'm curious about is what is the strangest thing you have ever heard about an OS.

Since the OP asked about the strangest thing ...and a OS, I'll continue with another one...surprised no one mentioned it.


http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/05/28/100033867/index.htm?postversion=2007051409

"Microsoft claims that free software like Linux, which runs a big chunk of corporate America, violates 235 of its patents. It wants royalties from distributors and users. Users like you, maybe."

I-75
December 27th, 2008, 09:14 AM
LOL! :lolflag:

That rumour has been doing the rounds for a few years now. Apparantly Vista was developed in conjunction with the NSA, and as such contains many backdoors for them and other government agencies to snoop on you and steal your data.

Don't get me wrong though, Vista contains a hell of a lot of DRM, but nothing that would allow Governments to snoop on you :lolflag:


When I heard that rumor, I knew it wasn't true for the fact that if someone really did find back doors, it would make headlines world wide and it would end up hurting MSFT big time to which they would not likely recover. Look what happened with Sony and the "rootkit" debacle. Some might argue that Microsoft's "WGA" is a kind of a back door of sorts...but thats open to debate.

etnlIcarus
December 27th, 2008, 12:20 PM
Sorry if we can't talk about drugs here, but this has to be the weirdest thing I was ever told to be truth.

Long story short I was sitting in the police station, pretty high, and the cop was explaining to me why marijuana was bad. He said, and I quite, "You know that squigly line goin' down the middle of your brain? When you get high, your brain seperates at that, that's why you feel high. And sometimes, it can go back together wrong, and you'll go retarded."

I attached an image showing his hand motions during, sorry for my horrible mouse-drawing. ;p

If we're talking general strange rumours/misinformation, I wouldn't know where to begin. I've heard so many paranoid (oft racist) conspiracy theories, so many far flung attempts to excuse climate change as a non-human issue, so many thumpers expound the literal truth of their holy texts, while presenting fallacies of any science which casts doubt on their claims and yes - even a few scared, misinformed people say some really dumb stuff about the effects of cannabis.

For *nix-related BS, the worst I've heard was security by obscurity taken to the extreme where, apparently, no non-MS OS was any safer than Windows. This was back in the most horrific end of the XP-era as well.

There's also that very famous post along the lines of 'I find it impossible to believe that this linux can run on PCs without any parts of Windows being present. PCs are designed with the help of Microsoft', etc. Anyone got a link to that one?

Sealbhach
December 27th, 2008, 10:22 PM
Anyone got a link to that one?

Is this it?

http://talkback.zdnet.com/5208-12355-0.html?forumID=1&threadID=31199&messageID=579806&start=43


.

etnlIcarus
December 28th, 2008, 03:16 AM
Yep, thanks.

wmcbrine
December 28th, 2008, 04:38 AM
"Obama is a Muslim."

tadcan
December 28th, 2008, 11:26 AM
I was in LA and meet someone from the south. He wasn't racist but he had grown up hearing stuff out I associated with the KKK. (No details, the no politics rule). I took pleasure in giving him an different point of view.

More shocking because in LA most people are bending over backwards to be nice about everything.

etnlIcarus
December 28th, 2008, 12:59 PM
I was in LA and meet someone from the south. He wasn't racist but he had grown up hearing stuff out I associated with the KKK. (No details, the no politics rule). I took pleasure in giving him an different point of view.

More shocking because in LA most people are bending over backwards to be nice about everything.
Haha, that reminds me of a couple of months ago. I was sitting in a carpark around Kilburn, when this white, beat-up van with fake bullet holes in the side and stickers reading, "Crusaders SA" (Aussie Crusaders being one of the main neo-nazi groups in Aust) pulls up. These two shaved, shirtless body builders, covered in tatoos written in an elaborate old-english type font jump out and head into the pharmacy. I was struck with a certain dissonance since Kilburn has a massive immigrant and refugee population. Either these guys are really determined or they chose really badly where to live.

earthpigg
December 28th, 2008, 01:03 PM
I heard that Windows has back doors that go to certain government agencies. Supposedly it started with Windows 95...I have been hearing that rumor for years.

we know for a fact that MS includes malware distributed via windows updater.

or did you miss where millions of windows boxes in china are having their desktop background changed to black every hour? that. is. malware.

(MS claims they are pirated copies of windows... recall the thread where WINE is "genuine windows" if you think MS is qualified to evaluate that.)

is it really that far a step from malware to spyware?

edit: basically, it comes down to this - do you trust American companies and government with your national security (if you are not American)? if not, you probably dont want your government using Windows.

icecruncher
December 28th, 2008, 01:15 PM
This (http://www.adequacy.org/stories/2001.12.2.42056.2147.html) was meant as a joke, and is pretty darn funny.

I read it. all the way.
just plain awefull!

etnlIcarus
December 28th, 2008, 01:29 PM
is it really that far a step from malware to spyware?Well, yes. There's no laws against building a verification system into your software product - even if it's faulty (though that's certainly grounds to sue). However, intentionally building backdoors into your software for access by 3rd parties without informing your clients would be very illegal. Considering MS' history, they're not about to do something like that.


basically, it comes down to this - do you trust American companies and government with your national security (if you are not American)? if not, you probably dont want your government using Windows.I'm not fond of my gov't using MS products but that's less about national security and more about efficiency.

cb951303
December 28th, 2008, 01:34 PM
This (http://www.adequacy.org/stories/2001.12.2.42056.2147.html) was meant as a joke, and is pretty darn funny.

2 out of 3 who commented, thought it was a genuine article :D :lolflag::lolflag:

ushimitsudoki
December 28th, 2008, 01:53 PM
I heard that Windows has back doors that go to certain government agencies. Supposedly it started with Windows 95...I have been hearing that rumor for years.

This is likely based on _NSAKEY (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSAKEY), a secondary crypto key discovered in WinNT4 SP5. You can read the article about it and draw your own conclusion.

vallhalla81
December 28th, 2008, 02:17 PM
i was told a gr8 one last week, i was told that vista was the most user friendly and secure os there was, after hearing this i nearly giggled in my pants