Is it time to send your computer to see Dr. Phil?

While reading an article about the growing list of security vulnerabilities on Macs, I was suddenly struck by the similarities between digital connections and personal relationships. Now that Macs are becoming more prevalent, more people are looking for ways to exploit them with viruses and other computer hacks. In other words, now that the Mac has come out of its shell and become more sociable, its at a greater risk of being hurt!

Can the answer be to crawl back into a protective cocoon and not risk further pain? Will disconnecting from the Internet make it all better (this goes for Windows users too!) Is perpetual loneliness and isolation the cure?

It appears that computer relationships have the same risks as human relationships. If you want the good things that come with interaction with others, you have to run the risk of being hurt. You have to learn to identify computers that are up to no good and avoid hanging out in bad neighborhoods.

You have special relationships with those youve learned to trust (you even sign-in to their websites and accept their cookies!) You set-up multiple email addresses with various names and only give out your personal email to those you trust. When you sign-up for a newsletter from someone you dont know, you give them one of the buffer emails. (When you just want that free PDF but dont want to be on a mailing list, you give out your junkmail address at Yahoo.com - Anyone out there ever been surprised to reach the local pizza joint when calling the number you got from the person you chatted-up at the pub the night before? Does this feel familiar?)

Dont even get me started with computers trapped in abusive relationships running illicit code for their partners who constantly ask them to do awful things for them like harvest personal data from unsuspecting people or launching DOS attacks on innocent websites whove become the targets of these bullies.

The similarities should not be surprising. After all, humans designed the whole system and are behind most of the bad stuff (theyre the little devils sitting on the edge of the monitor whispering, Go ahead and spam 3 million people with a Viagra email - youre not really hurting anyone!) Whether we like it or not, the baby resembles the parents - warts and all!

So all you mean hackers out there, the next time you see a shy young Mac working up the courage to ask a PC to dance, take it easy on the little fella!

P.S. Ive got nothing against Macs! I just happened to be reading a Mac related article when the brilliant insight above struck me. Please, no hate mail.