Much as I hate these Mac Vs Windows debate, I loved Mr or Mrs Mac-Lover's arguments...

You couldn't possibly think that it's because Mac's make up something like < 3% of the home market that people just leave it alone? Ten's of thousands of viruses/exploits for Windows - more than likely, that's what Mitchell and Webb would have you believe, but I doubt they're still unpatched. And yes, Apple patch flaws as well but unlike Windows, there isn't many people looking for the flaws before they can be patched to exploit them.

The fact that you still feel the need to use virus scanners/malware detecters smacks to me that your confidence can't be that high.

I shouldn't rise to it, I know I shouldn't, but it's been a long day. In my mind it's horses for courses. I don't spend my life telling people to use Windows and from what I remember of the article, all it says is (to paraphrase), "don't be so cocky, it can still happen to Macs". Here's hoping it remains a minority OS so the users don't find the harsh reality of being a target of virus writers - if this exploit was Windows I can fairly guarantee it wouldn't have been demonstrated in a competition, it would have just been released to the wild.

Yours cheerfully...

Anonymous like Mac-Lover. And also for fear of flames.

While I'm skeptical of electro-sensitivity, the effect on http://www.cogreslab.co.uk/elec_sensitivity.asp that Ian ridicules I believe is attempting to explain the well documented double layer effect. This can be seen on the surface of pipes. I think this is also one reason why water pipes are always earthed as well, to discharge this buildup. However, I would not go as far to say the field is 'powerfull'.

Just so you know, the reason water pipes are grounded is much simpler and 2 folds.

1: To provide a central easy to access ground for things like tubs and sinks (as those must be grounded, in case of electric items falling in water)

2: To avoid throwing electricity all over the place in case of a wire malfunction that lands a wire on a pipe.

The anonymous poster is spot on when he says Macs have a huge advantage in that so few people have them they're just not worth going after by criminal gangs as what you'll be able to steal just isn't worth the effort. I think it's also worth pointing out that although Windows has weaknesses any half way decent AV product stamps out most malware dead and a fraction of common sense would stop nearly all of it. You can't blame Microsoft if you act stupidly in exactly the same way you'd take any sensible precaution to avoid being the victim of any other crime (you do lock your car? Keep your wallet out your back pocket, don't you?). I think it's interesting that despite the myriad of Windows security problems people have hardly been abandoning the platform in droves which does make you wonder how much FUD is talked up about them.

Also, as a personal plea, I wish people would refrain from the nauseating and peurile word-forms like "Windoze" that might have been funny to a 14 year old in 1998, but now just make you look like a half-wit. It's funny the way the Internet encourages people to use such abusive language...

Water pipes are naturally grounded (earthed) because they are um, buried in the ground (earth). They are buried to protect the pipes from damage, not to protect us from some mythical electrical field.

This is why water pipes* are sometimes used to ground certain devices. Otherwise it would be necessary to drive a long conductive rod into the ground and connect it to said devices by wire.

*(cold water pipes only, because they generally have an unbroken connection to the buried main water supply pipe.)

Electrosensitivity has never been proven. I have around worked strong very electro-magnetic fields for decades and I am stillstillstill just fine.

Could it be that you did all your work at the centre of a pyramid which converted all those harmful astro/electro-radiations into health-giving rays and, thus, contributing towards your current well-being ??

Tony's "current" well-being? Ba ha ha ha ha!