Tech “journalism” hits new low at PC World

In the recent blog post “New Apple Ads Ignore Price Wars, Focus on Business” at PC World, some oblivious writer (obviously hampered by a deadline) writes:

What’s the value of purchasing a laptop on the cheap only to see it run the maintenance gambit due to a Conficker attack? Despite the recent outbreak of a Trojan horse turning Macs into zombies through a vulnerability in iWork ’09, Apple computers are more reliable machines. [Emphasis added]

Uh, what vulnerability in iWork ’09? Do you know what a trojan is? Do you know trojans rely on social engineering (tricking users) and not software vulnerabilities? Did you know that the iWork trojan was specifically attached to pirated copies of iWork only?

No, you didn’t. You don’t really know a whole lot at all. But it sounds good, so just include it in your blog post.

Oh, tech journalism. I’ll bring a wreath to your grave site. Rest in peace.

3 comments

  1. Not to mention, PC World once wrote in the magazine that Linux was not immune to those viruses out there and suggested ClamAV.

    1) No viruses made on Linux except joke viruses and laboratory controlled viruses.
    2) ClamAV is a joke. Seriously, I know it’s open source and all, but the algorithm it uses takes too long and makes a lot of false positives.

  2. How could this even have been published in the first place. There has to be at least one Mac fan or piracy fan around there offices. It really is distinguished to see this pass through a real article which should have contained…you know research. They are lazy bloggers like me. :)

  3. I’m feeling it. You’re the closest thing to a tech journalist in my RSS reader – unless you count Threat Level.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *