[extropy-chat] Redneck Transhumanists

[Gregory Propf]

BillK wrote:

>On Thu, 1 Jul 2004 22:49:42 -0700, Spike <spike66 at comcast.net> wrote:
>  
>
>>    
>>
>>>Extropian Agroforestry Ventures Inc.
>>>      
>>>
>>>I use outdated computer systems and brag that its an advantage because
>>>some viruses are not targeted to work old systems...
>>>
>>>Morris
>>>      
>>>
>>Is this true?  If so, you have stumbled upon a most
>>wonderful business opportunity.  Since email uses soooo
>>very little CPU, one could produce machines that are
>>designed to do nothing but email, using some ancient
>>primitive savage processor, such as a 386 or a
>>quadra.  Perhaps there are chip fabs still around
>>to make old processors?  Many of us could dedicate
>>an old machine to email, then use our other machines
>>for compuationally intensive apps.  I still have a
>>Mac quadra running in the office, for some specialty
>>applications that run only on that machine.
>>
>>    
>>
>
>Yes, it's true. Many new viruses and worms only work on the Windows XP
>technology, leaving Win98 machines alone.
>
There's a free firewall you can get if you have an old PC to spare just 
for that.  It's called IPCop and it uses a modified version of Linux.  I 
used it myself before I got a Linksys router which does much the same 
task but with much lower power usage.  A firewall won't prevent mail 
based viruses though.  For that I would suggest ditching the M$ mail 
programs and going with Mozilla. IPCop is at 
http://www.ipcop.org/cgi-bin/twiki/view/IPCop/WebHome