Do macs still have no viruses?

[Thorax]

Quick question: Are spyware and adware considered viruses? Or are they their own thing? I have a pretty good understanding of what each does, but I wasn't sure how they were categorized.

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[yuki]

Quick question: Are spyware and adware considered viruses? Or are they their own thing? I have a pretty good understanding of what each does, but I wasn't sure how they were categorized.

Subcategory maybe?

[dkamm65]

Not exactly, you have to download a virus, they don't usually just plop on your computer. That's why they aren't illegal. Downloading is something you do by choice.

Viruses are hidden in other programs and things like that, so the people that get them don't know they're there when they download something. If you write, hide, and distribute a virus, you are breaking a law.

If I use your example, I could say "Oh if you go walk down that dark alley, there's a chance you could get murdered."
If you walk down it anyway, and do get murdered, the guy who murdered you won't get away with it just because you knew the risk involved.

what they do isn't usually illegal.

And that's just plain wrong.

[Thorax]

Viruses are hidden in other programs and things like that, so the people that get them don't know they're there when they download something. If you write, hide, and distribute a virus, you are breaking a law.

If I use your example, I could say "Oh if you go walk down that dark alley, there's a chance you could get murdered."
If you walk down it anyway, and do get murdered, the guy who murdered you still broke a law.

And that's just plain wrong.

I'm pretty sure if they hide a virus in their program, it is listed somewhere in their user-agreement. So you do end up agreeing to it without really knowing.

But like I said, I'm not too knowledgeable of viruses.