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The argument against the use of the word "malware" also assumes that the "mal" is "malicious". The prefix "mal" comes from the french word and indicates "illnes
by joejulian 13y ago
The argument against the use of the word "malware" also assumes that the "mal" is "malicious". The prefix "mal" comes from the french word and indicates "illness" or "affliction" which most certainly matches with the regard for these pieces of software.
- joh6nn 13y agohttps://www.google.com/search?q=define+malware https://www.google.com/search?q=define+malware "software that is intended to damage or disable computers and computer systems. origin: blend of malicious and software ." The regard that people hold for these pieces of software aside, most of them are not actively malicious. Yes, they're annoying, but most of them are not doing anything worse to you than what the major ad networks are doing. I hate that, I block that behavior with noscript and adblock, etc. But it's a stretch to call that malicious.
- pbreit 13y agoToolbars definitely damage software.
- markbernard 13y agoIt is not a stretch. These programs slow down the users browser experience. Though they may not be actively in collusion, more and more of these tool bars are installed and the browser almost grinds to a halt. I have opened the browser on my parents laptop to fin the top half of the screen cut off because it was full of tool bars. While they may not be intentionally malicious the result is malicious. Therefore they are malware.
- dalek_cannes 13y agoMal. That's "bad", in the Latin.