Yes, at least in the media, there is a lot of confusion about how e-mail and 'open' work. E.g., for https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9050436 https://news.

Yes, at least in the media, there is a lot of confusion about how e-mail and 'open' work. E.g., for https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9050436 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9050436 about http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/world/bank-hackers-steal-millions-via-malware.html http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/world/bank-hackers-steal-m... in that NYT piece on hacking banks in Russia there is: "In many ways, this hack began like any other. The cybercriminals sent their victims infected emails — a news clip or message that appeared to come from a colleague — as bait. When the bank employees clicked on the email, they inadvertently downloaded malicious code. That allowed the hackers to crawl across a bank’s network until they found employees who administered the cash transfer systems or remotely connected A.T.M.s." So, to get infected all they had to do was just click "on the email"? Not even click on an attachment! That must be some strange, dangerous e-mail software!