Marketing Through Fear
from the scary-stuff dept
We've mentioned in the past how being in an "anti-" business is very tricky -- because your own success should wipe out the need for your product. Security firms epitomize this problem. If they're successful in making security no longer a problem, then the need for their products goes away. Even trickier is that they need to both scare people into believing they're not safe (often by overhyping threats) while convincing them that one single product will make them safe -- but not so safe that they won't need to eventually upgrade. It seems that this is the tricky balance security firms face, with many tending to overhype the threat aspect. The reality, as discussed in the article, is that it is an ongoing battle back and forth -- but people are getting jaded by security firms crying wolf all the time. It's ending up having the reverse effect. People are giving up -- figuring that many of these firms are making threats out to be much worse, and very few people know who to trust any more. While it may have seemed like good business in the short term, the long term results are causing people to ignore the messaging from security firms.
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Fire Departments and Poisson Distributions
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Re: Fire Departments and Poisson Distributions
Nobody is saying we should abolish fire departments because fires don't happen very often.
There is some truth here. The anti- products are really analogous to insurance policies. You buy it hoping you never really need it.
they're successful in making security no longer a problem, then the need for their products goes away.
Even if a security product is successful, it doesn't mean the need for it goes away. There are always going to be people out there with too much time on their hands (or organized criminals, take your pick) who come up new threats every day. So yes, maybe you wouldn't need to upgrade your actual anti- product, but you will still need to pay for the subscription to keep that product up to date.
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Re: Fire Departments and Poisson Distributions
Oh ya, I am a computer guy too and I Haul garbage for $160 a day cash usually takes 3-4 hours when I do get a load to do. Pays better then computers, when there is no garbage, I get computer calls .. its a ballance on a thin wire..
Looking in to a different career tho .. I can't do this for ever..
Too many companies are gready bastards, outsourcing jobs. Thanks to the Bush Administration.
Hey if Bush thinks its ok to spread democrasy and OK to help other countries to change their government, maybe we should ask Europe and Canada to help change ours and remove the Bush administration. .. Its OK right?
I mean we did it to Afghanastan, Iraq and Palestine, Now we need help to get rid of our regime.
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Re: Fire Departments and Poisson Distributions
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Re: Fire Departments and Poisson Distributions
And by the way, outsourcing is good economic policy (take Econ 101 at any university and you will see, free markets and specalization is good for everyone), and has nothing at all to do with the Bush administration. We were outsourcing here under Clinton, too - the president has no control over corporate decisions to outsource, except to implement protectionist policies. Now that gets me back to the fact that protectionist policies (anti-free markets) hurt everyone involved and ensure that the GNP of all countries do not grow at the same rate they would with free markets.
(and I'm a computer guy, who while in college worked at a computer shop for $11/hr fixing PCs... I can do it, so can you)
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Re: Fire Departments and Poisson Distributions
How can you say there is no computer jobs out there?!?!?! There not paying outragous salaries like they did in the 90's but with minimal certifcations and some experience you can get a job in any city in America..... Take the leap and get some certs an A+ and a Net+ go a long way. But yes they don't cut it not even close if you want to make a 6 figure salary. I think the problem is is that half of the "computer guys" out there aren't staying up to date in there field because they've spent the last 20 years learning new OS's and hardware. Wake up if your going to be in this field you better be willing to learn something new every day and realize you're never going to be a expert unless you specialize in one area and that area will be outdated in 3 years tops! and it took a year to be a expert in it so you have 2 years of being a pimp then your slapped back down into reality.
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Re: Fire Departments and Poisson Distributions
agreed.
That's why I techdirt during os installs.
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Re: Fire Departments and Poisson Distributions
Too many computer layoffs in 2001 - 2006, Nowdays you can get a job as a Sys Admin in a corperation for a measly $12 an hour with Medical insurance for crap.
My friend drives a truck hauling dirt from city to city makes $800 a DAY with his own truck and $2500 Clean after expences each week. I say the hell with computer jobs and all the office politics and the stupid games. It seams that the Fater and unhealthier you are, the bigger geek and more knowledgeable.. that is sad.. lazy fat ass..
I say Fuck the computer jobs. Its time to be a man and do a man's job.
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Re: Fire Departments and Poisson Distributions
Truck drivers certainly can make good money, but they don't get much of a family life. (Unless they're one of the few people who find a good paying close driving only trucking job) Also I would like to point out a good deal of the truck drivers that I know aren't the most healthy nor the smallest people I know.
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Re: Fire Departments and Poisson Distributions
You sound like you've got all the certs...and I'll give you the benefit of the doubt because yes, they aren't handing out huge salaries like candy anymore...but man!
Anyone who knows his stuff...(forget all the certs..whenever someone hands me a resume loaded with em, I know they likely won't survivwe the interview) can easily find and hold a decent position.
At my company, we have quite a few senior network architects, systems analysts and programmers, all making six-figures...while at the bottom end we get a LOT of turn over. Interestingly enough, our top guys have no certs beyond a degree while the chaff that rotates on out of here because they can't get the job done list em, just like you did above.
Before you go calling geeks fat asses and whine about office politics, why don't you take a close look at your skills? I'm thinking if they were as good as you say, you wouldn't NEED to tout the certs that much to say it.
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Re: Fire Departments and Poisson Distributions
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No Subject Given
hehehehhehehhe
It may be wrong, but I dont see any good computer jobs out there, unless you want to make McDonald wages.. and work 70 hours a week with no overtime.
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Re: No Subject Given
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Computer Guys do it!
hehehehhehehhe
It may be wrong, but I dont see any good computer jobs out there, unless you want to make McDonald wages.. and work 70 hours a week with no overtime.
When your a starving computer guy, you do anything it takes to make some change ..
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Re: Computer Guys do it!
And yes, there are no good computer jobs. I have six years of experience building and repairing, and consider myself highly qualified. My last boss thought so too. He moved me from the tech bench to a manager position...and paid me a whopping $12 an hour. Now I make better money loading trucks in a warehouse. You can make good money in computers, but only if you own the business, or have a dozen certifications.
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linux
free anti-malware (if you need it, which i havent)
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Yes and no
Being a Security Engineer in a VAR for InfoSec, FUD (Fear, Uncertainaty, Doubt) has fallen to the side. Now we have several Federal Regulations that companies need be aware of and to become compliant with.
Now it's about spending $50K for a security appliance to protect >$1M worth of assets and stay in compliance and preventing $250K worth of fines.< br>
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This is new?
1) Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt
2) Impart Inadequacy
3) Appeal To Greed
4) Sex
5) Government Mandate
Every single computer part, technical service, and consulting agreement is sold in one of these five ways (sometimes a mixture). To single out Anti-Virus companies and not, say, Accenture, is cherrypicking the easy targets. Especially security companies (one if which I work for) thrive on 1, 2, and 5.
If we're to condemn AV companies, we should the whole security industry, because they're just as guilty.
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Selling through fear
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sadfsadf
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