11 year olds, iPhone repositories and the power of Eeeeeeevil

So while I was gone off, enjoying the wild wonders of Arizona, seems like a big kerfuffle tumulted, disturbed, and then resolved. Mike Rose just dropped me an IM, asking whether the whole "Mikey" thing meant that the iPhone was especially susceptible to malicious influences. Was this the canary in the coal mine? Are bad things coming down the road iPhone-wise?

In my opinion? Not so much. This bad patch showed more that users could be quick to respond and capable of handling flackitude than that the iPhone was a particularly vulnerable platform. Less harm was done by Mikey the 11 year old than by the whole recent QuickBooks debacle.

It's a given when one computes that bad things happen. Some harm is intentional, some not. What we saw at play here, and is especially obvious in retrospect, was a quick community response. The strong network of Apple/iPhone enthusiasts got the message out and acted with precision and decisiveness. Well done, guys.

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Source: http://www.digg.com/apple/iPhone_1_1_3_Prep_is_a_Malicious_F…

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So while I was gone off, enjoying the wild wonders of Arizona, seems like a big kerfuffle tumulted, disturbed, and then resolved. Mike Rose...

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hafiz

I read this post and still don't get what the heck it was about...

January 07 2008 at 7:40 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Makes me even more happy that I don't hack my phone.

January 07 2008 at 5:51 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to gg's comment

Frank Furter

I second that. Idiots. Hack away. Don't let the man get you down!!!!

January 07 2008 at 7:24 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

russell

I don't get it, so these "malicious" packages simply did a bad job of installing other peoples code? Sounds stupid, but not malicious.

January 07 2008 at 5:42 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

walter

Speaking of 11 year olds, check out this pre-MacWorld concept/prediction on iLife apps produced my son using iLife apps and Final Cut Express 4.0:

http://gallery.mac.com/portorfordtv#100026

He thinks that SJ will hype up the iLife bundle at MacWorld 2008.

January 07 2008 at 5:02 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

bob_c_b

I was so hoping the derth of petty iPhone stories meant that Erica was gone from this site, but apparently she was only on vacation.

January 07 2008 at 4:15 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

4 replies to bob_c_b's comment

swisspolo

11!!!! That's ridiculous. I just about knew what DOS was back then let alone having the ability to do what this kid's done! Hope his dad has a college fund ready!

simon

@sipedia.co.uk

January 07 2008 at 4:06 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

poetic_folly

Source: http://www.modmyifone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24323

January 07 2008 at 3:31 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Fritz Laurel

I may have bought an iPhone on day 1, but even I am not eager enough (dumb enough? no, too harsh. brazen? cavalier?) to install anything from any source (including, if not especially, Apple) unless several others have tried it or examined it first.

As Erica points out, I'm glad that there is a strong sense of community where iPhone users and dev members examine these things and "put the word out" before major eeeevil has a chance to set root. Bravo!

Cheers,
FL

January 07 2008 at 3:20 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

3 replies to Fritz Laurel's comment

krye

Did I miss a news flash? What happened?

January 07 2008 at 3:12 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to krye's comment

Bryan T

No kidding, I have never been so confused before

January 07 2008 at 4:55 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Andy

Great, another opportunity to embiggen my vocabulary with a new word 'flackitude' in this cromulent post.
Craptacular!

January 07 2008 at 2:44 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply