Well you should know that I am not going to click on that with *happy*
fingers on unknown things. ;-)
Let's see now.
You mistrust the safety of a *.zip file that has been on a university
ftp site since 1993, right? (You do know how to remove the filename from
an ftp URL to see the directory listing, don't you?)
You mistrust the motives of a poster (me) when you can easily Google for
his previous posts and see his stand on malicious code, right?
Yet you trust absolutely the security of new Microsoft code and
Microsoft's claims of its safety and security and attempt to demean any
who have a healthy scepticism as to its security and who advocate "Combat
Programming"[1] in spite of the regular parade of security alerts and
upgrades from Microsoft in connection with their products, right?
What's wrong with this picture?
For your edification, these are the files in VGACW10.ZIP:
Archive: VGACW10.ZIP
Length Method Size Ratio Date Time CRC-32 Name
------ ------ ---- ----- ---- ---- ------ ----
47 Shrunk 40 15% 02-16-93 14:05 94e1eedc ALLFILES
266 Shrunk 122 54% 02-16-93 14:05 01a53cf6 CHANG.COR
19 Stored 19 0% 02-16-93 14:05 319222d6 COREWAR.CFG
25978 Implode 8771 66% 02-16-93 14:05 3907e569 COREWAR.DOC
96518 Implode 55895 42% 02-16-93 14:05 9f456a8b COREWAR.EXE
7 Stored 7 0% 02-16-93 14:05 b1ee2723 DWARF.COR
98 Shrunk 66 33% 02-16-93 14:05 704c2f03 DWARKILL.COR
121 Shrunk 93 23% 02-16-93 14:05 10c58ca1 GNOMDWAR.COR
75 Shrunk 62 17% 02-16-93 14:05 94b2e554 GNOME.COR
688 Implode 364 47% 02-16-93 14:05 5553491f RANDOM.COR
45 Stored 45 0% 02-16-93 14:05 5717d888 RUNME.BAT
------ ------ --- -------
123862 65484 47% 11 files
Rename COREWAR.DOC to COREWAR.TXT. It was written before Microsoft had
completely hijacked that extension. The *.COR files are plain text with
the assembler code for the competing emulated programs.
[1] I would be more inclined to use "defensive programming" similar to
the usage of "defensive driving" by a motorcycle rider[2].
[2] A quote I saw once, (mis-)quoting from memory:
"For an automobile driver, defensive driving means knowing all of the
ways that an accident could possibly happen and being prepared to take
the evasive steps necessary to avoid those accidents that can be
avoided. For a motorcycle driver, assume that one out of every ten
automobile drivers is a homicidal maniac with a hatred of
motorcyclists and out to centerpunch you but you don't know which
ones they are so you have to drive accordingly."