January 2005

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My workweek began yesterday morning with a request from a freelance client. It involved converting a word processing file from one format to another, and sending it to a third person.

But the client had sent me a bonus with that file---a computer virus. Which didn't harm my computer because I didn't open the attachment. In fact, my antivirus software snagged the virus and asked me what I wanted to do about it. Delete.

I then wrote to the client and told her what had happened. I suggested that she scan her computer for viruses, and send me a clean copy of the file. Even though I know she is not particularly computer savvy, I knew she could follow the instructions on the antivirus program, so I expected a clean copy of the file to arrive.

But it didn't. Instead, she responded a little later, saying that her computer scan showed no viruses and couldn't I just remove the virus for her?

So I wrote again, to tell her I no longer had the file, and that I wasn't willing to do that if she sent it again, because I wasn't willing to risk my computer. I suggested that she needed to update her antivirus software, and told her which virus it was.

And after that point, I don't know what she did. I suspect she's annoyed with me because I wasn't willing to do something that she wasn't at all sure could do any harm. I'm sure she sees my reluctance as a roadblock in getting her day's work completed.

But better her work be slowed down (I happen to know she has a hard copy of the file in question, and if all else fails, she can retype it) than mine be, at worst, deleted completely.