[selowitch]

The news that the Tiger release of Mac OS X will include an Automator that will apparently record your keystrokes as AppleScript looks very promising. “Recordable” AppleScript was a great idea that was never fully implemented until now. Automator may also make the process of learning AppleScript a little less forbidding.

As a non-programmer, I have really struggled in my quest to learn AppleScript, and the long wait for Sal Soghoian's book, AppleScript 1-2-3 has not helped matters.

[Buckaroo]

I wonder how long before we get a trogen horse with a automator file received from a scammer?

[Synotic]

Originally posted by Buckaroo:
I wonder how long before we get a trogen horse with a automator file received from a scammer?

And exactly why would you open it?

[eevyl]

Originally posted by Synotic:
And exactly why would you open it?

Ask the same question to the bazillion Windows users that do open virus attachments (regardless of having the auto-open off). It's just like if I gave a gun to someone and said "hey point it to your head and push the trigger" and the guy actually did it

It amazes me to no end and will continue to do so forever.

[JLL]

Originally posted by Buckaroo:
I wonder how long before we get a trogen horse with a automator file received from a scammer?

How would that be different from receiving an AppleScript file?

[CharlesS]

Originally posted by JLL:
How would that be different from receiving an AppleScript file?

It wouldn't be at all, except that it would be easier for the script kiddies to create the Automator workflow than to write an AppleScript, without having any idea about programming or such. Such is the price of progress, though; anything that makes it easier for normal people to build stuff also makes it easier for morons to build stuff.

[Synotic]

Originally posted by CharlesS:
It wouldn't be at all, except that it would be easier for the script kiddies to create the Automator workflow than to write an AppleScript, without having any idea about programming or such. Such is the price of progress, though; anything that makes it easier for normal people to build stuff also makes it easier for morons to build stuff.

Even then, assuming you downloaded and opened the Automator file from the anonymous person, wouldn't you see something akin to "Delete files", "Erase mail" etc...? We already have the possible problem with AppleScript but that doesn't happen... it's too hard to propagate a Mac virus. With an Automator file I would hope that they don't just run automatically like run-only scripts. But I don't think they will, Apple probably has that covered.

[JKT]

We've already had the equivalent twice before - Apple's iTunes installer that wiped everyone's hard drives if they had a space in their name, and the script that was disguised as a MS Office 2004 installer which that moron downloaded and ran from a P2P network.

[-Q-]

Unfortunately, there's no real protection against human stupidity (that applies to both those people opening unknown attachments and those idiot script kiddies creating trojans, etc.).

From my perspective, Automator is going to be a great tool. And I'd much rather have Apple give us tools that make complex (and for all it's 'natural language' abilities, AppleScript was still rather complex) scripting very easy, than be afraid to release it b/c of what 'bad people' might do with it.