back to article John McAfee talks of sex, drugs, and bad coding

Tech mogul turned fugitive blogger John McAfee has been taking questions in a Slashdot Q&A that reveal a claimed life of drug smuggling, political corruption, and living with a hammered testicle. The British-born McAfee recounts that from 1971 to 1982 (when he was employed by UNIVAC and Computer Sciences Corporation to write …

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  1. AndrueC Silver badge
    Joke

    To be fair, McAfee A/V is pretty effective at preventing infection. When it's running I have so little CPU left over that there's very little trouble I can get into.

    1. JeffyPooh
      Pint

      "...being associated with the worst software on the planet..."

      Nonsense. Utter nonsense. Everyone knows that McAfee A/V is the *2nd* worst software on the planet.

      Norton AV, especially in the 2007 - 2008 versions, was obviously THE worst sequence of evil bits to ever stalk the Earth.

      SAP is right there in 3rd with its mystic runes, moving still buggy Facebook down into 4th.

      Honourary Mention to Microsoft for the Windows 8 unnecessary fiasco, and a Special Prize to The World's 4th Largest Airforce for their Ubuntu 10 with the MBR-consuming Grub monster.

      1. Mikel

        Re: "...being associated with the worst software on the planet..."

        Dramatizing your exploits while pushing your memoirs? Say it ain't so.

        1. Shagbag

          Re: "...being associated with the worst software on the planet..."

          I think it's fair to say that - contrary to what he states - he never really got off the drugs.

    2. oolor
      Black Helicopters

      Wait, people still run AV software?

  2. Oninoshiko

    "As to name association, I am a master at sullying my own name and, all things considered, being associated with the worst software on the planet ranks way down the pole... It's barely a blip in the ocean of associations – madman, paranoid, child molester, murderer, drug addict, unstable, liar, to name but a few."

    Wow... Just wow.

    Anyone else read this in the voice of Robert Downy Jr. (as Stark)?

    1. Major Variola

      Fear and Loathing II

      I hope that a documentary equally respectful and amusing as F & L comes out of this.

      Meanwhile, shoot, at 67 he's a role model even if he can't code.

    2. Tom Maddox Silver badge
      Thumb Up

      At least he's honest!

  3. ecofeco Silver badge
    Windows

    Sort of the...

    ...Hunter S. Thompson of IT, huh?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Happy

      Re: Sort of the...

      Uhhh, I was going to post that exact name! This man, for better or worse, has lived! Truthfully, I feel like this man is the I.T. equivalent of where the buffalo roam, the land between. Undoubtedly proof that I.T. isn't always physically boring.

      This man should be the bad example of the I.T. world. The kind of bad example that can be inspiring. Where are the McAfee T-Shirts !!!!

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Sort of the...

        Hunter S Thompson did most of what he claimed to have done. McAfree almost certainly did not. The only thing interesting about this guys delusions is that people give them airtime.

  4. James O'Shea

    He's nuts

    I suspect that his testicle ain't the only thing that's hammered.

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

    2. Slabfondler
      Pint

      Re: He's nuts

      I think psychopathic is the more correct term for what his behaviour indicates. But he's certainly one fascinating psycho!g

  5. sabba
    Paris Hilton

    Perhaps it would have been better...

    ...if they'd applied the hammer to the other end of his anatomy!! Think head - not foot!!

    I bet the current owners of McAfee are well chuffed at being associated with this mad man. Presumably they are now wishing they'd bought Norton instead.

    I am not convinced he hasn't been involved in the code for over 20 years; I am sure I can feel hints of his madness in their products.

  6. Don Jefe
    Thumb Up

    Man, there was this one time

    I had to jump out of an old cargo plane over the Himalayas and we used a life raft to soften our landing in the snow then we slid over a cliff into a river and ended up having dinner with a Raj who was really the leader of a death cult and we only escaped by crossing a gorge on a rope bridge then cutting it down before the bad guys got across. We did succeed in recovering the precious stones and returning them to the villagers they had been stolen from. Then I went and found the Holy Grail but I lost it down a hole. That sure was some scene. Now I'm just kicking back and writing a blog while I'm planning my next big adventure: I'm going to look for proof of ancient aliens.

    1. btone
      Facepalm

      Re: Man, there was this one time

      DAMMIT DON I TOLD YOU TO KEEP OUR TRIP UNDER WRAPS DUDE!!!

      1. oolor
        Black Helicopters

        Re: Man, there was this one time

        What trip?

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Mythomaniac

    It's only a matter of time before Hollywood will buy this mythomaniac's story.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Headmaster

      Re: Mythomaniac

      As the article stated, the movie is already being written!!

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Mythomaniac

        Yeah, you're right. I was skimming through the article too fast.

    2. Tom 35

      Re: Mythomaniac

      I'm waiting for the game myself.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    See! I told you guys!!

    "When asked about the practices of the security software company that still bears his name, McAfee said he'd had no input into the company for the last 21 years (leaving in 1994 after selling the firm to Network Associates for a rumored billion-dollar payout) and the current code was "was none of my doing."

    "As to name association, I am a master at sullying my own name and, all things considered, being associated with the worst software on the planet ranks way down the pole," he said. "It's barely a blip in the ocean of associations – madman, paranoid, child molester, murderer, drug addict, unstable, liar, to name but a few.""

    When McAfee oozed back into the U.S., I prognosticated on these forums that it was only a matter of time before he started bagging on Intel and how they were running a certain epynomously named IT security company.

    It makes me wonder about my own mental state to think that I may be simpatico with this guy!! Maybe I should be taken off the streets!

    As for the last part of his above quote--wow...just wow.

    I wonder if there are brand equity people at Intel who are now seriously considering a rechristening of McAfee (the software company).

    1. Mike Moyle

      Re: See! I told you guys!!

      "I wonder if there are brand equity people at Intel who are now seriously considering a rechristening of McAfee (the software company)."

      Oh, I'm sure that they wouldn't be averse to smashing a bottle of champagne over this one's head, either, if given half a chance.

  9. Zmodem

    $2m is'nt worth getting off your ass for if you have $1bn, never mind running

    1. Rampant Spaniel

      He had a billion (minus tax) but has spent or lost most of it over the years. 2mil would be a huge chunk of what he has left.

      1. Zmodem

        the man isnt worth a mention if you can spend or loose a billion in 20 years and have nothing but a wardrobe full of white jeans in miami

        1. Kubla Cant
          Headmaster

          @Zmodem

          lose

          lose

          LOSE

          LOSE

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: @Zmodem

            A few years ago, street furniture all around our area displayed handbills that said "Loose weight now - ask me how".

            I didn't follow these up because I already have more loose weight than I need.

        2. Rampant Spaniel

          iirc he didn't 'loose' it himself. He looseded it in the traditional fashion, leaving his fortune in the charge of the wall street Bolivian marching powder brigade who, true to form, employed their throwing shit at a wall and seeing what sticks method.

          1. Zmodem

            crap spelling and grammer is why my brain holds so much general knowledge

  10. I am replete.

    Can anyone say which is the best AV and also the best in value for money.

    I have McAfee and the computer certainly appears free of infections, but also, it is really, really slow, it is 4GB memory and 320Mb HHD.

    1. MondoMan
      Devil

      Best AV

      Sony has always made good audiovisual (AV) equipment for consumers, but they are not usually the best value for money.

      As to your computer, it is likely the HHD (half-hearted drive) is slowing it down, as a total capacity of 320Megabits = only 40 Megabytes, which means the drive likely dates to the late 1980s.

      1. Zmodem

        Re: Best AV

        and windows program compatibility services

    2. Rob
      Go

      Upgrade

      You'll want to upgrade your harddrive and probably try to get a copy of WinNT to replace your Win3.11, it might improve the speed slightly.

      1. btone
        Boffin

        Re: Upgrade

        Hell, why not go all McAfeelike and upgrade to Windows ME, that was a freakout too!

    3. JeffyPooh
      Pint

      I am replete asked: "which is the best AV" ?

      Easy - MS Security Essentials.

      Most importantly, it's well behaved (unlike most of the others),

      And it's free.

  11. PeterM42
    Alert

    It's an easy mistake to associate the two names

    John McAfee and McCRAPafee.

  12. Lexxy
    Go

    Non, je ne regrette rien

    Quick, I think we're about to all wake up....

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