The strange fears some people have

From this item that I read on the Internet today

http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/computer-virus-much-threat-105505768.html

I discovered the fears that Americans have with relation to the Internet:

"Fear of a virus ranks as the fourth most identified fear of online life of both men and women. Child pornography, credit card theft and organized terrorism ranks as the top three in given order".

The first two I understand.

"Organised terrorism"? Jihadists are sitting out there planning to blow you up using your computer? Or are using the Web to plan crashing a plane into your local mall? You are there on a games site playing summat amusing when a strange figure in Middle Eastern garb starts chanting summat in Urdu or Arabic, and the next thing you know you are being sprayed with the output from a Kalashnikov or a Glock?

That is more a concern than a virus getting on your PC?

Strange and crazy world.

I have had to deal with viruses five or six times. Even with my anti-virus software (and the two backup  AV tools that I have at my disposal) and my many years worth of working in IT, I still cannot block them entirely. In fact they can be incredibly nasty.

They are a confounded nuisance in a practical way. On a day to day basis the threat is there. They may not wreck the computer, I may be able to restore my environment as it was, but they are still a confounded nuisance.

And I should be more concerned about "organised terrorism"? Huh? HUH?????

As I have pointed out enough times before, the chance of being killed by a terrorist bomb is massively smaller than the percentage chance of dying in an automobile accident.

Don't get in that car, some maniac might ram you!!!!

You don't think like that every time that you are going to drive somewhere?

OK - I am not American. But even so it is time for some perspective on this terrorism issue. And some sense!

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Late addendum to this piece - this is not imply that ALL Americans sit and worry irrationally about organised terrorism. I would never stereotype an entire people like that. The comments refer only to those that do, and sadly there appear to be plenty of them.