ChasNote

Yesterday at Symantec’s Security Response Weblog, corporate blogger Todd Woodward offered some straight talk about viruses and the Mac OS: “Let’s start with the hot-button issue of Mac OS X viruses. Simply put, at the time of writing this article, there are no file-infecting viruses that can infect Mac OS X.”

But Todd, aren’t you corporate bloggers supposed to be selling me something, like — in your case — antivirus software??

Well, before you write off Todd’s blunder as a lost marketing opportunity, you should know that Mac cult site Daring Fireball gave props to Symantec on their frankness: “Very nice: an honest, accurate overview of the state of Mac OS X security from Symantec’s Todd Woodward.” Next, someone posted a link at Digg, and 1266 “Diggs” later, Symantec landed itself atop the front page of the most powerful word-of-mouth tech site online. (Caveat: FM sells Digg’s advertising programs. A less partisan reviewer might say “one of the two most powerful word-of-mouth sites….”)

Yeah, but, Todd, among the 80-some-odd comments attached to the post on Digg, some people said mean things about Symantec for selling antivirus products for the Mac at all!

Then again, one Digg contributor came to Symantec’s defense: “It’s also nice to have an antivirus tool on Macs to prevent spreading infected documents around.” And there must be some positive dividend paid to Symantec for having 80 people talking about the finer points of their products.

On the balance, then, Todd and Symantec: BRAVO! You’ve launched a corporate blog that’s reads like an independent blog — and you’re out of the gates with enormous street cred.