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Election 2006 (and beyond): Digital Copyright Canada
From: Russell McOrmond <russell_-at-_flora.ca>
To: Universal Access Canada <cpi-ua_-at-_vancouvercommunity.net>, <flora-admin-help_-at-_flora.org>
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 12:18:25 -0400 (EDT)
Opinion: Idiocy Imperils the Web
It's time for us to stop admiring virus writers and start dishing out
heaping spoonfuls of shame to stupid users, says eWEEK's Jim Rapoza.
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,3959,1115152,00.asp
...
To some degree, the fault for this lies with the technology press. We
tend to take each new virus too seriously while not taking the time to
shame the morons who are making it possible for the viruses to
succeed.
Imagine if there were a rash of car thefts where thieves stole a bunch
of cars that were left running with the doors open. Reporters wouldn't
focus on the cleverness of the car thieves; they would point out the
stupidity of the car owners. Or imagine thousands of cases of food
poisoning from people eating completely raw chicken. I'm sure we would
be reading plenty about the cluelessness of the "victims."
...
So let's change our attitudes and our tactics. Let's get out the word
that most of the time, when people get viruses, it's their own fault.
Stupidity is nothing to be proud of.
I've sent a BRAVO note to the author!
My own additional RANT follows: *smile*
The poor choices of tools is a big part of the problem as well. Some
email tools have a double-click infection features, and in the case of
Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Office based viruses you have a 0-click
infection configuration option which I believe is the default (just view
the message and you're infected).
Here is the auto-response people get when they send me an attachment
from Microsoft Outlook:
http://www.flora.org/flora/server/comnet-www/1946
"It needs to be remembered that the viruses that attack various email
packages, primarily those from Microsoft, are not the result of accidents.
They are the result of deliberate design flaws, where adequate security
warnings were provided by the standards bodies that documented the Email
standards."
People using Microsoft Outlook should not be left as if their choice is
the industry standard, and thus all flaws are acceptable. They should be
ridiculed for not putting the effort into the technology choices they
depend on for email communications, even as much as the effort they may
put into choosing what flavor of cold drink they might purchase on a hot
day.
Given the nature of the Internet, very ugly warts and all, files coming
from the net that are not digitally signed by a known/trusted author
should be automatically quarantined. There should be a few clicks and an
"are you sure" before files are moved out of the quarantine area onto the
regular file-system where regular software and file-browsers can get at
them.
Virus scanners can only detect known viruses, and are not a real
solution. The long-term solution to viruses will be to make networked
computers more secure (which today often means just moving away from
specific brands of tools), and to train users in how to safely use their
networked computers.
Some may claim that this option is inconvenient: Sorry, but it is far
less inconvenient than the virus problem which exists only because of this
(mis-)claimed convenience, and the lack of computer knowledge demonstrated
by those who are getting infected.
Claim this is 'too techie' and that the average user should not be
expected to know how poorly designed their software is? Either you have
the technical knowledge to make your own informed choices (and live with
the consequences, including being ridiculed for those choices, or being
held partly liable if your being infected harms others), or you do not
have the knowledge. In the latter case you should trust some of the more
technical third-party people who have been warning against the use of
products such as Microsoft Outlook since even before they were created,
rather than just trusting the marketing materials of the vendors and
resellers of those faulty products.
---
Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://www.flora.ca/>
Governance software that controls ICT, automates government policy, or
electronically counts votes, shouldn't be bought any more than
politicians should be bought. -- http://www.flora.ca/russell/
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