Shiver me timbers.

[full-disclosure () lists netsys com (Ka)]

At Montag, 19. August 2002 15:30 aliver () xexil com wrote:
> [...] Does a mechanic
> (hacker) who finds that a gas tank can be easily rigged to explode have an
> obligation to report this finding to a corrupt car company (vendors)?
> Should he give an insurance company (whitehats or ARIS) the results of a
> painstaking analysis of the tank, and how to rig it to explode? Is he
> obligated to give all his research on any related finds away no matter how
> much of his time or energy it took? Would it be right if he rigged a
> serial killer's tank to explode?

We would not have computers and software as evolved as they are,
if we hadn't exchanged help and information from the very beginning.

In the early times, before 'hacker' was being used in it's modern
interpretation, holding back information was a sure sign of
unprofessionality or even incompetence. Everybody _knew_ that
the next bug could very well be discoverd in one's own system.

Of course it's everybody's right to publish or not to publish
anything. But hindering the exchange of know-how among fellow
hackers is just as egocentric as M$ is with it's marketing
strategy.


just my 2 cents after 36 years experience in this realm

Ka