RE: Microsoft Cries Wolf ( again )

["Schmehl, Paul L" <pauls () utdallas edu>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Peter van den Heuvel [mailto:peter () bank-connect com] 
> Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2003 4:04 AM
> To: full-disclosure () lists netsys com
> Subject: Re: [Full-disclosure] Microsoft Cries Wolf ( again )
>
> I find all these posts on irresponsible behaviour a bit surprising. 
> Driving through a red light is irresponsible, blowing 
> oneanothers heads 
> out with firearms is irresponsible (and USA citizens seem to be 
> cunningly good at that), and still it happens. The problem is 
> not going 
> away, so face it and learn to live with it best you can.
>
> So, lets make it illegal! Yeah, like that ever solved a problem. It 
> would make more sense to research a bit more into why people do this, 
> how they could be convinced to be more social, and most particularly, 
> how the process of "decent" disclosure could be facilitated. 

Research?  Please!?!?!?!  Subjects like this have been researched to
death.  It doesn't matter *why* people do it.  The fact is that they
*do* and they always will.  No amount of research, no laws, no cajoling,
no berating, no belittling is ever going to change human behavior.  Why
do you think the Serbs and Bosnians have been fighting each other since
the 14th century?  Because it makes sense?  Because it's the right thing
to do?  Because it's responsible?

No matter what system you try to implement, *somebody* will try to
circumvent it.  That's just human nature.  The solution to this problem
lies in the hands of the vendors, *not* in the hands of the researchers.

Paul Schmehl (pauls () utdallas edu)
Adjunct Information Security Officer
The University of Texas at Dallas
AVIEN Founding Member
http://www.utdallas.edu/~pauls/ 
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