Re: [inbox] Re: CyberInsecurity: The cost of Mo nopoly

[Valdis.Kletnieks () vt edu]

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 16:09:51 +1000, Chris Cozad said:

> Do you really think you could convince the average user that they need to
> know this much about security? I mean, most users see their computers (and
> the network, servers, phones, faxes, etc...) as a tool to do business with.
> Nothing else. The computers are there to do a job, or help get a job done,
> and nothing else. It is not so much that they don't know, it is that they
> don't need to know.

This argument is a total crock.  Most people manage to drive cars that
remain operational, because they either learn how to do the maintenance
themselves, or they outsource it to a guy called a "mechanic".

Here.. let's do a s/computer/cars/ on that paragraph:

> Do you really think you could convince the average person that they need to
> know this much about fuel injectors? I mean, most people see their cars (and
> the network, servers, phones, faxes, etc...) as a tool to do business with.
> Nothing else. The cars are there to do a job, or help get a job done,
> and nothing else. It is not so much that they don't know, it is that they
> don't need to know.

I'll point out that the average car no longer comes with a crank to start it,
or a manual choke button that you have to remember to push back in.  The
average car no longer needs major maintenance every few hundred miles.

So why are we tolerating computers that have cranks and choke buttons and
need major maintenance every few hundred hours?

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