I made this point on a mimedefang list. Some people didn't really like it.

Computers are too complicated for people to be responsible some said.

So I tried equating it to maintaining your car in that, if your car smokes
and causes pollution - it is NOT the manufacturers responsibility to come
fix your car. It's your responsibility to take it to the nearest mechanic.
If it smokes too much the police might just have to remove you from the road
for other peoples safety.

What I got in return to that was - Yeah sure, but doesn't relate. Auto
manufacturers don't put out buggy cars like microsoft puts out buggy
software.

Hmm... good point - but doesn't microsoft put out these things called
patches? Is it not the users responsibility to maintain their software
(vehicle) but obtaining these patches (tune up).

I don't see how this doesn't equate. It's the same friggin thing. If you are
going to put yourself on the internet then you should be held accountable
for what happens to your computer. It isn't microsoft/linux 's
responsibility to educate users. It's their own responsibility to educate
themselves or suffer the consequences. You have to think of this in terms of
the dsl/cable connections. Everyone is now "always on" which in essence
makes them like a little open node on the internet. The government is NOT
responsible, NOR the ISP, NOR the software manufacturer for maintaining
safety of these little nodes. I'm sorry, but I will not see this any other
way. The government doesn't know their head from their ass as far as the
internet, the ISP should only be responsible for shutting the nodes down
originating from their own network, and the software manufacturers should
make patches available when they fix bugs. The USER is/SHOULD BE held
responsible to secure, maintain, upgrade, etc etc their little node. Too
complicated? Then they don't need to be on the net all the time (or period
for that matter as far as I'm concerned). Or they need to hire a mechanic
"PC-TECH".

All this really becomes is a whole debate of how responsible should a user
be?

I agree - the user should have responsibility. No one is/can or should be
responsible to go out and hold every little users hand, and assist them with
every little nuance of owning a computer. Maybe that sounds a bit harsh, but
I still say it's like maintaining your car. All of this knowledge and info
is freely available (some even in little paper books or cd's called
manuals).

If you're stupid and don't read the "owners manual" for your car, never
change the oil, wear your tires bald, never change the windshield wipers,
and people force you to quit driving the vehicle, it's your OWN fault.

If you don't RTFM, do a little research, (my god -  it is NOT THAT FRIGGIN
HARD) get the basics of owning a computer, and get your little node shut
down because your a friggin idiot spewing crap out on the net, because your
computers infected, because it got hacked, because you had no protection,
etc etc, yadda, yadda - then it's your OWN fault.

Think logically here folks.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pedro Sam" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2004 11:44 PM
Subject: Re: [SAtalk] [OT] - The current state spam.


> I take an opposite view point.  ISP's should disable a user's account, if
that
> account is found to be launching any malicious attacks, regardless of
whether
> that account was intentionally malicious or was simply hacked.
>
> It's time people own up to the responsibility of a presence on the
internet.
>
> -- 
> In those days he was wiser than he is now -- he used to frequently take
> my advice.
> -- Winston Churchill
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------
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