On Tue, 19 Dec 2000 03:41:59 -0500, Robert Deering wrote:
> On Tue, 19 Dec 2000 01:16:39 -0500, Samuel W. Heywood wrote:
>> The problem with unsafe email clients can be cured simply by legislation
>> mandating the standards. They have passed laws prescribing certain safety
>> standards for cars, electric appliances, firearms, kerosene heaters, crash
>> helmets, baby cribs, child safety seats, and practically everything else
>> thought to pose potential harm to consumers. Why not just pass a law
>> prohibiting the manufacture and use of unsafe email clients? Do you have
>> any thoughts about this?
> hrmmm...
> Don't even have to think. Thought, observed, reasoned, and
> de-ratiionalized that one long, long ago.
> NO!
> why?
> CHOICE
<snip>
Interesting thoughts you posted here, Bob. I sure am glad you didn't
turn rant mode on <vbg>.
Question:
Should a tire manufacturer be permitted the CHOICE of producing defective
tires and just let the consumer beware (caveat emptor)? The problem with
defective tires and defective software is that these kinds of products can
endanger other people, not just the owners of the defective products.
Therefore we need legislation mandating safety standards. Such laws should
of course be liberal enough in their language so as to permit manufacturers
the CHOICE of coming up with any of various designs and features and
materials just so long as they meet reasonable standardized tests for being
fail-safe, idiot-proof, crash-proof, drop-proof, flame-retardant, ozone-
friendly, double-insulated, leak-proof, child-proof, hack-proof, non-toxic,
and/or for having whatever safety features deemed necessary and applicable,
depending on the type of product. The average consumer doesn't know what's
good and safe for him. We should allow considerable CHOICE and innovation
among manufacturers and product designers, but that doesn't mean we should
ignore the safety needs for consumers and other third parties. Consumer
choice isn't the answer. Consumers are too inclined either to pay the
cheapest price or to go along with the crowd and get the brand of product
that the marketing hoodlums are pushing off on them. Most consumers are
too ignorant to know what is really good for them.
All the best,
Sam Heywood
P.S. No, I did not vote for Ralph Nader, but I agree with much of his
pro-consumer philosophy.
-- This mail sent by Arachne, www graphical browser for DOS
-- Visit the Arachne DOS Browser Home Page, http://home.arachne.cz
