Actually, the average person doesn't now squat about how to DRIVE a car either. The result is that 40,000+ people die every year in this country from car "accidents." I'd say the computer industry is doing pretty well by that standard.
> -----Original Message----- > From: Michael Smith [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2003 10:54 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >> 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". > > > > I think the point is that most people expect their cars to be operational > and do NOT do the maintenance themselves... they DO outsource it to a > mechanic. The average user has A LOT less control over their car than their > computer. A car is basically a single function unit, point A to point B. > Computers never have been nor ever will be that one dimensional. At the > most, I think we could hope for users who learn to know better than to try > to do the 'maintenance' on their computers themselves. > > > >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? > > Let's see.... cars have been available to the general public for about, > what, (at least) 75 years? And computers? Maybe 25? I think if you look > at the progression the computer industry has made in that time, it FAR > outweighs the manual choke or crank start... > > I think your paragraph above proves the point perfectly.... You'll NEVER > convince the average person that they need to know about fuel injectors. > I'll bet 5$ right now that half the people don't even know if their car HAS > fuel injectors or not. > > ~mike > > _______________________________________________ > Full-Disclosure - We believe in it. > Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html _______________________________________________ Full-Disclosure - We believe in it. Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html
