John, I understand but showing people how hackers how to s a two edged sword.. The positive side is that it brings attention to it and the negative side it shows potential hackers how to do it , that I have an issue with.
Scott ford www.identityforge.com Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand. - Chinese Proverb On Jan 26, 2013, at 8:35 AM, John Gilmore <[email protected]> wrote: > Shane's point is important. The old question whose ox is being gored > can never be avoided. > > I have heard applause for the government-sponsored hackers who > destroyed many of the centrifuges the Iranian government is/was using > to separate uranium isotopes. > > Or again, It is no secret that the 'supersecret' agencies of every > major power have plans for disrupting, among other things, the > electricity-distribution grids and telephone networks of their enemies > in time of war (and in circumstances short of war too). > > One of the problems that has not been much addressed is that of > legitimating---training, licensing, and supervising---hackers. At > least in societies that use many locks, locksmiths are essential; and > this analogy is a useful one. Licensed locksmiths seldom burgle, even > though their skills would make it easy for them to do so. They have > other, societally legitimized uses for these skills. > > Finally, there are the large issues of what classes of information it > is legitimate to sequester, protect, and charge for access to, of > where this "business model" is appropriate and should be protected by > the machinery of the law. > > The American editions of this week's Economist contain an obituary for > Aaron Schwartz, an enormously talented programmer and attractive human > being; and the charges, "hugely disproportionate to what he had done", > brought by federal prosecutors here in Massachusetts certainly > contributed to the tragedy of his suicide. > > In sum, this is a knotty set of issues for which there is no > simplistic resolution available. Revulsion from some of these > exploits is inevitable and appropriate, but moralism will not take us > far in dealing with them > > John Gilmore, Ashland, MA 01721 - USA > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
