Re: OT: will software writers ever be held responsible for their products?

[Anton]

Hi,
Without wanting to sound too offensive... Hello? Anyone home? The notion 
that there is no choice out there is foolish. There is always a choice - 
a choice to use MAC, Linux, Unix, ... or not to use a home pc at all. 
What? But how will I check my stocks on Yahoo!?! Exactly... We CHOOSE to 
live in cities, drive cars, smoke, inject heroin (sorry Gareth...),... 
Life is all about risks and payoffs. There is a risk in using a 
computer. Firstly physical, with OOS and similar. Also the CRTs can't be 
doing us (our eyes) any good (though probably not too much harm now...). 
There are miriad social illnesses that can afflict us by investing too 
much of our social energies in a hunk of plastic/metal/silicon instead 
of the company of real people. Proven psychological negative effects 
(not only computers - books can do the same). Also there are economic 
risks, like the one the American woman experienced. We have to realise 
that no matter what we do there are always risks. Mum and dad should 
have told us that and if M$ have shonky security we should understand 
that that is part of the risks of life. Know this - I HATE what M$ is 
doing to the software industry and computing technologies in general. I 
wanted them to get ripped to bits by the US courts for anti-competitive 
practices, because that is what they are ALL about. However, this is one 
issue where they are completely guilt-free. The analogy with blaming a 
builder for leaving the door open I think is very apposite. Down with 
M$! But when they go they can take all the whinging twerps who think 
that passing the onus of life-risk onto a company (why not sue her mum 
for not giving her more common sense?) or anyone else is what life is about!
:-)
Anton
(who complains lots :-))