-----Original Message----- From: Michel Py [mailto:michel@arneill-py.sacramento.ca.us] Sent: February 7, 2004 12:43 AM To: Vivien M.; nanog@merit.edu Subject: RE: Stopping open proxies and open relays
Vivien M. wrote: Now, if hooking up an unsecured computer to a network was punishable by a $1000 fine, and law enforcement somehow had the staff to prosecute all offenders (or a representative sample), I'm sure everybody would agree that suddenly they'd be able to afford antiviruses.
It's not that I don't like the idea, but it's been tried before. Making stupidity punishable by fines does not work; if it did we would not have a budget deficit issue.
Well, it seems to work relatively well when it comes to motor vehicles... Oh, sure, there are still lots of morons driving unsafe poorly-maintained vehicles around, but I'm sure there would be WAY way more if traffic laws (and inspection requirements, etc, depending on your jurisdiction) went byebye tomorrow. The problem, in any case, is one of limited enforcement resources: triple the highway police force, and I'm sure a lot more morons will get caught/fined/forced to fix their vehicles. If stricter laws on computers forced even 50% of people to start caring a little more, wouldn't that be progress? The day a couple of grandmothers get taken away in handcuffs because a script kiddie took up residence in her computer is the day a few people will wake up to the fact that computers need regular maintenance... Vivien -- Vivien M. vivienm@dyndns.org Assistant System Administrator Dynamic Network Services, Inc. http://www.dyndns.org/