[CS-FSLUG] Let's Talk About It: Web of Trust

[Ritchie, Josiah S.]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Christiansource-bounces at ofb.biz [mailto:Christiansource-
> bounces at ofb.biz] On Behalf Of Ed Hurst
> Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2006 11:14 AM
> To: A Christian virtual Free Software and Linux Users Group.
> Subject: Re: [CS-FSLUG] Let's Talk About It: Web of Trust
> 
> Ritchie, Josiah S. wrote:
> > Perhaps it is a naive and idealistic opinion, but the junk marketing
> > wars will only be won on the current implementation of the Internet
by
> > educating the users. Until users stop making it effective, the
business
> > driven marketer will find a new way until the consumers make it
clear
> > that the only acceptable marketing is not invasive marketing. To hit
at
> > spam or blog spam or annoying pop-ups is to target a symptom and not
the
> > problem we are really dealing with.
> >
> > The consumer needs to support good marketing and discourage bad
> > marketing and we need to tell them the difference. "How will they
know
> > if we do not tell them?"
> 
> Quite true. We have not performed due diligence, it seems to me. The
> issue receives insufficient emphasis, largely because the money is on
> the side of the marketers. They make the most noise in the first
place,
> and they would hardly shoot themselves in the foot. I know I push it
> when it finds an appropriate place in a conversation, but I don't know
> anyone who hasn't heard. There seems too many who use the Web and
don't
> get the word, or just won't listen -- like people who love AOL.
> 
> In our fallen world, you and I both know education alone won't remove
> the marketer's incentive. As you note, someone will inevitably fall
for
> it. Given the near-zero cost of spam, and the very low cost of spyware
> production, all it takes is a tiny percentage of fools to make it
> profitable.
> 
> So what do we do to offset that? Education only goes so far. How do we
> supplement that?

I say we discourage ISPs (AOL/Earthlink/etc.) from marketing their
security software as a blank slate. Too often I get the impression that
if I use their software I'm expected to be able to avoid malware no
matter how stupid I am. Why don't they offer security awareness courses
instead of "solve-it-all" software, or at least as a supplement?

BTW, if you believe AOL is solving this problem by giving away software
or putting a bunch of people in a room with a radar screen on it the
size of a bus (as the commercial suggests), I have a vial of holy water
over here that will cure the common cold, only $75/bottle. :-)

JSR/