[Mimedefang] Viruses: Bounce or Discard?

[Jeffrey Goldberg]

On Mon, 29 Sep 2003, David F. Skoll wrote:

> > As a software vendor yourself, do you really think that end users
> > should be responsible for things the software might do without
> > their knowledge?
>
> Yes and no.  People who *knowingly* use insecure software, even after
> being warned repeatedly about it, bear some responsibility.

I agree.  MS responds to the market.  The fact of the matter is that users
say they want security, but actually they do not use it as a criterion in
the choices that they make.

Once users are made to bear some of the cost of their choices, the
software suppliers will respond.  Some might even offer indemnification
deals.  But that will only happen if users actually demand it (instead of
merely saying it would be nice); and that will only happen when the
customer is made responsible for what the equiptment they own does on a
public network.

-j

-- 
Jeffrey Goldberg                            http://www.goldmark.org/jeff/
 Relativism is the triumph of authority over truth, convention over justice
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