Sep 2
Giving up your liberty because of stupidity is not wise
Unlike the airwaves or the highways, the Internet is not subject to government oversight. And even the specter of intervention can raise hackles among business leaders and technologists who see the Internet’s openness as crucial to its success as a platform for innovation. But the increasing frequency and severity of computer virus attacks — last month’s dual assault cost billions of dollars in lost productivity alone — may have muted the antiregulatory reflex. ‘Heck, despite being libertarian in nature, I’m all for a government crackdown in this area,’one frustrated Web user wrote in an online discussion about the recent virus attacks. ‘Obviously most home users are not going to know how to install a fire wall.’” (09/01/03)
The people who got affected were either stupid, ignorant or careless. The rest of us should not have our rights abridged because people can’t be bothered to learn how to protect themselves online. The internet is like anything else with protection: you either pay now (virus software, firewall or get a Mac) or you pay later. What is so hard to understand?
Via: Rational Review. Radley has a few words to say on the subject.
