[Info-vax] OpenVMS versus Windows/GE Telemetry Control Systems.

[David Froble]

MG wrote:
> On 16-jan-2013 9:44, David Froble wrote:
>> The general problem, as I see it, is that Microsoft knew that
>> they'd more often than not be dealing with clueless computer
>> illiteratepeople[.]
> 
> MS, for all its faults, has always been most aware of its target
> audience.  They've never been afraid to nourish it a bit either.
> 
> 
>> [Y]ou got things such as autorun which attempt to do things
>> without much user interaction.
> 
> Now that you mention that, what in Windows is with much user
> interaction actually?  (Not including all those /colorful/ nags,
> mea culpa, 'prompts' and 'pop-ups'.)  The greatest verbosity in
> Windows is in the form of those 'blue screens', but they don't
> usually last very long on the screen.  (I guess some people are
> prepared and have a camera ready and in hand reach...)
> 
> 
>> I've never felt that law enforcement should go after "hackers".
>> They are performing a service.  Too bad people aren't learning
>> ....
> 
> If someone invades your home, that person is then merely providing
> you the selfless service of /raising/ the /awareness/ that your
> home is essentially 'wide-open' and you --- and whoever else may
> be present at the time --- are potentially to be robbed, raped
> and murdered?

We're being a bit silly now, but "why not?".

Around here, there are discounts on home owners insurance if you have a 
security system installed ...

Normally, houses have doors, and the doors have locks.  If I had a house 
with no door, just an opening, and people wandered is, that would tell 
me that if I didn't want that to happen maybe I should have a door, with 
a lock, and learn to lock the door ...

Now, that may just seem common sense, but it's more, it's what we grow 
up with as "the way to do things".  With personal computing and 
communication devices, there is not a long history of "the way to do 
things" and people are pretty much left to discover on their own.

On more than one occasion, I've been told "but everyone is doing it this 
way" when trying to explain about security and such.  Well, that 
attitude will not change with words.  It takes pain.  Perhaps lots of 
pain.  Do I feel this is good?  No.  But talking to the vast majority 
just doesn't work.  Thus, the hackers inflict pain, and there are 
various responses.  Passing legislation doesn't work.  We still have 
bank robbers today.  Without some security in place, we'd have even more 
bank robbers.  It seems only prevention works.  Before you can prevent, 
you must know that prevention is necessary.