I love IP Tables....

[jdow]

From: "Mikkel L. Ellertson" <mikkel at infinity-ltd.com>

> David G. Miller wrote:
>> We don't hold a manufacturer of any other product liable for how their
>> product gets used.  Guns are probably the best example.  Although there
>> have been attempts, gun manufacturers aren't held liable for whatever
>> use their product is put to.  Likewise, as long as a gun owner takes
>> customary and reasonable precautions against unauthorized use (e.g., a
>> gun safe, locking away key components, etc.), we don't hold a gun owner
>> liable if some steals his gun and then uses it in a crime.  On the other
>> hand, if a gun owner doesn't take reasonable precautions and someone
>> gets hurt, they are not just liable but criminally culpable.
>> 
> But we do hold them liable for providing defective products. We
> would hold a gun manufacturer liable if the gun blew up when you
> fired it. We hold a car manufacture liable if the gas tank blows up
> on you. Why not a software publisher that provides an insecure
> system by default? Do they have a responsibility to provide a
> quality product? Especially if they are a monopoly or near monopoly?
> When you make design decisions that put ease of use, and market lock
> in ahead of security, aren't you responsible for the results?
> (Ingratiating the web browser into the OS to lock out a competitor's
> software, or setting the mail program to execute attachments by
> default that can modify the system so that you can do remote
> administration of a machine, even though most machines are not going
> to use the "feature", and it puts machines at risk...)
> 
> In almost any other industry, they would be liable for the damages
> they caused by these kinds of design flaws.

And the first time a Fedora Core release is hacked Red Hat goes out of
business. Is this your goal? (Mind you, there are days when I have
uttered enough unkind words Fedora-wards that I'd applaud the concept.
Note, there are not as many such days as there are days I've felt the
urge to disembowel somebody on the Microsoft campus - which would be
too kind for some of them such as the doofus who invented "Clippy.")

{^_-}