Disabling security in the name of availability

[gmrwick-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org (Chadwick)]

On 8/14/07, Martin Owens <doctormo-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> >   Here is something that I personally am against.  Do we all agree
> > that the more ubiquitous Linux becomes, the more security will become
> > an issue?
>
> Most of the time the reason why the operating system that shall not be
> named seems to have a lot of trouble with users is that it gives users
> almost no power and gives anyone the user may know who is experenced
> exactly the same amount of no power over the way the software works.
> contrast that to the gnu platform where everything can be changed by
> anyone; if a security problem exists then someone will solve it, not
> just for themselves but for all of their 'lazy' user friends too.
>
> >   Not that I'm against Linux on the desktop, and I applaud SuSE,
> > Ubuntu, and whoever else is making these strides.  But we have to
> > relearn people to the ways of the computer.  We have to motivate the
> > large amount of lazy users today into realizing that their lives are
> > in the hands of these computers that they take for granted.
>
> I don't think it's worth talking about educating users in a formal
> manner. There users are using computers to get stuff done. I wouldn't
> appreciate being forced to learn about tcp/ip before I could connect
> to the internet for exactly the same reason: why all learn what a few
> can learn and reshape the tools and best practices for everyone else?
>
> This was really my point, if experienced users are helping their non
> experenced (or lazy as you put it) users; then should they be making
> sure there is more not less securty. take for instance the enabling of
> the root account, on a Debian machine there is hardly any reason to do
> that unless you know what your doing and why.
>

   This is a discussion, and your points are helping me to change my
mind as I read what you say.  The lazy ones are the experienced ones
who decide that Apple, Microsoft, or Ubuntu. . .etc are responsible
for making the system work, even though they are perfectly and easily
capable of helping themselves.  At first, I did think of the
everyperson user.. but now I realize that many people should not be
asked to know so much.  Not everyone can become good at using
computers.
  But to ask that every user should never have to know anything?  That
is a bit far, in my opinion.  The security issues at hand seem to
arise not from how the system works, but how it is worked by the user.
 Phishing, spam, the 419 scam...etc. are great examples of the user
problem.  People are being educated, but it is still happening.  Is
this due to laziness or inexperience?

-- 
Chadwick

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