License Computer Users

PC Magazine ^ | August 18, 2003 | John C. Dvorak

[new cruelty]

Over this past weekend yet another virus/Trojan/worm/whatnot attack culminated in a lot of panic. Apparently, far too many systems were infected with this latest disease, and the Net was once again choking on the aftereffects. Probably the blackout in New York and much of the Northeast saved us because it simply took machines offline.

[DLfromthedesert]

I guess you never heard of unlicensed drivers.

[cornelis]

he just says completely idiotic stuff to make waves.

Get a grip, making waves is propaganda.

[Agnes Heep]

The focus needs to be on tracking down and apprehending people.

Agreed 100 percent. It's just like terrorism. You don't fight it by frisking little old ladies at airports, but by effectively kicking the asses of those who sponsor it. Find the hackers; track 'em down and give them serious jail time. Start setting some examples!

[nothingnew]

I think we should license author's of stupid proposals.

Me too, tho I really enjoy his classical music...Dvorak I mean...oh?...It's not him, is it?...

FMCDH

[new cruelty]

me? never.

[Pyrion]

IMO, what needs to happen is the ISP's need to get off their butts and start forcing the idiots off the 'Net. It's a lot like owning a gun. Just because you paid a heck of a lot of money for one doesn't mean you should leave it out for anybody to play/mess with. Instead of this ridiculous system of port filtering (which doesn't solve the problem since the users don't get any smarter when they aren't TOLD what they need to fix) just kick the morons offline until they get their acts together.

[TheAngryClam]

Not in the least. I pine for the glory days of the internet 95-97, before the AOL people all showed up and ruined it.

[Servant of the Nine]

Dvorak's gone over the edge this time....

Dvorak lives for over the edge. He loves to stir up a shit storm. I doubt he is serious.

So9

[BlazingArizona]

Dvorak likes throwing out silly proposals just to generate comment. It's the literary equivalent of trolling.

Having to design hardware and software to function despite abuse from unknowledgeable users is what promotes the evolution of better computers. The automobile industry has been dealing with this problem for years, and without requiring that users know much about how their cars work.

If we required users to be experts, we would find ourselves back in the age of mainframes.

[xrp]

Sorry, but the Internet glory was far greater 1990-1995, long before the twinks of AOL arrived.

And AOL didn't bring the twinks of AOL to the Internet, Windows 95 did.

[TheAngryClam]

In the early days, though, there wasn't as much there- I much preferred the initial, but still un-stupidified, explosion.

But in general Lynx and Mosaic were good times.

[B Knotts]

Don't you mean < late 1993, when the Delphi hordes invaded Usenet? Prior to that, Usenet was actually usable. Then, in 1994, AOL users were set loose, and Usenet's fate was sealed.

[Havoc]

Been there done that. Here's another one for ya: a license for intercourse.

Nice way of saying stupid people shouldn't breed?

[dday76]

Yep, Stupid Hall of Fame. I started explaining why, but it's too stupid even to address.

[CJ Wolf]

amen to that thought.

[I still care]

But what if Maxine Waters or Sheila "Hurricane" Jackson Lee reads it? They might think he's serious, and that he came up with a great idea....

[E.G.C.]

Here are my thoughts on the subject.

I agree with everyone here this article belongs in the Stupid Hall of Fame.

Instead of licensing computer users, how about we go those who are perpetuting these worms and viruses and terminate their ISP services.

We have already seen enormous harm result from the msblaster worm last week. Imposing licensing requirements on people who want to use the internet would only add more harm and injury.

In case it hasn't occured to anyone, a lot of people using computers are homebound and don't have any other way to keep in touch. For many the computer is a matter of life or death and the only connection to the outside world.

Are we really willing to force everyone to suffer simply for the actions of a few malcontents who have too much time on their hands and seek to cause harm and injury through their malicious actions? Anyone with a brain would say no way.

I don't know what idiot's been smoking to think that every computer user should have to be licensed in order to use one but there are far better ways to address the virus and worm problems than this idea.
Regards.

[Mr. Bird]

This reads like an angry screed by one of the countless uptight geeks pissed that the jocks have found their super-neato tree fort.

I get miffed at moronic computer users all the time, but I have a little perspective.

Licenses don't work for cars. There are still about 200 million (essentially everyone but me) horrible drivers out there. I'm joking of course, but in every joke lies a grain of truth...

[Explorer89]

Dvorak lives for over the edge.

'Nuff said :)

These Windows worms/virusi don't affect us Linux types, but having been on the wrong end of a hack, I could just beat those little f---ers that think hacking is fun.

[new cruelty]

I get miffed at moronic computer users all the time, but I have a little perspective.

True. Per Dvorak's comment, "This is 2003 and this guy has no clue about how this computer works on the most mundane level", I don't expect everyone that drives a car to know how to replace the engine or change a tire for that matter.