Re: ISPs offering ssl-encrypted e-mail?
On Tue, Feb 06, 2001 at 12:13:47PM -0500, Bradley M Alexander wrote:
> On Sun, Feb 04, 2001 at 09:32:16PM +0100, A. L. Meyers wrote:
>
> > No babble at all. Why don't we millions of e-mail users insist on
> > security? Why aren't ISPs offering number 3 default? Why do the users
> > have to do all the work?
>
> I'll tell you why this happens. For the same reason that users tolerate
> crappy M$ operating systems that have swiss cheese security and no
> stability. They have been conditioned this way. Because they think that
> this is the way that its supposed to happen and there's nothing that can be
> done about it. Its not like this in other areas of life. If you were
> driving your new car, and at random intervals, you had to pull over, turn
> it off, wait and restart, just about every consumer would be down at the
> dealership jumping on somebody's desk.
That's an interesting analogy.
What you say is true of today, but of course cars have had a much
longer history than computers. I've often wondered how the state of
computer technology of today compares with the state of automobile
technology of, say, the 1920s. (I don't know myself, and I'd welcome
any recommendation of a book that explores this) I suspect that the
early car driver also had to be a mechanic. ;-)
People's expectation of quality in their automobile has certainly
increased, but I do wonder what drives this, if you'll pardon the pun.
Didn't high profile lobbyists (Ralph Nader?) pushing governments to
enact safety standards have a lot to do with this?
-Steve
[OK, yes I know this is way off topic.]
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