Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!cornell!rochester!ur-tut!akk2
From: akk2@ur-tut.UUCP (Atul Kacker)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: please moderate moderately -> comp.binaries.ibm.pc
Message-ID: <755@ur-tut.UUCP>
Date: 22 Dec 87 13:36:35 GMT
References: <341@spl1.UUCP> <9132@sgi.SGI.COM> <377@apr.UUCP>
Reply-To: akk2@tut.cc.rochester.edu.UUCP (Atul Kacker)
Distribution: na
Organization: Univ. of Rochester Computing Center
Lines: 44
Keywords: comp.binaries.ibm.pc, moderated

In article <377@apr.UUCP> las@apr.UUCP (Larry Shurr) writes:
>In article <9132@sgi.SGI.COM> gsk@khaki writes:
>
>>i expect that Harry Skelton will render valuable service
>>as moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc;  however his proposed
>>editorial policies seem excessively paranoid and cumbersome to me.
>
>
>>i'm skeptical that all this heavy-handed security will be effective,
>>anyway, since pirates can easily post pirated stuff to other
>>newsgroups, and anybody who wanted to could defeat Harry's
>>measures with little trouble.
>
>I'm not pleased about the security measures Harry is imposing on
>postings, but I understand them, indeed, I'm afraid I believe that
>they are a harbinger of things to come.
>


I am pleased that there is someone who is volunteering to moderate
the binaries newsgroups, but like gsk@khaki, I do not agree with 
the editorial policies that will be put in place.  As with anything
else that one obtains from electronic networks, the responsibility
of the network or their representatives is limited to seeing that
only PD/shareware/freeware programs get distributed.  The network 
should not be held responsible for things like Trojan horses.  The
responsibility for that lies solely with the user.  If I am dumb
enough to run a program I obtain through the net on a machine that
has a hard disk which has not been backed up, and the program turns
out to be a Trojan, then **I** deserve it.

I do not buy the argument that there are naive users who might 
destroy their hard disks in this way.  If they do, it's just
tough luck.  They will surely be careful in the future.
I know these are harsh words, but I do believe them to be true.

Keep in mind, what Confucious said - "He who laughs last, had a backup".

Happy Holidays!
-- 
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Atul Kacker  |     Internet: akk2@tut.cc.rochester.edu
             |     UUCP: {ames,cmcl2,decvax,rutgers}!rochester!ur-tut!akk2
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