On-going Internet Emergency and Domain Names (kill this thread)

Sun Apr 1 17:08:14 UTC 2007

>> You do realize this post is not about Microsoft or IE 0days, right?
>
> I would prefer not to turn this into an OS flamefest, my only point is that 
> *this list* is not the proper venue to discuss this issue; nor the methods 
> that you suggest as a remedy, regardless of merit.
>
> Again if the rest of the list wants to continue, then so be it.
In the end, phishing and scams work because people are stupid (or 
possibly ignorant- but then again with all the warnings they've received 
you'd have to be stupid to still be ignorant at this point). Period. End 
of discussion.

Every time we come up with another "solution" - the universe comes up 
with a bigger idiot.

Honestly- I, as well as everyone I know, receives a million warning 
messages from banks, web sites, etc. warning people not to trust email 
claming to be from said institution. And yet, every single day, thousands 
upon thousands of people keep falling for it. Where do you draw the line?

Since we seem to love analogies:

Imagine you have a high voltage outlet and people keep sticking their 
fingers in it and getting electrocuted. So you put up a sign that says 
"Danger- high voltage," and people continue sticking their fingers in it. 
Then you warn them about it personally, and you have segments on the tv 
news and articles in the papers and people STILL do it.

At what point do you just have to walk away and let nature take it's 
course?

Everybody in the world has been _repeatedly_ warned about phishing and 
other scams, and yet just like 419 scams, they KEEP falling for it.

Nobody stops to think. Enough is enough already.

Do I think certain policies should be changed? Sure. Domain tasting is an 
idea that I can not believe benefits anyone but a scammer (or a domain 
advertiser- which is no better). There are plenty of other examples but in 
the end, no matter what we do, users are going to continue to do 
mind-bogglingly stupid things.

-Don

*Please don't think for a second I want to see the scammers given carte 
blanche to do what they want- or that we shouldn't try to stop them- but 
pretending we can solve the problem of user stupidity through technology 
is disingenuous and laughable.