4 ms·

Meh. While I don't support this behavior without some sort of an understandable cause to compel them, I view the overall activities of "oh noes; posted somethin

by pstack 15y ago

Meh. While I don't support this behavior without some sort of an understandable cause to compel them, I view the overall activities of "oh noes; posted something on your website!" and "oh noes; got yer emailz!" as an important part of boosting the immune system. Imagine what kind of shitty police department you would have if they never had any crime to pursue and just ate donuts all day? These small fries keep people on their toes just enough to almost justify security specialists and keep funding security efforts in corporations from being automatically crossed off the list to save a few bucks.

mattdeboard 15y ago
So, in your opinion, crime is a net positive because it reinforces the need for police?
- pstack 15y ago
  No, in my opinion a system thrives when it is challenged. An immune system, a legal system, an enforcement system, or a security system. The challenges provoke adaptation. Evolution. I'm not a fan of illness, but some degree of exposure is necessary to build up the human immune system on both local and global scopes. Likewise, I'm not a fan of network penetration and security breaches, but they reinforce the re-focus that which they attack as a whole. And note that we're talking about screwing with a couple articles on a web page and getting some passwords. Sure, that's bad, but it's not shutting down the power grid that feeds a hospital or stealing social security from elderly women. Likewise, I tolerate colds and cold season as part of reinforcing the immune system while I would probably not be so tolerant of small-pox unleashing itself across the population.
ceejayoz 15y ago
> Imagine what kind of shitty police department you would have if they never had any crime to pursue and just ate donuts all day? So what? THERE'S NO CRIME.
ultrasaurus 15y ago
It seems you're describing the difference between the police (who have to deal with a range of minor crimes regularly) and the TSA (where the average agent will never meet a real terrorist).

by pstack 15y ago

mattdeboard 15y ago

So, in your opinion, crime is a net positive because it reinforces the need for police?

pstack 15y ago
No, in my opinion a system thrives when it is challenged. An immune system, a legal system, an enforcement system, or a security system. The challenges provoke adaptation. Evolution. I'm not a fan of illness, but some degree of exposure is necessary to build up the human immune system on both local and global scopes. Likewise, I'm not a fan of network penetration and security breaches, but they reinforce the re-focus that which they attack as a whole. And note that we're talking about screwing with a couple articles on a web page and getting some passwords. Sure, that's bad, but it's not shutting down the power grid that feeds a hospital or stealing social security from elderly women. Likewise, I tolerate colds and cold season as part of reinforcing the immune system while I would probably not be so tolerant of small-pox unleashing itself across the population.

ceejayoz 15y ago

> Imagine what kind of shitty police department you would have if they never had any crime to pursue and just ate donuts all day? So what? THERE'S NO CRIME.

ultrasaurus 15y ago

It seems you're describing the difference between the police (who have to deal with a range of minor crimes regularly) and the TSA (where the average agent will never meet a real terrorist).