From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: main.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Tim McNamara Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: Re: GNU.org is down Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 19:17:55 -0600 Sender: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Message-ID: References: <87oeuht8d8.fsf@thalassa.informatimago.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: deer.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1071106400 32701 80.91.224.253 (11 Dec 2003 01:33:20 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2003 01:33:20 +0000 (UTC) Original-X-From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Thu Dec 11 02:33:12 2003 Return-path: Original-Received: from monty-python.gnu.org ([199.232.76.173]) by deer.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 1AUFhX-0002Zb-00 for ; Thu, 11 Dec 2003 02:33:12 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.24) id 1AUGci-0000DI-Fn for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Wed, 10 Dec 2003 21:32:16 -0500 Original-Path: shelby.stanford.edu!newsfeed.stanford.edu!canoe.uoregon.edu!newshub.sdsu.edu!elnk-nf2-pas!elnk-pas-nf1!newsfeed.earthlink.net!news-out.visi.com!petbe.visi.com!gemini.bitstream.net.POSTED!not-for-mail Original-Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.help User-Agent: Gnus/5.1002 (Gnus v5.10.2) Emacs/21.3.50 (darwin) Cancel-Lock: sha1:cWCa+uloN3YnERO46r4kCgjQqmY= Original-Lines: 48 Original-NNTP-Posting-Host: c9cb4684.news.bitstream.net Original-X-Trace: 1071105566 gemini.bitstream.net 1095 216.243.177.155 Original-X-Complaints-To: abuse@bitstream.net Original-Xref: shelby.stanford.edu gnu.emacs.help:119206 Original-To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.2 Precedence: list List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: main.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:15146 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.help:15146 David Kastrup writes: > David Steuber writes: > >> Well this sucks big time I must say. > > Complain to the involved criminals. It is sad that scum like that > does not even refrain from destroying infrastructure for the common > good. The FSF has to cope with the equivalent of finding that > someone has gone to considerable criminal effort in order to achieve > the equivalent of wiring explosives into a Red Cross building or > poisoning the food in soup kitchens: it was a rather obscure > vulnerability that the perpetrators used for that attack. Except that it is unlikely that anyone will die or be maimed for life by this. Let's maintain a little perspective. This is a bad situation, but it is not a fatal one. > So there is not much one can do except boost the security to levels > one should normally only consider necessary for military or > intelligence instead of charity operations. Unfortunately any computer connected to the Internet must be treated this way, even dialup connections are potentially dangerous. > Maintaining a consistent high level of security causes a severe > drain of usability and accessibility (as you have noticed), and it > also requires considerable human resources permanently. As has been noted by people smarter than I, the cost of freedom is vigilance. The FSF is doing a wonderful thing by making it possible for people to have a complete operational information management and data analysis system for free (software costs, that is). IMHO the people who write the code that I am using every day are everyday heroes, who are rarely thanked and receive no compensation for their efforts other than satisfaction. > What kind of people gleefully cause a considerable permanent damage > to a charity instead of elsewhere "just" for the hope of monetary > gains? I hope that they are found and dealt with in proportion to > their crime and the impact it will have. Unfortunately, the laws dealing with this kind of vandalism and destructiveness are rather lax, and difficult to enforce given the global locations of the perpetrators. As for what kind of people they may be, one presumes they are people lacking a good moral compass, who are angry and have inadequate regard for others. Punishment will not be enough, they must also learn how to live properly.