Driving the Information highway - Get a license!

[Hand of Evil]

Every now and then some one has an idea and you have to wonder 'what are they thinking!

http://www.msnbc.com/news/965202.asp?0cv=CB20#TOP

[Umbran]

They were thinking that there are some problems out there, and that problems should be addressed. Not every idea that comes along the pike is a good one, no. But in a proper brainstorming session, you discuss most ideas that pop into your head.

Sure, full fledged licensing is a bad idea, but bringing up a bad idea can lead to better ideas. The virus and worm burden costs America money, right? So, how about this - if the user takes a class and/or passes a test, and thereby makes themselves less likely to pass such things on, they get a certification good for a small tax break. The certification can have an expiration date, so users who want to get the break not only have to get educated, they have to remain up-to-date.

[Hand of Evil]

My rant about is that someone WILL say, you need a license for operating a web site and then you need one to surf, if not you get a fine, wrong class or surfing - you get a fine. They have been looking for ways to tax the internet and it looks like they have found a way.

[MerakSpielman]

*snort*

This'll never go anywhere. Nobody wants to spend the moola to set up this system.

On the other hand, they could pass legislation that states that when you use your computer, you alone are fully and completely responsible for whatever happens: i.e., if a vulnerability on your computer is exploited, damaging it, you are responsible. If this caused you to lose valuable work for your company, the company can hold you accountable, just as if you deleted it deliberately.

Of course, you could only be prosecuted if there was a well-publicized fix out there that would have rendered your computer secure.

This might have the end effect of increasing awareness of security updates and virus safety.

Then again, it might not.

[Umbran]

Originally Posted by MerakSpielman

If this caused you to lose valuable work for your company, the company can hold you accountable, just as if you deleted it deliberately.

Typically, this won't work. The company owns the machines, not the workers. The worker are not responsible for security on those machines, nor are they even allowed to implement security on corporate machines. The court won't support a law that calls you responsible for a thing when you are legally not allowed to act responsibly.