I just read a reminder article from ZDNet news (picked up from from Reuters) about yet another malicious attack on the unsuspecting computer public. This one involves the Adobe Portable Document Format. You can read more about that here and here (and lots of other places, I'm sure), if you wish. You can get the latest version of Acrobat Reader® containing the update from Adobe.
Dammit.
Maybe I'm naive or something, but I sure do wish people would quit trying to mess up other people's computers. I don't understand the impulse that drives people to be malicious towards each other. I've tried to understand it, I really have. But I can't.
I know: "Why can't we all just get along?" (This quotation, by the way, is mistakenly attributed to Rodney King. However, what he really said, in the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, was "People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?" The closest I've found so far is from the movie Mars Attacks. Funny movie, but I digress.)
Can anyone explain to me why we're so damn mean to each other? I feel sad every time I think about it. If we were truly nice to each other, wouldn't this be a better world?
Any thoughts?
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Mean people suck
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4 comments:
Firstly a brief analogy of the writers of malicious code, viruses, trojans and the like. Think of why graffiti artists do what they do. they wreak havoc.. messing up perfectly good structures.. angering and annoying the masses.. this is the same instinct that drives the hacker/programmer.. and artform in subversion. the idea that one is taking something beautiful and warping into something else.. however simultaneously beautiful to the hacker yet abhorred to the end user. Though I would love to claim that the malice you speak of is unintentional to the average hacker the truth is that sadly those days of "righteous" digital graffiti are gone. the point today is simply to make a name for ones self until some security firm or a domestic/foreign power offers you enough money to live comfortably knowing you have sold your soul to the devil that is establishment. And as for what drives people to do such things.. i think i just summed it up. humanity is still stuck in the cave with barely an opposable digit when it comes to selflessness. We care only for one thing and one thing only.. the betterment of those we feel closest to. all those outside that circle don't technically exist.. and i challenge ANYONE to claim otherwise. even those who give to charity deep down only do so because of the sound feelings and pride it brings to them and they're family knowing that they have been oh so benevolent.
Well, I asked for an explanation and I got one. And I can go along with the graffiti artist analogy as far as it goes, but I've not heard of any graffiti stealing people's identities and basically destroying their lives. I so very much wish I did not agree with you about the state of humanity in general. We are basically animals and the difference between us and other animals is that our intelligence has allowed us to become willingly, knowingly cruel.
Altruism is a myth. And yet, I continue to hope (and pray, sometimes) we can be better than we are. Maybe that capacity for hope sets us apart from other animals as well.
I hope so.
Thanks for checking in, Ludie.
Pax,
N.
Unfortunately, we live in a world full of flawed human beings. All that we can do is try to live the life we want others to live.
Interesting take on the 'golden rule.' I'm not sure that is all we can do, but that is certainly a good way to proceed.
Thanks for checking in.
Pax,
N
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