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Should Open Source Software Expire?

Posted by michael on from the forced-retirement dept.

Daffy writes "Jon Lasser at SecurityFocus has an idea for combating the tendancy most sysadmins have to leave old versions of software running long after they're known to have security holes. He proposes implanting time codes into all open source networking and security software that cause it to "expire" like a Blade Runner replicant when it reaches a certain age, forcing an update."

7 of 549 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Bad idea by Clay+Mitchell · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    great point. if i had moderator points i'd mod this thing to hell and back

  2. Freshness! by micantos · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    What are you talking about? OSS has a longer shelf life than Twinkies. :)

  3. What if? by aneurysm36 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    What if there isnt a newer version?
    What if the newer version isnt free?

    --
    ------ hi mom
  4. Re:Erm, no by why-is-it · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    I have old internal boxes that are way way out of date, but safely firewalled away doing just what I want them to do.

    I don't trust the users on my network any more than I trust the 133t d00dz on the Internet. Will your firewalls protect against your users?

    Most security breaches occur from within.

    --
    *** Where are we going? And what's with this handbasket?
  5. I HATE J00 by beefdart · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    LEENUX SHULD B EXP1R3D D00D!@#%!%!#@$@%t^$%@!@!

  6. Win95 by Night+Goat · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    GOD, do I wish Windows 95 would retire itself. In this day and age, there's just no excuse. I feel sorry for the office workers who fight with that every day.

  7. What is this, a freak show? by blackwizard · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Try to get your hand in that position. I dare you. (All of those ()s are fingernails, right?)