All We Want Is Whatever's On Your Machine

kubla2000 writes: "A breathless story about how the best defense against [fill in the blank: piracy, virii, hacking] is a good offense at CNet. What struck me most though is that in the midst of the rant from Timothy Mullen (no stranger to hacking the hack as this story from computerworld magazine shows, was a throw-away line justifying the RIAA and MPAA's appeal to Congress to make it legal to do this! It seems the bandwagons have started rolling. Who's next to jump on?"

Comments

Re:Vigilante justice is not the solution

[pete-classic]

First, be aware that there is a difference between justice and defense

Vigilante justice is not the solution. When I discover someone has burgled my house, and I have reason to believe I KNOW who did it, that does not entitle me to go break into their house to take my stuff back and avenge myself upon them.

Well, you have really twisted my example around. Someone actively attacking your computer (network) or actively breaking into your house is not related to your vigilante revenge scenario in any way, so I'll dismiss it out of hand.

I can only think of one set of circumstances in which our culture and law condone vigilante justice: self defense of a human being against bodily harm.

It is important to remember that computer crime is almost universally property crime. With rare exceptions there is absolutely no danger to the person of a human being posed by computer cracking, and thus no reasonable basis for authorizing vigilante justice.

Not sure what "our" culture is here.

In general you have just as much authority to use force to defend another person from violence as you do to defend yourself. Even if you don't know the person.

I live in Colorado where I may shoot a person dead if he is both 1. on my property and 2. I have reasonable cause to beleive he is or is about to commit another crime (against a person or property.)

I think your opinion is based more on your pacifistic world-view than on any actual facts.

-Peter