StankDawg wrote:
] 2) It is apparent by the way this was written that the author
] didn't even attend the conference or listen to the audio
] panels.

Wow... The ignorance displayed in this article is beyond the pale. This sort of attitude hasn't been commonplace in 10 years.

Welcome, new journalist, to the wonderful world of computer security. Here are the rules.

1. You don't know what you're talking about.
2. No, really, you don't know what you're talking about.
3. The first step to having a clue is to listen and do your homework. This means not firing off a rant based on your misinterpretation of a collection of three line summaries of conference discussions. Actually listening to the content of the discussions might help, but you are really just scratching the surface.
4. If you have reached the point in your analysis where you are comparing American high school computer nerds to Islamic terrorists, you need to take a step back, take a deep breath, and think about whether what you are saying actually makes any sense. Consider this a good rule of thumb whenever analogies to terrorists, Hitler, or the Mafia pop into your head.
5. People are not homogenius. Do not assume that the motivations or moral/ethical values presented by one person can be applied unilaterally to a larger group of people.
6. Teenagers like to think that they have a rebellious culture, which is intended to sound dangerous and makes cultural references that you are unlikely to get. If something seems strange, ask about it rather then inserting your own interpretation.
7. In order to do computer security you have to think about computer insecurity. I know this is hard for you to understand as there is no equivelent in the world of journalism. Try to think about football. How good would a football team be if they never considered how their opponent's playbook might look.
8. Sometimes creative people push social boundaries. Insurance underwriters, on the whole, aren't creative people. Please try to keep that in mind.
9. Talking about computer security is not illegal. However, making unfounded personal accusations against real people in print IS illegal. Please try to keep that in mind as well.

RE: Technology Decisions