Re: Security First
"Security first can ONLY come if a Machiavellian Prince with some scruples takes over the world and demands it with extreme penalties for noncompliance. Otherwise, sovereignty, competition, and overall human stupidity will ensure it'll never happen."
Nope. There's nothing Machiavellian about all the existing regulation that ensures that it's illegal to sell vehicles that fail adequate safety standards, children's toys with lead paint, electrical items without adequate insulation etc.
It simply required legislators to see the need for them and use their sovereignty to require stuff sold in their own market places to be safe. They'll get the message here as well. It might take them longer because the TLAs have vested interests. Also it won't stop the Del-boys trying to get round regulation but that's what Trading Standards are there fore. Eventually the mainstream market will supply devices with adequate security.
You might reasonably reply that the rise of market places such as eBay makes it possible for the Del-boys to sell non-conforming items. Yes it will; it also makes it possible for other safety regulation to be by-passed. It's another thing for legislation to catch up with. It's not an entirely separate issue but it's one which will get tackled in due course.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
