NYT on the stupidity of everyone we know

I can relate to nearly everything in that article. Although I don't consider myself a geek in the strictest sense of the word, I'm the one who ends up explaining all things technical to everyone I know. As of late, I've also taken to telling people who don't know basic things to pick up a book, read it, and then call me if they have any questions. I don't need to verbally tell them what they can read for themselves in "Idiot's Guide to Windows" or similar books. The problem is far too many people expect operating a computer to be no harder that an TV set, and on some level I blame that on marketing designed to sell people hardware. I also blame the 30-second attention span of many adults. At least the up and coming generation (15 and under) is more comfortable with computers. Too many of my generation are hopelessly inept even when they master other skills which are just as complex. It seems to be a mental block more than anything else IMO.
 
Some in the technocamp imagine requiring a license to operate a computer, just like the one required to drive a car. Others are calling for a punishment that fits a careless crime. People who click on virus attachments, for instance, could be cut off by their Internet service providers until they proved that their machines had been disinfected.
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While I don't like the idea of licensing to get on the Internet, getting cut off by their ISP until they clean their machine does seem more reasonable to me. They're actively spreading the problem, and possibly affecting the bandwidth of others on their node, if they're on cable. It also gives them a real motivation to keep their PC clean.
 
Licensing is a great idea. Not only can we force people to have a clue, we can make money at it!

I'd also vote for removal of the "reply to all" button for those not meeting a minimum competency.
 
I'd like to be able to prevent my e-mail address from being added to anyone's address book unless they are licensed. Who knows how many parasites are firing off e-mails with my address in the To/From field(s) drawn from somebody's address book. Eventually, despite how careful i am with my e-mail address, I know I will have to switch to a new one every few years due to the propagation of my addy to spam lists that's beyond my control.
 
Speaking of spam, is the government ever going to make any meaningful legislation against it? These stupid opt-out lists are merely a way for spammers to confirm live addresses. To be sure, legislation wouldn't stop it immediately, but it would give law enforcement the tools to go after the biggest spammers. Once they were fined and/or jailed, 99% of the problem would go away.

:x :x :x :x :x :x :x I HATE SPAM! :x :x :x :x :x :x :x
 
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