[ NNSquad ] Re: Two NN Events Tomorrow (Well, Today)

[Brett Glass <nnsquad@brettglass.com>]

At 05:44 PM 3/11/2008, Waclawsky John-A52165 wrote:
 
>I don't find the "bad use of technology" argument very compelling but
>instead exceedingly hollow. All things/technology have a dark side.

Indeed. As Brian Reid has been known to say, "All power tools can kill."

Some technologies -- and this includes P2P -- have no advantage over other
technologies other than their ability to do bad things faster or more
surreptitiously. P2P is a good example. It is not more efficient than
FTP or HTTP; in fact, it is many times less efficient and more costly.
Its sole advantages are in making it difficult to stop or trace illegal 
activity and/or transferring costs to third parties without their consent 
(whilst multiplying those costs at the same time). As such, it's as 
appropriate to ban it from networks as it is to ban bombs from airplanes.

--Brett Glass

  [ Normally I wouldn't have sent this message through since Brett
    has said most of this so many times before.  But I thought that
    his comparison between P2P and bombs on airplanes was so
    interesting that I couldn't resist letting him share it with you.

      -- Lauren Weinstein
         NNSquad Moderator ]