Re: FBI: 'Bot Roast II' Nets 8 Individuals

[der Mouse <mouse () rodents montreal qc ca>]

> And you would permit an FBI-sponsored software installation onto
> infected machines?  What about, assuming that it would be infected,
> your own?

I'm ambivalent.  On the one hand, it is unauthorized use of someone
else's computer.  But on the other hand, there is substantial public
good served by mopping up botnet members.

As for my own machines - if they're open enough to be pwn3d like that,
I rather deserve it.  (Not that I expect the FBI pseudo-malware to run
on my systems any more than botnet malware does.)

I'm not sure where I come down on this matter.  I suppose my
uncertainty is an indication of how bad it's gotten; 15 years ago I
probably would have been rather stridently "that's Evil no matter who
does it".  But now the public good served is far greater than it would
have been 15 years ago.

> I can just see the anti-Big Brother posts on Digg now...

Well, yes; this is not to say that everyone - or even anyone - else
shares my sentiments.  Even if I knew exactly what they were. :)

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