Western society is WEIRD [1]

["Rob, grandpa of Ryan, Trevor, Devon & Hannah" <rmslade () shaw ca>]

(We have the OT indicator to say that something is off topic.  This isn't, because 
ethics and sociology is part of our profession, but it is a fairly narrow area of 
interest for most.  We don't have a subject-line indicator for that  :-)

http://www.psmag.com/magazines/pacific-standard-cover-story/joe-henrich-weird-
ultimatum-game-shaking-up-psychology-economics-53135/

or 

http://is.gd/oomZN1

This article, and the associated paper 
( http://www2.psych.ubc.ca/~henrich/pdfs/Weird_People_BBS_final02.pdf ), are 
extremely interesting in many respects.  The challenge to whole fields of social 
factors (which are vital to proper management of security) has to be addressed.  
We are undoubtedly designing systems based on a fundamentally flawed 
understanding of the one constant factor in our systems: people.

(I suppose that, as long as the only people we interact with are WEIRD [1] 
westerners, we are OK.  Maybe this is why we are flipping out at the thought of 
China?)

(I was particularly interested in the effects of culture on actual physical 
perception, which we have been taught is hard wired.)


[1] - WEIRD, in the context of the paper, stands for Western, Educated, 
Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic societies

======================  (quote inserted randomly by Pegasus Mailer)
rslade () vcn bc ca     slade () victoria tc ca     rslade () computercrime org
`Did he give you a code word?'
`The commander didn't say anything about a code word.'
`Correct.  There is no code word--but only [the commander] would
know that.'
                  - `One of Our Thursdays Is Missing,' Jasper Fforde
victoria.tc.ca/techrev/rms.htm http://www.infosecbc.org/links
http://blogs.securiteam.com/index.php/archives/author/p1/
http://twitter.com/rslade
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