[cobalt-users] Closing the doors [Was RE: Linux differences]

["Colin J. Raven" <cjraven@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>I'm familiar with Unix, and don't want to wade through linux books just
>to find the differences from normal Unix systems.
>
>Is there a summary somewhere? That really would be useful.
>
>Regards,
>
>Ian Fantom

Am I being excessively cynical in my old age, or does this seem like troll-like to anyone else?
On a parallel thought track for a moment here (thinking/musing out loud) I wonder how difficult it would be (or useful for that matter) for Sun/Cobalt to implement the following:
----------<scenario>
1. Individual buys QUBE/RAQ[x]/appliance_du_jour
2. Then registers appliance (in this scenario, it becomes mandatory)
3. Receives "Registration Code" [random, and not bearing any relationship to I/D of owner, geography, appliance-type, ethnicity, religion, race, color, creed, or preference in breed of dog owned]
4. Subscription to "cobalt-[announce|users|security|developers]@list.cobalt.com *requires* valid "Registration Code" to be subscribed.
----------</scenario>
Why??? 
I think we have innumerable non-cobalt owners on these lists. Some may well be lurking simply to learn and that's wonderful. Unfortunately I think we have a significant script kiddie population also, together with others who have less than noble intent. 

I would venture to suggest that the recent outbreak of RAQ3 hacking originated from a subscriber or subscriber[s] harvesting email addresses from the list, and automagically-port-scanning the originating domains. I admit, that/those individual[s] may in fact be [a] Cobalt owner[s]. Crazy as it sounds, there is an inverted logic behind that hypothesis. The above scenario therefore becomes less than robust if this theory is ever found to be true. Ergo, for the sake of devil's advocacy, I just shot myself in the foot. (I said at the outset that this was just musing out loud) 

In truth, it likely will never be determined for sure unless some determined network-sleuth gets real lucky. The Cuckoo's Nest was a great and true story, but INL it rarely happens with such fortuitous results. This is due in part, to application of the 80/20 rule, as well as the need to parcel out investigative resources in a prudent manner which responds to the magnitude of the threat or significance of the alleged crime. 

I don't want to restrict anyone's right to communicate with others, to acquire knowledge *or* to learn the art, science, or pure damn poetry of Linux in any of it's iterations. It can effectively be argued that mailing lists are forums for open exchange of "ideas", and because of that, some of the "ideas" garnered during one's time in the bazaar may be ignoble at best, or plain evil at worst. Ummm...I think I just heard another gunshot...oh dangit, I just shot myself in the *other* foot. So much for devils advocacy, or advocacy in any form! :-)

This isn't flame-bait in any way. I would value the opinion of some of the great thinkers on this list. Jeff Lasman, Rodolfo, Thom, Carrie, Zeffie, flash[gsh], et al. 

So...whaddya think? Why am I hobbling around with bullet holes in both feet? <laugh>
Regards,
-Colin
--
Colin J. Raven