Craig Mundie Wants "Internet Driver's Licenses" 427
I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "Craig Mundie, Microsoft's Chief Research and Strategy Officer, called for the creation of an 'Internet Driver's License' at the World Economic Forum in Davos, saying, 'If you want to drive a car you have to have a license to say that you are capable of driving a car, the car has to pass a test to say it is fit to drive and you have to have insurance.' Of course, there are quite a few problems with this. For starters, internet use cannot yet cause death or dismemberment like car accidents can; and this would get rid of most of the good of internet anonymity while retaining all of the bad parts, especially in terms of expanding the market for stolen identities. Even though telephone networks have long been used by scammers and spammers/telemarketers, we've never needed a 'Telephone Driver's License.'"
If you drunk e-mail... (Score:5, Funny)
will they take away your license?
Just what I always wanted (Score:5, Funny)
Proof (Score:5, Funny)
Re:If you drunk e-mail... (Score:5, Funny)
goldy (over the limit)
Re:Proof (Score:4, Funny)
I Don't See That Anyone Has Yet "Godwinned" (Score:5, Funny)
On a thread that so richly deserves it. Here. Without undue prejudice:
HITLER!
HITLER!
HITLER!
HITLER!
HITLER!
HITLER!
HITLER!
Why do you have a steering wheel in your pants? (Score:3, Funny)
we've never needed a 'Telephone Driver's License
Probably because you don't drive a telephone.
Re:Just what I always wanted (Score:5, Funny)
In the past, the Internet consisted, mostly, of smart people in front of dumb terminals.
Now, the converse situation dominates.
Re:Slashdot is getting out of hand (Score:4, Funny)
OK, I see some value in here (Score:5, Funny)
I'm NO fan of Microsoft (which I hold responsible for a lot of the malware problems on the 'Net), nor am I a big fan of PKI (I think the implementations are way to fragile), but I think there might be a worthy idea in here.
Drivers Licenses have two uses:
1. Certification of driving skills
2. A nationally recognized identity
Consider this for use #2...
So what if the government issued an "Internet ID Card", with PKI Certs, etc, that would be used to secure email, transactions, etc? This is by no means a panacea, but as a factor in 2-factor ID, it might well cut down on some forms of malware.
Yes, there -are- civil liberty implications. But we always have the tension between known identity and guaranteed privacy.
So as a form of tougher ID on the Internet, I think this deserves to be taken seriously, and the plusses and minuses (as established here...) should be debated.
SOMEBODY CALL THE INTERNET POLICE (Score:4, Funny)
I just had a packet collision!
Re:Translation (Score:5, Funny)
In other words, Windows doesn't suck - The users do.
The drivers license analogy is being used to shift some of the blame from the OS to its users.
"If the steering wheel stops responding at 70mph, simply turn the engine off and back on!"
You work for Toyota?
Re:Slashdot is getting out of hand (Score:5, Funny)
Can they be more subtle? (Score:2, Funny)
Just another attempt by to regulate and/or control the internet, I can just bet that he has a shiny Powerpoint presentation all prepped about how suited MS would be to manage the corporate planning and data management.
About as subtle as Vlad and the Count soliciting for charitable donations :
"to de Blood bank... I mean Red Cross, yes. No, you don't hawe to come in, ve vill be ower.. , Ve Vill send an agent by right avay! Oh yes it is wery conwenient for you, Ve know exactly vhere you are, I mean, ve hawe your address yes. Thank you for agreeing to be ovr wicte.. heh donor!"
Right down to the 'mvahaha!' and the obligatory Thunder and Lightning.
Re:If you drunk e-mail... (Score:3, Funny)
tl;dr
Re:Marketing (Score:3, Funny)
First License goes to (Score:1, Funny)
I nominate the banker who got caught surfing porn at work on live T.V. to hold the first license.
I also think that installing M$ software on should count as a point against you.
Re:Slashdot is getting out of hand (Score:5, Funny)
Actually, the final boss is easy. The second to last boss, Anonymous, is a bitch and a half to beat, but all it takes to kill the kitten is masturbating.
He needs to be careful what he asks for (Score:2, Funny)
accidents (Score:1, Funny)
Of course, there are quite a few problems with this. For starters, internet use cannot yet cause death or dismemberment like car accidents can
Well, not YET. But wait until you see what WGA for Windows 8 can do!
Re:I Don't See That Anyone Has Yet "Godwinned" (Score:3, Funny)
You certainly godwon that one.
Re:If you drunk e-mail... (Score:1, Funny)
I've seen some of my comments on /. removed and show up in somebody else's name a few hours later, I won't bother thinking very hard under circumstances like that.
Re:If you drunk e-mail... (Score:4, Funny)
I've seen some of my comments on /. removed and show up in somebody else's name a few hours later, I won't bother thinking very hard under circumstances like that.
Surely the other guy's name was Anonymous Coward?
Re:I Don't See That Anyone Has Yet "Godwinned" (Score:5, Funny)
How did you get that past the filter??
The Führer can get past any filter...
Re:Slashdot is getting out of hand (Score:3, Funny)
You have to watch out for their exploding van. You can defeat them easily with A Dog and some Curtains.
Re:Criag Mundie wants to control you. (Score:3, Funny)
Welcome to the "United" Kingdom [tvlicensing.co.uk]. (airquotes intentional)
Re: Knowledge about etc... (Score:5, Funny)
Don't feed the troll of the article.
He's Just Another Manic Mundie.