Hey, readers!

Recently, humble bundle has released a Hacking bundle, which has some VERY useful books, including some things about net security, some stuff about malware analysis and bug finding, and some basics on programming. Great stuff, $15 for a bunch of wonderful DRM-Free resources, available here.

This got me thinking a bit about how the average person uses the internet, and the issue that arise from it. Many people don't, or don't want to, learn how to use various devices. From cars to computers, to phones to email clients, from networks to basic electrical knowledge, there are so many people who refuse, willingly remain ignorant, about how all of this works! All of these machines and technologies that drives their lives, that allow them to manage their money, make a living... They don't care about how it works. They just accept what they see at face value.

And pardon my language, but that is really fucking scary and really fucking dangerous.

"But clarjon1!" You may say, "I have an IT guy who can take care of my comptuer for me. I have a mechanic who can fix my car for me!" I can hear some of you thinking. You're right. You do. I'm not expecting you to know EVERYTHING about your machine, far from it. But what good are these technicians if you remain so willfully ignorant, that you cannot even tell whether or not the system is running properly? What good is a car mechanic if you can't tell that a grinding noise means there's a problem? What good will your IT guy be if you ignore a clicking noise coming from your case?

What's worse, is that this affects more than just the hardware. People all the time click through error messages without reading. They speed through installation dialogues, allowing malware and adware to be bundled along, installed without the user realizing. Phishing websites designed to take your login info. People STILL fall for malicious email attachments -- over 20 years of emails, OVER TWO DECADES! And people still fall for malicious word and excel spreadsheets that infect and steal info! How? Why?

Because they don't care.

These people do not care about the technology. They just see it as, well, I'm not quite sure. I've been told by some clients that they're sure the computer is run by black magic, and I'm fairly certain they are not joking in this case. It's not just older people either -- People younger than myself who I've had to train would REFUSE to read errors, they would just tap the box closed on their work iPhone as soon as it popped up, then yell at us, the technicians, because they refused to provide the needed info! Unable to grasp, because they don't see it as worth learning, how these devices they want to use to further their career work! How they function at a basic level! Basic trouble shooting, or my favorite one, how to read the error message that tells them what to do next in many cases!

It baffles me. It really does. But what can we do about this? I can't really think of anything feasable. I mean, I'd like something like a driver's test for the internet, but there's no real feasable way of making that happen. I'd love it if businesses required mandatory basic training -- or a high school course about this, perhaps! Some sort of education is needed, desperately. I'm sick and tired of seeing people using malware-infested machines that steal personal info as if it's a normal occurance.