[OLPC Security] olpc security - wetware issues

[Matt Anderson]

On Thu, Feb 08, 2007 at 06:12:24PM -0500, alien wrote:
> In the developed world, kids who are solicited online often become
> real-life victims of their online "friends." There is no point in
> distributing these laptops for educational purposes without some basic
> safety mechanisms that will prevent their owners from becoming
> victimized as well. A tool which enables parental monitoring/controls
> is a fundamental program and should be distributed by default with
> each laptop. This is not "extra," and to fail to include it will
> result in deaths. Really.

My understanding was these computers would be distributed to children
who's parents would not be able to afford their own computer, and who
most likely are even less computer literate than the child who owns it.
How are they supposed to fit into what you are suggesting?  What level
of protection can they be expected to provide?  The control could be
given to the school or the government, but that doesn't seem much
better to me.

To me what you are describing is a user problem.  Kids in developed
countries are falling for these sorts of online traps because they
weren't given instructions on how to stay safe online.  Recently that
trend has been reversing because there have been campaigns to educate
kids on online safety.  That seems like a better approach and one that
fits the goals of OLPC more than having software that attempts to
restrict the children.

-matt