[GRLUG] kill switches

[Tim Schmidt]

On Fri, Oct 17, 2008 at 11:10 AM, Bruce Smith <blubdog at gmail.com> wrote:
> They also need to limit apps if those apps cause problems on their
> network or do illegal things.  It's better for everyone involved if
> they can kill a single app, as opposed to killing the entire phone.

It _is not_ better for everyone involved if someone else controls your
phone / computer / GPS / camera / microphone / bluetooth / wifi
device.  It's ludicrous to suggest so.

> The PROBLEM is when cellular providers start abusing that power

_ALL_ power is abused.  Full stop.

> If someone writes an app that posts all personal information on a
> phone to the internet, then the provider would be wise to kill that
> app.  Same if someone writes an app to send spam.  Or attack other
> networks.  Or ...

What you're talking about here is an issue of trust.  You can't trust
any random software developer.  Congratulations, you've arrived at a
conclusion that should be obvious to every person who's ever used
Windows.  You _must_ choose someone to trust - because you can't build
a phone, and all it's software by yourself.  Your mistake is in
choosing the phone company.  In fact, I would argue that you'd be
mistaken in choosing anyone who would not grant you full access (and
control) of all the software running on your phone.  This argument
should be immensely familiar and obvious to anyone on this list.

> Bad people WILL write those kind of apps, and disguise them to look
> legitimate.  Someone needs to approve them before they are made
> available to the general public, and someone needs the ability to kill
> them if a evil app slips by the prerelease inspectors.

Right.  That's what development communities, and distributors are for.
 Having the source code allows all of us to check that they're doing a
good job, and ensures that you, the user, have the ability to kill
evil apps.  Done.

> This is much better than killing the entire phone of everyone who has
> downloaded a evil app, stranding many people without voice service.
> (and causing everyone involved to physically bring their phone into a
> store to get it fixed, and raising your phone bill because of all the
> labor involved, and the provider losing customers who are now pissed
> off...)

I think you're nightmare scenario is more than a little extreme.

--tim