some ethical musings

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Comments, Questions, and Submissions appreciated, work-in-progress

Thief Ethics:

1. Anything not nailed down is mine.


2. Anything I cay pry loose isn't nailed down.


3. Just because it's mine doesn't mean I have to take it now. Conversely, just because I haven't taken it yet doesn't mean it isn't mine.


4. Never carry a gun. You might be tempted to use it. --Entrapment


5. No target is secure from a determined attacker == "Doorknobs and locks keep honest people honest" == All most security systems try to do is encourage the thief to steal from someone else.
   

Hacker Ethics:

1. Freedom is good. --esr == Given a choice, pick freedom over $foo, $bar and $baz.


2. Boredom and drudgery are evil. --esr == Banality and dopamine self-addiction are bad things, and to be avoided.


3. The world is full of fascinating problems to solve. --esr


4. No problem should ever have to be solved twice --esr == If you do something, do it right the first time.
   
5. Attitude is no substitute for competence --esr == Actions speak louder than words, and code louder still.


6. If something is broken, and you have the tools and skills to fix it, fix it now, and leave a note if you feel the need.


7. Use the source [Luke], and RTFM.

Warrior Ethics:

• What must be done, must be done.


• It is best to win without battle --Sun Tzu


• Whatever does not kill me makes me stronger --Crom


• Weak leaders are to be challenged, but not in times of war. --The Litany, WW:tA


• Never tell me the odds! -- H. Solo aka "Then we must each kill 100 of them.." -- Thlingon hol lore


• "A warrior may slit one thousand throats in one night if only he runs fast enough." Thlingon hol lore
  

Theater ethics:

• The Show must go on


• Never confuse marks with patrons, or the crowd with the audience.


• When all else fails, improvise!


• There is no such thing as bad publicity.


• There's a sucker born every minute. -- P T Barnum


• No one ever lost a dollar betting on the mendacity of the American people -- H. L. Mencken