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adric ([personal profile] adric) wrote2002-11-03 05:28 am
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some ethical musings

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