Summary: The long and sordid story of WikiLeaks takes an astonishingly irresponsible and very dangerous turn.<\/p>\n
Sometimes when we seek to understand the impact of a digital scenario, we recast it in meatspace and describe an analogous situation. In seeking to understand the most recent (and probably most epically irresponsible) WikiLeaks posting, the meatspace analogy will come in handy. <\/p>\n
Imagine, if you will, that a company located in Germany was doing biological warfare research, possibly under the guidance and using the funding of various allied governments. <\/p>\n
As part of their research, the company has produced a strain of virus that's Ebola-dangerous and Ebola-virulent, that might be used by the varied governments to fulfill certain unspecified and undisclosed objectives. <\/p>\n
But this time, WikiLeaks didn't just release documents. They posted the actual software. <\/p>\n
Now imagine that a group of concerned scientists discovers this research and illegally gets their hands on vials containing the biowarfare agent. Their justification in this theft is the desire to develop a defense against it, in case it is loosed upon an unsuspecting public. <\/p>\n
At this point, you might side with the scientists. After all, biological warfare is nasty stuff, and protecting the public from exposure and harm is a laudable goal. <\/p>\n
What if the thieves aren't biological scientists? They're violent activists. Similarly disturbed about the activities going on in the biowarfare lab, they also manage to get a sample of the deadly biological agent. <\/p>\n
However, instead of securely and safely transporting the deadly biohazard back to a lab for safe and secure analysis leading to an antidote agent, the thieves inexplicably set up a kiosk at a local mall. And instead of securely managing the biohazard, they give out sample vials of the biohazard to anyone who wants one. <\/p>\n
Anyone with a brain would immediately call the authorities and insist that this incredibly dangerous behavior be stopped, and that all the loose vials of biological warfare agent be rounded up and secured or destroyed. <\/p>\n
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