Data and Darwin

"WARNING: Do not look into laser with remaining eye." -- On a laser pointer.

I know if sounds heartless, but I am in increasing sympathy with those who believe we've gone too far with labels, laws and regulations designed to keep stupid people from harming themselves. You've seen the lists. Mandatory seat belt and motorcycle helmet laws run counter to Darwinian principles. Let people do what they would naturally do and in a few generations, such laws wouldn't be needed since idiots would have been bred out of the system.

I was at a regional tech director meeting a couple weeks ago where an automated data back up solution for PCs was touted. The salesman began his pitch by asking how many districts have provided their staff a mean of backing up their data. All hands went up. But then he asked, "What percentage of your staff actually DOES back up their data?" The hands went down and the faces all looked a little sheepish. The salesman went on to explain how his little commercial product would take responsibly for backing up computer workstations out of the hands of the individual user and place it firmly in the lap of the technology department - for the low, low price of...

Here is my question: Do we really want the work of people who won't back up their data preserved? Might there be a kind of Darwinian "survival of the fittest" when it comes to digital information? The work of the lazy, incompetent and careless disappears forever with the crash of a single hard drive. The work of the industrious, intelligent and cautious is preserved for posterity through back ups.

Comments

[Bill Storm]

As a supporter of organ-donation, I never did believe in helmet laws, as long as the lack thereof came with a mandatory donation law and they only used an ER paid for by their own health insurance.

I've had the same thought when seeing teachers' laptops with every file they own on their desktop. What's the point of saving them from themselves? Exactly what would they lose?

[Dottie]

One statement about helmet laws. I agree with the Darwin theory but some of them don't become donors. They become burdens that we pay for until they die. Nuff said.

As for backup-Let the chips fall. Sometimes it takes a hard lesson to really make them understand.

[Nathan Mielke]

Tough love never hurt anyone...have to brace yourself for the inevitable reaction though. Hazard of the job. I've found that people who are zombie users, tend to go over the top when something goes wrong.

[Doug Johnson]

Hi Bill,

Be careful - somebody might also label YOU a curmudgeon!

Doug

Hi Dottie,

And the other problem with the "stupid people kill themselves off" theory is that too often they take innocents with them. Sigh...

Doug

Hi Nathan,

I've also found that people who don't make back ups find ways to make that the fault of the technology department. How does that happen!

Doug