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Jul. 13th, 2005 06:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
theweaselkingProfessor Landsburg, an economist at the University of Rochester, has calculated the relative value to society of executing murderers and hackers. By using studies estimating the deterrent value of capital punishment, he figures that executing one murderer yields at most $100 million in social benefits.
The benefits of executing a hacker would be greater, he argues, because the social costs of hacking are estimated to be so much higher: $50 billion per year. Deterring a mere one-fifth of 1 percent of those crimes - one in 500 hackers - would save society $100 million. And Professor Landsburg believes that a lot more than one in 500 hackers would be deterred by the sight of a colleague on death row.
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When dealing with spammers, I'm fond of advocating locking them in a small room with a computer, no internet access, a copy of MS Outlook 97, and a pile of PSTs full of one randomly generated email for every one they sent out. There will be an electronic lock on the door with an alphanumeric code of unknown length.
One of the emails, somewhere in there, has the code that unlocks their cell door.
The sentence lasts until they "just hit delete" and "enjoy these amazing offers" long enough to find the code and unlock the cell door.
I like that.
The benefits of executing a hacker would be greater, he argues, because the social costs of hacking are estimated to be so much higher: $50 billion per year. Deterring a mere one-fifth of 1 percent of those crimes - one in 500 hackers - would save society $100 million. And Professor Landsburg believes that a lot more than one in 500 hackers would be deterred by the sight of a colleague on death row.
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When dealing with spammers, I'm fond of advocating locking them in a small room with a computer, no internet access, a copy of MS Outlook 97, and a pile of PSTs full of one randomly generated email for every one they sent out. There will be an electronic lock on the door with an alphanumeric code of unknown length.
One of the emails, somewhere in there, has the code that unlocks their cell door.
The sentence lasts until they "just hit delete" and "enjoy these amazing offers" long enough to find the code and unlock the cell door.
I like that.