The technologist and internet security and privacy practices

Abstract

The Internet's underlying architecture poorly supports many users' current security and privacy needs. This architecture reflects decades-old design decisions by technologists involved in creating the Internet. It can be viewed as an example of the separation between the interests and understanding of technologists and those of the subsequent technology end users. Alternatively, it can be considered the outcome of the needs of a particular set of users, technologists. This view, of the technologist as part of a technology culture among many cultural groupings using the Internet, goes further in explaining the security and privacy characteristics of the Internet today than an alternative critique of technology and usage, that there is an inevitable divide between technologists and non-technologist users. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.