V-chips, CC, and Motorcycle Helmets

["A. Padgett Peterson, P.E. Information Security" <PADGETT@hobbes.orl.mmc.com>]

Tim rites:
>The viewer sets her preferences: a 5-5-5 would let everything through, etc. 
>The developer of the chip claimed he could mass produce the chip for a buck, 
>and this may be where all those estimates of "$1-2 per set" have come from. 

Am in favor of this since it puts the control in the hands of the property
owner. One question would be "how often is the V-rating code transmitted ?"
(are the kiddies protected from channel-surfing ?) Do suspect that the $1-$2
cost could be met *at the manufacturing level*.

Do also see the need for regulation to put it in. It was required for UHF
channels else no one would try to build one. I am also thankful that is was
required for closed-captioning even though my TVs are not new enough (have
a $99 discount-house box on the TV in the family room. Makes many shows
more relaxing. Only annoyance is that we have to be even faster on Jeopardy
since the caption appears before the players speak.

Motorcycle helmets (required in Florida as is seat belt use) are another 
matter. Requiring the lights to be on is different - that makes the bike
easier for others to see. Helmet and seat belt laws are purely economic
in nature: the state wants them to reduce the load on the state supported
medical structure, motorcycle manufacturers (and auto manufacturers) support
them to keep insurance rates low (high insurance rates affect sales).

In this case the laws are "special interest" and have nothing to do with
the individual though the rationale is often "for your own good" (have been
wearing seat belts and helmets for many years - have a scar on my forehead
that took fourteen stitches where the Snell approved Bell Magnum helemet
*split* under the impact - sudder to think what the effect would have been
without it.

Similarly, I do not like air bags since I worry about second and side impacts.
Still was an easy way out for the manufacturers to appease the insurance 
companies (see above).

Getting a bit far afield from cyphers though. Bottom line is that the V-chip
seems like a good idea to me so long as the 5-5-5 setting is the default
and there are no "backdoors".
						Warmly,
							Padgett