CERT and us

[fnerd@smds.com (FutureNerd Steve Witham)]

hey folks
a poem by fnerd

It looks like CERT may have a habit
of sending accusatory-looking form letters
without doing much checking of their own
based on who knows what tips.

Looks like they need to 
polish their policies and their prose 
a little bit.

BUT

We, too, are a group formed to look into problems 
	of computer security.
We, too, respond to security emergencies.
We, too, distribute patches to help people improve
	their security.
We, too, send messages--even rumors--back and forth about 
	threatening situations and people we suspect.

Sure, our style and emphasis are different,
but our charter is very similar to theirs.

Let's not let our name or style 
distract us from our mission 
or blind us to potential allies.

Instead of thinking of them as the heavies 
and us as the rebels, 

WHY NOT

us as the net-wise older brothers,
and them as the enthusiastic amateurs
who need some advice and calming down?

Eric can write one of his authoritative letters,
and we become
the voice of reason,
the watchers of the watchers,
Liberty's eyes.

Gentlemen and ladies (I reproach you),
remember who we are.

-fnerd
quote me