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Fear Dot Inc.
Protecting Against Viruses, Hackers, and Spam
Douglas Chick
 There's gold in them there black hills…that is if you sell virus, hacker and spam protection. Since the tech crash that began in 2000, computer security has been the only tech industry that has been on the rise. Whether it's in cyberspace or in real life, fear is the best motivator to spend money. Billions have been spent on firewalls and anti-virus programs and I suppose spammers are also making a ripe fortune from e-mail ads, otherwise they wouldn't continue to do it.
From identity thieves, system break-ins, viruses, and spam; the tech economy of security is pretty healthy. Fear moves product, fear sell protection, and fear is used to help drive
a sometimes stalled economy. I am not saying that fear is a conspiracy by government and big business to liberate your tax and tech dollars, that's paranoia not fear, fear marketing is what capitalism seems to be reduced to. I remember once seeing pictures of people burned up alive in their homes by a smoke alarm salesman. Fear sells.
Network and Internet news is thick with impending doom and disaster. Buying advertising space costs a premium in
times of pearl because more people tune in. I'm willing to even bet that on 9/11 the cost of advertising
on the evening news was at a historic peak. Yeah, network news will never see those numbers again, I hope.
And its just not the media, people are hungry for the stuff. They watch the news and read the headlines because people want to know who was killed in the Middle East, whose credit card numbers where stolen on the Internet, what tragedy has befallen whom, and whose going get it next. It's a lot like waiting to see whose going to be voted off the island next.
And its not just the news; its in our books, television and movies. Just look at how well
movies like Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, and The Passion. We are bloodthirsty, disaster hungry, adrenaline junkies that are not content with peace and happiness…even our wars are led by a religion majority. Fear sells more than just commercial airtime and digital software; it sells political leadership. The next few months should prove to be interesting as we come closer to a national election.
I suppose in a way, without fear no one would ever be motivated enough to invent anything. So progress is fear dependant…I suppose.
Doug Chick
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your comments to dougchick@thenetworkadministrator.com