I have been using Windows Vista for about a week now. One thing that consistently hits me is the UAC system. Even though I am running as an admin, I keep getting asked to verify operations, often by multiple security systems for the same operation. Last night I posted a tip on how to get into the CLI with escalated permissions. A lot of bytes have been used comparing this to sudo (or saying they are not the same). All I know is that Windows is suddenly much less convenient to use.

 

We get three things to consider (in addition to others, like functionality, feature set, etc.)  when we are writing software: secure, open, and convenient. Oddly enough, it seems safe to say that as one or two of these are increased or decreased, the remaining one must go in the opposite direction. It is like an odd variation on Boyle’s Law. In other words, a secure and open system cannot be convenient. A convenient, secure system will not be open. An open, convenient system will not be secure. And so on.

 

For the sake of this post, “open