"Guns don't kill, People do" but...

[Toudiyama[NL]]

Hi Guys 'n Gals,

The Title contains a very true statement but how come in the US it seems this is only true for guns and not for something like software?
Why all of a sudden are people willing to prohibit software just because one can do wrong with it, After all Guns are primarely made for killing, aren't they, but you can use them to defend your self, hunt or just sportshoting.
Now some politicians want to prohibit P2P software because it is a hazzard to stae security as sometimes doccument are accidently shared
see http://news.com.com/2100-1029_3-6198585.html
Somehow when it comes to software, stupidity of the user or mallicious intent of another user, isn't the cause but the software and its vendor are.

My question is: Do you think they are right to prohibit certain software and why? Also why the difference between guns and software?

A sidenote, in my country there have been several cases of lost secret information bvecause of lost USB sticks, lost notebooks and even someone putting his PC at the trash with sensitive info still on it, should these also be prohibited?

Last, what the heck is someone dealing with that kind of info doing with P2P software anyway? to download a Linux distro...? I Doubt it, so that would imply that these people are in fact downloading illegal music and movies

[darrianation]

I really don’t see how you can compare the two. They are both two separate individual issues. But as far as your line of thinking on the software issue I couldn’t agree with you more.

Individuals at home run personal risk with having this software on their computer and not knowing how to protect their private information. Folks at work shouldn’t have it and networks can certainly be set not to allow it. And folks who work with sensitive information should be held accountable for protecting it.

Honestly I don’t’ think we do enough to protect our information but it is “situation normal” to blame the wrong folks.

[darrianation]

I do think that a corporation has the right to limit or ban certain computer usage within the company and if the government wants to ban p2p type software within their own work place that's fine too. But when it comes down to individuals in their own homes they should be left alone.

[darrianation]

And I still can't figure out what P2P software has to do with guns.

[Toudiyama[NL]]

"It's not the tool doing the crime", is what it has to do with guns
If it is true for guns, it should be true for software as both are just tools
As "Guns don't kill people,.." is the reply to the kneejerk reactions to shooting incidents, can't it apply now to these kneejerk reactions to the alleged spreading of information by means of P2P software?
So more universal, the tool doesn't do the act, does it always apply or doesn't it whenever convenient
Tools don't build a house, builders do
A car doesn't hit and run, the driver does
the list goes on.
The reason for picking guns is because that one is known best and defended the hardest and most likely to get a reaction/reply

P2P software/technology can be used for more than spreading software, it is actually used for streamingvideo too (TVUplayer) heck sharing folders in Windows will use some kind of Peer2Peer protocol and just as dangerous on a notebook with wifi