There is so much that an experienced computer user takes for granted while surfing the net. What emails too delete and not open, what emails too filter out all together, what attachments (if any) too download and open, what windows are pop-ups (and how too ctrl-tab/alt-f4 them with minimum casualties too bye-stander browser pages). Installing, and using antivirus and firewall software, not opening that god dam awful rubbish from Gater (or similar evil spyware).
It can be very worrying when you do come across someone who is not aware off these things. I have sorted computers for people before who’s hard drives have been totally full of virus's, Trojans and spyware (from email attachments, dialers, crappy software ect ect). Email inboxes flooded with spam, and outboxes full off replies too junk email (my brother still does not understand how replying too junk mailers and telling them too take a hike is not the best idea in the world). I recently found a Trojan on my dad’s machine, and this was with NAV2002 installed. I can but assume that he got confused and annoyed at all the blinking, flashing messages, and just closed the program down.
I think the problem with the bad things on the internet is not necessarily the fact that there are so many people involved, but that it’s so easy too do, and that they (obviously) are still making money in the process. Junk emailing would die out very quickly if people just stopped reading, replying and taking any notice of such emails in their inbox. But that is not going too happen anytime soon. Like you said, there just MUST be ways of stopping these things. There must be better ways for IPS's and email providers too kill off junk mail, but you look at services like hotmail, read some horror stories (http://www.wired.com/news/infostructure/0,1377,57132,00.html) about there latest blunders (and the fact that all this junk mail fills up inboxes pretty quick, getting people too upgrade there accounts) and then think that maybe the education route might be quicker. Although there is no ‘educational’ approach too the bad things that happen in gaming, there must be a way of making games/game servers a lot better at protecting against hackers and the script kiddies. Unfortunately, as long as there are ways too cheat, many people will get falsely accused of it. And I wonder how long it is before some laws come into force against the absurdity of some of the spyware that’s about today? As for the porn, it’s been around for quite sometime before the net, and I think it will probably be around for as long, if not longer than it. Also, I am not sure ware I stand on your ideas here, where do you draw the line between sites that do and don’t belong under .sex/.xxx tld's?
I agree wholeheartedly that the internet does have such huge potential, which is totally not being realized. I wonder if the problems that your thread highlighted will increase over the next few years or not?
I also wonder - what would the net would be like if the 10000 worst hackers, crackers, junk mailers, spammers and trolls would disappear off the face of the earth?