The Stench of Evil Users

by John S. Rhodes

Unplug Your Nose

Some users are out to destroy you. Some users want you to fail. Some users would like to crush your business. They hate you. They hate your web site. They don't like you. They don't like your company. They are poisonous, vengeful, and twisted.

And they're smart.

"Evil" people are just as smart, if not more smart, than "good" people. Come on, you know this is true. 

Unfortunately, what you think is evil might be perfectly good to someone else. Conversely, what you think is good, might be evil. To make matters worse, you cannot be a mind reader. And, you cannot please every customer. In fact, you will not be able to satisfy every customer. It is an impossible task. 

That is why you must try to understand your users as much as possible. Both good and bad.

You really need to know who hates you. You must probe. You must seek out your evil users by their stench. They leave behind a trail that is hard to miss. Yet, many companies and web developers decide to avoid the smell. Humans seek to avoid what they do not like. But, mark my words, it is sometimes necessary to rummage through the garbage pile. 

And remember, data can still golden even if it is hidden in dung. 

What is Evil?

They are many ways that users can be evil and twisted. 

1. A user might spread bad news about you to their friends and family. Negative words carry a lot more weight than good words. And, if the evil person is talking with friends and family, there is a trust bond. Think about it: if you trust another person, and if they say nasty things, you will listen closely to what they say. People love dirty laundry. They love gossip. To many people, evil gossip is much more fun to spread than good gossip. 

2. A user might try to hack your web site or server. A user with only your server log files can do a lot of damage. They can hunt down folks that are sending you referrals. Then, they can attack your friends, or pass along bad news. A hack attack can also yield all the typical goodies, like passwords, credit card information, blueprints, and more. As you know there are plenty of ways to hack a server. And, a hacker is still a user. One that you must guard against at all times. (Some hackers are good for you too, but that is the topic of another discussion.)

3. A user might bond with one of your competitors and then use that data to carry out investigations or subversive attacks. For example, if an evil customer talks with a good customer, the evil customer can find out all kinds of things. Your plans, your prices, your ideas. Even usernames and passwords. Don't assume that data or knowledge you provide to "good" customers will be secure. Humans are weak. Also, don't ever assume that any data on your server is secure. Basically, if any customer or person can reach it, it is fair game. If you have truly proprietary information, keep it off the web server. 

4. A disgruntled (or underpaid) employee might swipe data, or customers, or even other employees. That is, a disgruntled employee is more likely to steal you blind than your competitors. And, if they are smart and well connected with their fellow employees, they can really do damage. If an angry (and smart) employee takes other employees on the way out the door, you can really get hurt. I suppose you'd like them to leave. If they are evil and they leave with other evil folks, that is good. Still, it is a brain drain and that hurts. The evil person gets you on the inside and out. And, they can more easily steal data than any other person on the outside.

The important point is that there are many ways evil folks can wipe you out. I'm sure you are thinking of several evil users right now. You don't want to be totally paranoid, but prevention and a bit of intelligence can go a long way. 

Sure, Customers Can Be Loyal...

Like everything else in the world, there is usually evil lurking beyond the next turn. When people hear "customer loyalty" they instantly have positive feelings. Most companies seek to have customer loyalty. They want users to pay close attention to their work, their site, their moves. Customer loyalty always yields profit and repeat sales. That's the logic...

Yeah right. "Always" can be a dirty word.

Some users will be loyal to you so that they can crush you. So that they can make you feel small. So they can leak bad news to the press about your operations. Recently BlueOvalNews got into hot water with Ford Motor Company because they were telling the world about how bad Ford was. They were very loyal to Ford...but in an evil way. At least to Ford. 

As I said above, folks love dirty laundry and terrible news. Train wrecks, plane crashes, and nuclear disasters make the nightly news. Broken marriages, criminal activity, and acts of violence are popularized in movies and talk shows. People eat it up. Evil is often cool. It attracts people.

Your web site is vulnerable to the evil users of the world. It is open to evil activity. It is a target rich environment, and if your armor is weak, people will destroy you. The bigger you are, the more people will be loyal too. Think about Microsoft. There are plenty of web sites and evil people watching Microsoft. (However, Microsoft has some insulation: money...and an installed base.)

Remember that "evil" is in the mind of your users. What you think is evil, might be good for customers. It is your job to understand what makes users tick. It is your job to turn the evil to good. Or, in some circumstances, let yourself be turned to the dark side. 

Please remember that users stink. Seek out the putrid scent they leave behind. Pour over the garbage they try to hide. Hunt them down like dogs. They are evil! Yet, be cautious. You need to know who is really good and who is really evil. Judgment is difficult...

"He that doth not understand the nature of the beast shall be consumed by those that are bent on good, as the good of all men must be measured by the good of no man." 

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