locking door when window is open? (Re: solving the wrong problem)

[Adam Back]

"Single picket fence" -- doesn't work without a lot of explaining.

The one I usually have usually heard is the obvious and intuitive
"locking the door when the window is open".

(ie fixating on quality of dead-bolt, etc on the front door when the
window beside it is _open_!)

Adam

On Sat, Aug 06, 2005 at 04:27:51PM -0400, John Denker wrote:
> Perry E. Metzger wrote:
> 
> >We need a term for this sort of thing -- the steel tamper
> >resistant lock added to the tissue paper door on the wrong vault
> >entirely, at great expense, by a brilliant mind that does not
> >understand the underlying threat model at all.
> >
> >Anyone have a good phrase in mind that has the right sort of flavor
> >for describing this sort of thing?
> 
> In a similar context, Whit Diffie once put up a nice
> graphic:  A cozy little home protected by a picket fence.
> he fence consisted of a single picket that was a mile
> high ... while the rest of the perimeter went totally
> unprotected.
> 
> So, unless/until somebody comes up with a better metaphor,
> I'd vote for "one-picket fence".

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