Is it me, or is the word "actionable" finding its way into conversation? Don't get me wrong. I think it is terrificly useful word. But, did anyone use it before the "9-11 Commision" ( The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States) hearings? Apparently, yes. A Google search turns up "about 500,000" hits. Limiting the search to "past year" gets it down to "about 196,000," but it is close to that when I crank it down to "past 3 months."

So, I know that it has always been a word, especially used in the law. But, it strike me that it is similar to the word "overzealous" as used during the Watergate hearings. ("A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." for you youngsters.) The word was always there but never so often used until after Watergate.

We in computer and network security, and those who claim to be, find ourselves talking about paranoia. Now, the definition we are talking about is the second one we find on dictionary.reference.com, "Extreme, irrational distrust of others." In computer and network security, the "extreme" part is alright, as is the "distrust of others." Of course, it is the "irrational" part that doesn't belong.

Rational distrust versus irrational is often what seperates the grownups from the youngsters (darn, that is the second time I wrote that word on this blog today, and it is still a year before I turn 50!) -- in Internet parlance, the wizards from the newbies. It does not seperate those who have certifications from those who do not have them (not in the direction you might think, anyway). It takes experience and it takes risk assessment taking into account all controls too know what to be afraid of and what not to.

Yeah I might be a little bit loco
But it keeps me from losin' my mind
Oh but half insane that's ok
Babe a little bit crazy's alright.
-- From "Loco," by David Lee Murphy

Who thought that this is a good idea? In case you are not familiar with this, Nextel, Verizon, and other mobile phone companies offer this "walkie-talkie" mode for making an instant connection to another phone. Nextel's demo explains that 1) you look up the user's number, 2) Push the button to "instantly connect" to him, and 3) you will hear a chirp JUST START TALKING AND HE WILL HEAR YOU. Some of us must need this. I'm thinking firefighters, police. But then, oh yeah, they have radios already. Most of us probably don't. I'm thinking surgeons, doctors, lawyers, tinkers, tailers, soldiers, sailers... me. Can I turn that sort of thing off? I suppose so. But, can't turn it off on someone else's phone. I have to listen to the other side of the conversation shouting out of the phone held 5 inches in front of the intended listener's face, and to his response, spoken loudly and clearly. Do we really need instant connections? Do we need instant access to each other?

Don't get me started on Blackberrys... Soon I may have to carry one.