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To adjust your analogy a little, we actually still use asbestos, but it just isn't used for the general public. It still has unique properties that are industri

To adjust your analogy a little, we actually still use asbestos, but it just isn't used for the general public. It still has unique properties that are industrially or commercially useful, such as certain asphaltic roofing compounds and friction products like brake pads. But, it isn't used in products designed for the general public where strict oversight can't generally be provided.

ethbr0 4y ago
This is the key point that's often missed: asbestos isn't used anymoee in applications where the risks outweigh the benefits. We use incredibly dangerous materials in photolithography, nuclear weapons production, armor piercing projectiles, and aerospace... because there are no alternatives and/or the benefits outweigh the risks. What changed is that we learned more about asbestos (it causes cancer) and phased it out of applications where alternatives existed, even more expensive ones. In the C analogy, there may be places C continues to make sense... but it shouldn't be used anymore out of default, because it's the way things have always been done, or any other reason that doesn't end with "... and that's more important than an increased risk of security vulnerabilities."