I considered the ambush angle, but decided that most of the time the people to get assaulted would get tipped off by the large number of security drones sent to monitor the assault and ensure Writ compliance anyway. With public Writs, you'd also get surveillance drones sent by bloggers and local news agencies, and reduces somewhat the ability to have the Writ abused by sending only partial data. I've thought some more about the Writs, and I think it boils down to a couple of things: Most security purchased is actually insurance. If you are assaulted, or in fear of assault, you can call in the security company to deal with the problem. Assuming the call wasn't frivolous, there's no extra charge to have the security officers show up, but it will be reflected in your premiums. Since most people rarely require security, this works out well. Many communities also purchase security for people in the community, and get better rates by also hiring full-time guards, and proper surveillance. These costs (amongst others) are passed on to the members of the community through membership fees. (Think Mr Lee's Greater Hong Kong, and the other franchised neighbourhoods in Snow Crash.) With the rapid and automatic communication in Eclipse Phase, most people rely on their community's security when they're at home, and only purchase additional security when they head out. A habitat will have its own security contracts, but these mostly concern the structural integrity of the habitat and its infrastructure. This contract also covers general peace keeping amongst the uninsured, since large altercations can lead to damage to the habitat, and it's easier to prevent these while they're still small. The flip side to the low insurance rates that make this possible is the conditions of coverage - the security companies don't want people antagonizing other (particularly uninsured) parties, then relying on their security insurance to protect them from the consequences. As such, acting in a manner that could be viewed as inciting retribution forces a renegotiation of the insurance contract. Although the security company will still guard you against greater threats to your being (e.g. deliberate damage to the ego or cortical stack; after all, the company still wants your money/rep), simple assault and battery from the named party will no longer be viewed as sufficient grounds summon security. A Writ is simply a notice that one or more of the following have occurred: (a) A personal security insurance contract has been partially suspended due to violations of the terms of service. (b) You are no longer under the aegis of your community's security contract. Depending on what you did, you might also get expelled from the community. If you're not, you might be able to take refuge in the community - although morphs with guns won't come to your aid directly, your would-be assailants might not be able to gain entry to the community. At least, not through the front gate. (c) The habitat's security will not view acts of violence by party [a] towards party [b] as an attempt to damage the habitat. Because of the public nature of the Writ, and an unwilliingness by most people to get involved in other people's problems, an assault covered by a Writ is much less likely to spiral out of control. If the target is amongst potential allies, if they can consult the Writ, they're less likely to view the assault on the target as an assault on the group as a whole and retaliate. Having a Writ active against you doesn't make you a pariah amongst security companies, but it does mean that you'll have to pay more to retain your old level of service. There are intermediary steps, where a larger payment doesn't give you complete protection, but will reduce the scope of what means can be used in the assault. This works at all levels, with well-paid habitat security being much less willing to turn a blind eye to any acts of violence.