Comment Re:Don't be a part of the problem (Score 1) 697
Computers aren't analogous to people, they are analogous to cars. They can be well-maintained or they can be so poorly kept that they are dangerous to their operators and other people. In some places, cars are forced to pass certain minimum standards to be operated. No such standards exist for our computers.
A "friendly" virus that fixed problems would violate the "don't touch peoples" computers concept, but where is this written that computers are inviolate? What if it was delivered via spam to invite participation ("click here to disinfect")?
Until there is some monolithic enforcer for computer standards (i.e. "your computer is infected ma'am here is a $22 ticket for operating a poorly maintained computer") it seems like it's a wide open game.
However "friendly viruses" don't seem to inspire their authors much.
Since the potential legal downside exists for writing a friendly virus as a harmful one, we have a soup where the malicious dump in toxins to have fun at the expense of the helpless, and those who could help are afraid to do so.
But then again, maybe the problem is poorly written operating systems. Mac's and unix machines are known to have fewer/no virus problems. So long as computers that "unsafe at any speed" are popular, we will have to suffer the frequent exploding-tail-pipe-in-the gas tank.
A "friendly" virus that fixed problems would violate the "don't touch peoples" computers concept, but where is this written that computers are inviolate? What if it was delivered via spam to invite participation ("click here to disinfect")?
Until there is some monolithic enforcer for computer standards (i.e. "your computer is infected ma'am here is a $22 ticket for operating a poorly maintained computer") it seems like it's a wide open game.
However "friendly viruses" don't seem to inspire their authors much.
Since the potential legal downside exists for writing a friendly virus as a harmful one, we have a soup where the malicious dump in toxins to have fun at the expense of the helpless, and those who could help are afraid to do so.
But then again, maybe the problem is poorly written operating systems. Mac's and unix machines are known to have fewer/no virus problems. So long as computers that "unsafe at any speed" are popular, we will have to suffer the frequent exploding-tail-pipe-in-the gas tank.
