Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!netnews.upenn.edu!vax1.cc.lehigh.edu!cert.sei.cmu.edu!krvw From: sheinfel@grad1.cis.upenn.edu (Aviad Sheinfeld) Newsgroups: comp.virus Subject: Re: Antivirus viruses Message-ID: <0002.9008301719.AA26303@ubu.cert.sei.cmu.edu> Date: 28 Aug 90 02:46:28 GMT Sender: Virus Discussion List Lines: 30 Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu FXJWK@ALASKA (Jo Knox - UAF Academic Computing) writes: > As far as the morality/ethics question, I have no problems with this >idea; there's no reason you can't help someone without their >knowledge! I have to disagree. You have absolutely no right to mess with my computer or any of its contents, no matter what your intentions. Who are you to decide what strings of bytes I may or may not have in my personal machine? What right do you, a well-meaning (?) programmer have to affect my personal property? If I am walking along down the street and notice that your car's leaking break fluid, I might leave a note on the windshield, but I certainly wouldn't jack up your car and fix the problem. That is your responsibility. I can educate you, warn you - but I can't keep you from making mistakes. Another point is that you are killing these viruses with a virus! Look at what you're proposing! You decide what piece of code may roam unchecked in my machine and what piece of code may not?! I'm sorry, but I don't know you well enough to support such a dangerous idea. I feel that those who have learned to protect themselves are fairly safe from virus attacks by being careful and using available virus-detectors. As for those ignorant enough or foolish enough to go without protection ... they'll learn eventually. Education is the key, not forced action. (Wait a second, shouldn't this last paragraph have been posted to alt.sex instead?! :-) Aviad...