Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!decwrl!ucbvax!UCONNVM.BITNET!SEWALL From: SEWALL@UCONNVM.BITNET (Murph Sewall) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple Subject: Re: To someone in Brooklyn... Message-ID: <8809010222.aa24905@SMOKE.BRL.MIL> Date: 1 Sep 88 06:58:23 GMT References: Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 39 >>Alas, I can't read all the paper that comes in my door as it is. I let >>my subscription to Business Week expire. What (at least) is the subject >>on page 68 of the 1/8 issue? > >Well, in brief it says that Congress is pushing a bill to make virus >writing illegal - a federal offense no less. I hope it passes. I'm no lawyer, but if I understand the "Computer Crimes" act passed in Connecticut 3 or 4 years ago, virus writing already is a felony in this state. Presumably if a resident or business in Connecticut were damaged by Festering Hate or any other virus and could identify the author (even residing in another state) a criminal complaint could be filed and extradition proceedings, if necessary, instituted. Although there it's pretty easy to subscribe to USENET or have an account on a system that carries USENET, it doesn't necessaily follow that the dolt(s) who wrote Festering Hate are among us. Selected mail often is downloaded and distributed to local BBS's (I've often done that myself) especially mail related to viruses. Hence, you could have been quoted from a "reprint." It's also possible to sign-on to systems that allow reading of USENET but don't always provide access to write to it (the Big Electric Cat in New York, for example in as much as your letter was postmarked in Brooklyn). The 'we are a well organized band with lots of resources' (I paraphrase) language you quoted suggests a highly insecure personality without much self-esteem who is in serious need of professional help (none of us are likely to be surprised about that). If it really were true, the writer would have better things to do than code dysfunctional temper tantrums in binary. Murph Sewall Sewall@UCONNVM.BITNET Business School sewall%uconnvm.bitnet@mitvma.mit.edu [INTERNET] U of Connecticut {rutgers psuvax1 ucbvax & in Europe - mcvax} !UCONNVM.BITNET!SEWALL [UUCP] -+- My employer isn't responsible for my mistakes AND vice-versa! (subject to change without notice; void where prohibited)