Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!convex!killer!texbell!uhnix1!sugar!ssd
From: ssd@sugar.uu.net (Scott Denham)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Possible Fines for Virus Perpetrator
Summary: annoying vs. destructive!
Keywords: Morris, virus, internet
Message-ID: <2978@sugar.uu.net>
Date: 10 Nov 88 18:59:12 GMT
References: <456@l5comp.UUCP> <440@occrsh.ATT.COM> <312@pte.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: Sugar Land Unix - Houston, TX
Lines: 29

In article <312@pte.UUCP>, car@pte.UUCP (Chris Rende) writes:
 
> - "relatively non-destructive": What does that mean? Contradiction in terms.
>   How would you like it if someone did something <relatively non-destructive>
>   to your car? your house? your person?
 
Leaving my car door open and messing up my radio knobs might be a 
"relatively non-destructive" way of  pointing out to me that I had left 
the door unlocked.  Stealing the car and wrapping it around a tree would
be somewhat different!
> 
> If you left your car door unlocked in a parking lot, how would you like to
> find someone sleeping in it. That's <relatively non-destructive> right?
> 
 Relative to trashing it, yes
  
> It was not necessary to let the worm/virus loose on the world in order to
> <point out> that a problem existed.
> 
 
But would anyone have LISTENED had he only pointed out the problem. It seems
lots of folks have pointed out problems like this only to be told  "No,
nobody is going to find a way to get in through that *tiny* hole".  Without
actally DEMONSTRATING the "worm", he'd likely be viewed by many as just 
another whiz-kid who thinks he's smarter than the system designers. 
 
  Scott Denham 
    Western Atlas International
> --