Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ncrlnk!ncr-sd!hp-sdd!hplabs!ucbvax!YUMA-EMH1.ARMY.MIL!rbutler
From: rbutler@YUMA-EMH1.ARMY.MIL (Robert Butler)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Virus, Worm or?
Message-ID: <8811211449.AA21323@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 14 Nov 88 16:26:39 GMT
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 40





The amount of email coming out on this list is very encouraging. More
`listeners' than ever are sticking their opinions out for possible ridicule or
even agreement.
What I'm hearing is a lot of protectionism for a  programmer. Like we need more
of his quality to keep the paranoid security wraps on this middle-aged
Internet. 
Does anyone think `wormer' will get his hands slapped, providing the 
allegations are true?. Regardless of his/her intent there were over six
thousand computers infected and many sub-networks were shut-down just because 
the infection was loose.
The cost to Internet alone will be in the millions of dollars figure (all those
leased lines). Then add in all the lost computer time for another hundreds of 
millions of dollars figure.
Whew, the national debt appears to be shrinking next to `the mistake' whether
intended or not. 
We do not have enough money now without having to pay the tab on this fiasco.
What will this do to the budget deficit we are living with?.
Now what?. Did we learn enough to pay for (non-budgeted) expended dollars?.
My opinion is NO, because I'm smart enough to know that I could lose my ability
to make a living by pulling such a trick, And I do not have a relative in high
Government that would bail me out. 
What ever happend to "Integrity"?. I have a personal integrity that will not
allow me to do what was done. I do believe that I know right from wrong and I 
will not do wrong, by conscious choice. Simplistic hey!.
Integrity! what does it mean in todays society. Well, what I'm hearing is: if
he/she is brilliant, nice, easy going, helpful and just accidently costs me
a years salary, lets just slap their hand, especially if their father is the 
judge. Lets not get angry and exact retribution, really they will learn their 
lesson and do it again. I'm not willing to pay the bill, dammit.
What would a drug dealer do if someone cost him several hundreds of dollars, 
intended or accidentally?. I guarantee that he will make an example for others
that that is not acceptable behavior. Is this the type of mentality or
attitude that we want?.           
Nuff said. I have my fire suit on.

These are my opinions and do not reflect on anyone except ME. RBB