Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!bionet!agate!ucbvax!hplabs!hp-ses!hpcuhb!hpindda!carlson
From: carlson@hpindda.HP.COM (Bob Carlson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Virus 101: Chapter 3
Message-ID: <40260011@hpindda.HP.COM>
Date: 16 Mar 89 22:31:48 GMT
References: <4035@ttidca.TTI.COM>
Organization: HP Information Networks, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 34

FLAME ON!

>Grow up People!!

How ironic you should say that.

>This is the United States of America (at least the message originated here)
>and the NET is a free network for exchange of information.

>If you wanna stifle the free expression and dispersment of information, then
>jump on the anti-porn bandwagon and join people who don't believe in the
>BILL OF RIGHTS.

There are good arguments on both sides of this question, but this is not
one of them.  It's the same kind of stupid, adolescent, intellectually 
shallow argument that the gun nuts use to justify children getting shot with 
AK47's so that the gun nuts' right to bear arms will not be abridged.
Though you are free to say what you will, those with half a brain draw 
the line somewhere.  Publishing the formula for C5, directions for 
building a nuclear bomb or the names of undercover drug agents are 
all things that should be self-censored.

FLAME OFF

Certainly George has a right to publish his material.  The question to
discuss is whether that's the best strategy to counter the virus hackers.
The fact that you or I could figure out how to write a virus is unimportant.
There are undoubtedly many malevelant boneheads out there who aren't smart
enough to figure it out for themselves, why help them?  Does increased
knowledge on the part the rest of the community compensate us for helping
these fringe hackers out?  Maybe, maybe not.  If it results in some new
creative ways of fighting viruses, then it probably is.

Cheers, Bob