Date: 16 Mar 93 21:35:03 EST
From: kim clancy <71011.2056@COMPUSERVE.COM>
Subject: File 7--Comments on the Virus Writing Contest

      Comments on the first international virus writing contest
                            by Kim Clancy

My comments on the 1st International Virus Writing Contest is that
I
don't care about the first international virus writing contest.  I
don't care if someone sits in the privacy of their home and
develops a
computer program to destroy every type of computer on the face of
the
earth.   I don't care if they post them as public information on
bbses, magazines, or print them in books for profit.  I don't care! 
I
believe it is everyones' constitutional right to be able to write
any
type of computer code they want, discuss it with others, share the
code and document the process.  I believe that to remove this right
from individuals is removing their freedom and individual rights.

On the other hand, I do care about someone intentionally destroying
the property of others.   I do care about harm done to others and
I do
care about someone planting viruses for that purpose.  But, this
contest is not called the "1st International See How Much You Can
Destroy by Planting a Virus Contest."  I just don't care (did you
pick
up on that yet?)

I know there are hundreds of viruses available.  I have many of
them
myself, most of them sent to me from anti-virus researchers (that
is
another story in itself though.)  All the harm that could be done
by
viruses could more than likely be done with existing code.  Running
a
contest asking for better code doesn't appear to offer a
significant
threat.  At the same time, I can't see any need for such a contest
and
fail to understand what good it could produce.  Nonetheless,
individuals should have the right to participate in this contest.

By the way, while this may be the 1st International Virus Writing
Contest, I think (although haven't confirmed) that Fred Cohen told
me
(on the one and only occasion I talked to him) that he had held a
virus writing contest and offered $1000.  He received no entries.

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