If virus makers and hackers were put out of business people would lose jobs?

Personally, I think programmers could focus themselves in a money making direction without virus making LOSERS wasting the programmer's time.

**Rod Sterling voice**

Imagine... if you will.. a world where programmers are free to create programs that don't have to defend the simple computer user, but are... IN FACT... designed to serve their basic need(s) or even entertain those users.......

EDIT - On a weird personal note, I do consider virus makers and some hackers to be in two different groups and may actually agree that some hackers may serve a purpose while realizing that overall, they still have to fall into the same general category.

<font color=orange>I'd burn the little buggers in a New York minute for free! They are nothing but low life maggots! :mad:

That's the excuse of a thief. If somebody breaks into my home and get's cought, would they get away with an excuse like that ?

I would definately turn them in. Especially since lately their has been a rash of viruses being spread again, even if you have updateded anti-virus software, it's still annoying to have to check when you already checked your system maybe an hour ago.

Yep, with or with-out a reward, but I think it is irrelevant becasue the reward is designed mostly for virus writers and to flip[ on each other or to entice friends and family of virus writers to turn them in rather than coax the general public to go on a virus hunting witch hunt. I hope it works.

Now if my older/younger brother came bragging to me about the wicked worm he unleashed on the world it would turn into one of those world famous ethical dilemas...hypothetically I would turn him on principle, but that money sure is tempting if I were to lack that particular principle. ;)

Turn him in and split the money with him after he gets out of prison - that way you can satisy your both your moral duty and absolve yourself of guilt [img]smile.gif[/img]

That's the excuse of a thief. If somebody breaks into my home and get's cought, would they get away with an excuse like that ?

I would definately turn them in. Especially since lately their has been a rash of viruses being spread again, even if you have updateded anti-virus software, it's still annoying to have to check when you already checked your system maybe an hour ago. </font>[/QUOTE]I think what he meant to say was that a lot of these problems could be avoided if people paid a little bit more attention. This is no excuse for the virus writers
BUT
Most virii nowadays spread via eMail and they only spread if the user is stupid enough to open an attachement to an eMail with no proper text
This is not like leaving your door wide open, this is like inviting a burglar who is camping on your lawn inside and then go get him a crowbar :mad:
While virus writers are criminals I also think it is irresponsible of computer users (especially when it's a computer at work) not to check those attachements properly.
There are FREE anti-virus tools available for download (e.g. AVG anti-virus) and most infections can be prevented if you use some common sense.

Absolutely!

That's the excuse of a thief. If somebody breaks into my home and get's cought, would they get away with an excuse like that ? </font>[/QUOTE]Nonsense, that's twisting my words. I didn't say anything like that - what I said was that (to use your analogy) if you leave your front door wide open in a dodgy neighbourhood and then go on a holiday, whoever it was that robbed your house empty (because that will undoubtedly have happened) should of course be arrested for thieving, BUT you'd have been pretty damn stupid yourself too, so it would have been your fault in the sense that you could have taken sensible precautions which you didn't. I'm not saying stupid people *cause* their computers to be infected - it's the viruses and their makers who cause it. But if you go around opening and running attached files from strangers who write you emails in Spanish even though you don't speak Spanish, then it *is* your fault that you get infected by viruses more often than other (sensible) people.

Absolutely! </font>[/QUOTE]I knew you did...lol.

Turn him in and split the money with him after he gets out of prison - that way you can satisy your both your moral duty and absolve yourself of guilt [img]smile.gif[/img] </font>[/QUOTE]Turn him in and use his half for an appeal. [img]smile.gif[/img]