Ever wonder if most computer viruses/trojans/worms/etc are the

[valerief]

work of the secret govt trying to quell the masses from exchanging info via the Internet? Delivered as needed by your dialup or DSL provider. I mean, the internet is supposed to be one big commercial, not a true social tool.

[kenny blankenship]

1. They aren't computer viruses, they are Microsoft Windows viruses

and they aren't the work of the gov't. They are the result of shoddy programming practices and intentionally unclosed holes left in Windows in the expectation that you will feel forced to buy upgrades when the old version is superceded and "support" abandoned.

[liam_laddie]

2. Apple/Mac uber alles...

Or Linux, or any OS but MS! Interesting hypothesis, though...

[Solon]

3. No, because they damage businesses as well...

Also, as others said, they are Windows Viruses, no one elses. But seriously, the America's sole purpose in functioning is for businesses to make money, at least according to the Neo-Liberal/Neo-Con government.

[valerief]

6. Doy! Oh, yeah.

[Booster]

4. I've never thought it was our government creating viruses; I've

always thought and always wil think it's the people who sell the virus protection software who write them. How can they have an immediate fix if they didn't write the damn virus in the first place.

[valerief]

5. That's what I thought at first. I was just speculating about mass

media control, but, as another poster pointed out, the viruses do hurt business, so it couldn't be the government. But I can't see Korporate Amerika and its gummint approving of websites like DU.

[Rene]

7. Yes I have, and we'd better be ready to hit the streets to

communicate if/when 'they' shut the Internet down. Did you see the article that showed a pic of * at the NSA standing in front of it's seal...and above was a pic/map of the 'choke points' where the Internet can be shutdown?

[valerief]

10. Wow. Didn't see that.

[tirechewer]

8. Probably not....

Most of the people who create the viruses and worms are kids showing off their prowess with computers. Kind of like tagging, only on the internet. Face it. Most of the feds aren't smart enough to be good hackers. ;)

The best hackers in the world are supposedly from Finland. Why that would be, I don't know. Maybe the long dark winters give them more time to think about these things. Microsoft is always trying to hire them to virus proof Windows.

[Vidar]

9. Most of them appeared (along with most spam) after the national

no-call list put the kibosh on telemarketing.