werner@utastro.UUCP (Werner Uhrig) (11/11/88)
My guess is, that Robert Morris Jr (who is a man and not a kid by any
standards of respect a 23-year old deserves - and which his technical
expertise and experience well demand) was working on his thesis or
his independent research interest, computer security and the lack
thereof, without any intention to actually let a worm loose on the
Internet, not now and not ever, when his tests got out of hand and
the worm escaped .....
Robert can't speak up for himself (not in this society of lawyers),
he can't even admit to anything (not with the merciless legal system
we have, where the truely guilty get out on a technicality and wisdom
and compassion is not part of the legal dictionary),
and it would behoove us, the bystanders, to stop accusing and condemning,
and calling for a lynch-mob.
I am glad to see that Robert's colleagues and friends at Bell Labs are
speaking up in testament of his character and work and I deplore the
spectacle of uncontrolled outbursts this net has become. I, for one,
would like a moderated forum where I do not have to wade through the
accumulated despicable utterences of the "noisy minority of the net".
Werner Uhrig (speaking for myself, but you are welcome to agree)
--
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(UUCP) ..!utastro!werner or ..!uunet!rascal.ics.utexas.edu!wernerjfh@rpp386.Dallas.TX.US (John F. Haugh II) (11/13/88)
In article <3373@utastro.UUCP> werner@utastro.UUCP (Werner Uhrig) writes: >My guess is, that Robert Morris Jr (who is a man and not a kid by any >standards of respect a 23-year old deserves - and which his technical >expertise and experience well demand) was working on his thesis or >his independent research interest, computer security and the lack >thereof, without any intention to actually let a worm loose on the >Internet, not now and not ever, when his tests got out of hand and >the worm escaped ..... My guess is, that Little Bobbie got his ego out of whack and couldn't resist the urge to let a really good virus loose. The alternative to trying multiple security flaws at once are numerous. Any benign virus would have served equally well. What has not been pointed out by the pro-Wormer faction is that there were a wealth of other options. He could have written a virus that sent mail to every user on the Internet. He could have changed all the motd files to include some clever saying, etc. He did *NOT* need to go as far as he did. He also could have put a time limit on the thing to prevent its unlimited, never ending spread. -- John F. Haugh II +----Make believe quote of the week---- VoiceNet: (214) 250-3311 Data: -6272 | Nancy Reagan on Artifical Trish: InterNet: jfh@rpp386.Dallas.TX.US | "Just say `No, Honey'" UucpNet : <backbone>!killer!rpp386!jfh +--------------------------------------
isolated@alix.UUCP (20 James D. Corder) (11/16/88)
In article <8594@rpp386.Dallas.TX.US> jfh@rpp386.Dallas.TX.US (John F. Haugh II) writes: >In article <3373@utastro.UUCP> werner@utastro.UUCP (Werner Uhrig) writes: >>thereof, without any intention to actually let a worm loose on the >>Internet, not now and not ever, when his tests got out of hand and >>the worm escaped ..... > >My guess is, that Little Bobbie got his ego out of whack and couldn't >resist the urge to let a really good virus loose. What is really a threat: What if a person in biological warfare wanted to test his virus out:-( What if someone wanted to test their bigger than anti-life missle out:-( Just another opinion, James D. Corder