🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <11648@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU> jasmerb@mist.CS.ORST.EDU (Bryce Jasmer) writes:
>I was reading an article in the July 11, 1989 issue of MacWeek about 
>a disk that Apple had sent to dealers that was infected with nVIR.
>The article said, "[your disks] should be checked with a commercial
>antiviral program such as..."
>I can't believe that they suggested use of commercial programs to fight
>viruses. Selling a product to fight viruses seems like the most 
>unethical thing a programmer could do. (And for MacWeek to suggest
>such a product is another story.) What has happened to our ethics?

I disagree with you on two points.  The first is that it is wrong to sell
a product to fight viruses.  Programmers put their time and energy into
many kinds of products that we use to make our work easier.  Why should
they NOT get paid?  Antiviral software is just another kind of utility.
Of course some programmers choose to make their software available for
others to use free of charge.  This is true of antiviral software as well
as other types.  Robert Woodhead released Interferon, and John Norstad
released Disinfectant, and Don Brown released Vaccine, so that people
COULD have virus protection without paying for it.  That's no reason for
good programmers (including Robert, now with the commercial Virex program)
NOT to get some return on their efforts.

As for MacWeek suggesting a commercial program... there are so many
antiviral programs out in the world right now that it's hard to be sure
which programs are solid and stable and which might be more dangerous
than the viruses they are supposed to be preventing or removing.  MacWeek
chose to specify the commerical programs, such as Virex and SAM, because
that gives the user the confidence that the program they are using is
relatively safe to use.  An uneducated user might not be able to tell the
difference between a safe free program like Disinfectant and some less-
safe free program.

Someone else has pointed out already that buying antiviral software is
comparable to buying innoculations against biological diseases.  There's
nothing wrong with either.

-- 
Mark H. Anbinder        ************************** mha@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu
Baka Industries                                 ** (biar!)memory!mha.uucp
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