Virus as a call for help, as a part of a larger social problem - 7 views

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  #1 Weiye Loh on 21 Aug 09

   

  http://tvnz.co.nz/content/176360
  
  Male. Obsessed with computers. Lacking a girlfriend. Aged 14 to 34. Capable of sowing chaos worldwide.
  That's the profile of the average computer-virus writer, an anti-virus expert said.
  
  It is easy to blame the individuals - people who commit suicide are selfish and irresponsible with their lives, people who murder are plain evil, people who writes virus are plain bored and need to get a life, people with depression are just mental. But underlying such superficial causes, there could be severe social/ structural issues that perpetuates the society.
  
  Durkheim linked suicide to social ills. And perhaps virus creation is no different. Instead of chastising these individuals, wouldn't it be more helpful to answer these potential calls for help? Is it ethical for us to blame the virus creators when we are the ones who are not answering their possibly earlier calls for help? Why causes these individuals to become obsessed with computers? Rejection by the society? Whose faults is it then? The individuals? Or the society?

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://tvnz.co.nz/content/176360">http://tvnz.co.nz/content/176360</a> <br /> <br /> Male. Obsessed with computers. Lacking a girlfriend. Aged 14 to 34. Capable of sowing chaos worldwide. <br /> That's the profile of the average computer-virus writer, an anti-virus expert said. <br /> <br /> It is easy to blame the individuals - people who commit suicide are selfish and irresponsible with their lives, people who murder are plain evil, people who writes virus are plain bored and need to get a life, people with depression are just mental. But underlying such superficial causes, there could be severe social/ structural issues that perpetuates the society. <br /> <br /> Durkheim linked suicide to social ills. And perhaps virus creation is no different. Instead of chastising these individuals, wouldn't it be more helpful to answer these potential calls for help? Is it ethical for us to blame the virus creators when we are the ones who are not answering their possibly earlier calls for help? Why causes these individuals to become obsessed with computers? Rejection by the society? Whose faults is it then? The individuals? Or the society? </div>

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  #2 juliet huang on 22 Aug 09

   

  I agree with this view, and I also add on that yes, it is probably more profitable for the capitalist, wired society to continue creating anti-virus programs, open more it repair shops etc, than to address underlying issues of dysfunctions in the society.
  
  imagine if we could provide support for all the would-be hackers, would be criminals. we wouldn't have to keep updating our software and hardware every few months just to avoid falling prey to viruses.
  
  besides, hacking tools are so easily available. you could run a hacker program without any prior pc knowledge. the question of why are there such easily available hacking tools should be replaced by addressing what drives the creators instead.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">I agree with this view, and I also add on that yes, it is probably more profitable for the capitalist, wired society to continue creating anti-virus programs, open more it repair shops etc, than to address underlying issues of dysfunctions in the society. <br /> <br /> imagine if we could provide support for all the would-be hackers, would be criminals. we wouldn't have to keep updating our software and hardware every few months just to avoid falling prey to viruses. <br /> <br /> besides, hacking tools are so easily available. you could run a hacker program without any prior pc knowledge. the question of why are there such easily available hacking tools should be replaced by addressing what drives the creators instead.</div>

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