infect a computer who then should be in trouble? The writer? The friend? Both of them? Electronic magazines (known as 'Zines or E-Zines) such as VLAD and CRIS publish the programmers codes for making the viruses they write about, which makes it possible for someone without programming knowledge to make a live, undetectable, mutating virus (otherwise known as a full-stealth, polymorphic virus). Should the 'Zines be punished for giving out this potentially damaging code? While there are many other questions that could be asked these are some of the most important. For the answers, we will consult the Greeks, the Bible, Moral Law, and Utilitarianism.It is the authors felling that there is no way to stop people from writing virus and there shouldn't be, however penalties need to be employed for those who damage or cause harm in any way to other Nottingham 3people and computers. With the following ethical research the greatest philosophers with be consulted for there view of this thesis.Because the virus writer is not the one to physically harm the computer is he doing anything wrong? Not according to the Athenians who lived around 400 B.C. The historian Thucydides wrote, "...the standard of justice depends on the equality of the power to compel and that in fact the strong do what they have the power to do and the weak accept what they have to accept..." (8 [All quotes are from Ethics in America by Newton unless otherwise stated]) Quite simply; might makes right. Since these people have invisible power (might) over those who are at risk of computer infection what they do can't be considered wrong. The Bible disagrees. The eighth of the Ten Commandments tells us that "Thou shall not steal." (71) While the virus writer doesn't actually take the data, he does destroy it or make it unusable and it is therefore not in the position of the rightful owner. However Jesus says, "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Fat...
