[linux-sec-uk] BBC (mis)reporting

[Alan Peery]

James Davis wrote:

>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3457823.stm
>  
>
My feedback to the BBC regarding the MyDoom virus story:

In article http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3457823.stm

Stephen Evans titled a section:

"Wrath of the geeks"

This assumes two things:

1) That the reason the virus has been unleashed against SCO is SCO's 
recent lawsuit activity

and
2) That it was a group of like minded individuals who wrote this virus.

I agree with assertion #1, but not with #2.  Many viruses are written by 
a single individual.  By assuming that the virus was written by more 
than individual, a taint is placed on the entire community.

I will agree that few individuals in the Linux/Open source community 
will shed tears over SCO's troubles--but to portray that the community 
encourages this style of attack is not justified.  Any such shading of 
meaning should be discouraged, as prominent members of the community 
foresaw this possible attack actively discouraged any such action.

Alan Peery