The AV (Anti-Virus peoples) have this image of the clean cut crusaders
against the 'evil' virus writers.  Well, I thought I'd throw a few of my
thoughts at you (If you don't like it... bad luck! :)
                                                                              
  If you have ever read the fidonet 'VIRUS_INFO' or 'VIRUS' echoes you
will have noticed the incredible number of dickheads that populate them.
They continuously make analogies between viruses and guns and try to push
the view that virus writer = murderer.  Now that's overdoing it!  At most
viruses are a nuisance (the ones I do anyway)  If anyone gets a virus all
they have to do is use some virus-cleaner (when it comes out) and remove
the virus and it's gone!  No hassle!  Nothing damaged!  I don't feel
guilty for anything that I have done that's for sure.

   The AV are firm beleivers in 'totalitarian' style discussion.  Where
if you agree with them you may speak but if you don't, you may not!  They
are sturn priests watching the morals of 'cyberspace'.  Unfortunately
for the AV, 'cyberspace' is fine on it's own and doesn't need their help.

   If their goal of banning virus programming comes true then the VX will
go completely underground - and there is nothing they can do to stop it.
That is the worst thing that can happen from the AV point of view.  The
fact is that the best phorensic expert the feds can produce wouldn't have
a chance of proving someone programmed a virus.  There's no bloodstains,
or footprints.  We won't be caught!  Any laws would be completely useless!

   The AV say 'it's the principal'.

   Virus programmers often give their creations to the AV programmers
early on, because most of us aren't malicious.  But after any laws are
passed, kiss all this goodbye!  The only way the AV will get virii will
be off infected computers.  No more cooperation!  They don't actually
beleive that programmers will stop because of some law ?!  It won't
happen!  Cyberspace is free!  and almost impossible to police!  So leave
us be!

   As it is, the AV are responsible for alot of the viruses that go around.
When one of them finds some hot-shit polymorphic, multi-partite, VGA card
infecting, S3M infecting, ROM writing virus they give it to their AV mates
all over the world and sooner or later you'll see the virus filtering down
into the VX and into the computers of the general public.  Take pathogen
or skid-row as perfect examples of this.  The fact is, the AV aren't very
good at keeping control of viruses.  Knowing this what gives them the
exclusive right to keeping virii ?  I don't really care about the spread
of viruses, I am judging the AV by their own standards.

   The AV are the biggest hipocrits in cyberspace.  They disagree with the
exchange or spread of virii but it is fine as long as it is within their
own 3li73!111 (eLiTe) group of AVer's.

   Be sure that VLAD will be in there fighting for freedom of information
about viruses regardless of what happens.