# Got Virus? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 7, 2003, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-virus/167021 "2003-04-07T08:01:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-virus/167021/21 "2003-04-07T14:49:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Derleth \* > \*\*Stupid cracker. \*\* Bah. I hate to say this, but “cracker” implies the ability to crack. Don’t give this guy that much credit - he’s below even the script kiddies. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-virus/167021/22 "2003-04-07T14:58:21Z")
Actually, doing this will get you your vacation time. Just a lot more of it than you want, all paid for by your local unemployment office. ---
**Author:** ![CelraySoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@CelraySoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelraySoda)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-virus/167021/23 "2003-04-07T15:27:06Z")
Going off topic, that is a good question maybe worthy of a different post. What circumstances would a moderator have to inform authorities of a crime that might be commited (Murder, robbery, terrorist act, etc.) and would the moderator be held responsible if it was carried out and didn’t report it? -M And, Some Guy…C’mon, do we really need the insults? Grow up. We all need to laugh a little bit in our lives. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-virus/167021/24 "2003-04-07T15:43:38Z")
I e-mailed your place of employment. They should be _very_ interested in this. ---
**Author:** ![teemingONE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@teemingONE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teemingONE)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-virus/167021/25 "2003-04-07T15:53:27Z")
speaking of viruses, my dad just got one. It doesnt let him open any programs or applications that end with " .exe ". So this pretty much includes everything except for what came with the comp. Can this be fixed or does he need a new comp. **Some Guy** aren’t all crackers the bad ones. Its my understanding that they are all script kiddies. So “stupid cracker” is a very reasonable insult. ---
**Author:** ![CelraySoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@CelraySoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelraySoda)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-virus/167021/26 "2003-04-07T15:57:31Z")
AntiVir 9x is pretty good and free. Give it a try. -M ---
**Author:** ![CelraySoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@CelraySoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelraySoda)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-virus/167021/27 "2003-04-07T16:03:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor \* > \*\*I e-mailed your place of employment. > > They should be _very_ interested in this. \*\* Didn’t I already establish that this place wasn’t the place I was talking about? I don’t even work there anymore. But, thanks for being a good samaritan. -M:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-virus/167021/28 "2003-04-07T16:13:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Some Guy \* > \*\*Bah. I hate to say this, but “cracker” implies the ability to crack. Don’t give this guy that much credit - he’s below even the script kiddies. \*\* And here I had thought he was being racist… ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-virus/167021/29 "2003-04-07T16:58:43Z")
Yes, “cracker” = bad. However, it does imply at least the ability to copy things from one place to another, without having to ask someone else to spell out how to do for you. My point is that the guy in question doesn’t even have that ability, so I’m not willing to give him even that credit. Think of it as distinguishing between intestinal flora and pond scum. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-virus/167021/30 "2003-04-07T17:39:50Z")
Hie yourself [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=175615) for a communal barbeque. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-virus/167021/31 "2003-04-07T17:46:11Z")
How droll. No wait, that’s not quite right. I’m sure it’ll come to me, though. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-virus/167021/32 "2003-04-07T18:35:55Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m looking to sabotage a few computers at a certain location with a virus. I **strongly** suggest you bone up on the federal [Computer Fraud & Abuse Act](http://www.gigalaw.com/articles/crime-cfaa.html). What you want to do is a federal offense, and if convicted, you’ll have plenty of time off from work. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-virus/167021/33 "2003-04-07T18:45:03Z")
Well. I gotta say with all honesty this isn’t the smartest thing I’ve seen stated publicly. I’m now just _that much closer_ to having Seen It All. Thread closed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-virus/167021.md?page=1)