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Xine - issue #5 - Phile 007
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| Xine - issue #5 - Phile 007 |
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The urge of creation
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Asmodeus iKX (c) 2000, iKX ezine xine#5 article # 002
I just read AVP's description about who writes computer viruses, and I got
pissed of. I don't like the way he's smearing the virus coders. I mean
not all of us are mentaly sick and weak individuals who needs virus
writing because of inferior complexes! It's much more complex then that
*tihi* :) and that's what this article is about. It hasn't anything to do
with virus coding, but in a sense it's all about virus coding. What is the
universal affinity for all virus coders? I can't say that I know for sure
but I think I have a clue about the mental state that drives people to
code virus, and for sure it has nothing to do with mental sickness
(unless you consider thinking viral thoughts to be defined as sick).
With my "not-so-flaw-less" english and this abstract topic this could
turn into a real mess, but I hope you will follow some how. As there
have been a numerous amount of diffrent articles covering stereotypes
of virus coders I won't fall into this category (I'm the master of korny
comments :) ).
This article will go deeper into the essence of a virus coder and
analyze the actual urge of coding, "creating" viruses. For me it started
when I was about five years old. I was about to go to bed and I had seen this
disney movie or something similiar on TV with a dragon, and I asked mom
- "Does dragons exist or have existed?", As my mother thought it important
that I was well educated in all areas she explained that once dinosaurs
had walked this earth and they were very much like dragons except they
couldn't breathe fire. I was extremly facinated about this and my first
steps of creativity took place. I wanted to know more about the dinosaurs,
I went to the bookbus (a bus that arrived once a week with books from
the local library) and borrowed books about dinosaurs. I watchted the
pictures and asked mom to read it aloud for me. I also speculated about
who would win in a fight between a T-rex and a great white-shark. I
guess all boys goes through something similar in their maturing process.
But it didn't stop here for me, I wanted to draw dinosaurs and create
dinosaurs in clay. Eventually I became more and more facinated by nature
as whole and mostly facinated by ants. What caught my interest was
the "feeling" around ants. The complexity in the nest and the fact that
they worked together almost like us humans. Ants and other colony founding
organisms are in my opinion today the second or maybe the most sophisticated
lifeform around. I have always been and am interested in artificial
intelligence and artificial life. So why shouldn't I be interested in
computer viruses? I code viruses because I got a burning interest in
it. It's not just a hobby, it's my creativity urging me to code...
And those AV people calling themselves computer virus
experts, if they share the same sort of interest as me how many times
haven't they been tempted to code viruses themselves? Or is it only
the money that keeps them in the bussiness? If you're interested in one
thing, what is it that keeps you from not practising it? A moral barrier?
When you think of it, what is a computer virus? A series of binary
values attached to other binary values inside a magnetic disk used inside
a computer, a metal box used for calculation. This is NOT what computer
viruses are for me! A metaphor could simplify it... Assume you're an
artist.. you form sculptures in stone.. Imagine you're a big fan of
lenin, and you make a sculpture of lenin. This take quite some time
and you have put all your creative energy into this project and you
even found out a new method of easily forming the perfect eyes! After
spending so much time with sculpture you want to see how people react
to your sculpture. It's not enough that you have it at home you want to
participate in an exhibition to show the artist what you have done.
Sometimes this isn't enough eighter you want to place your creation
in some park and see how the public react to it. The thing is where
you live people are anti-communists so the public will dislike your
action, the question is does this stop you? Or what if you write some
poems or paint a picture wouldn't you like to show some other artists
your work, or maybe the public?
Well this is pretty stupid example anyway... Lets put it this way, as
virus coders also are humans (what ever you say) our needs can be
applied to the Maslow tree/stairs theory. This is psychology btw
if you didn't follow... Abraham Maslow is known for establishing the
theory of a hierarchy of needs, writing that human beings are motivated
by unsatisfied needs, and that certain lower needs need to be satisfied
before higher needs can be satisfied. Maslow studied exemplary people
such as Albert Einstein, Jane Addams, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Frederick
Douglas rather than mentally ill or neurotic people.
The first need in that has to be fullfilled is basic essential needs
associated with your physical well being. Such as hunger, thirst well
you know what I mean. Then comes the need for feeling secure and to be
able to predict the near future. Next is the need for contact with other
people, and the need of feeling wanted and accepted. To pass to another
level of needs the previous once have to be fullfilled some what.
I mean if you're starving to death and guerilla is raiding your "home"
raping your mother and sister and all your brothers are blown into
pieces you won't care about being accepted by the people around you?
This is the state most people in at least the western world arrives
too. They have fullfilled the most dire needs and feel accepted by
the society. Next is esteem, there are two types of esteem needs.
First is self-esteem which results from competence or mastery of a task.
Second, there's the attention and recognition that comes from others.
This is similar to the belongingness level, however, wanting admiration
has to do with the need for power. So this is human, to code viruses
you have to learn assembler and in a sense virus coding covers
completely both needs. First of all it gives you satisfaction as you
feel competent in this area and you get attention from other virus
coders and sometimes even the media (if you spread viruses). To
spread a virus is pretty drastic but people strife towards satisfying
their needs. Also coding viruses gives a sense of "power" as you
have to outsmart antivirus software and the user. Also you have to
be pretty clever to figure out new technics and bypass obstacles you
surely will meet on the way. The last stage could be divided into
two parts, first a meaningful activity. Here virus coding comes into
play. VIRUS CODING is meaningful!!? some hypocrates ;) might say.
Well it's meaninful to the individual but not to the society. Well
just coding viruses doesn't harm anyone on the contrary
of the code is sent to AV people it can help making the digital
bussiness more secure (speeding evolution). And if it's not spread it
hurt no one. Publising it in an ezine could be consider unethical but
still this is a meaningful activity for the individual coding viruses.
To the hypocrates/critics, Do you always think of what is best
for the society? and what consequences/impact you actions might have
on society? Ok lets check, do you own a car? do you own a computer?
Of course you do, else you wouldn't be reading this else if you printed
the whole zine on paper got damn you're irresponsible. Do you have
any MP3s or licensed programs without paying for it? Have you ever
broken a copyright law? I mean we make actions that are unethical
all the time, so why climb that pedistal and bash at us because it
makes you feel superior? Btw who has a inferiour complex? At least
we admit we're human! Also the last step/stage in the maslow theory
is self-actualization. The need for self-actualization is
"the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything
that one is capable of becoming." People who have everything can
maximize their potential. They can seek knowledge, peace, esthetic
experiences, self-fulfillment, oneness with God, etc
So if you have aims of becoming a software programer or an artificial
intelligent researcher take a degree in computer engineering virus
coding could be a step towards self-fulfilment/self-actualization
as a programer/computer wiz :)
But of course not all virus coders might be "perfect" and in complete
psychological balance. Maslows Hierachy needs covers this also.
Violence and other evils occur when human needs are thwarted. In other
words, people who are deprived of lower needs such as safety may
defend themselves by violent means. He did not believe that humans
are violent because they enjoy violence. Or that they lie, cheat,
and steal because they enjoy doing it. So basicly some people might
code viruses because they are rejected by society or have problems
at home or something... I don't mean that coding viruses are evil,
but such persons might believe so and may even code destructive
paylods in viruses to "strike back on society". So everything has it's
explanation, and virus coders are not satan/demons incarnated. Diffrent
needs drive people to create. A lot of artists were picked on at school
and some of our finest poets were very lonely... but there are also
perfectly "sane" people who write poetry, draws or code viruses... So
basicly thwarted needs doesn't nessecary make you evil, not all artists
are evil and not all of them have thwarted needs. Peoples needs and
psychology are very complex. Well anyway I hope you see the pattern...
This is what I believe and I can't say that is is the truth, but it's
what I think is the truth.
