I think the news media is making the news agian/still.
My feelings about SCO is slightly less than bad and my wish for them straighten up and quit being a lap dog for MS is strong.
After the actions of their fearless leader in this less than intellegent venture so far I would venture the whole Doom issue to be planted by MS or SCO.
I certianly hope it isn't some Linux folk.
The code is so sofphmoirsh as to have been put by a script kiddy but most of that junk is downloaded from WAREZ sites that are devoted to MS anyway.
I truly hope SCO looses their shirt. I don't wish the honest working blokes there harm but this jerk at the top of that heap is out of his ever loving mind!
Where's the evidence McBride!!!!?????

Just a quick note. Any time there is a virus outbreak everyone starts blaming someone else, and start asking for better anti-virus software. I have yet to read any journalist that fingers the real culprit and offers the real solution: stop using OutLook! I will not even say stop using Windows, I'll keep my opinions on that issue. Tehere is a spanish saying that gose something like this: 'if there is no dog, then there is no rabbies' OutLook is the dog, MyDoom and others are rabbies.

I'm not the among the paranoid kind of people, but this could've been easily a Microsoft (and maybe SCO's too) "little" conspiracy against Linux. They both want Linux out of the way. Why ? Microsoft can't keep up with their patches for their buggy Windows and SCO can't make a better UNIX even with their BIG NAME and experience and FUNDS. So let's find the real problem INCLUDING THE BACKDOOR. Now this a scenario:
One day, a very knowledgeble guy breaks into microsoft.com and fools around. Later, he gets caught. Microsoft has two choices. Throw him in jail for a long time or use him for free, forcing him to make something really nasty at the perfect time - right when SCO threatens the Linux world and everyone would point the finger at the Linux users. They could've thought about the first impression on MyDoom and the world now knows MyDoom infected MANY computers and SCO was down for a while because of DDoS attacks. They could've also counted on some guys to notice the backdoor, so that way spammers might me suspected for stealing private information. Nice one. Now they'd be fully covered. Well... keeping in mind this scenario will somehow make sense the following quote:

"The creator of what anti-virus experts say is the fastest spreading virus ever on the Internet signed MyDoom and MyDoom.B with "andy," and left the following message in the latter version: "I'm just doing my job, nothing personal, sorry." Check this link: http://news.softpedia.com/news/2/2004/February/6956.shtml
Seems like someone's sorry. May be true or may be not. But I've never heard anything like that in a virus. What's also interesting is the fact that - and I quote again - "The attack is programmed to continue on the company's Web site until Feb. 12, according to messages left inside the virus' code. " - from the same source. Yes, interesting... I wonder why everything should stop after Feb. 12. So SCO can go on with their business making MyDoom history just like that ? Something's really rotten in here in my opinion. I've heard about viruses doing things at a specific time and/or date and viruses that just do things whenever they are unleashed but viruses that go away nicely after a few days ? Weird. And that's all I can say about that.
Message to SCO: Keep up with the world and don't throw shit in hard working people. Be men and fight Linux the programming way, not the court way. Prove you're better.
Message to Microsoft: Try Linux. Have fun. Have security. Have quality services. Have your own contribution to it. Have it shared for free, as the other ones. Enjoy. We already are.

I am a windows user (with a broadband connection). Please don't hate me for, "I don't want to be bothered by what goes on inside my computer". As a netizen, I can do my duty to remain clean, if I have "a effective & free anti-virus".

'My loss' is the community's loss. Save me.

warning - this is NOT a terrorist attack
attention passengers - this is a H4XX0< 4774K [hacker attack]

a terriost uses VIOLENCE to further his POLITICAL agenda
how is MyDoom voilence and how is SCO political - oh wait
are you trying to define the concept of virtual violence [VIRTUAL TERRORISM] in the 22C?

get real - the attack on sco is not political it's purley commercial. ie sco stole linusesusuesses code! shake your money maker!

stop watching so much tv and read a book you @ [monkey]

I agree with Photocrimes the DoS attack was a cover for the backdoor and key logger. The hammer will drop again when the results of the spammers gains from the backdoor and key logger hit. Even with the massive news coverage thousands of "novice" windows users will not do anything to take care of infected machines. There are a mass number of WIndows users that have no clue as to what goes on inside their machines. It's a mentality supported by the "click it and everything takes care of itself" mentality of Windows. It doesn't require the operator to know much to make it go. Most home users on broadband connections do not have a system admin to make sure virus definitions are updated and firewalls are set up and all security patches are applied. I have worked on a number of systems that have not been updated since first boot. The Linux community should disavow themselves from all the "script-kiddies" and other people who break into, or otherwise compromise, systems for maliscious intent. But to "stand up and shout" about a specific event is to own it. We don't own this one. Instead point out how this wouldn't happen on a Linux box running OS sofware, offer solutions and help out those of us who have to recover Windows systems affected (I run Linux at home but support DOS/WinNt/Win2K/WinXP at work). Building good will will go a lot further than more shouting.

'Keeping the viruses coming' will give only the most moronic members of society 'a laugh' and will not 'show the world that linux users are a force to be reckoned with'. It will turn the uninitiated away from linux, because every time SCO is the subject of a DDoS attack, the media will again associate the virus attacks with the Linux vs SCO dispute and the general population will make the association Linux = virus writers. They will, understandably, be turned off any thoughts of investiagting the virtues of Linux for themselves and so Linux will end up suffering more than SCO.

The logic that says Linux advocates are incapable of writing Win viruses is also completely flawed. Linux users are on the whole more technically capable than the average Win user. The writer of MyDoom was almost certainly a supporter of Linux, though this obviously does not mean they are a contributor (almost certainly not, I would guess).

We must all utterly condemn this terrorism, for that is what it is, and demonstrate that we are way above this idiotic level of thinking. We do not need to silence SCO to defeat them, quite the contrary.

We're living in a system of law and order. I certainly agree that the law does not always apear just and certainly not fast enough. However, while there are justified cases of self-defence, MyDoom is certainly not among these cases. MyDoom is more like terrorism. It only destroys for the sole sake of destroying and doesn't show better (or at least other) ways. Assuming it's targeted at SCO, how much sense does that make and secondly what about the collateral damage?

Viruses, Worms and the like appear to be funny, as long as you're not among the victims. There seem to be few effective ways agains epidemics and plagues. One of them is certainly respect, another might be carefulness. I'm convinced that mischievousness, either passive or active, is the rather wrong approach!

Don't keep those viruses coming. Any such virus author must be condemned and be brought to trial. The Internet has become a vital part of the (civilized) world. Help your legal system with facts and it will work much better towards what you expect. Be responsible yourself and avoid any such virus could be spread through yourself! Don't ask what the legal system can do for you, ask what you can do for the legal system. Don't ask what the Internet can do for you, ask what you can do for the Internet! The Internet needs you!

The so called 'Linux script kiddies' are what you say,
Linux script kiddies, and if they are real Linux kiddies
they will not start hacking in a Win-box. No this is just
bad guys with Windows knowledge.
And as we see, I'not alone with this opinion.

well one thing is established so far - and that is linux users are not prepared to put up with software commodities and the political capitalist-driven bs that goes along with it. i myself dont run windows because of critical security limitations with the os architecture, and am not affected by the windows user-land viruses

why its microsofts inability to produce a stable platform and the users' ignorance who run such a floppy piece of application code that causes this to happen in the first place -

why doesn't sco sue ms for allowing this to happen?? surley this would make solid sense. are sco paranoid or what??

i say keep the viruses comming - give us all a laugh and show the world that linux users are a force to be reckoned with!!!

SCO and Microsoft are quick to offer rewards. Microsoft was quick to pay for some IP License when SCO started their Lawsuit against IBM. I Think SCO and Microsoft are behind the Mydoom Virus in Order to taint Linux Growing reputation.
A virus hackers do not care who gets infected as long as their goals are met. I do not agree with the statement that we should shout from the top as if to admit liability.

It is clear that the creator of MyDoom is expert in Windows, since MyDoom is Windows based coding. Therefore it is quite clear that it is not by any "die hard" Linux users and/or hackers.

Did Microsoft funded the journalist to mislead the community to think that it is Linux guys behind the MyDoom?

What can the Linux community do when the press doesn't do their homework? Do you have a suggestion?
Erroneous press, like SCO's accusations that the Linux community is behind the MyDoom worms, is harming Linux's reputation. Perhaps in some circles that may be true, but I'm not seeing it affect Linux's adoption in the business world and little if any affect in the consumer market.

Why don't the Windows users take a stance against "script kiddies", as you call them, or "professional spammers" as others have called them? It's their systems and their ignorance that's being exploited. Why doesn't every networked computer user take a stance? It's their network that's being clogged, their mailboxes that's being polluted. This isn't just a Linux community problem, it's society's problem.

I disagree with the idea that we should shout from the mountain tops
'we have nothing to do with this' and 'we condemn it in the strongest
terms'. It works just the other way around: doing so will only taint
us stronger in the public eye. That's precisely what a politician
would do; who would take them at face value or even seriously? Such
holier-than-thou is routinely disbelieved and rightly so.

We should, if asked, comment in ways that explain the situation. By
all means volunteer explanations where opportunity arises... but
dispense positive messages, not reactive ones! E.g., we could quietly
point out that

1) though Linux is pretty immune to viruses, the spam hits us just as
hard as the Windows world (and yes, mix viruses and spammers
rhetorically, it's more than just rhetoric!). So, we have no interest in
this and in fact, the community has produced some great anti-spam
software and services already benefiting all Internet users

2) every basket has its rotten apples, but this particular basket is
too busy keeping the Internet and corporate networks running to be
bothered with childish tinkering, and

3) contrary to some (i.e., journalists, but you don't have to say that
aloud :-) we actually know what we are doing and happy to share our
knowledge freely. With a link to Groklaw...

Agree, but i think Bruce Perens already said much of this:

Thus, I urge all persons who have sympathy for Free Software, Open Source, and Linux:

Do not cheer on attacks on the SCO site. By doing so, you falsely implicate our community in the attacks, in the eyes of outsiders who read your words. Our community believes in freedom of speech, not silencing our opponent's speech through net attacks. We will defeat SCO using the truth, not by gagging them.

Publicly deplore the attacks as an attempt to defame us, and not an effort of our community. Show others this notice. Continue to fight SCO, using all legal means at your disposal. Show others the analysis of SCO's ongoing fraud at Groklaw.net and elsewhere, and explain to them your own experience as a participant in the Free Software community.

Continue the visible presence of Free Software as a force for good in the world by producing excellent original software for everyone's free use and deploying it wherever possible. Promote these projects to the press and public as you carry them out. Do what you can for other public-good projects such as schools and non-profit organizations. FreeGeek.org is an excellent example of how to carry this out.

Show others by example that our side always takes the high road. When they see a low-road sort of action like denial-of-service, spam, or stock fraud, they'll know who to blame.
Remember that your actions count. You are ambassadors of our community.

Many Thanks

Although I have heard a couple of negative comments about Linux people. When they said that they didn't want to go online today because of the virus. I told them that I had a solution. I gave them a copy of virus safe Knoppix, and they were happy to get it... A first...

MarkP

I find it surprising that biased journalism is still being posted well "after" the experts in the community have stated that the MyDoom trojan was the product of a Russian Spam house. Using SCO and Microsoft was all smoke meant to draw your focus away from the true intent of the trojan, plant a back door and key logger. Cudos, it worked. It has fooled every journalist out there and smeared our good name while planting back doors in some 500,000 PC's ready for the spamers to use. Of course nobody points to the spamers, they are all too wrapped up in blaming Linux users, or trash talking them.

Don't you think it's fair to point out that this was a Windows based trojan? In fact Linux users are seldom refered to as "script kiddies" as they are often highly educated. It takes a fair amount of skill to be versed in using any Unix/Linux system. It is safe to say that this trojan could of been created with NO KNOWLEDGE of Unix/Linux whatsoever!

It troubles me that a journalist would overlook all of the other evidense and base his conclusion only on the words "Microsoft" and "SCO"

It looks like we overlooked one small part of this trojans payload. Not only did it plant a back door and keyloger, it also planted a bunch of journalist.