Hey Kurt,
SW> either you're research exposed you to misinformation on the dates, or
SW> you have a mis-specified definition of computer virus...
SW>
SW> nov 11, 1983 - fred cohen demonstrated the first computer virus in his
SW> comp.sec. class at usc... later study of the concept with his prof.
SW> leonard adleman (the a from rsa) resulted in the term "computer virus"
SW> being coined (by the aforementioned prof.)...

Well I'm very surprised to hear that...it just sounds very late to me.  You'r 
e probably right though (it sounds like you're quoting from a book, anyhow 
)
SW> they wrote in machine code, they thought procedurally - like most peop
SW> who program...
SW>
SW> ok, bad generalization, not everybody thinks procedurally when they
SW> program... certainly not in advanced programming in hll's...
I wouldn't be so sure about that.  I do believe that thought in machine code, 
from what I read, and not procedurally, since the early hackers rarely used 
procedures.  Remember, memory was really at a premium...
SW> so do i... it was '83... first pc virus on the loose was in '86/87...
SW>
SW> replicative code has been theorized about for years but even in the mo
SW> general sense replicative code (viruses, worms, etc) have at most only
SW> academic value... (at least as far as legitimate value goes)
Well, how about that. This is what I love about computer history..it's all 
taken place in my lifetime (so I'm at least 13, right? :-)
Seems to me though that viruses should have been much easier to write in old 
computers and old operating systems.  Files were smaller, memory smaller, 
operating systems less complicated.  Do you recall when the first australian 
one was?  I thought it was 89..
Steve
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