Article Abstract:
The Prodigy Services Co, which provides in-home shopping and information services, issues guidelines restricting electronic mail services. The move comes in response to criticism from users about earlier restrictions and a surcharge. The dispute centers on Prodigy's attempts to control 'a small group' of the company's customers who have been using Prodigy as a high-volume mail network, sending messages to hundreds of Prodigy subscribers at a time. Prodigy says it did not foresee such a use of its system and cannot afford to provide such a service. There is concern among groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union about First Amendment rights. Prodigy reaffirms a commitment that personal messages between users are private communications, but the company wants restrictions on communications between users and advertisers and wants to prohibit automated message-sender programs.
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Article Abstract:
Computer viruses and worms, which are life-like varieties of computer programs, are usually thought of as dangerous or malicious, but some researchers believe that benevolent forms can be created. Such programs could automatically update software applications or diagnose and correct hardware problems. They could do complex searches of data banks, looking for particular kinds of information; or they could do routine clean-up tasks and garbage collection. Fred Cohen, the computer scientist who invented the term 'computer virus,' has offered a $1,000 prize in a controversial contest for useful viruses. Some scientists view Cohen's contest as an encouragement of an activity that is fundamentally dangerous. The US Army is interested in viruses and the Army's Signals Warfare Laboratory has appropriated $550,000 for research into possible military applications.
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Article Abstract:
Researchers at the Second Artificial Life Conference discuss methods of using computers to simulate living organisms and to fabricate computerized environments in which nature and Darwinian evolution can be studied. Researchers say the term 'computer virus' is fully applicable, and while such viruses are not really alive, they do embody many of the characteristics of life. Through study of computer viruses, researchers hope to understand some of biology's basic mysteries such as how single cell organisms can develop into complex creatures. Scientists also expect to gain a more complete knowledge of computer viruses, their potential for destruction and ways to protect computer systems from them.
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