As a computer industry professional, I am frequently appalled (and occasionally impressed) at the lengths to which hackers and virus authors will go to make their point. Their point being, of course, that The Evil Empire (Microsoft) produces buggy software and Operating Systems. These Champions of Justice feel that Bill Gates should change his evil ways, give up the pursuit of the almighty dollar - and produce some really good (bug-free) software.

While, in principle I cannot disagree with this position, I have a real problem with their method of getting their point across.

Ironically, Microsoft releases information about gaps in the security of their products - and release patches (some of which actually work) on a regular basis - providing the information necessary to attack their systems.

Many of the Worms, Trojans and Viruses produced today take advantage of these known weaknesses in Microsoft's various versions of the Windows Operating System. They exploit these weaknesses to wreak havoc on the Internet, corporate networks and personal computers the world over. Their stated goal in most cases is to point out these glaring security 'holes' and, in so doing, to induce Microsoft to produce a better product.

Nonsense! All this Quixotic activity has little, if any impact on The Evil Empire. Virus authors have been attacking Windows for years and Microsoft continues to build buggy products. Nothing has changed for all their efforts. All they achieve is the grief and expense associated with cleaning up the mess they create.

Every time a new massive attack is launched (such as the Blaster Worm in August of 2003,) the news stories cover the downed networks, crippled municipalities and the IT workload in dealing with the cleanup. But they always overlook the most egregious result of this latest attack. The impact these miscreants have on the everyday user. The small business owner, the single mom with two kids whose computer no longer functions, the home office shut down until the problem is solved. Many of these people incur hundreds of non-budgeted dollars in expense - and in many cases priceless lost data in fixing the problem caused by some pimply-faced anti-social brat with a broadband Internet connection. After the damage is corrected, additional expense is incurred by the purchase of a hardware router or software firewall and some new Anti-Virus software to protect against future intrusion. For many of these 'individual users' who are victims of a virus attack, an extra $100 to have the problem fixed is simply more than they are prepared for. Their data losses, while inconsequential to a large IT department, may be substantial to them: Grandparents losing the pictures of their grandchildren, children losing their schoolwork, families losing their irreplaceable photos or genealogy records. What about several years worth of financial or tax records? Many of these 'inconsequential' files expensive - or impossible to replace or recover.

I often wonder if these 'hackers' ever consider the global grief they cause to society at large. I can't count the number of times I am asked by a client whose computer I have just resurrected, "These kids are so smart. Why don't they put their energies to good use and make a difference in the world?" The reality is that these kids (most are teenage males) are typically not all that brilliant. 'Hackers,' as the computer-dependent public thinks of these people, are not necessarily what they seem. For the most part, new viruses are plagiarized from previous releases with slight variations to 'personalize' the new 'disease' for the bragging rights it garners. It's not all that difficult to find websites that will instruct even the most non-technical misfit in the nuts and bolts of writing a virus. There are a few really clever 'new' viruses released from time to time, but most are take-offs on a known format.

To these self-serving new-age Don Quixotes I have a few things to say.

First: Nobody likes Microsoft, OK? You're not one of the 'bright spots in the universe' that knows this life-changing truth. Microsoft doesn't care if you - or I - or anyone else likes them as long as we all have no choice but to use their product. Just because you and the rest of your 'community' take pot-shots at them on a regular basis doesn't mean Bill Gates is going to have an epiphany and revamp his business plan.

Second: You think you're making a difference. You're not! You're simply hurting millions of hard-working people the world over with your childish actions. Grow up and make a difference in the world. If you really want to make a difference, stop penalizing the average user who has absolutely no option but to use Microsoft's products. Stop attacking your 'allies' and focus on a solution. If you STOP attacking the average user, you'll make more of a point than if you keep beating us up with your 'propaganda.'

Third: How about if you and the rest of the virus-writing community get together and produce a better product that the entire software industry will get behind - so we all have a non-Microsoft choice. Linux is a start, but the interface and software support has a long way to go. Macs are an option for the creative community, but not for the small business and home user. Don't you think we'd all like a solid option? Don't you think a large portion of the computing public would switch if there were a better alternative?

Fourth: If you're so incredibly mad at Bill Gates, why don't you scurry off to Washington state and spin donuts on his lawn - or T.P. his trees - or baseball-bat his mailbox or something else typically juvenile - but at least directed at the source of the problem. Then at least you'd have millions of people cheering for you.