But if you're found carrying a screwdriver after dark it might be considered a burglar's tool and you could be charged. So maybe having VB and VFP installed on your PC makes them criminal's tools (who gets to decide after all?).

I did some reading on the alleged Melissa creator and see he is charged with "theft of computer service". Does this imply that *ANY* email message could be considered "theft of computer service" if some party thought it was so? If a UT thread has more than 50 member names listed on the bottom and I check each box, is my profligacy liable to be considered "theft of computer service"?

I also saw that the potential punishment could be "maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $480,000 fine".

I tend to view murder as the ultimate crime and here in Canada, on average, a person will serve 3 years in jail for a murder conviction.

So maybe a suitable punishment would be the perpetrator could only use MS products with no access to MSDN or help files. Unless it was thought cruel and unusual punishment.

I must admit though, I did not see the Melissa virus, and though warned of it, no one I know saw it either so my comments are entirely from an unaffected experience. Maybe I'd be crying for blood if I had been hit.

(Sorry. I am going to check all the boxes at the bottom of this message and see if anyone comes knocking on my door. This is just a test. This is not intended to injure or inconvenience anyone.)

>Tools are not criminal, the acts committed with them are.
>
>If the reverse were true then noone could have a screw driver because it could be used to stab someone else.