Dan Fabulich writes:
> Yes. But while you're on the subject, there's no need to reinvent the
> wheel here. The CdC (Cult of the Dead Cow)'s BackOrifice software would
> do everything you needed it to, and hides itself fairly well.
I suggest you reread the thread. cDc's BackOrifice 2000 is in another league entirely. No one can even remotely do what we were talking about.
> Having said that, I hope that this settles the technical question and that
If this indeed would settle the question (i.e. finding a generic way of mutating machine code or FPGA circuits robustly, and utilize this in a global self-sustaining ALife ecosystem) you'd received a notice from the Nobel prize comittee already. You'd also run a fair change to trigger the Singularity (probably not on present substrate), too.
> those interested may now stop talking about it here and discuss further
> plans via a non-public channel. Really, the last thing you guys need is
> for some enforcement agent to go searching the web for +GIMPS and +virus
> and find your post (on the extropian maliing list archives) at the top of
> the list.
I do not see why. Freedom of thought and speech can't prevent me from discussing the issue as long as no harm is done. As to the harm, delaying development of such a worm would cause the more harm the longer it is not deployed. Dynamic host/parasite equilibrium will take its sweet time to coevolve, at the point of emergence being necessarily in turmoil. Obviously, the sooner, the less damage done.
> Not to mention the fact that cracking is probably off-topic on the
> extropian lists, but that's really secondary.
Once again I suggest you reread the thread. This is not about cracking at all.
As to system security, that is indeed a very extropian topic.