Spam, viruses- Looking for new rules

The Internet has become so much a part of our culture that it's hard to imagine life without it.

The instant communication and the access to information provided by our computers have made our jobs easier and our lives more interesting.

But for as much "good" as the Internet has created, it also is the source of enough "bad" to warrant a closer look at how the digital universe operates, especially in ways that are disruptive, offensive or criminal.

The two biggest complaints among Internet users are about viruses and spam.

Both are annoying, and both can make online communications a nightmare. The problem is how to handle viruses and spam in an environment that is mostly unregulated and promotes the unfettered flow of bits of data -- both "good" and "bad."

Spam is more than unwanted e-mail. It's a headache for Internet users who find their e-mail inboxes overflowing with messages they don't want to read from senders they don't know. But it's obvious that spam must be working for those who send it, and it's unlikely that spam will go away all by itself.

Most e-mail users have access to filters and other methods for blocking much of the unwanted spam. In addition, spam e-mails that are never opened tend to result in having your e-mail address dropped by spammers.

An online survey of 28,000 people last month by Yahoo! Mail found that "three out of four people said it was less aggravating to clean a toilet than to wade through the junk messages in their e-mail," according to an Associated Press story.

While spam is aggravating, viruses can be downright destructive and harmful to businesses. There are estimates that some 63,000 viruses have been let loose over the years on the Internet, causing $65 billion in damage.

But criminal laws haven't kept up with the rapid technological changes of the Internet. As a result, all but a handful of the individuals responsible for viruses have faced no serious consequences. A hacker whose "Lovebug" virus caused $7 billion in damage in 2000 was never charged, because there was no law banning what he had done in his native Philippines. Only three people -- one American and two virus senders in Britain -- have served time in prison.

Tougher rules are on the way from the U.S. Sentencing Commission for certain types of computer crimes. The new rules take effect Nov. 1.

Perhaps the worst Internet problem of all is when a virus is created to duplicate millions of spam messages and send them to unsuspecting recipients.

That was the case last week when a version of the "Blaster" virus that launched millions of duplicated spam e-mails and shut down e-mail systems at some companies. A Minnesota teenager was arrested a week ago by federal agents.

While many computer users affected by spam and viruses are in no mood for leniency, it would do little good to put computer hackers in prison.

Better that their demonstrated abilities be channeled into useful purposes that might make using the Internet better for all of us -- and let their wages be garnished for life.