Playful Nature
The DECnet network affected was jointly operated between the NASA Space Physics Analysis Network (SPAN) and the Department of Energy's High Energy Physics Network (HEPnet). The only separation between the networks was a pre-arranged division of network addresses (DECnet "Areas"). Thus, the worm, by picking a random target address, could affect both networks equally. The worm code included 100 common VAX usernames that were hard-coded into its source code. In addition to its political message, the worm contained several features of an apparently playful nature. The words "wank" and "wanked" are slang terms used in many countries to refer to masturbation. In addition, the worm contained "over sixty" randomisable messages that it would display to users, including "Vote anarchist" and "The FBI is watching YOU". The worm was also programmed to trick users into believing that files were being deleted by displaying a file deletion dialogue that could not be aborted, though no files were actually erased by the worm.
Read more about this topic: WANK (computer Worm)
Famous quotes containing the words playful and/or nature:
“Even Nature is observed to have her playful moods or aspects, of which man sometimes seems to be the sport.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“There is much in nature against us. But we forget:
Take nature altogether since time began,
Including human nature, in peace and war,
And it must be a little more in favor of man....”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)