S Short-sighted prognostications are commonly stimulated by the emergence of new technologies. Stupid mistakes about the usefulness and potential of computers may amuse us, but they also warn us about the presumption that we can really know the future. The proliferation of PCs, and especially of networked computers, has supplied the software virus with an environment in which mischief and malice can have large-scale effects. Software code written and circulated with the aim of frustrating computer users, viruses have stimulated important developments in the area of system security. Here's a thorough discussion of computer viruses from an anti-virus software site.
Email is a major source of viruses, especially by means of scripts or programs attached to messages.
The recent Bubbleboy virus , however, functions within extended email capabilities designed to display HTML messages. John von Neumann had a powerful influence on the design and development of computers. Click here for a brief biography and description of von Neumann's contributions to computer technology. The World Wide Web has a longer history than most people realize. For a brief descriptive analysis of Y2K, click here .