Why do people make computer viruses?

Why do people slash tires, grafitti up their cities, toilet paper a neighbor’s tree and leave the top loose on the salt shaker at a restaurant? To be malicious.

That, and a profit motive (for datamining viruses that capture your passwords and credit card numbers) are the two best answers I can think of, for your question.

I have never sent one. Just FYI.

I think it’s horrible for someone to purposely do that. Why do people have to be so mean? And to destroy things on someone’s computer. And to do it to someone you know is even worse!! How do they sleep at night?

For a lot of people it is an ego trip, or revenge gone rampant. People that destroy windows, usually worked for windows in the fist place. It’s one of those “OKay fine! FIRE ME! You’ll be sorry you did!” Kinda things.
More and more “Mac Viruses” are coming out just because they want to prove they can do it.
When I was in college we got to talk to a “reformed” hacker. He took any contract to write spyware, adware, virus, anything that someone would want to put on your computer… if the price is right. One porn site payed him 30,000$ for an adware. Four days of work, and he got 30,000$. Sure a bunch of preteens and teens had their computers destroyed… but crap MAN! 30,000$!!!! I wish I could do four days of work for that much money.

The conspiracy theorist in me says that McAfee and Norton are in someway behind it.

Another reason, because you can.

It is a game. Avoiding all detection, doing something no one else has done.

Maybe because certain people are just inherently malicious by nature and if that is the case, then God help them because it’s not going to go well for them after they’ve departed this plane of existence.

I, myself, have never sent a computer virus anywhere for any reason and I have no plans to do so, ever.

@AstroChuck
I’ve heard that one myself, but they do actually hire black hatters to make viruses, in this case to make sure that their programs work, but, I see truth to your theory.

I think it is really shitty because it is so anonymous and passive aggressive. I would rather someone do something malicious to my face so I can deal with it. I think it is time that I learn a bit about computers so I can back my shit up.

@laureth. Speaking of taking the tops off of salt shakers when I first started waiting tables I had the rehab crowd come in every friday night and one of the little shits used a coaster to put a full glass of water upside down in the table so if I pulled it off water would go everywhere. Fucking people.

Geez. Either I’m boring, or I just don’t have a devious enough mind to do stuff like that.

When I was about 11, some friends and I left a tip (all change) in a glass of water, upside down on a plate. We thought we were so funny…we were just being little shits. I outgrew such nonsense quickly. The people who create viruses never have.

I now have a new goal in life. Should anyone at a restaurant every piss me off every again, I shall put their tip inside a full, upside down glass! THANK YOU FLUTHER! WOO!

Make sure you do it before the server can catch you because I caught the bastard and made him clean it up.

@jessturtle – good for you!