Vmyths.com: the second lost episode

Rob Rosenberger, Vmyths co-founder
Thursday, 30 November 2000 (ILoveYou hysteria kept me incredibly busy during May & June. Like many columnists, I start writing a number of different pieces, but not all of them blossom into an editorial. Certain pieces did blossom, and I even scheduled them for publication. Sadly, they got lost in the shuffle. I stumbled over them again while researching a recent column. They're too good to throw away, so I present them here as "lost" episodes. Enjoy!)
I HATE TO tell you this, but ILoveYou spawned more prosperity than you might think. "Not all industries were damaged by the 'love bug' virus," a press release bragged, "and at least one actually expects to benefit from it. Valicert (VLCT-proposed) filed to go public just 11 days after the virus' much-publicized appearance..."

"Even President Joseph Estrada thinks the [ILoveYou] virus should [be] used to promote Filipinos' computer skills, according to his trade secretary."

The Wall Street Journal filed a newswire with the headline "Philippine Love Bug College Hopes Virus Is Shot In Arm." It seems the school of higher learning wants to go IPO, and they scrambled to turn lemons into lemonade:

The Philippine computer college where the "I Love You" virus may have been spawned is trying to decipher whether the outbreak is a public-relations catastrophe or the breakthrough it needs to get itself listed on Manila's stock exchange. Flipping through a stack of the latest international news magazines is a tired Manuel Abad, the vice president of the AMA Computer College. "Man, that's such a bad shot of the school," he says, pointing to a picture in Newsweek. "It's not even the school, it's all the cigarette vendors outside with our sign on the wall." With the school putting together plans for an initial public offering, the adage that all publicity is good publicity is being put to the test... Even President Joseph Estrada thinks the virus should [be] used to promote Filipinos' computer skills, according to his trade secretary.

I've got enough of a problem when companies hire hackers. I get more worked up when companies & colleges worry more about their IPOs than about the death of the Internet. But when a Philippine president uses viruses to promote economic prosperity? Hey, not every lemon makes good lemonade, you know...