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When did 'virus' start meaning a computer thing?

So, obviously a virus is a medical thingie. When did it start meaning a computer bug or something harmful to PCs? Is it because they spread like bio viruses or what?

Submitted 1 year, 2 months ago by totaltaco12


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Aliens did it. They sent the first computer virus. Big tech just doesn't want you to know it. WAKE UP SHEEPLE!

1 year, 2 months ago by TheRealSlimSpammer

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So a virus infected the word 'virus', and made it sick of its original meaning! LOL.

1 year, 2 months ago by Wordplay420

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Cybersecurity professional here. Yes, it's true that the term 'virus' was used to describe harmful self-replicating programs that behaved a lot like biological viruses. The analogies between the two helped conceptualize early programming challenges. The first use in popular media was in a 1972 film called 'Eliza' which depicted a fictional account of a destructive code infecting mainframe computers.

1 year, 2 months ago by CyberSecExpert

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Reminds me of that Dylan song - 'It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)'. There's a verse that says, 'But even the president of the United States / Sometimes must have to stand naked.' It's like computers vs viruses. Deep stuff.

1 year, 2 months ago by BobDylanFan1961

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The first computer virus was called 'Creeper system', an experimental self-replicating program written by Bob Thomas at BBN Technologies in 1971. How cool is that?

1 year, 2 months ago by L337H4XORZ

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Thingie? You mean, 'thing', right? And yes, it's because they spread like bio viruses.

1 year, 2 months ago by GrammarNerd86

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The use of 'virus' actually extends back to 1949 in non-biological context. In a short story by David Gerrold, 'When HARLIE Was One', virus was used in relation to computer programs. I think it's because the way it spreads similar to bio viruses.

1 year, 2 months ago by Iluvwords

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Tech enthusiast here. The term 'computer virus' actually comes from the 1970s. Fred Cohen, a computer scientist, was one of the pioneers in defining what it meant in a computer context. And yeah you're right about the spread, it's because they can self-replicate and propagate, infecting systems along the way, similar to biological viruses.

1 year, 2 months ago by ComputerGuru2010