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Robert Tappan Morris

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Computer Tech

The Resume

    (November 8, 1965- )
    Created the Morris Worm in an attempt to gauge the size of the internet (1988)
    Co-founder of ViaWeb, a start-up that made software for online stores (1995)
    Associate Professor at MIT (1999)

Why he might be annoying:

    He inadvertently caused an estimated $10 million in damages with the internet worm he unleashed.
    He became the first person convicted under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (1989), and was sentenced to three years probation, 400 hours community service and a $10,000 fine.
    Ironically, his father is a computer security expert for the National Security Agency.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He exposed major security flaws in Unix that could have caused much worse losses if they had been exploited by someone deliberately trying to cause damage.
    He demonstrated the truth of one his father's sayings: 'The golden rules to ensure computer security are: do not own a computer, do not power it on, and do not use it.'
    ViaWeb was sold for $45 million in stock to Yahoo!, who renamed it the Yahoo! Store (1998).

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 14 Votes: 92.86% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 11 Votes: 27.27% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 27 Votes: 44.44% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 20 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 23 Votes: 56.52% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 17 Votes: 76.47% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 13 Votes: 53.85% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 60 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 25 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 76 Votes: 71.05% Annoying