Rules

Currently the Rules section is a work in progress, but as this Wiki deals with a subject that involves potentially hazardous code, we do have some for the safety of visitors to this Wiki and all Internet users.

1. All Rules of Wikidot Inc. apply here. If there is ever any conflict between a rule of the Virus Encyclopedia and a rule of Wikidot Inc., follow the rule of Wikidot Inc. and inform us. All Wikidot Inc. penalties apply for the breaking of Wikdot Inc. rules. Please take a look at the Legal page and follow the links to the Privacy policy and Terms of use if you are unsure of anything.
2. NEVER upload virus/worm or other potentially dangerous or unwanted executables or post direct links to them to this site. Indirect links to the code such as the page where one can download them are acceptable. For example, it is unacceptable post a link like http://www.virus-store.com/downloads/Macro.Melissa.doc but one like http://www.virus-store.com/downloads.html is acceptable. Violation of this rule will result in immediate blocking.
3. Do not post source code for self-replicating programs. Posting a direct link is acceptable with source code, provided it is in a compiled language. Direct links to self-replicators in script languages such as Visual Basic Script, JavaScript or Perl are not acceptable. First violation of this rule will result in a warning, the second will be at the discretion of the administrator.
4. Vandalism will not be tolerated. Malicious deleting or editing of pages with obscene, derogatory, racist, fascist or communist remarks will result in immediate blocking. Editing pages with something more innocuous, but still falling under the category of vandalism will result in a warning for the first offense and blocking for the second.
5. Spamming will be treated as innocuous vandalism. The spammer will receive a warning and then be blocked after the second offense. IP addresses of spam bots that have vandalized this site will be blocked immediately.
6. As this site relies mostly on information supplied by others, sources must always be cited. Occasional omission of Internet sources will be taken as an error of editing. If done consistently, the violator will be warned. If information is taken from a book and not cited, the violator will be warned the first time and blocked after the second violation. The penalties for not citing book sources are more strict, as the Internet is a public place where people post information in order for it to be seen freely by the general public, while the content of a book is the property of the author, even if the book itself has been bought.
7. Do not cite Wikipedia as a source of information. While Wikipedia's reliability is a fertile topic for debate, our reasons have more to do with the fact that Wikipedia's content is often third-hand information. Citations should be actual studies, descriptions provided by virus researchers, news reports and other information that is as close to the original research or incident as possible. Wikipedia can be a good starting point, as its references are more often than not reliable and sometimes close to the original source of information.
8. Respect the privacy of the readers and editors of this site. When possible, use HTTPS and a "no cookie" option when posting a link or embedding a video. Avoid uploading PDF's or other documents that have links that may phone home to a website without the reader's consent.

If you find you are blocked from this site and you know you have done nothing wrong, run a virus scan on your computer, you may be infected with a bot and your computer may be sending random crap to many Wikis, forums and other open places on the Internet. Many people will thank you.