Viruses are anything but "cool." It amazes me how many young people think that viruses are amazing or awesome to write. A virus totally wiped out my hard drive and I had to re-install all of my source (lost most of it), my OS, and all of my games, projects, databases, financial accounts, etc.
Destructive code is not amazing, nor awesome. If people cannot find anything better to do than write destructive code then get out of programming - we don't need you. You are not proving anything to anyone, other than the fact that you can misuse and abuse a very worthwhile piece of electronic circuitry.
I don't care how much you know about code, I still would not want you in my company because you just simply cannot be trusted and are irresponsible to boot.
(No, I'm not a grouch - just cannot stand stupidity....)
Anyone else have an opinion on this?