Article: No way to delete this No. 1 rank for region

What began as a ninth-grade prank -- a way to trick suspicious friends who had fallen for his earlier practical jokes -- has earned Mt. Lebanon native Rich Skrenta notoriety as the first person ever to let loose a personal-computer virus.

Over the next 25 years, Skrenta started the online news business Topix with three friends from Mt. Lebanon, helped start a collaborative Web directory now owned by Time Warner Inc.'s Netscape and wrote countless other computer programs. Still, he is remembered most for unleashing the "Elk Cloner" virus on the world.

"It was some dumb, little practical joke," said Skrenta, 40, who lives with his wife and two children in San Carlos, Calif.

"I guess if you ...

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