Re: Virus-alert

[T Berk <tberk@mindspring.com>]

John Lagnese wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> I got a warning to beware of an e-mail "Lump of coal" coming around
> X-mas.
> John
> 
> --

Two, No make that Three things- [Four - SHIT!, Ok. Now the other three.]

1. FUD - Don't spread it around. (Fear Uncertainty, Doubt.)

2. Most general (might I say Out of the Blue) virus warnings you get,
esp with an official sound to it are Urban Myth. Otherwise known as
"...there is a virus called [fill in the blank] and it is deleting hard
drive data, destroying your love life, and contacting space aliens with
your system's contents. IBM & AOL have agreed that is the most deadly
virus since sliced bread... blah, blah, blah...". Sound familiar?

3. I don't want a message from you that says there is a problem but
leaves out any way to corroborate it. There are a buuunch of folks on
the list. Each of us uses a computer. Most of us are in positions of
responsibility for delivering computer support of one kind or another to
those around us, if not at our jobs directly then to friends and family.
We all need to take warnings seriously. Folks who spread FUD on the list
get tagged as "the Boy who cried Wolfsburg". 

You don't want this.

In the future include some details, a link, or verify it yourself 1st
before broadcasting to such a wide audience.

If this sounds harsh, excuse me. 
If it helps someone then I have accomplished what I set out to do.

Each check the following links to see for himself;

<http://vil.mcafee.com/dispHoax.asp?id=vh10342>
<http://vil.mcafee.com/hoax.asp>
<http://www.mcafee.com/centers/anti-virus/default2.asp>


I went and looked into this after starting this rant and this is an
excerpt;

Virus Hoax 
Lump of Coal
NAI Labs AVERT would like to inform you of a new email HOAX.

This email message is just a HOAX, currently we know of no other message
that the user will
receive about the HOAX as the initial email states. AVERT has not
received any report of a user's
hard drive being erased for opening the email.

We are advising users who receive the email to delete it and DO NOT pass
it on as this is how an
email HOAX propagates...... <There's more, go see for yourself, tb>


Scirocco content:

I'm planning on slapping a quick & dirty cat back exhaust on the 'Roc,
on of those $150 jobbies. <sigh> My heart's not in Scirocco content
right now, I'm Audi.

TBerk

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