-Caveat Lector- OK, but the point is that if everyone forwarded every virus warning to this list then this list would be almost nothing but virus warnings. This particular one has been around for a while - I've had people send it to me last year. And, although the person who sent it to you works in govt. IT, the message itself is forwarded as it has appeared for some time. Yes, someone may decide to take a hoax and make it real, but that can be said of any virus hoax. There are email and newsgroups which dedicate themselves explusively to the problem of virii and hoaxes with detailed analysis, as virii and hoax study requires much more research than this list can provide. I value the occasional verified virus warning here, or news about them, but spreading these email forwards here, I feel, will not accomplish anything, as all the emailed urban legends which still circulate (remember the one about the govt. charging 5 cents for every email sent?).
Point is that this is not the best way at all to prevent virus infections. I have been on the Net since 1994, and professionally since 1996, and I have yet to be infected by a virus. If you do not open attachments then this is generally not a problem. I do open attachents, however, as I happen to know the extensions of all known viruses and the files upon which they might piggyback, and I use several different forms of virus protection, so they are scanned first. I have been sent the worst of the worst, and not one of them has gotten through. Yes, I am certain of this, as I know what I'm doing, and I use firewalls and other protection mechanisms. The basic mechanisms won't work for everything, but you can learn exactly what your computer is doing if you educate yourself, including analysis of all information sent in/out. What these forwards do accomplish is the tying up of email network resources, sometimes to the point of collapse, and they scare a lot of people for no reason. The people who start these forwards usually have chaos and disruption as their main purpose, much the same as virus creators. One other thing - if you use Linux and you know how to configure it the threat of virii drops close to zero. If you use Windows, especially XP, and you use Outlook or Outlook Express, the threat is far, far greater. - jt ----- Original Message ----- From: "Euphorian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I understand your rule of thumb BUT the person who sent it to me works in IT at the government level. As the message (original) states, better to be forewarned and forearmed. As a matter of consideration, a hoax can be part of someones idea of a conspiracy to create havoc. Therefore, for those who follow the hoax sites, this is an opportunity to expose said thing. Continuing on, how long would it take for someone who is into virus development to wait until the hoax thing is taken for granted and THEN create a real virus, expecting that everyone else to think it is a hoax? Fortunately, very few of these ever do become the "real thing" but then again, I'm not one to take things like this lightly considering the investment I and others have made to protect against these things. Again, the proscription to forwarding these kinds of messages seems to be contrary to the purpose of conspiracy expose' lists. There is such a thing as "information warfare" (some know it as "spin" or "hype" or "disinformation") and, despite the failings of many several of the governments' agencies, I have first hand knowledge and experience with IW. If it was not so important, McAfee or Symantec or Dr Soloman or any other other present and past antivirus program developers would be flipping burgers or something. Although we seek the truth, we also have know what the lies are as well. For example, there are those who contend that HIV causing AIDS is also a hoax. This doesn't mean anyone should just ignore the precautions and sharing of information relating to both sides of the issue. Assuming that there are those who are intimate with hoaxi, this would seem to be an important consideration to present. Unless there is not conspiracy that is built on a hoax. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
