I believe that each of the participants on this list have a DUTY to each other not to post or remail, either deliberately or inadvertently, on this list server any message which has an attachment of any sort, since attachments seem to be the vehicle of choice for spreading viruses, worms, and the like.
If it is necessary or desirable to send an attachment to someone, I believe that it should be done as a private e-mail between the parties AFTER both have discussed it, either by phone or e-mail, and agree that the attachment should be sent. I make it a FIRM policy not to open ANY message which shows that it has an attachment unless I either personally know, and can vouch for, the person sending it, or that person and I have precleared the attachment. The same policy goes for any messages which I send to anyone on which I want to have an attachment. Random forwarding of messages and attachments is just plain dumb, in my opinion, and I believe that each of us needs to keep clearly in mind, at all times, our DUTY to each other as professionals. Those are my 2 cents worth (--Sami, IOU again--) but I hope that all of us will take more care from now on so that any action by any one of us will never cause harm or damage to the rest of the R:Base community. Dick Croy Jeff Ward wrote: > Sami, > > I agree, but the vast majority of these things require the recipient to > open the attachment for the executable to fire. Luckily most of the idiots > that send these things are not smart enough to have it execute automatically. > > In any event, I further protect myself by: > > 1. Leaving 1 or 2 old messages in my in box so I can pre-preview > what has attachments > > 2. I use Eudora as Outlook tends to be the main target for these > morons. I am still amazed that Microsoft has > left Outlook full of so many holes ( I know that some, like > Goner, just use Outlook to propagate itself). > > It would be far too embarrassing to send a virus to one of our clients. > > Jeff > > >Jeff - > > > >Some of the newer worms execute automatically as soon as the email is > >viewed - without actually opening an attachment. > > > >One solution is to turn off the "Preview Pane" in your email program and to > >open only those emails with no attachments, or only those you are expecting. > > > >I miss having the preview pane open, but it's at least one more barrier to > >the virus. > > > >Sami > > > >----------------------------------------------------------- > >Sami Aaron > >Software Management Specialists > >13214 W. 62nd Terr, #139 > >Shawnee KS 66216 > >913-915-1971 > >http://www.softwaremgmt.com > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: "Jeff Ward" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2001 4:24 PM > >Subject: Higher Standard > > > > > > > To All: > > > > > > This may be an unpopular stance, but as most or many of the list members > > > are professional programmers I think we need to be held to higher standard > > > when it comes to transmitting viruses through the list or to individual > > > list members. > > > > > > That said, sadly, most of the virus attachments I have received have > >either > > > come straight through this list or from list members. > > > > > > I am not singling out Albert or any other list member as we all have made > > > mistakes. However, as I tell my clients, > > > DO NOT OPEN AN EMAIL ATTACHMENT UNLESS YOU HAVE DIRECTLY SPOKEN TO THE > > > SENDER AND KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE CONTENTS OF THAT ATTACHMENT ARE. > > > > > > There are too many wackos out there to approach it any other way. > > > > > > Jeff Ward > > > > > > > > > > > > -- Richard S. Croy [EMAIL PROTECTED]
