Re: This time, there's a REAL Net Virus warning...
Well, sure -- there ARE real computer viruses. Still, you can't get 'em (and that goes for this Melissa virus) by opening plain ol' email. You can only get 'em by opening attached files (like the Word file attachment that's spreading the Melissa virus). In other words, NEVER open an attached file (unless it's from a source you trust), and you'll never have to worry about gettin' computer viruses by using email.--don
Re: This time, there's a REAL Net Virus warning...
On Sat, 27 Mar 1999, Don Yates wrote: Well, sure -- there ARE real computer viruses. Still, you can't get 'em (and that goes for this Melissa virus) by opening plain ol' email. You can only get 'em by opening attached files (like the Word file attachment that's spreading the Melissa virus). In other words, NEVER open an attached file (unless it's from a source you trust), and you'll never have to worry about gettin' computer viruses by using email.--don Ah, but that's the beauty of this particular virus - once it's in place, it propagates itself to people known to the owner of the computer it's infected. (The information I've seen so far suggests that it raids the address books of email programs, but it's possible that it uses other methods.) Thus, one has to be a little more careful than usual. If I saw a message from a coworker with an attachment claiming to be a document I requested, I might get infected- if: - I wasn't healthily paranoid about viruses and attachments; - I didn't scan downloaded attachments before opening them with their utility; - I didn't use a Macintosh. (Bwahahahahahaha! Not to start a platform war here, but I'm very happy that the vast majority of the world's bitter, alienated coders with a chip on their shoulder use Intel iron...) I think 'healthily paranoid' should be the watchword. Don't open documents directly out of your email program- save them to your disk and scan them first, using a frequently-updated virus utility. Proud proponent of seatbelts, condoms, firewalls, and virus scanners, Tom
Re: This time, there's a REAL Net Virus warning...
Unfortunately, this isn't completely true anymore now that alot of readers can read html - which also means some mail clients can read java and javascript in your client or (sometimes) a mail client can launch java or some other application automatically. As mail clients get more sophisticated, more dangers loom. But if your an old technofart and use dumb text readers like pine or elm, then you have no wories. BUT if you use Outlook Express or Communicator, there's a chance (and will be moreso in the future) of carrying some real viruses. Still, the main email rule is if you don't know what an attachment is on an email don't open it and you likely won't get a virus. -ldk -Original Message- From: Don Yates [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: passenger side [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Saturday, March 27, 1999 4:22 PM Subject: Re: This time, there's a REAL Net Virus warning... Well, sure -- there ARE real computer viruses. Still, you can't get 'em (and that goes for this Melissa virus) by opening plain ol' email. You can only get 'em by opening attached files (like the Word file attachment that's spreading the Melissa virus). In other words, NEVER open an attached file (unless it's from a source you trust), and you'll never have to worry about gettin' computer viruses by using email.--don
