MMB wrote: > > Mike Shaw wrote: > > > > I have just received this e-mail, and I also found I had this Virus. Sounds > > as though its worth checking your systems. Just follow the instructions. > > I own a Mac so my computer is fortunately immune. However, for those of > you with pcs I have pasted below an extract from a newsletter I receive. > DON'T delete that .exe file from your system.
Even thou my personal computer is a Linux (and has been a Unix-live for the last 20 years or so), I still have to work with Microsoft junk because of my profession. Although it is possible to develop virus for Unix-like OS, they are very rare, mainly because they are very hard to write and exceedingly difficult to install in any seriously-administered machine. As I said, I have to work with Microsoft stuff too. In spite of that, I have never been victimized by a virus even thou I have been exposed to the Internet for about 20 years now. Now, in all those years I have NEVER, NEVER, NEVER received a good-intentioned message that is not a hoax. Let's see what a hoast is comprised of: a) Good intention -- Some one wants to PROTECT you or something. Perhaps a child, a pet, a cause; b) They have support from a well-known company (Microsoft, IBM, other big names); c) They trust you are ready to help other people educating them about how to avoid the problem you've just been helped about; d) They think you will send the warning to a lot of friends, relatives and acquaitances. But just to be on the safe side they will also prod you along instruction you to "send to ..." A hoax has two bad consequences: the first one is clogging your mail box and the whole Internet (remember, we are talking about millions of people sending millions of copies of thousands of different hoaxes 24 hours per day...) This is its main target. the second one is a collateral effect that some hoaxes may have. Like telling you to remove a file or calling a certain telephone number. By doing so you destroy your operating system yourself. Or you can cause very serious problem, as it recently happened in Brazil when a hoax asked people to call a certain telephone number because a sick child was about to die and had no friends or relatives to talk to. Millions of calls were placed to an emergency number in a hospital and it went kaput for several days until the calls subsided. People may have died because of this. So, here is a good advice: NEVER TRY TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE BASED ON MESSAGES with ONE OR MORE of the above-mentioned characteristics (based on your solidarity, big names, good causes). They are hoaxes. Always hoaxes. Bear in mind that if you know about something that might affect your friends, and this something comes from a trustful source, you will naturally let your friends know about it. Not because you received a message with a boilerplate prodding you to disseminate it. If (when) you get such messages just delete them. The less people know about it, the better. - fernando -- REDUZIR, REUSAR, RECICLAR -- Dever de todos, amor aos que virão REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE -- Everybody's duty, love to those who are to come Fernando Cabral Padrao iX Sistemas Abertos mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pix.com.br Fone Direto: +55 61 329-0206 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] PABX: +55 61 329-0202 Fax: +55 61 326-3082 15º 45' 04.9" S (23 L 0196446/8256520) 47º 49' 58.6" W 19º 37' 57.0" S (23 K 0469898/7829161) 45º 17' 13.6" W
