IP: New virus...

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

Date: Wed, 3 Feb 1999 08:23:34 -0800
To: farber () cis upenn edu
From: Ari Ollikainen <Ari () OLTECO com>

        Found at http://www.mactimes.com/lowend/virus.shtml

Gullibility Virus Spread Over Internet!


WARNING, CAUTION, DANGER, AND BEWARE!
Gullibility Virus Spreading over the Internet!


WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Institute for the Investigation of Irregular
Internet Phenomena announced today that many Internet users are becoming
infected by a new virus that causes them to believe without question every
groundless story, legend, and dire warning that shows up in their Inbox or
on their browser. The Gullibility Virus, as it is called, apparently makes
people believe and forward copies of silly hoaxes relating to cookie
recipes, email viruses, taxes on modems, and get-rich-quick schemes
[perhaps conspiracy theories should be included here].

"These are not just readers of tabloids or people who buy lottery tickets
based on fortune cookie numbers," a spokesman said. "Most are otherwise
normal people, who would laugh at the same stories if told to them by a
stranger on a street corner." However, once these same people become
infected with the Gullibility Virus, they believe anything they read on the
Internet.

"My immunity to tall tales and bizarre claims is all gone," reported one
weeping victim. "I believe every warning message and sick child story my
friends forward to me, even though most of the messages are anonymous."

Another victim, now in remission, added, "When I first heard about 'Good
Times,' I just accepted it without question. After all, there were dozens
of other recipients on the mail header, so I thought the virus must be
true." It was a long time, the victim said, before she could stand up at a
Hoaxees Anonymous meeting and state, "My name is Jane, and I've been
hoaxed." Now, however, she is spreading the word. "Challenge and check
whatever you read," she says.

Internet users are urged to examine themselves for symptoms of the virus,
which include the following:

the willingness to believe improbable stories without thinking the urge to
forward multiple copies of such stories to others a lack of desire to take
three minutes to check to see if a story is true

T. C. is an example of someone recently infected. He told one reporter, "I
read on the Net that the major ingredient in almost all shampoos makes your
hair fall out, so I've stopped using shampoo." When told about the
Gullibility Virus, T . C. said he would stop reading e-mail, so that he
would not become infected.

Anyone with symptoms like these is urged to seek help immediately. Experts
recommend that at the first feelings of gullibility, Internet users rush to
their favorite search engine and look up the item tempting them to
thoughtless credence. Most hoaxes, legends, and tall tales have been widely
discussed and exposed by the Internet community.

Courses in critical thinking are also widely available, and there is online
help from many sources, including

Department of Energy Computer Incident Advisory Capability at
<http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACHoaxes.html>

Symantec Anti Virus Research Center at
<http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/index.html>

McAfee Associates Virus Hoax List at
<http://vil.mcafee.com/villib/results.asp?qu=hoax*>

Datafellows Hoax Warnings at <http://www.Europe.Datafellows.com/news/hoax.htm>

Those people who are still symptom free can help inoculate themselves
against the Gullibility Virus by reading some good material on evaluating
sources, such as

Evaluating Internet Research Sources at
<http://www.sccu.edu/faculty/R_Harris/evalu8it.htm>

Evaluation of Information Sources at
<http://www.vuw.ac.nz/~agsmith/evaln/evaln.htm>

Bibliography on Evaluating Internet Resources at
<http://refserver.lib.vt.edu/libinst/critTHINK.HTM>

Lastly, as a public service, Internet users can help stamp out the
Gullibility Virus by sending copies of this message to anyone who forwards
them a hoax.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Forward this message to all your friends right away! Don't think about it!
This is not a chain letter! This story is true! Don't check it out! This
story is so timely, there is no date on it! This story is so important,
we're using lots of exclamation points!!! For every message you forward to
some unsuspecting person, the Home for the Hopelessly Gullible will donate
ten cents to itself. (If you wonder how the Home will know you are
forwarding these messages all over creation, you're obviously thinking too
much.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~







      OLTECO                    Ari Ollikainen
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