Re: Virus warning

Allan spake thusly upon matters weighty: 

> Sorry, this is a hoax. You can't, repeat CAN NOT, get a virus from a
> piece of e-mail. Only programs or files with macro languages (such as
> Microsoft Word documents or Excel spreadsheets,) can contain viruses.
> It's impossible for a virus to infect your computer by simply opening
> an e-mail message. I can explain this in more detail, if you'd like,
> but trust me, you can NOT get a virus from opening e-mail.

Allan, I hate to burst your bubble. This is definitely a hoax. It 
used to be, you could not get a virus from email. Due to all the 
active content now, Web links, active X controls, Java enabled mail 
readers, etc, I am not ENTIRELY sure this is as true as it once was. 
Whereas it is true that just looking at ascii text is pretty 
undamaging, it is just possible that if your mailer acts on web links 
or stuff like that to invoke external executable code, you might be 
able to be 'affected' by some such thing.  

I'm not positive, but it isn't the same world as it once was. The 
more active content becomes and the more capable mailers and other 
tools become in handling such content (and the more automagically 
they do it....), the greater the risk of such viruses. Frankly, I 
turn all of that stuff off in my mailer, and I set my browser 
settings to confirm all that stuff (and sites that pop up ten million 
frames go instantly on my hate list). 

> This type of message is actually a virus itself. If you think about
> the amount of time, storage, and internet bandwidth wasted by hoax
> warnings and responses like mine, this type of message is probably the
> most successful virus around.

I believe they refer to this as a 'concept virus'. 
 
> Oh, and AOL doesn't make a habit of announcing virii. It's bad for
> publicity. 

AOL might be a virus....
 
Tom. 

 
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Thomas Barclay
Software Specialist
Police Communications Systems
Software Kinetics Ltd.
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