Since I wrote a message about hoaxes I have been bugged by the impression that it was not welcome. In fact most public and private messages I've received are very kind but somehow manage to say "let the hoax come".
Now, it seems my message did not get thru. Let's hear what Donald Petrie says: >I agree that information about computer > viruses should be > shared as widely as possible. With different wording I heard this same thing from half a dozen people. That's precisely the principle hoaxes are based on. This belief is their lifeblood itself. Yes, information and education about how virus and hoaxes work should help. Maybe it is the only thing that will help. Nevertheless, since MOST messages about virus are, in fact, hoax, spreading the "news" is, in fact, spreading the "virus" itself! That's why notices about virus should NEVER be spread. No matter how good the intention is. It will only accomplish what the bad guys want them to accomplish: clog the network and everybody's mailbox. And they will do it using candid, and well-intentioned hands: yours. There ARE real virus and there are hoaxes. The treatment for both is the same: delete them and DON'T SPREAD THE NEWS! If you want to be useful, beneficial, show solidarity, then teach your friends how to detect a virus or a hoax (or better yet, how to avoid them!). But do it in private message exchange. Person to person. Again, in the Internet, anything that resembles a "pyramid" or a "chain" is nasty and has nasty results. Hoaxes and news about virus have this characteristc. So, I must insist, spreading news about virus and hoaxes IS sinful, deleterious, even if SOME people might find it informative and helpful. Perhas it will do a little good to those few, but it will certainly do great damage to the Internet as a whole and to the vast majority of users that will not benefit from those "alerts", be them real (very rare) be them fraud (most common). I know, it has been proved time and again that most people will do something -- anything -- if they can SEE that a FEW are benefitted, as long as they DON'T SEE that MANY are hurt. When a person spreads hoaxes she tends to listen to those who may eventually benefit from their action. She will not take into account those that are impaired. The only acceptable attitudes about virus and hoaxes are: 1) Delete them 2) If you want to know for sure if it is a real virus or a hoax, check some of the sites where this kind of information is logged. - as Donald Petrie mentioned, http://securityresponse.symantic.com is one of those sites. 3) If you think some of your friends might need help about virus and hoaxes educate them on a person-to-person basis. Eliminate any possibility that your teachings be taken as a "chain" or "pyramid" because if you don't your teachings themselves may become a "hoax". Net etiquette is based on good will and respect for each other. No one can impose a certain behaviour. This is good for the democracy, for the diversity and for life itself. Some people do not develop good etiquette because they do not have an opportunity to learn it. Some people do not develop good etiquette because they have not given due attention to the understanding of the REASONS why we should refrain from doing certain things (or perhaps do certain things). As I said, hoaxes thrive on solidariety, goodwill, benevolence, candidness. All good things that as human beings we are proud to have or cultivate in ourselves. These positive characteristics are USED and MANIPULATED by hoax-makers who know the human character. By so doing they incite good people to do an abusive and malicious thing THINKING they are doing a very good thing. So, please, next time you receive a message that directly or indirectly suggests that you should send it to a great number of people stop and think. Think twice. Think thrice. After CHECKING that the message is HONEST and not APOCRYPHA and after careful consideration about how many people will benefit by getting it and how many people might be harmed by getting it, if there are still some names in your list, then send the message. Preferably to their personal address, not to a list. Thinking before clicking the "forward" has never done any harm. Clicking too fast has. - fernando PS - I will accept those that will insist in spreading hoaxes because they believe they are doing something good. Humanity has survived all kind of gossips, rumors, hoaxes, prattle since dawn of times. There was a time when it was spread from mouth to ear and ear to mouth; then by letters, newspapers and the like. Eventually by the radio and TV. Now by the Internet. There has always been those few who CREATE the hoaxes and those many who "innocently" spread them around. Hoaxes and gossips and rumors DO NOT SURVIVE without "innocents" spreading them around. Humanity will survive this time too. Perhaps, with a message like this one I am sending now those who have done because of their innocency only will not do it anymore. Or perhaps I am completely wrong in every respect and aspect. And perhaps some people will even want to have my tongue cut because I am a messanger that says: hey, look out, someone is manipulating your sentiments. So be it. > Donald Petrie wrote: > > This is my first submission to the Sundial List and, > ironically, it is not about sundials. > Having recently been a victim of the "Sulfnbk.exe" hoax, I > thought that you should be aware of a valuable web site - > http://securityresponse.symantic.com > At this Gito home page, click on [Technical Support], then on > the Symantic page, click on [Security Response]. Here you will > find all kinds of information about virus threats and > a Reference Area where you can find Hoaxes listed. Click on > this and you will find a surprising number of virus hoaxes out > there in cyberspace. If you have deleted "Sulfnbk.exe" and wish > to re-install it, there are instructions on how to do so. > (Sulfnbk.exe is a Windows utility used to store long file > names; it is not required to run Windows). > I agree that information about computer viruses should be > shared as widely as possible. The above web site provides a > good way to check them out. > > Don Petrie. -- 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
