Fenando, I agree that the forwarding of virus alerts are the best way to spread hoaxes and should be curbed. After all, a hoax is a bad meme, and spreading it does no one any good.
However, I must disagree that you should supress the news of a real virus that has infected your computer. Just as with human viruses, the infection speads to those you know the best. And just with human viruses, you have a duty to notify those you have had contact with so that they can be on guard for unknowingly being infected. ++ron ----- Original Message ----- From: "Fernando Cabral" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Donald Petrie" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "Sundial List" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2002 5:03 AM Subject: Re: Virus hoaxes > 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
