Ahem... 'virus'?

Let's get a few things straight here before we go any further...  I field
enough calls from the clooless at work trying to warn me about getting the
'Good Times Virus' in my email without having to worry about yet another
meme floating around about email virii.

1. Can anyone show that the .com file replicates?  It MUST reproduce itself
to be called a virus last time I checked.  It looks like a trojan horse to me.

2. How many of you people are using Microsloth Internet Mail?  It was
mentioned a LONG time ago (I think here, in fact) that there was a major
mental lapse on the part of the programmers when designing it because
single-clicking a piece of mail will view it, while DOUBLE-CLICKING the
mail will execute it (and any attached files!).  Most people double-click
EVERYTHING in Windoze, and this is why it nailed so many people.  I'm
surprised I hadn't seen this done sooner.

If you think it only got a few of the M$IM users, think again.  I'll bet
there's a LOT of them out there who are 'suffering in silence' because
their computer is completely kaput, or sitting in a shop waiting for
someone like me to wipe the hard drive and reinstall everything.  Please,
if there's going to be another damn meme about email virii, let it NOT be
from a list I consider to be at least a LITTLE more enlightened than the
hordes of AOL (l)users out there.
----------
Dagmar the Surreal (not actual size)
"The Internet is Full.  Go Away."

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> Date:          Thu, 19 Dec 1996 18:33:23 -0600
> To:            cypherpunks@toad.com
> From:          Dagmar the Surreal <dagmar@edge.net>
> Subject:       Ahem... 'virus'?

> Let's get a few things straight here before we go any further...  I field
> enough calls from the clooless at work trying to warn me about getting...

And you call them clueless?!  One thing to keep in mind... the ignorant are 
usually aware of their ignorance, the stupid, well... 

>... 2. How many of you people are using Microsloth Internet Mail?  It was
> mentioned a LONG time ago (I think here, in fact) that there was a major
> mental lapse on the part of the programmers when designing it because
> single-clicking a piece of mail will view it, while DOUBLE-CLICKING the
> mail will execute it (and any attached files!)....

And just like the clueless ones who fall for "Good Times" memos, you've fallen 
for some misinformation yourself. Single clicks in MS Internet Mail allow you 
to view the contents in the preview window - without opening or executing any 
attachments, while double clicking opens the message in it's own window - again 
without opening or executing any attachments. Try it a couple of times and 
you'll see for yourself. Just because you "heard it on the internet" does not 
make it fact!

>... their computer is completely kaput, or sitting in a shop waiting for
> someone like me to wipe the hard drive and reinstall everything...

What an absolutely horrifying thought!!

> Dagmar the Surreal (not actual size)
> "The Internet is Full.  Go Away."

To the former I suggest you change surreal to unreal, and as for the latter - 
you might consider taking your own advice.
Steven :-)