Re: [Fwd: Fwd: Fw: [Fwd: FW: New Virus Alert]]

[Carl Distefano CLDistefano@xxxxxxxx]

Reply to note from Richard Giering 
Fri, 09 Jul 1999 22:56:53 -0500

-> I would much rather warn people inaccurately than ignore one
-> that turns out to be a non-hoax.

The "better safe than sorry" approach, while understandable, Dick,
assumes that all virus reports are inherently credible, when, in
fact, the opposite is true: the vast majority of the "alerts"
circulated by E-mail are pranks. My practice is to treat all such
unsolicited warnings as presumptively false.

If you want to hear about the latest (real) virus threat, visit the
CIAC website, watch CNN or read the mainstream press. The
information provided by such sources is more likely to be grounded
in fact. It's also worthwhile to develop a nose for the
improbable. See, for example, "How to Identify a Hoax"
http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACHoaxes.html.

While I don't wish to discourage virus-related posts (*credible*
threats are never off-topic, as far as I'm concerned), the standard
practice should be to check the hoax-buster sites before hitting
the Send button. Viruses are a bleak reality, but false alarms
take their toll, too, not only in bandwidth but also in Fear,
Uncertainty and Doubt.

--------------
Carl Distefano
CLDistefano@xxxxxxxx
http://users.datarealm.com/xywwweb/