Thu Sep 19 17:52:51 1996

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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 1996 16:46:14 -0700
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From: "Robert B. Waltz" 
Subject: Re: E-Mail Virus Alert
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On Thu, 19 Sep 1996, Jim Mendelson  wrote:

>Jim Fellure wrote:
>>
>> FYI, may be old news
>
>> Sorry to lurk for so long before posting, but I'd hate for anyone to get
>> this nasty computer virus...
>> I just received the following from a u.s. military source:
>>
>> Forwarded message:
>>
>> 1. There is a computer virus that is being sent across the Internet. If
>> you receive an email message with the subject line "Good  Times", DO NOT
>> read  the message, DELETE it immediately.  Please read the messages
>> below.
>>
>> Some miscreant is sending  email under the title "Good Times"
>> nationwide, if you get anything like this, DON'T DOWN LOAD THE FILE! It
>> has a virus that rewrites your hard drive, obliterating anything on it.
>> Please be careful and forward this mail to anyone you care about.
>>
>
>Brothers on this board, please be advised that this is not a hoax.  I
>have
>many friends in the computer field, and for the last year, the entire
>Internet field has said that it is impossible for an e-mail to carry a
>virus.  I was learned by many about this, and too agreeded with this
>because
>of the way a virus is executed.  A friend of mine just got the virus via
>e-mail, and it destroyed his harddrive.  So be advised that this is a
>REAL virus sent by e-mail.  Remember, back up be for you say, "I knew
>I should have..."  GOD bless bro's,
>
>Jim Mendelson
>

All right, let's get this right before a panic starts. Please note
*all* the following points.

1. "Good Times" is a hoax. It is only a hoax. If it had been a real
   virus, somebody would have created a cure for it by now. So if
   somebody tells you about it, ignore it.

2. You cannot get a virus by sending or reading e-mail. Period.
   It's not possible.

HOWEVER

3. There are a lot of viruses out there that are harmful.

4. You can get a virus from a file. If someone attaches a document to
   a mail message, that file could contain a virus, and you *could*
   catch that virus.

ON THE OTHER HAND

5. All viruses are computer, operating system, or software specific.
   A PC cannot catch a Macintosh or UNIX virus (although viruses on
   the Mac, in particular, are very rare and almost entirely harmless).
   By the same token, a Mac cannot catch a PC virus. (Minor exception:
   A virus written in Microsoft Word for the PC can infect Mac Word,
   and vice versa; however, this affects only Word users.)

THE LAST WORD:

The Internet is cleaner than you think. Most servers are run by people
who watch for viruses. But you could get a virus if you aren't careful.
So do stay alert -- particularly when you download program files. But
don't worry about e-mail (unless it has attachments), and for pity's sake
*forget* "Good Times."

Bob Waltz
waltzmn@skypoint.com

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