Subject: Neat Trick
>
>
> > I learned a computer trick today that's really
> ingenious in its
> > simplicity.
> > > As you may know, when/if a worm virus gets into
> your computer it
> heads
> > > straight for your email address book and sends
> itself to everyone in
>
> > > there, thus infecting all your friends and
> associates.
> > > This trick won't keep the virus from getting
> into your computer,
> > > but it will stop it from using your address book
> to spread further,
> > > and it will alert you to the fact that the worm
> has gotten into your
>
> > system.
> > >
> > > Here's what you do: first, open your address
> book and click on "new
> > contact"
> > > just as you would do if you were adding a new
> friend to your list of
>
> email
> > > addresses.  In the window where you would type
> your friend's first
> name,
> > > type
> > > in !000 (that's an exclamation mark followed by
> 3 zeros).  In the
> window
> > > below where it prompts you to enter the new
> email address, type in
> > > WormAlert.
> > > Then complete everything by clicking add, enter,
> ok, etc.
> > >
> > > Now, here's what you've done and why it works:
> the "name" !000 will
> be
> > > placed
> > > at the top of your address book as entry #1.
> This will be where the
>
> worm
> > > will start in an effort to send itself to all
> your friends.  But
> when it
> > > tries to send itself to !000, it will be
> undeliverable because of
> the
> > phony
> > > email address you entered (WormAlert).  If the
> first attempt fails
> (which
> > it
> > > will because of the phony address), the worm
> goes
> > > no further and your friends will not be
> infected.
> > > Here's the second great advantage of this
> method: if an email cannot
> be
> > > delivered, you will be notified of this in your
> InBox almost
> immediately.
> > > Hence, if you ever get an email telling you that
> an email addressed
> to
> > > WormAlert could not be delivered, you know right
> > > away that you have the worm virus in your
> system. You can then take
> steps
> > to
> > > get rid of it!
> > > Pretty slick.
>
>