Notice to all new internet users.  This is not a virus alert.  It is a
valuable, though tongue in cheek, explanation of how to evaluate a virus
alert hoax.  Many of us have been caught by these, including yours truly.
This is loaded with valuable links to useful pages to learn more about the
hoaxes and how to determine the true facts.  Good and humorous reading
too.

Steve

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WARNING, CAUTION, DANGER, AND BEWARE!
Gullibility Virus Spreading over the Internet!

------------------------------------------------------------------------
WASHINGTON, D.C.--The Institute for the Investigation of Irregular Internet
Phenomena announced today that many Internet users are becoming infected by
a new virus that causes them to believe without question every groundless
story, legend, and dire warning that shows up in their inbox or on their
browser. The Gullibility Virus, as it is called, apparently makes people
believe and forward copies of silly hoaxes relating to cookie recipes,
email viruses, taxes on modems, and get-rich-quick schemes.

"These are not just readers of tabloids or people who buy lottery tickets
based on fortune cookie numbers," a spokesman said. "Most are otherwise
normal people, who would laugh at the same stories if told to them by a
stranger on a street corner." However, once these same people become
infected with the Gullibility Virus, they believe anything they read on the
Internet.

"My immunity to tall tales and bizarre claims is all gone," reported one
weeping victim. "I believe every warning message and sick child story my
friends forward to me, even though most of the messages are anonymous."

Another victim, now in remission, added, "When I first heard about Good
Times, I just accepted it without question. After all, there were dozens of
other recipients on the mail header, so I thought the virus must be true."
It was a long time, the victim said, before she could stand up at a Hoaxees
Anonymous meeting and state, "My name is Jane, and I've been hoaxed." Now,
however, she is spreading the word. "Challenge and check whatever you
read," she says.

Internet users are urged to examine themselves for symptoms of the virus,
which include the following:



•The willingness to believe improbable stories without thinking. •The urge
to forward multiple copies of such stories to others. •A lack of desire to
take three minutes to check to see if a story is true.



T. C. is an example of someone recently infected. He told one reporter, "I
read on the Net that the major ingredient in almost all shampoos makes your
hair fall out, so I've stopped using shampoo". When told about the
Gullibility Virus, T. C. said he would stop reading email, so that he would
not become infected.

Anyone with symptoms like these is urged to seek help immediately. Experts
recommend that at the first feelings of gullibility, Internet users rush to
their favorite search engine and look up the item tempting them to
thoughtless credence. Most hoaxes, legends, and tall tales have been widely
discussed and exposed by the Internet community.

Courses in critical thinking are also widely available, and there is online
help from many sources, including



Department of Energy Computer Incident Advisory Capability at
http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACHoaxes.html





Symantec Anti Virus Research Center at
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/index.html





McAfee Associates Virus Hoax List at
http://www.mcafee.com/support/hoax.html





Dr. Solomons Hoax Page at
http://www.drsolomons.com/vircen/hoax.html





The Urban Legends Web Site at
http://www.urbanlegends.com





Urban Legends Reference Pages at
http://www.snopes.com





Datafellows Hoax Warnings at
http://www.Europe.Datafellows.com/news/hoax.htm





Those people who are still symptom free can help inoculate themselves
against the Gullibility Virus by reading some good material on evaluating
sources, such as



Evaluating Internet Research Sources at
http://www.sccu.edu/faculty/R_Harris/evalu8it.htm





Evaluation of Information Sources at
http://www.vuw.ac.nz/~agsmith/evaln/evaln.htm





Bibliography on Evaluating Internet Resources at
http://refserver.lib.vt.edu/libinst/critTHINK.HTM



It is possible to design responsible alerts for people to circulate on the
Internet. Here is a how-to that draws positive conclusions from long
experience with the evils of badly designed alerts:

Designing Effective Action Alerts for the Internet at
http://weber.ucsd.edu/~pagre/alerts.html

Lastly, as a public service, Internet users can help stamp out the
Gullibility Virus by sending copies of this message to anyone who forwards
them a hoax.   (just copy this URL -- http://bl.net/forwards/gulvirus.html
-- paste it into an email and send it to the offender)


------------------------------------------------------------------------
This message is so important, we're sending it anonymously! Forward it to
all your friends right away! Don't think about it! This is not a chain
letter! This story is true! Don't check it out! This story is so timely,
there is no date on it! This story is so important, we're using lots of
exclamation points! Lots!! For every message you forward to some
unsuspecting person, the Home for the Hopelessly Gullible will donate ten
cents to itself. (If you wonder how the Home will know you are forwarding
these messages all over creation, you're obviously thinking too much.)


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