I recently received this, and chuckled. It does have some good information in
it, though, so I am sending it on since there have been a rash of virus alerts recently.
Renee
>
> 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 In Box 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, E-Mail viruses, taxes on
> modems, and get-rich-quick schemes [perhaps conspiracy theories should be
> included here].
>
> "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 Hoaxes Anonymous
> meeting and stated, "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 3 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 e-mail, 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
>
>
> Lastly, as a public service, Internet users can help stampout the Gullibility
> Virus by sending copies of this message to anyone who forwards them a hoax.
>
> Forward this message 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!!! 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.
>
>
> -not sure of the authenticity of this warning,
> since it came without six pages of address
> headers indicating how much it had already
> been distributed.
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