ANST - ANST: My opinion
Brandy Eads
red_20 at hotmail.com
Fri Jan 22 14:19:04 PST 1999
I don't like to foward things like this, but....
I just received this off the A&S page and found it very true of this
list for the last couple of days. I know it's long, but it's just so
true...
Lady Marion
>********************************************************************
>>>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, 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
>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 symptom 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 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
><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 stamp out 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.)
>*******************************************************************
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