New Virus Alert -- trying to clear up misconceptions

[Guest guest]

Not sure if I phrased things poorly or if some people have real thin

skins. I was in no way saying that I thought Marianne was lair for

apssing on that virus alert. The original post said

> I know that there often bogus reports but I still think I should pass this

on

> to you. My apologies if it is bogus.

 

I got upset at someone passing on warnings which that person had not

bothered to check on, and which does not give links to websites which give

more details. For example -- if I receive an e-mail warning me about some

food additive or vitamin but which gives no details or references -- how am

I to evaluate whether the alarm is real or something I should ignore?

 

The virus alert said

> Experts reckon that one in 77 emails may be a copy of the bug

 

Now, I receive about 200 e-mails a day. Other posts in this thread

indicated that this virus has been around for weeks, not hours -- so I

should have received a good number of *hits* with this virus if the article

was factual.

 

I have found that *many* virus aleerts are either bogus, or greatly

inflated as to their seriousness.

 

I have no prblem being alerted to computer virus or to the danger of

vaccines or the dangers from cooking in Aluminum pots. All I ask for is

corroberive evidence & links to websites so I can make my own decisions.

The original post contained no real useful information. Had it been posed

as a question (rather than as a dire warning) I would not have responded the

way I did.

 

Sorry if I ruffled any feathers. But I get all sorts of letters

each day from people who pass on material without checking their sources who

spread far more hysteria than information. Over time, I have gotten

grumpy. On a health related list, I have much higher standards about

expecting information which is well researched & presented in such a way

(links to informational sites) that I can make up my own mind as to how

important it is for me to heed the warnings. I am also coming to realize

that not everyone thinks as I do & other folks have different criteria for

posting.

 

So sorry again if I came across too harshly.

 

Alobar

[Guest guest]

Alobar, I shall respond to this 'apology' and hope that it can then be the

end of it.

 

 

> Not sure if I phrased things poorly or if some people have real thin

> skins. I was in no way saying that I thought Marianne was lair for

> apssing on that virus alert.

 

I am by no means thin skinned, you were very rude about me trying to be

helpful and I and others responded to that rudeness.

 

The original post said

>

> > I know that there often bogus reports but I still think I should pass

> this

> on

> > to you. My apologies if it is bogus.

>

> I got upset at someone passing on warnings which that person had

> not

> bothered to check on, and which does not give links to websites which give

> more details. For example -- if I receive an e-mail warning me about some

> food additive or vitamin but which gives no details or references -- how am

> I to evaluate whether the alarm is real or something I should ignore?

 

Why should I do all the work for you, I gave you as much information as I had

at the time, I had just got in from work and had not even had a drink - I

felt that I should get the information I had to hand out into the cyperworld

and everyone could find out for themselves what the danger was, the same as i

would as soon as I had the time.

 

>

> The virus alert said

> > Experts reckon that one in 77 emails may be a copy of the bug

>

> Now, I receive about 200 e-mails a day. Other posts in this

> thread

> indicated that this virus has been around for weeks, not hours -- so I

> should have received a good number of *hits* with this virus if the article

> was factual.

>

> I have found that *many* virus aleerts are either bogus, or greatly

> inflated as to their seriousness.

 

 

From the responses I have had both on and off group, I did not exaggerate

anything, this virus has cased a lot of problems to a lot of people. It is

not any one elses fault that you receive so many emails, nor is it their job

to spend their time to find out what YOU want to know.

 

>

> I have no prblem being alerted to computer virus or to the danger

> of

> vaccines or the dangers from cooking in Aluminum pots. All I ask for is

> corroberive evidence & links to websites so I can make my own decisions.

> The original post contained no real useful information. Had it been posed

> as a question (rather than as a dire warning) I would not have responded

> the

> way I did.

 

Telling you the name of the virus was in my opinion the enough information -

why should I pose it as a question, I believed that there was a danger or I

would not have posted the information.

 

>

> Sorry if I ruffled any feathers. But I get all sorts of letters

> each day from people who pass on material without checking their sources

> who

> spread far more hysteria than information. Over time, I have gotten

> grumpy. On a health related list, I have much higher standards about

> expecting information which is well researched & presented in such a way

> (links to informational sites) that I can make up my own mind as to how

> important it is for me to heed the warnings. I am also coming to realize

> that not everyone thinks as I do & other folks have different criteria for

> posting.

>

 

If you had not responded to the original post, it would have been the one

email warning people - how can you say it is not relevant??? If the virus

hits and you have no computer, there will be no health discussion either.

The fact that you get grumpy because others have spread hysteria is not a

very good excuse - I did not spread hysteria, I sent a message saying I had

this information, true or bogus, I was passing it on for you to do with what

you want. You then told everyone that it was a very old virus and no longer

relevant - when I looked it up it had gone from low danger to medium danger

on 26 April 2002 - that to me is not a very old alert.

 

> So sorry again if I came across too harshly.

>

You are forgiven and I hope this is now the end of the matter.

 

Marianne

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 5/2/02 4:12:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

marianne2406 writes:

 

 

> Why should I do all the work for you, I gave you as much information as I

> had

> at the time, I had just got in from work and had not even had a drink - I

> felt that I should get the information I had to hand out into the

> cyperworld

> and everyone could find out for themselves what the danger was, the same as

> i

> would as soon as I had the time.

 

Dear Marianne,

 

I get tons and tons of e-mails each day warning me about this and that, some

are virus-warnings and some are other " IMPORTANT WARNINGS!!!! " ;-). Here are

my personal sentiments on this subject: I wish everyone would check the

source of a forward or warning before forwarding it. 95% or more of the

" warnings " I receive are hoaxes, the rest is true. By just forwarding

something without checking it for content, hoaxes are spread lightning-fast

on the web. And in some ways this is worse than a virus. Some of the stuff I

receive is really scary and if I didn't know better would force me into

living in a mousehole, shut away from the bad bad world...;-) It is

especially frustrating when I look at the e-mail's history and see how many

people already forwarded the same nonsense. And I feel bad for the people who

receive it and believe it, not knowing to tell the difference.

Not criticizing you at all, Marianne, just explaining a different

perspective. Your info was valid, but " raw " and some people, I guess, are

just tired of yet another unsourced info after being swamped for years and

years with nonsense...

 

Btw, www.snopes.com, my personal favorite to check for validity of forwards,

is highly amusing. I have spent hours there, reading the stories spread, true

and false. Now I am working on getting a life...:-)))

 

OK, off the soapbox.

 

:-) Gabriela

PS: As this whole thread is somewhat (hey, it's about a virus after all)

off-topic, I would encourage those who want more computer-health-related info

to sub to groups like A-Helping-Hand . Excellent group of very

helpful people!

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Gabriela - as I put in my last email - that was supposed to be the end of the

subject but you insist on carrying it on. Thank you for the criticism (you

say it wasn't but I beg most humbly to disagree) it was noted and be certain

that in future, I will keep all off topic information to myself and the

select few who obviously did appreciate receiving the information.

 

> I get tons and tons of e-mails each day warning me about this and that, some

>

> are virus-warnings and some are other " IMPORTANT WARNINGS!!!! " ;-). Here

> are

> my personal sentiments on this subject: I wish everyone would check the

> source of a forward or warning before forwarding it. 95% or more of the

> " warnings " I receive are hoaxes, the rest is true. By just forwarding

> something without checking it for content, hoaxes are spread lightning-fast

>

> on the web. And in some ways this is worse than a virus. Some of the stuff

> I

> receive is really scary and if I didn't know better would force me into

> living in a mousehole, shut away from the bad bad world...;-) It is

> especially frustrating when I look at the e-mail's history and see how many

>

> people already forwarded the same nonsense. And I feel bad for the people

> who

> receive it and believe it, not knowing to tell the difference.

> Not criticizing you at all, Marianne, just explaining a different

> perspective. Your info was valid, but " raw " and some people, I guess, are

> just tired of yet another unsourced info after being swamped for years and

> years with nonsense...

>

> Btw, www.snopes.com, my personal favorite to check for validity of

> forwards,

> is highly amusing. I have spent hours there, reading the stories spread,

> true

> and false. Now I am working on getting a life...:-)))

>

> OK, off the soapbox.

>

> :-) Gabriela

> PS: As this whole thread is somewhat (hey, it's about a virus after all)

> off-topic, I would encourage those who want more computer-health-related

> info

> to sub to groups like A-Helping-Hand . Excellent group of

> very

> helpful people!

>

>