In response to Ken's email below. My understanding is that the virus in question can not be spread through the Rootsweb mailing lists. This virus is transmitted in attachments to emails. The Rootsweb mail servers will not forward any emails that have attachments. Therefore the virus can not be transmitted via the rootsweb lists. I personally receive this virus at least 3 times a day. Always from a different person, and never from anyone I know. My thoughts are that the people sending this virus around get our emails addresses free and easily because we publish them on internet sites, home pages, genealogy bulletin boards, etc. All they need do, is subscribe to a list, lurk in the background, receive all the messages posted to the list and then they have quite a long list of email addresses that they can use to send this virus to. While these lists may be being used as a means to 'collect' email addresses, the lists themselves are not perpetuating the virus. Rootsweb has mechanisms in place to stop the spread of virus' through it's lists. I hope this helps. Cheers - Ian. ---------- From: Ken Butters[SMTP:kbutters@glen-net.ca] Sent: Wednesday, 24 January 2001 15:09 To: PERTHSHIRE-L@rootsweb.com Subject: RE: [PERTH] Virus! Hi Everyone, I keep hearing of folks having virus problems on the Genealogy Sites, and in the meantime my Internet Service provider has warned me three times so far that someone has sent me a virus called " W95.hybris.gen ". Could I be getting this from the Boards subscribed to, even if there are no attachments to open? I guess I don't quite understand how it works, but the mail I receive daily is from Perthshire, etc. I did buy and install McAffee Virus scan which tells me that this virus originated in South America. I guess I'm lucky that my ISP has the capability of killing the virus before it reaches my machine. Apart from recounting my experience to you, in an effort to find a common thread, is this virus known to any of you? Ken The message about the virus HAD a virus, and while my computer caught it...... others may not have. I hope this won't offend anyone but.... Don't open unsolicited mail (spam) especially if it has a download/attachment Jokes or sex lures to another site should not be followed Get a good virus program like Norton, that has a subscription for automatic updates to keep up with new bugs. If you learn you have a virus, Please, don't email others! Especially not a list, with people connect to many other lists. It's like carrying Ebola at an International Airport! Backup your files frequently, especially handy are the automatic backups, and if you have the funds, get a ditto tape drive, Zip disk, or CD burner for backing up your hard drive. This is not meant as blame, as you are not responsible for spam and virus programs, you are a victim and virus programs can look harmless.......but we can all learn something about how to prevent its spread. We are a list/family which means we have to take care of one another. Education is our goal, even if it is really genealogy we want to learn about, sometimes computer and human etiquette problems arise. Live and learn....... Mary in Oregon ______________________________ ______________________________