--------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Timothy Hill <[email protected]> DISREGARD THESE AND ANY SIMILAR MESSAGES YOU RECEIVE. THESE E-MAIL "VIRUS ALERTS" ARE FRAUDULENT HOAXES. THERE IS NO WAY THAT SIMPLY OPENING AN EMAIL CAN AFFECT YOUR SYSTEM. THESE EMAIL HOAXES HAVE BEEN GOING AROUND FOR YEARS. UNFORTUNATELY, EVERY YEAR A NEW GROUP OF INEXPERIENCED INTERNET USERS BEGIN USING THE WEB, AND THEY BECOME VICTIMS OF THESE HOAXES. THESE HOAXES ARE TYPICALLY CHARACTERIZED BY TWO THINGS: 1) A DIRE WARNING ABOUT THE SUBJECT FIELD OF A RECEIVED EMAIL. THE EARLIEST HOAX I KNOW ABOUT WAS CALLED THE "GOOD TIMES" VIRUS, BECAUSE THE HOAX WARNED ABOUT OPENING EMAILS WITH THE SUBJECT "GOOD TIMES". 2) A THREAT THAT OPENING SAID EMAIL WOULD IN SOME WAY DAMAGE YOUR SYSTEM. EMAILS ARE NOTHING BUT TEXT DOCUMENTS AND AS SUCH ARE INCAPBLE OF AFFECTING YOUR SYSTEM OTHER THAN TO CREATE THESE ANNOYING HOAXES. (Note that downloading executable programs, or running executable files which have been attached to an email is another matter. Any downloaded executable file should be treated with appropriate caution.) PLEASE INFORM EVERYONE YOU KNOW WHO USES INTERNET EMAIL THAT THESE MESSAGES ARE HOAXES DESIGNED TO FRIGHTEN THE INEXPERIENCED COMPUTER USER. I DOUBT VERY MUCH THAT THEY WILL EVER GO AWAY, BECAUSE OF THE RATE AT WHICH NEW COMPUTER AND INTERNET USERS IS GROWING, BUT INFORMING NEW USERS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE IS THE BEST WAY TO COMBAT THIS PARTICULAR FORM OF HOAX. TRH