** PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOUR REPLY GOES TO THE MAILING LIST. ** Greetings: I apologize for what I see as the need to send this message, and for duplicates that you may receive. I am *NOT* inviting discussion on this topic. Far from it. But, with recent events and news reports, some announcement seems to me to be in order. Fortunately, I am talking about something which is NOT a problem on our list right now. Let's help it stay that way. There are some nasty new strains of malicious programs, such as the MSBLASTER worm, which have been turned loose on an unsuspecting and undeserving public. (There is no use wondering about the immature and corrupted nature of a person who would do such a thing.) We are well past the point where not opening attachments can protect us from infection through e-mail. If you are running any form of Microsoft Windows, it is an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY that you have an up-to-date antivirus program installed on your computer and properly set up. There are any number of good ones. Use one, and keep it current. Second, malicious programs LIE. They lie about what they are doing. If they come in e-mail, they lie (in their teeth) about who sent them. This is very important to understand. If an infection *seems* to come from a RootsWeb mailing list, it is a lie. If it seems to come from a person with whom you have corresponded, it *may* be a lie. Third, virus alerts, scam alerts, and SPAM alerts are ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN on this mailing list, unless sent by the list admin -- who is myself. There are **NO EXCEPTIONS**. Such alerts are often incorrect, and frequently continue hoaxes that can be as damaging as a virus. ("I found this virus on my computer. I may have infected you, so if you find this virus on your computer please delete it." So you do -- and there goes a Windows Operating System file you need.) The most important thing is that even if this information is correct, this mailing list is NOT the place to post it. For more information, see any of the antivirus programs' web sites. Another good basic resource may be found at: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/ Look in the left column, and scroll down a bit until you see the link: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/announce.html#virus Again, I apologize for what I see as the need for this message, and for possible duplicates. I also remind you NOT TO REPLY TO THE LIST. My private address is below. You can discuss almost anything with me through that address, without recriminations. Karima List Administrator [email protected] --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.511 / Virus Database: 308 - Release Date: 8/18/2003