My apologies to listowners in advance for posting this off-topic (and sensitive) message to your list. Readers PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE ON THE LIST!! ============================= Greetings All. In the last 24 hours there seems to have been a tremendous upsurge in transmission of virus carrying messages. During that period, at least 40% of the messages I have received have been transmitted by PCs infected by possibly a couple of new viruses currently making the rounds. With the number of email I receive daily, 40% makes for a great number of messages, and an equal number of people whose PCs are infected. Many of these messages will appear to come from a mail list to which you do not belong, or from someone you do not know, or have never communicated with before. Many, but not all, of those I have received seemed to come from overseas mail lists. They may or may not show an attachment. They may appear to contain an incomplete message. For information on the viruses that are currently making the rounds please check the following websites: http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.bugbear@mm.h tml http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.opaserv.worm .html http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105-960139.html If the message you receive wraps these URLs, make sure you utilize the full line ending in .html PLEASE, people. Keep your anti-virus programs updated on a daily basis and do at least weekly scans of your PC to ensure you are not infected. These precautions will greatly reduce the proliferation of malicious viruses. For those using Microsoft Internet Explorer and Outlook or Outlook Express (as I do) I recommend taking advantage of the frequent free security updates available for download from Microsoft. My apologies once more to listowners for posting this off topic message. Listers, PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE ON THE LIST. If you feel an uncontrollable (although unnecessary) urge to respond to this message, please do so privately. Do not feel it necessary to respond to this message -- just take the necessary precautions to protect yourself, and others, by ensuring your PC is not infected. Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee Port Coquitlam, BC http://globalgenealogy.com/Census en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm