Rhonda, Thanks for that explanation. I'm a very happy and contented, retired pathologist living in south-central Ohio. For 5 years now, I've been chasing my ancestors and relatives and have collected 50,000 names, related genetically or by marriage. I have no malice. I was an unfortunate victum of the BAD TRANS virus which took all of my incoming emails, and unbeknownced to me, labelled them in various ways (several were sarcastic to the sender), attached the virus itself and sent them back. That's why some people got several emails - they kept sending them back to me. My anti-virus system had been updated only 15 days earlier. With the help of other technicians, I am clean. I hope no one has to experience the frustration of 3 days trying to get my computer back to working order. It is a terrible feeling to be falsely accused of such criminal activity. I hope none of them have the bad experience. But my anti-virus was only 15 days since updated. At the time I became infected, they did not have an anti-virsu program for this virus. But for the sake of God, there goes I. Love of Family, Friends and Genealogy I'm going back to doing what I enjoy so much - With Rootsweb, Ancestry.com and the many people who want to work with me. Even today, I received a branch of my maternal grandfather from a guy I never met - except through Rootsweb. Ben Mertens [email protected] A Very Nice Guy! ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, April 21, 2001 4:19 PM Subject: [LARAPIDE] Unfortunate business > Hi folks, > > Before things get too hysterical... > > "Platinumsoul79" seems to have been a frustrated fool who is apparently gone > from the list now. The following is his profile from aol: > Member Name: Supa D My Under Construction Webpage --> > http://hometown.aol.com/pla tinumsoul79/index.html > Location: Pineville/Alexandria, LA USA > Sex: Male > Marital Status: Single, Not Looking > Hobbies: Writing Poetry....Dreaming About The Future.... > Computers: Compaq Presario > Occupation: ......... Don't Let The Brain Interfere With The Heart <-- > Albert Einstein > Personal Quote: "When you're young, you can't wait for time to pass by and > you only wish for it to go by quicker; but as you grow to become older, you > beg for time to stand still and for time to slow down." > > I REALLY don't think this is Ben Mertens!!! LOL The complication came in > when a virus apparently attached itself to Ben's email program and was sent > back to the list as a response to Platinumsoul79's request for removal. > > I don't know why the posters today did not see Ben's letter to the list which > explained that and apologized for it. Perhaps they deleted the letters > without reading them -- which, under the virus circumstance, may have been > the wise thing to do. > > It all seems to be an unfortunate coincidence. I accept Ben's explanation > and apology; I also am relieved that Platinumsoul79 has gotten his wish to be > removed from the list. Now let's bury it all and get back to our harmonious > research. :-) > > By the way, I was also confused by the warning not to "d/l" the letters. I > at first thought this meant "don't delete them," but now I believe it meant > "don't download them." Is that correct? > > Best to all, > Rhonda >