TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Last Laugh! You Have Been Infested With a Birus

Re: Last Laugh! You Have Been Infested With a Birus

Matt Simpson (net-news99@jmatt.net)
Mon, 17 Apr 2006 10:45:56 -0400

This one has been circulating for a while, with the ethnicity changing
to suit the sender (Kentucky virus, redneck virus, etc.)

What's ironic is that a very similar "virus" with slightly different
wording used to circulate very successfully.

A few years ago, it was common to receive breathless warnings from
well-meaning but clueless friends about the latest "virus". The
message would give instructions to dig into some obscure Windows
system folder, and if you found a certain file there, it meant you had
a virus and you should delete the file. The message usually included
a note that said "Oh my god. . I found this on my system!! You may be
infected too!!"

The "virus" file turned out to be a normal, but obscure, part of
Windows that was supposed to be there. But people blindly followed
the instructions to delete it, and then forwarded the message to all
their friends. Deleting it usually didn't break the system very
badly. But if the message had specified a more vital file, many
people probably still would have deleted the file and forwarded the
message (if their system stayed up long enough for them to forward
it).

So it may seem funny to joke about ignorant people obeying a message
to delete critical files from their system and then forward the
message to their friends, but when the message was worded just a
little bit differently, many people of all ethnicities did just that.

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