Quote from Forum Archives on October 4, 1999, 12:23 pm

Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>

Standing Shoulder To Shoulder With You In The Trenches
As We fight The Good Fight

SHOULDER TO SHOULDER "Adendum" ---- 10/4/99

TITLE: Resources on Checking Hoaxes and Obsolete Letters

Dear "Shoulder To Shoulder" recipient:

I got quite a bit of response on this week's letter regarding virus
hoaxes and obsolete prayer requests. One brother from Florida
recommended I request information from a Christian letter called BRIGATA.
I did so, and here is what I received. I was impressed enough that I
wanted to send this special note on to you, for what it's worth to you.

If you feel it has merit, and I certainly do, I'd suggest you mail it to
everyone you know who has been bombarded with such stuff. Maybe if we
all work at it together, we can at least help cut down on this time
consuming blight.

In Christ's bond,

Bob Tolliver ---- (Rom 1:11-12)
__
/ |
(_/____)
/ ^ ^
{ (O) (O) }
------oOOO---------U--------OOOo------

Hang in there! I'm with you!

-------.ooooO--------------- Ooooo--------
( ) /
| | /
(_) (_)

TO SUBSCRIBE, send any message to <[email protected]>.
TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send any message to
<[email protected]>.

+++++++++++++++++++

Brigada Today "OPC Protocol" on email chain letters, virus notifications,
and mass mailings: (If you like, you could clip the following text and
paste it as a reply to any suspicious warning or chain letter you
receive. Hint: If there are more than 100 addresses in the "cc:" box,
this reply *might* be in order. 🙂 )

Hi! Thanks for your info., but the "virus" you're informing us about
just might be a hoax.

We suggested recently (in an issue of _Brigada Today_) that, prior to
forwarding any kind of "chain letter" or warning, that you look for:

*** VERIFIABLE ORIGIN: Does it have an author and a working email address
or web site? If not, don't forward it. If so, and if the content sounds
questionable, then write the source and verify it. If you don't get a
reply or if the site is bogus, toss it. By no means forward it to
everyone in Zanzibar!

*** VERIFIABLE PURPOSE: Will it make an actual difference if I forward
it? If it's a prayer request, make sure it meets the "closure test"
below.

*** VERIFIABLE CLOSURE: How will we know when it's complete? Does it
have a cut-off date?

So next time you compose a prayer request, or an urgent news update, or
whatever, make sure it meets the "Brigada OPC Test" -- Origin, Purpose,
and Closure. If not, *please* do the Net a favor and think twice before
forwarding it.

If you'd like to check out a "tip" you've received, here are some great
(and legitimate) websites on the web for doing so. If you don't
personally have economical access to the web, maybe a friend could search
the sites and relay relevant info to you.

kumite.com/myths/home.htm
urbanlegends.miningco.com/
www.av.ibm.com/BreakingNews/VirusAlert/
www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html
www.hoaxkill.com
www.nai.com
ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACHome.html
www.nonprofit.net/hoax/hoax.html
www.singnet.com.sg/staff/lorna/Virus (Note: the V must be
capitalized!)
www.primenet.com/%7Emwest/av.htm
www.primenet.com/%7Emwest/vir-atk.htm
www.towson.edu/%7Ejack/virus/virus.html
www.antivirus.com/
www.sasknet.com/%7Ebronm/
www.datafellows.fi/vir-desc.htm
www.usmcs.maine.edu/%7Elaferrie/humor/compvir.html

___________________________________________________________________
Get the Internet just the way you want it.
Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month!
Try Juno Web: dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.