AM I MISSING SOMETHING? Re: latest virus hoax

[James Bass]

Doug,
Just what were you trying to do with this piece of foolishness?

I take virus warnings quit seriously as I have a large number of
vulnerable files and so I have one of the best 'backweb' based
virus protections out.  It usually inoculates the system for a virus
before the rest of us know it's a problem. (And, if no fix is available
for a while {as with MELISSA}  all kinds of precautions are sent out.)
Nothing had come for WOBBLER.

So, I quickly went to a really Geek anti-virus site to check their latest
alerts;  No WOBBLER; No WOBBLER hoax.

I then remembered your IBM reference and I quickly went to their anti-virus
site (it took about 30-40 seconds as I'm on a slow machine tonight).
Nothing
about WOBBLER.  I then quickly checked the  NAI (McAfee) site....again,
nothing.  What's important about the NAI site is that it lists the latest
virus
warnings AND hoaxes.  Nothing...nothing!

As one final check I did a search on the Symantec (Norton) site for
"WOBBLER" and it produced the following:
------------------------------
"WOBBLER Virus Hoax
VirusName:      WOBBLER Virus Hoax
Aliases:        none
Known Variants: Hoax
Infection Length:       Hoax
Area of Infection:      Hoax
Likelihood:     Hoax
Region Reported:        email
Keys:   Hoax
Description:
This information is a hoax and should be ignored."
-----------------
Thus,  Doug, you produced a null set!   ....a non- problem!   ...a waste of
time.

So, Doug, [1] if your purpose was to play a childish prank on TAXACOM: you
succeeded!  I for one can't afford to not take virus warnings seriously.
[Maybe
the urban legend reference about 'needles in the seats' was your way of
giving
us a hint....]

Or, [2] if you were serious why didn't you at least check the IBM site you
referenced?

To quote the last lines of your message:  "Always check first, before
passing things
 on. Lousy smart-ass practical jokers are almost worse than *real*
viruses."

           Possibly....just, possibly!
     Jim

----------
From: Doug Yanega <dyanega at POP.UCR.EDU>
To: TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG
Subject: latest virus hoax
Date: Wednesday, July 07, 1999 12:57 PM

On the theory that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, be
warned a new "virus" hoax is passing around:

>>Please read carefully:  A new virus:  WOBBLER.
>>
>>Just in case you do not know about it yet, please read the information
>>below.
>>
>>It will arrive on e-mail titled "CALIFORNIA".  IBM and AOL have
>>announced that it is VERY powerful, more so than Melissa, and there is
>>no remedy.  It will EAT all your information on the hard drive and [snip]

This hoax is explained at
http://www.europe.datafellows.com/v-descs/wobbhoax.
and probably other sites.

Now none of you kind folks has an excuse to believe it when you get it, or
pass it on. If you do receive it, pass the above info on to whoever sent
the hoax to you and encourage them to pass a retraction along. Same goes
for ALL suspicious-sounding messages, like "Congress wants tax on e-mail",
"Long distance charges for e-mail", "IBM gives away free computers", "HIV
needles in theater seats", "Cyanide on ATM envelopes", "E-mail petition for
XYZ", etc. - never trust ANYTHING that urges you to "pass it on". Always
check first, before passing things on. Lousy smart-ass practical jokers are
almost worse than *real* viruses.

Peace,


Doug Yanega       Dept. of Entomology           Entomology Research Museum
Univ. of California - Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521
phone: (909) 787-4315 (standard disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)
                http://insects.ucr.edu/staff/yanega.html
  "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
        is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82
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