At 05:19 PM 3/12/98 -0600, you wrote:
>WARNING, CAUTION, DANGER, AND BEWARE!
>Gullibility Virus Spreading over the Internet!
>
>WASHINGTON, D.C.--The Institute for the Investigation of Irregular
>Internet Phenomena announced today that many Internet users are becoming
>infected by a new virus that causes them to believe without question
>every groundless story, legend, and dire warning that shows up in their
>inbox or on their browser. The Gullibility Virus, as it is called,
>apparently makes people believe and forward copies of silly hoaxes
>relating to cookie recipes, email viruses, taxes on modems, and
>get-rich-quick schemes.=20
>
>"These are not just readers of tabloids or people who buy lottery
>tickets based on fortune cookie numbers," a spokesman said.  "Most are
>otherwise normal people, who would laugh at the same stories if told to
>them by a stranger on a street corner." However, once these same people
>become infected with the Gullibility Virus, they believe anything they
>read on the Internet.=20
>
>"My immunity to tall tales and bizarre claims is all gone," reported one
>weeping victim. "I believe every warning message and sick child story my
>friends forward to me, even though most of the messages are anonymous."=20
>
>Another victim, now in remission, added, "When I first heard about Good
>Times, I just accepted it without question. After all, there were dozens
>of other recipients on the mail header, so I thought the virus must be
>true." It was a long time, the victim said, before she could stand up at
>a Hoaxees Anonymous meeting and state, "My name is Jane, and I've been
>hoaxed." Now, however, she is spreading the word. "Challenge and check
>whatever you read," she says.=20
>
>Internet users are urged to examine themselves for symptoms of the
>virus, which include the following:=20
>
>=B7 the willingness to believe improbable stories without thinking
>=B7 the urge to forward multiple copies of such stories to others
>=B7 a lack of desire to take three minutes to check to see if a story is
>true
>
>T. C. is an example of someone recently infected. He told one reporter,
>"I read on the Net that the major ingredient in almost all shampoos
>makes your hair fall out, so I've stopped using shampoo." When told
>about the Gullibility Virus, T. C. said he would stop reading email, so
>that he would not become infected.=20
>
>Anyone with symptoms like these is urged to seek help immediately.
>Experts recommend that at the first feelings of gullibility, Internet
>users rush to their favorite search engine and look up the item tempting
>them to thoughtless credence.  Most hoaxes, legends, and tall tales have
>been widely discussed and exposed by the Internet community.=20
>
>Courses in critical thinking are also widely available, and there is
>online help from many sources, including
>
>=B7 Department of Energy Computer Incident Advisory Capability at
>http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACHoaxes.html
>=B7 Computer Virus Myths page at http://www.kumite.com/myths
>=B7 IBM's Hype Alert web site at
>http://www.av.ibm.com/BreakingNews/HypeAlert
>=B7 Symantec Anti Virus Research Center at
>http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/index.html
>=B7 McAfee Associates Virus Hoax List at
>http://www.mcafee.com/support/hoax.asp
>=B7 Dr. Solomon's Hoax Page at
>http://www.drsolomon.com/vircen/vanalyse/va005.html
>=B7 The Urban Legends Web Site at http://www.urbanlegends.com
>=B7 Urban Legends Reference Pages at http://www.snopes.com
>=B7 Datafellow's Hoax Warnings at
>http://www.Europe.Datafellows.com/news/hoax.htm
>
>Those people who are still symptom free can help inoculate themselves
>against the Gullibility Virus by reading some good material on
>evaluating sources, such as
>
>=B7 Evaluating Internet Research Sources at
>http://www.sccu.edu/faculty/R_Harris/evalu8it.htm
>=B7 Evaluation of Information Sources at
>http://www.vuw.ac.nz/~agsmith/evaln/evaln.htm
>=B7 Bibliography on Evaluating Internet Resources at
>http://refserver.lib.vt.edu/libinst/critTHINK.HTM
>
>Lastly, as a public service, Internet users can help stamp out the
>Gullibility Virus by sending copies of this message to anyone who
>forwards them a hoax.
>
This rteminds me of a story told by a comedian (I can't remember who) who
said that rgwew was so much information on the harms of smoking that he
decided to give up reading.
Horatiio