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.
"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.
"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."
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.
Internet users
are urged to examine themselves for symptoms of the
virus, which
include the following:
the willingness
to believe improbable stories without thinking the
urge to forward
multiple copies of such stories to others
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.
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.
Courses in critical
thinking are also widely available, and there is
online help
from many sources, including
Department of
Energy Computer Incident Advisory Capability at
http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACHoaxes.html
Symantec Anti
Virus Research Center at
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/index.html
McAfee Associates
Virus Hoax List at
http://www.mcafee.com/support/hoax.html
Dr. Solomons
Hoax Page at
http://www.drsolomons.com/vircen/hoax.html
The Urban Legends
Web Site at
http://www.urbanlegends.com
Urban
Legends Reference Pages at
http://www.snopes.com
Datafellows
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:
Evaluating Internet
Research Sources at
http://www.sccu.edu/faculty/R_Harris/evalu8it.htm
Evaluation of
Information Sources at
http://www.vuw.ac.nz/~agsmith/evaln/evaln.htm
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 message
is so important, we're sending it anonymously! Forward it
to all your
friends right away! Don't think about it! This is not a
chain letter!
This story is true! Don't check it out! This story is so
timely, there
is no date on it! This story is so important, we're
using lots of
exclamation points! For every message you forward to
some unsuspecting
person, the Home for the Hopelessly Gullible will
donate ten cents
to itself. (If you wonder how the Home will know you
are forwarding
these messages all over creation, you're obviously
thinking too
much.)
******************************************************************
ACT NOW! DON'T
DELAY! LIMITED TIME! NOT SOLD IN ANY STORE!
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