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ADMIN: Posting Rules Reminder and Virus Information
Subject:ADMIN: Posting Rules Reminder and Virus Information From:TECHWR-L Administrator <admin -at- RAYCOMM -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 13 Nov 1998 08:46:03 -0700
Gang,
Virus warnings and discussions thereof are ALWAYS
inappropriate for this list. Why? Because people
irresponsibly forward warnings and
hoaxes without verifying the reliability and accuracy
of the information. For a group of people who specialize
in accurately communicating technical information,
I'm astounded at the number of people who will
blindly assume the accuracy of an email forwarded
through countless people, and then further propagate
the (almost invariably mis-) information.
At the suggestion of John Glenn (real name), a techwr-l lurker,
I'm forwarding both my (thoroughly researched and
reliable) references and his summary of virus information links,
simply so it'll be in the archives for anyone who needs it.
<ejray>
The message you just forwarded is a hoax.
Please read the definitive sources at
<John Glenn>
There recently have been several posts regarding what
turns out to be a computer virus hoax. To help list
subscribers identify a computer virus from a computer
virus hoax, I went surfing.
AltaVista made the following ''hits'' when a search was
initiated for ''computer virus hoax'' I quit checking
after the first two pages of the returned list. There
were som 80 ''hits,'' but many were of little/no value
and many simply pointing to a previously logged URL (e.g. http://kumite.com/myths/home.htm).
This list, therefore, is **not** all-inclusive.
NOTE: Several URLs were submitted by TECHWR-L
subscribers; I have not visited each site.
University of New Hampshire Co-Op page http://ceinfo.unh.edu/compvirs.htm
points to
Computer Virus Myths http://kumite.com/myths/home.htm
points to
US DOE Internet Chain Letters http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac
with **internal** links to
Hoax info ... /CIACHoaxes.html
Virus info ... /CIACVirusDatabase.html
Chain letters ... /CIACChainLetters.html
and other ''stuff'' of interest
DMR Consulting Group Inc. consultant available
for sub-contracting - have passport:will travel
===========================
</John Glenn>
Thanks!
Eric
POSTING RULES FOR TECHWR-L
Revised 31 July 1998
I strongly encourage everyone to read and understand these
rules before posting to TECHWR-L. Any list member may
be removed from the list, at the listowner's discretion,
for flagrant or repeated infractions. Additionally, if
you are abusive to the listowner or other list members,
you may be removed from the list.
WHAT TO POST
* If it is about technical communication and of general
interest, post it.
* If it is about technical communication and original and
humorous, post it.
* If it is a job offer for technical communicators, post it.
WHAT NOT TO POST
* If it doesn't clearly and directly relate to technical
communication, don't post it.
* If it relates to _language use_ but not technical
communication, it probably isn't appropriate.
Don't post it.
* If it relates to _computer use_ but not technical
communication, it probably isn't appropriate.
Don't post it.
* If it continues an irrelevant thread in any way
(rebuttal, rebuke, rerun, revision, remark), don't
post it.
* If it is a personal message to a single subscriber,
don't post it. Even if mail to that person bounces.
* If you aren't sure, don't post it.
* If it is a test message, do not post it. Ever. Contact
the listowner if you have problems posting or with your
subscription.
* If it is something cute, interesting, or funny that
you found on the Internet (e.g. Dr. Seuss on Tech
Writing, origin of spam), don't post it. I assure
you that most readers have seen it already.
OTHER
* Check your facts on anything you post. Do not under
any circumstances post virus warnings or anything else
designed to be "forwarded to everyone you know" to this
list.
* Do not directly attack anyone for anything on the list.
Take issue with ideas, not personalities, and do
NOT point out grammatical, spelling, or usage errors.
This forum is not the place to exercise editorial
frustration.
* Edit all unnecessary quoted messages and TECHWR-L footers
out of your postings, and make sure that you send only
plain text messages and no attachments to the list.
* Please do post job ads -- they are welcome. Please
put the location and general job description in the
Subject line. E.g. something like
JOB: Sr. Tech Writer, SF, California, USA.
* Do not post job ad critiques. If you don't like the
job, don't apply. If you have an issue with the
terminology or phrasing, take it up off-line
with the company.
* Please do not post other ads in any form, for they are
not welcome. The one exception is for ads that directly
address a topic under discussion on the list. For example, if
a reader posts a question about snazzling software and
the company you work for makes Snazzler for Doors, posting
information about the product would be fine.
* Please make sure your E-mail address is included in
the body of the message you post to the list.
* If responses are sent to you--not to the whole list--please
summarize and post the entire summary back to the list.
A summary should include attributions so others can pick
up conversations offline if necessary with original posters.
When you send a summary back to the list, use the word
"SUMMARY" as the first word of the "Subject" line."
* Direct all commentary about this message to my
address, not the list.
*********************************************************************
Eric J. Ray TECHWR-L Listowner
ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com http://www.raycomm.com/
Syndicated columnist: Rays on Computing
Technology Department Editor, _Technical Communication_
Co-author of _Unix Visual Quickstart Guide_, _Mastering HTML 4_,
_Dummies 101: HTML 4_, _HTML 4 for Dummies Quick Reference_, others.
