Re: filmscanners: OT - Virus Alert

["Mark T." <markthom@camtech.net.au>]

At 07:28 AM 19/04/01 +0000, you wrote:
>I completely disagree with Mark about this.
Unlike some :), I am happy to hear dissenting views!
(That's not directed at you, Art, by the way)

>As a system admin, you might indeed get numerous warnings about a virus, but I
>only got one, and it came from this list.
I am also on a virus-info list, and I get on average 3-5 'real' virus 
warnings a week, but that gets multiplied many times by forwarded warnings, 
hoax warnings, and people emailing me to ask 'is this for real, and should 
I panic?'.  I always send them *exactly* the same set of information (about 
not opening attachments, updating their OS/browser, and keeping their av 
prog updated).

My concern is that if more than one person on the list decides to do this, 
it can get out of control - seen it happen on other lists.

>It was one email, took a second to read, and I'm glad to have received it.
>I appreciate the heads-up when these things happen, and no amount of
>"protection" is foolproof, especially if MS is involved.
As mentioned above, if you don't see these often, and you want to, you had 
better join an a-v list..!  There were 2 other nasties that didn't get 
mentioned here last week, for example.

>What is the "correct forum" for a warning about something that people need to
>know about ASAP?  Using the same logic, I suppose you'd say a hurricane 
>warning
>should only be announced on the weather channel.
I would agree *if* the virus was using a new technique, eg if it attacked 
you when you simply read an email or visited a site, but in this case it 
was the same-old-fashioned 'click here to get infected'.

Anyway, we agree to disagree!  Further discussion should probably go 
off-list, or I'll bow to Tony's executive decisions if he wants to make one!