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Greetings! If you are a Pioneer of Pisay, and you have an email address, why don't you join the Pioneers' Mailing List (PML)? Keep in touch with fellow grads. Catch the latest gossips, be informed of meetings, or just feel involved.
To SEND MAIL to the PML, please send email to pioneers@psynet.net or to 50pioneers@usa.net.

To SUBSCRIBE to the PML, please send email to pioneers.subscribe@psynet.net or if that fails, send it to sherylyn@usa.net.

 

Pioneers currently on the PML

Anna K. Lyre
Apple Meg
Carlos Paul
Cherry Pilar
Clint Rhena
Khrisna Ryan
John D. Sherylyn
John V. Techie
Lucienne Winston

 

The Pioneers also have their own Fun Mailing List. If you want to receive jokes, IQ tests, and other fun stuff, SUBSCRIBE to sherylyn@usa.net.

 


Some Tips Re:Email Virus Hoaxes, Chain Letters, etc.,...
To make email more efficient and hassle-free, please read the following notices.
All PC users,

Take note that "A.I.D.S" and "Lethal Virus" are new Virus Hoaxes.

Apart from that, virus Warning message with these keywords also categorized

under Virus Hoaxes:

"AOL4Free", "Baby New Year" "Bud Frogs Screen Saver", "BUDDYLST.ZIP Email",

"Deeyenda", "Ghost.exe", "Good Times" , "Irina", "Join The Crew", "A Moment

Of Silence", "Penpal Greetings", "Returned or Unable to Deliver",

"Valentine's Greetings"..

The right thing to do is to read the message, understand that it is a Hoax

and delete it.

Please note that all valid virus warnings must come from the IVRT.

Visit "ivrt.intel.com" for more information...

Rgds, PC Sim

Penang IVRT member

 

INTERNET FALLACY: URBAN LEGENDS / URBAN MYTHS / URBAN FOLKLORE
 
Urban Legends can be usually identified by the following characteristics:

- It happened to a friend of a friend of a friend's wife's brother's parent, or something of that nature. There is usually a note at the end that the person swears that a friend of hers knows the actual person it happened to.

- There is no reputable source to back up the story. Or if a source is mentioned, it is fiction.

- There is enough specifications present in the story such as brand names, places, famous people, etc. This tends to create an assumption of higher knowledge from the story teller.

There is a possibility that urban legends could be true but the vast majority of them never happened anywhere. If the story is indeed true, there should be a reputable source to back it up such as a corporate website, a press release or new article. If there is reference to a company or organization, check that company's website or contact their public affairs office.

There are over a hundred urban myths that have circulated the internet so far. Some of the more common ones (which most of you have received) are as follows:

- The Great Kidney and Bathtub Caper

-The Neiman-Marcus Cookie Recipe  (this has already been explained by the Neiman Marcus company --- they do not charge anything for a recipe.  You can ask for it anytime.)

-Cyber-Sex and finally an eye to eye meeting with who else but ...Daddy?

-The dying boy / girl story wishing to receive email or postcard or NBA cards, etc.

-Bugs enter a person's ear and eat their way through his brain and out the other ear.

-Drug dealers use hollowed-out bodies of murdered babies to smuggle cocaine into the USA.

- Car cannot be sold at any price because of the horrible smell permeating it.

... and many more.

 

Computer hoaxes or more often virus hoaxes
Many myths have surfaced about the threat of computer "viruses."   There are myths about how widespread they are, how dangerous they are, and even myths about what a computer virus really is.

Most of the virus hoaxes that has circulated in the internet pertains to supposed email viruses with certain subject headings.  NONE OF THESE ARE TRUE. Let it be clear that computer viruses cannot reside on an email message ONLY. It can, however, possibly reside on an ATTACHMENT to the email message provided that the ATTACHMENT is any of the following types:

- A Word document (usually with the extension .doc)

- An Excel file (usually with the extension .xls)

- An Executable file (usually with the extension .exe or .com)

Further, the computer virus will only be activated if you open or run any of these types of attachments.

The safest thing to do is to save the attachment to your hard disk.  Scan it for viruses and then open it if it passes the virus check.

In the general category of computer hoaxes, we most often here of chain letter hoaxes such as the Windows 98 and $1,000 reward offered by Bill Gates,  the damien (666) reference to windows products, etc.

As a matter of policy, chain letters (whether urban myths, computer hoaxes, jokes, virus hoaxes) are illegal use of email.  Once you receive a chain letter, STOP the chain at once by deleting that email permanently. Alternatively, you may inform the email administrator of your company or orgnization by forwarding him/her the copy and then deleting it in your inbox.

With this write-up, we hope to be able to impart some knowledge on what is going on in the internet and how to act on it.

- Source: ABS-CBN



 
   

 

 


Page created: August 27, 1997
Last updated: September 26, 1998
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