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Re: Virus?

To:
Subject: Re: Virus?
From: Paul Foxworthy <>
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1998 17:46:33 +1000
At 16:51 8/04/1998 +1100, Eric Woehler wrote:
>>How can you send a virus via email unless you are sending someone
>>software? An email message cannot contain a virus, only games and
>>downloaded software contain such things, or I am I wrong? There are
>>frequent bogus virus alarms on the net.
>
>the macro viruses in MS Word and Excel are in documents, not in executable
>code. Also they can jump from Mac <> PC !!
>
>The apology WAS infected, and it is clear that both Mac and PCs were
>affected !!

Can I just add that the virus was in an *attachment* to an e-mail message,
not an e-mail message per se? 

daly is quite right to observe that e-mail of itself cannot carry a virus.
They're just plain text; it's impossible for them to carry viruses. Please
bear this in mind the next time you see a panic-stricken message to the
contrary, urging you to "tell all your friends NOW!. As daly says, false
rumours about e-mail have been endlessly circulating on the Internet for
years.

Attachments, including Word and Excel documents *might* carry a virus, but
you have the opportunity and I would suggest the duty to check the
attachment with a virus scanner before you open it. Several subscribers to
this list seem to be on the ball here!

There's no need to be scared, just careful.

Cheers

Paul Foxworthy

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