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WARNING, CAUTION, DANGER, AND BEWARE!

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* WARNING, CAUTION, DANGER, AND BEWARE! Gullibility Virus
Spreading over the Internet!
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*  

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.

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* 

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.)

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ACT NOW! DON'T DELAY! LIMITED TIME! NOT SOLD IN ANY STORE!
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