Postcard from Hallmark

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 05 Sep 2008, 10:23

Unfortunately, hoax viruses never go away. The latest scare doing the rounds, entitled 'Postcard from Hallmark', warns of a virus that will burn your hard drive:

This is the worst virus announced by CNN. It has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever. This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information is kept.

If you receive this email, or any similar message, please do everyone a big favour and DO NOT forward it to everyone in your address book.

Here is a link that explains why:

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/postcard-virus-hoax.shtml

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 20 Sep 2008, 16:36

As a postscript to this, I recently received a chain-letter email concerning Madeleine McCann, with the usual exhortation to 'pass it on to everyone you know'. As far as I can tell, on this occasion it was a genuine attempt to publicise key elements of the case and to seek information, allegedly originating from an uncle of the missing girl. Should I have passed it on? I'm not sure.

The point is that I received this message, from someone I know, along with 25 other people I didn't know. However, I now have their email addresses because they were all in the 'To' field instead of 'Bcc'. It's an elementary netiquette faux pas - you wouldn't publish other people's telephone numbers without their consent and the same goes with email addresses.

I wasn't particularly bothered - it's not the first time it has happened to me and I'm sure it won't be the last - but one of the recipients felt strongly enough to respond rather curtly.

Just a point to bear in mind.

bearcub · Post by **bearcub** » 20 Sep 2008, 18:56

Detest these type of emails and delete them as soon as I get them.

Some "may" be sent for genuine reasons, but the "send this on to 25 others or else..." emotional blackmail always pi$$es me off.

arachnid · Post by **arachnid** » 20 Sep 2008, 22:42

bearcub wrote:Detest these type of emails and delete them as soon as I get them.

Some "may" be sent for genuine reasons, but the "send this on to 25 others or else..." emotional blackmail always pi$$es me off.

I agree! Especially when they say" if you don't send this to so many people you will have years of bad luck"!!!

I never pass these on!
My friends would hate me if I did!!!