Groups > alt.folklore.computers > #163447

Re: Computer theft 1971

From	Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca>
Newsgroups	alt.folklore.computers
Subject	Re: Computer theft 1971
Date	2016-05-08 20:56 -0400
Organization	National Capital Freenet, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Message-ID	<alpine.LNX.2.02.1605082053480.26067@darkstar.example.org> (permalink)
References	<42a9c618-5ad0-4b2b-85dd-55262890abe9@googlegroups.com> <20160508060722.5c5795fdb729652de11c1452@eircom.net>

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On Sun, 8 May 2016, Ahem A Rivet's Shot wrote:

> On Sat, 7 May 2016 12:47:57 -0700 (PDT)
> hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
>
>> For the life of me, I can't understand why email software allows
>> the automatic execution of an attached program merely upon the
>> opening of an email.  This has allowed innumerable security breaches,
>> especially since saboteurs raid address books to find email accounts,
>> so the email looks legitimate.
>
> 	I recall telling people that the rumour of a virus that spread by
> email was nonesense because in order for anything in an email to be
> executed you would have to save it and run it, so as long as you weren't
> daft enough to do that with an unexpected email attachment nothing could
> happen.
>
Was that "the good times virus"?  After I got online to stay in late 1994, 
suddenly there was "the good times virus".  But it wasn't, it was a 
warning about a virus that didn't exist.  The wording was such that it got 
high travel.  Even one of the local alt weeklies covered it, right on the 
cusp of when they took notice of the world online.  "We haven't had a 
chance to verify this, but it sounds legit".  Which was the point, it 
sounded right to many, so they passed it on, like a virus.  But it was 
junk, it just sounded right enough, it wasn't right.

   Michael

Thread

Computer theft 1971 hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-05-07 12:47 -0700
  Re: Computer theft 1971 Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2016-05-07 20:59 +0000
  Re: Computer theft 1971 "Simo" <dhy287@gmail.com> - 2016-05-08 07:01 +1000
  Re: Computer theft 1971 scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2016-05-07 21:26 +0000
    Re: Computer theft 1971 Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net> - 2016-05-08 06:08 +0100
      Re: Computer theft 1971 Bob Eager <news0006@eager.cx> - 2016-05-08 08:35 +0000
  Re: Computer theft 1971 Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> - 2016-05-08 02:02 -0300
    Re: Computer theft 1971 Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2016-05-08 11:08 -0400
      Re: Computer theft 1971 Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> - 2016-05-08 16:04 -0300
        Re: Computer theft 1971 Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2016-05-08 17:46 -0400
    Re: Computer theft 1971 Rich Alderson <news@alderson.users.panix.com> - 2016-05-09 14:33 -0400
  Re: Computer theft 1971 Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net> - 2016-05-08 06:07 +0100
    Re: Computer theft 1971 Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-05-08 20:56 -0400
      Re: Computer theft 1971 Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net> - 2016-05-09 06:06 +0100
    Re: Computer theft 1971 Walter Bushell <proto@panix.com> - 2016-05-16 20:15 -0400
      Re: Computer theft 1971 jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> - 2016-05-17 12:32 +0000
      Re: Computer theft 1971 Bud Frede <frede@mouse-potato.com> - 2016-05-23 12:36 -0400
        Re: Computer theft 1971 Rich Alderson <news@alderson.users.panix.com> - 2016-05-23 16:40 -0400
        Re: Computer theft 1971 Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net> - 2016-05-23 21:40 +0100
  Re: Computer theft 1971 Anne & Lynn Wheeler <lynn@garlic.com> - 2016-05-16 18:30 -0700

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