The Worm Turns! Can anybody check this with snopes.com? I'm in a time crunch tonight, but curious.

[Radio_Lady]

Thanks to any DUer who wants to check this out. Your opinions, too, if this idea makes any sense. Best from Radio_Lady in Oregon


Subject: HOW TO PROTECT YOUR ADDRESS BOOK!

I received this from a computer knowledgeable friend. Sounds like a good idea to me. I didn't believe that a simple trick like this would work so I asked my IT Guy. It does work & he's been doing it for years. Go figure.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR ADDRESS BOOK! I learned a computer trick today that's really ingenious in its simplicity. As you may know, when a worm virus gets into your computer it heads straight for your email address book, and sends itself to everyone in there, thus infecting all your friends and associates. This trick won't keep the virus from getting into your computer, but it will stop it from using your address book to spread further, and it will alert you to the fact that the worm has gotten into your system. Here's what you do:

First, open your address book and click on "new contact," just as you would do if you were adding a new friend to your list of email addresses.

In the window where you would type your friend's first name, type in "A". For the screen name or email address, type "[e-mail]" <MAILTO:[e-mail]> <A>.

Now, here's what you've done and why it works:

The "name" "A" will be placed at the top of your address book as entry#1. This will be where the worm will start in an effort to send itself to all your friends. But, when it tries to send itself to [e-mail], it will be undeliverable because of the phony email address you entered. if the first attempt fails (which it will because of the phony address), the worm goes no further and your friends will not be infected.

Here's the second great advantage of this method: If an email cannot be delivered, you will be notified of this in your in box almost immediately. Hence, if you ever get an email telling you that an email addressed to [e-mail] could not be delivered, you know right away that you have the worm virus in your system. You can then take steps to get rid of it!

Pretty slick, huh? If everybody you know does this then you need not ever worry about opening mail from friends. Pass this on to all your friends.

[Whoa_Nelly]

1. Snopes says it's false

http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/quickfix.htm

Claim: Including a fake e-mail address in your address book will prevent your PC from spreading computer viruses.
Status: False.

[Radio_Lady]

3. Thanks, Whoa_Nelly! Appreciate it.... whooosh...

[Blue-Jay]

2. OK, I don't get it.

You have time to copy & paste it on DU, but no time to check it out on snopes.com?

[Radio_Lady]

4. Blue-Jay, go snarl at someone else, please! I'm having a hell of a time with back

pain, have to schedule three sessions with exercises and traction each day here at home, and, like most other people, have to tend to other projects prior to Thanksgiving. Get some compassion, kiddo! Thanks for nothing!

Unless, of course, you meant your comment with :sarcasm:.

In which case, I apologize...profusely...

RL in Oregon

[Lyric]

5. Ugh, I sympathize.

I have a herniated disk in my lower back that can be absolutely excruciating at times. :(