October 2003                                        The Megaphone                                                Page 8

Worm Your Way Out of This One

NO BUGS

Dear Cyberwocky: I have received notifications from various sources stating that my e-mail and attachments were undeliverable due to a virus or other harmful content. Problem is, I never sent these messages. I have no clue who the recipients might be.

Clueless in Cucamonga

Dear Clueless: Actually, what you don't have a clue about is how the SoBig virus works. I'm just curious: Did all of those stories and warnings about it that have clogged the airwaves, newspapers and Web portals just not register? 

  SoBig, like Klez before it, uses a bogus "From:" line. It gets an e-mail address from an infected machine and uses that. If it happens to be your address, the virus-carrying letter is bounced back to you - sans virus - as if you're the one who actually sent it. So be careful accusing someone of sending you the virus . . . maybe they did . . . maybe they didn't.

  What you - or anybody else - should have done was to carefully read the bounce notifications. Most of them include the name of the virus removed. Then look it up on Google. Is that so hard? You can also visit Symantec <http://www.sarc.com> . . . and take them up on their offer to scan your computer online for "free" . . .  I'm guessing "free" would appeal to you . . . simply click on "check for security risks" . . . and they'll even offer suggestions on how to rid your computer of the damaged file(s). 

  Update your virus definitions and run a full scan on your computer when you're done. Oh, and try paying attention to what's going on around you. 

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  Send your serious and not so serious computer questions to Dear Cyberwocky <cyberwocky@snicker.com> . . . who knows, you might even get a personal reply . . . but check back here next month . . . if you can find the place.

Cyberwocky

    In case you missed it . . . #1:

Too Late

The days and months now flying by,

Leave little thought and little room,

We seldom know not when or why,

Too late . . . comes much too soon.

    In case you missed it . . . #2: This clip ran several months ago . . . in the Megaphone . . .

Drug Problems

                
YES, I had a drug problem when I was young.
I was drug to church on Sunday morning.
I was drug to church for weddings and funerals.
I was drug to family reunions no matter the weather.
I was drug to the bus stop to go to school every weekday.
I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults and teachers..
I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents.
Those drugs are still in my veins; and they affect my behavior in
every thing I do, say, and think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack,
or heroin, and if today's children had this kind of drug problem,
America just might be a better place.

Submitted by Elmer (Mean Gene) Eisaman 1942
Bullhead City, AZ

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