VIRUS ALERT!!!

> >TO: Trojan Army Listserv < Trojans-L@troy.org
> >RE: WARNING!! BEWARE GREEKS BEARING GIFTS!
> >
> >Hey Hector,
> >
> >This was forwarded to me by Cassandra--it looks legit. Please
> >distribute to Priam, Hecuba, and your 99 siblings.
> >
> >Thanks,
> >
> >Laocoon
> >
> >WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
> >
> >IF YOU RECEIVE A GIFT IN THE SHAPE OF A LARGE WOODEN HORSE DO NOT
> >DOWNLOAD IT!!!! It is EXTREMELY DESTRUCTIVE and will overwrite your
> >ENTIRE CITY!
> >
> >The "gift" is disguised as a large wooden horse about two stories
> >tall.
> >
> >It tends to show up outside the city gates and appears to be
> >abandoned.
> >
> >DO NOT let it through the gates! It contains hardware that is
> >incompatible with Trojan programming, including a crowd of heavily
> >armed Greek warriors that will destroy your army, sack your town,
> >and kill your women and children. If you have already received such a
> >gift, DO NOT OPEN IT! Take it back out of the city unopened and set
> >fire to it by the beach.
> >
> >FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!
> >
> >Poseidon
> >
> >=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> >FROM: hector@studmuffin.com
> >TO: laocoon@doomgloom.edu
> >RE: Greeks bearing gifts
> >
> >Laocoon,
> >
> >I hate to break to you, but this is one of the oldest hoaxes there
> >is. I've seen variants on this warning come through on other
> >listservs, one involving some kind of fruit that was supposed to kill
> >the people who ate it and one having to do with something called the
> >"Midas Touch." Here are a few tipoffs that this is a hoax:
> >
> >1) This "Forward this message to everyone you know" junk. If it were
> >really meant as a warning about the Greek army, why tell anyone to
> >post it to the Phonecians, Sumerians, and Cretans?
> >
> >2) Use of exclamation points. Always a giveaway.
> >
> >3) It's signed "from Poseidon." Granted he's had his problems with
> >Odysseus but he's one of their guys, isn't he? Besides, the lack of a
> >real header with a detailed address makes me suspicious.
> >
> >4) Technically speaking, there is no way for a horse to overwrite
> >your entire city. A horse is just an animal, after all.
> >
> >Next time you get a message like this, just delete it. I appreciate
> >your concern, but once you've been around the block a couple times
> >you'll realize how annoying this kind of stuff is.
> >
> >Bye now,
> >Hector