E-Mail Virus Hoax - New "World Trade Center - 911"

In late September of 2001, the "WTC Survivor E-mail Virus Hoax" began making its way around the Internet. The e-mail message warned people not to open any e-mail messages that contained the words "WTC Survivor" in the subject line. ("WTC" is short for World Trade Center.) The unlucky person who did so would see their entire "C" drive erased off their computer. This e-mail warning was nothing more than an e-mail hoax. There was no truth to it.

Now there is an updated version of the "WTC Survivor" hoax that has been making its way around the Internet in recent weeks. The increase in its circulation in the last few weeks is probably due to the heightened concern about the recent Middle East situation.

Following is the actual text of one version of the updated "World Trade Center - 911 E-mail Hoax" that you may have already received or may soon receive via e-mail:

During the next several weeks, be VERY cautious about opening or launching any e-mails that refer to the World Trade Center or 9/11 in any way, regardless of who sent it. PLEASE FORWARD TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, "WTC" STANDS FOR THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. REALLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL OPEN IT RIGHT AWAY, THINKING ITS A STORY RELATING TO 9/11! BIGGGG TROUBLE !!!! DO NOT OPEN "WTC Survivor" It is a virus that will erase your whole "C" drive. It will come to you in the form of an E-mail from a familiar person. I repeat, a friend sent it to me, but called and warned me before I opened it. He was not so lucky and now he can't even start his computer! Forward this to everyone in your address book. I would rather receive this 25 times than not at all. So, if you receive an email called "WTC Survivor", do not open it. Delete it right away! This virus removes all dynamic link libraries (.dll files) from your computer.

If you receive this e-mail message, do NOT forward it to your friends. This is an e-mail virus hoax.

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Save $1.00 Every Month On Internet Service - Convenient Payment Services Save You Money

Introducing two new discounts from Scatter Creek InfoNet--the EasyPay discount and the E-bill discount. Customers who sign up for EasyPay will automatically receive a 50 cent discount on their monthly billing. Customers who sign up for E-bill and choose not to receive a paper bill will also receive a 50 cent discount. (Discounts apply to monthly Internet accounts only.) For more information on these or other services, feel free to call our business office.

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Ask The Help Desk - How Do I Get Rid Of Pop-up Windows That Appear When I Am Surfing The Web?

Question: I keep getting these annoying "pop-ups" and "pop-unders" that appear when I access certain websites. Is there a way of quickly getting rid of these?

Answer: This is a more recent marketing technique used by some online advertisers. When a surfer accesses certain websites, a small pop-up window (or sometimes a pop-under window) appears. (Pop-under windows are windows that appear underneath the Web page window the user has requested. Many times the user may not even know it is there until he or she is getting ready to close his or her Web surfing session.) The goal of the pop-up advertiser is to encourage the Web surfer to click on the advertiser's window rather than going to the originally requested site. Research has shown that most Internet users consider this form of marketing an annoyance. However, this marketing method must be somewhat effective as online advertisers continue to utilize it.

So how do you prevent these pop-ups? There are some freeware programs available on the Web that will automatically block specific pop-up ads. (The user chooses which ads to block.) New Web browsers are on the horizon that will allow users the choice of blocking pop-up ads. Apple's new Safari Web browser for OS X already includes a "Block Pop-up Windows" command. Alternatively, the easiest way to get rid of pop-ups and pop-unders is to either click on the little box with the "X" in it at the top right corner (left corner on a Mac) of the pop-up or pop-under window. An even quicker, shortcut method is to press the "ctrl" key and then the "W" key on your keyboard on the PC or the "Command" key and the "W" key on the Macintosh. This will cause the pop-up or pop-under window to immediately disappear. Give it a try next time one of these annoying windows appears.

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Great Sites To Check Out This Month

The Latest News On "Operation Iraqi Freedom"
http://cnn.com/ -  There are a number of good sites out there for getting the very latest news on the events occurring in Iraq. One of them is the official site of the Cable News Network (CNN). This site is updated throughout the day and evening and includes an archive of recent photos and videos.

News Directly From the Department of Defense
http://defenselink.mil/ -  The U.S. Department of Defense's website provides breaking news directly from the Pentagon. It also provides word-for-word transcripts of news briefings presented by the Secretary of Defense, Donald H. Rumsfeld, Air Force General Richard B. Myers (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff), and other Pentagon personnel.

Gardening Tips From The Farmers' Almanac
http://www.farmersalmanac.com/gardening/gardening.html -  Published annually since 1818, the printed version of The Farmers' Almanac has guided generations of farmers and gardeners in their quest for the ultimate green thumb. The online version of the publication provides a "Monthly Farm and Garden Bulletin" so you'll know exactly when to plant, spray, and cultivate this spring. The site also includes a "Gardening Tip of the Day" section and a helpful "Regional Garden Reminders" link.

Making Something Out Of Nothing
http://make-stuff.com/ -  If you like saving a few bucks and making stuff on your own, this is your site. Make-Stuff.com shows you how to make useful items out of everyday stuff. Click on the "Recycle It" link to learn how to make gifts or practical items out of old CD's, plastic pop bottles, wire hangers, baby food jars, egg cartons, and tuna cans!

Learn To Play Golf On The Net
http://golf101.com/ -  It's the next best thing to having a personal golf instructor. Golf101.com provides step-by-step tutorials (including photos) by PGA teaching pros on topics like driving, putting, sand traps, choosing clubs, short game, and more. There are no more excuses for being a "duffer" out on the course this year!

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Short Tutorial - Increasing The Text Size Within Received E-mails

Sometimes the size of the text can be pretty small and difficult to read on e-mails that you receive. Both Outlook Express and Netscape Communicator provide an easy method of enlarging (or decreasing) the font size of an e-mail message you've received. Here's how to do it:

Outlook Express 5 or 6 Using a Windows PC

1. Open the e-mail message in which you want to adjust the text's size.
2. Click your cursor arrow on "View" located on the menu bar found at the top of your computer screen.
3. Move your cursor arrow down to "Text Size." You can now choose a larger (or smaller) font size from the resulting submenu.

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Best regards,

All of Us at Scatter Creek InfoNet

©2003 Cornerstone Publishing Group Inc.

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