Folks,

This is the third or fourth iteration of the Good Times virus warning on
Museum-L since I've been subscribing (and I've lost track of how many
times it's floated through other discussion lists to which I'm
subscribed). In each case there has been much more traffic telling us
that "it's a hoax" than was necessary. All that does is make the person
who posted the message feel bad for trying to do a good turn and clogs
everyone's mail boxes. In hopes of averting more of this sort of thing,
I offerthe follow:

1) If you receive a "virus warning" from anywhere - check it out with
your own network people _before_ passing it on. If they tell you it's a
hoax, delete the warning and move on. If they think it's real, or don't
know, post the warning.

2) If someone on the list posts a warning and you know for certain that
it's a hoax - wait. I would suggest that the list owner (as if they
don't have enough to do) check out the warning. The list owner can post
a single message, telling us whether its a hoax or not.

3) If the list owner doesn't know and you do, then (and only then)
post your own message about the "virus."

What this accomplishes is:
  If there is a real warning, we all get warned.
  If it's a hoax, we get one "warning" and one hoax report. Two
     messages, total.
  If it's something new, we get one "warning," one "I don't know," and
     hopefully someone who does know can fill us all in.

(Sorry to drop this in the lap of the list owner, but you seem the
logical ones to act as point of contact)

Paul Silbermann                  National Air and Space Museum
[log in to unmask]             Archives Division
**************These opinions are mine, not NASM's**************