Grant reminded me today about the sad story of Craig Shergold (or here, of course).

It must be such a pain to be the target of this sort of thing, and yet it continues. I recently received a sad story about someone supposedly suffering in Auckland, but how am I to know if it is true? If I even enquire about it's truth I may be contributing to the problem!

I'm sure that many people receive more of these than me, perhaps because I have historically come down pretty hard on people near and dear to me who have forwarded me these sorts of things. Over the last ten years my approach has softened somewhat: I have switched to forwarding them, by return e-mail, the following warning (I have no idea where I got it from - I certainly didn't write it):

*********************************************************
WARNING, CAUTION, DANGER, AND BEWARE!
Gullibility Virus Spreading over the Internet!
*********************************************************

WASHINGTON, D.C.--The Institute for the Investigation of Irregular Internet
Phenomena announced today that many Internet users are becoming infected by
a new virus that causes them to believe without question every groundless
story, legend, and dire warning that shows up in their inbox or on their
browser. The Gullibility Virus, as it is called, apparently makes people
believe and forward copies of silly hoaxes relating to cookie recipes, email
viruses, taxes on modems, and get-rich-quick schemes.

"These are not just readers of tabloids or people who buy lottery tickets
based on fortune cookie numbers," a spokesman said. "Most are otherwise normal
people, who would laugh at the same stories if told to them by a stranger
on a streetcorner." However, once these same people become infected with the
Gullibility Virus, they believe anything they read on the Internet.

"My immunity to tall tales and bizarre claims is all gone," reported one
weeping victim. "I believe every warning message and sick child story my
friends forward to me, even though most of the messages are anonymous."

Another victim, now in remission, added, "When I first heard about "the
sulfnbk.exe virus" and Good Times, I just accepted it without question. After
all, there were dozens of other recipients on the mail header, so I thought
the virus must be true." It was a long time, the victim said, before she
could stand up at a Hoaxees Anonymous meeting and state, "My name is Jane,
and I've been hoaxed." Now, however, she is spreading the word. "Challenge
and check whatever you read," she says.

Internet users are urged to examine themselves for symptoms of the virus,
which include the following:

The willingness to believe improbable stories without thinking the urge to
forward multiple copies of such stories to others a lack of desire to take
three minutes to check to see if a story is true T. C. is an example of someone
recently infected. He told one reporter, "I read on the Net that the major
ingredient in almost all shampoos makes your hair fall out, so I've stopped
using shampoo." When told about the Gullibility Virus, T. C. said he would
stop reading email, so that he would not become infected.

Anyone with symptoms like these is urged to seek help immediately. Experts
recommend that at the first feelings of gullibility, Internet users rush to
their favorite search engine and look up the item tempting them to thoughtless
credence. Most hoaxes, legends, and tall tales have been widely discussed
and exposed by the Internet community. Courses in critical thinking are also
widely available, and there is online help from many sources, including:

Department of Energy Computer Incident Advisory Capability at

http://www.ciac.org/ciac/

Symantec/Anti Virus Research Center at

http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/index.html

McAfee Associates Virus Hoax List

http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?id=hoaxes

Urban Legends Reference Pages

http://www.snopes.com/

Wikipedia on Urban Legends

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_legend

Datafellows Hoax Warnings

http://www.f-secure.com/virus-info/hoax/

Those people who are still symptom free can help inoculate themselves against
the Gullibility Virus by reading some good material on sources, such as:

Evaluating Internet Research Sources

http://www.virtualsalt.com/evalu8it.htm

Evaluation of Information Sources

http://www.vuw.ac.nz/~agsmith/evaln/evaln.htm

Lastly, as a public service, Internet users can help stamp out the Gullibility
Virus by sending copies of this message to anyone who forwards them a hoax.

(line of asterisks here)

This message is so important, we're sending it anonymously! Forward it to all
your friends right away! Don't think about it! This is not a chain letter! This
story is true! Don't check it out! This story is so timely, there is no date
on it! This story is so important, we're using lots of exclamation points! For
every message you forward to some unsuspecting person, the Home for the Hopelessly
Gullible will donate ten cents to itself. (If you wonder how the Home will know
you are forwarding these messages all over creation, you're obviously thinking
too much.)

*********************************************************
ACT NOW! DON'T DELAY! LIMITED TIME! NOT SOLD IN ANY STORE!
*********************************************************

A wee bit dated now, perhaps, but as Pete Bulmer said when I pointed that out to him "Are you kidding? That stuff circles the internet for years. People don't get any smarter ... and if it is dated, that just makes it more poignant."

Indeed. So I've dusted it off, cleaned up some of the links, and pasted it up here where more people will be able to refer to it - and in the hope that you can retaliate with it next time someone tries to infect you with the gullibility virus.