Hoaxes and Myths

I thought this elective was so much fun. Although I understand the dangers associated with email fraud and viruses, I found myself spending WAY too much time perusing the most popular hoaxes, myths, and legends of the day. I hadn't been that entertained in quite a while. I did, however, find a picture of a cat that had been shaved in typical poodle-like fashion. Unfortunately, my fiancé’s cat is shaved almost the exact same way. Sometimes truth IS stranger than fiction!

I read all of the threads and realized that I, too, have been subjected to the email concerning a student's science fair project. Normally, I delete strange emails and chain letters, but I took this one in the name of education and passed it along. The question is, do I feel foolish? Haven't decided on that one, yet.

Like Heidi, I have been getting TONS of virus warnings from strange ALA addresses. What concerns me, though, is the fact that they do not go to my generic, "just for fun" yahoo! account, but to my school address. I haven't discovered the source or reason as of yet. So, yes, Heidi, I am getting them too and have no idea why. I will tell you this, though, I'm not about to open one and find out! :)

There are tell-tale signs of hoaxes that are obvious to the tech-savvy user. We realize that if we do not know the sender of email or if the RE line is strange, we need to immediately delete the mail. I often get forwards from my tech crew warning teachers not to open certain mail. It seems that there are a few in my district who will open anything from anyone. There is also the tell-tale sign of "utmost importance." It seems that true hoaxes are always based on a do-or-die mentality. I think the creators of these hoaxes love to rely on the panicky mob mentality of people. The trap lies, however, in the emails that are sent by loved ones. They are obviously doing nothing out of malice, but unfortunately end up sustaining the hoax.

Another way to protect yourself is to do exactly what a few of the other SLM 521 students have done -- your homework. Go research the history of the hoax (if it is one). Consult your tech crew and use common sense. There are so many ways to protect yourself; unfortunately, it just means being overly cautious and a bit paranoid.