From bobrankin@MHV.NET Tue Jan 6 17:01:04 1998
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 02:35:17 -0500
From: Bob Rankin
Reply-To: TOURBUS-Request@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
To: TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Subject: TOURBUS - 16 Dec 1997 - The End Is Near!
_________ ____________ ________ __________ _____________ ___ _
/ | / | | / | \
| "Why | Surf When / You Can | Ride The | Bus?" / | \
|__________|__________/__________|__________|___________/ | \
/ /______|----\
| WE'VE GOT ERNIE! Bob and Patrick have gotten |//////| |
| their hands on the coveted SING & SNORE ERNIE |//////| |
| dolls, and we're giving them away free to a |//////| |
couple lucky TOURBUS PLUS riders! For details, |//////| |
| visit http://www.TOURBUS.com/plus.htm |//////| |
\________________________________________________________|______|____|
/ \ / \ / \
\___/ \___/ T h e I n t e r n e t T o u r B u s \___/
TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPIC: The End Is Near!
Hi All! I hope you've enjoyed your ride on the TOURBUS, because we only
have time for two more issues before a hideous computer virus utterly
destroys every computer on the planet. So the only sane thing to do is
eat!
+------- VISIT SANTA'S SNACK BAR -------- -------+
Holidays stressing you out - need help shopping? Shop on-line at
Twin Peaks Gourmet Trading Post. Pumpkin FudgeSwirl Cheesecake,
Sugarfree Spiced Cranberry Sauce! Prizes to be won - Maybe by you!
Be the "hostess with the mostess" - Make holiday shopping a delight
Gourmet treats - Gift certificates - Corp. gifts - Sampler packs
+------- VISIT SANTA'S SNACK BAR -------- -------+
+----------300 Incredible Things to Do on the Internet---------------+
Get this great book to give as a gift during the holidays - only $7.95
Come to our site and learn why people are buying tons of this book!
+-------------- ----------------------+
Yes, it's true... on December 25, 1997 the dreaded PANTS/HAGIS "logic
bomb" will wreak havoc on computers worldwide unless the demands of
these two cyber-terrorists to release their hacker friend from prison
are met. Or so the rumor goes -- but don't believe it.
Actually, the truth is this: The ever popular Yahoo.com website was in
fact penetrated by hackers on December 8th, and for a few minutes, the
following appeared in place of Yahoo's home page:
> P4NTZ/H4GiS - W0RLD D0M1N4T10N '97
>
> For the past month, anyone who has viewed Yahoo's page & used
> their search engine, now has a logic bomb/worm implanted deep
> within their computer.
>
> On Christmas Day, 1997, the logic bomb part of this 'virus,' will
> become active, wreaking havoc upon the entire planet's networks.
>
> The virus can be stopped. But not by mortals.
>
> The PANTS/HAGIS alliance has taken control of the world's computers.
> We own everyone, and everything. No one is safe. No computer is safe.
> Our goal, which we have achieved, is world domination.
Yahoo's monitoring system alerted them to the problem, and the spoof
(which was visible only to a tiny fraction of users with non-frames
browsers) was taken down within 15 minutes. Yahoo denies that any other
damage was done to their site, and dismisses the notion that any virus
could have been transmitted from their site to visitors' computers.
"There absolutely is no virus," says Yahoo spokeswoman Diane Hunt, and
computer security experts agree. (For more info on the Yahoo hack, see
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/story/9059.html)
So if you're one of the 26 million people to use Yahoo.com in the past
month, rest easy - your computer is safe. It's silly to think that a
virus could be invented that would be transmitted to every person
visiting a certain website, regardless of what kind of computer or web
browser the visitor uses.
But belief in this kind of stuff rages like wildfire on the Net. That's
why it's important to avoid the urge to pass along ANY virus alert. You
can't get a virus just by opening your e-mail. You can't get a virus by
simply visiting a website. Period. Really.
Next time you come across one of those ***VIRUS ALERT*** messages, don't
send it to a hundred friends. Instead visit the Computer Virus Myths
Homepage at
and learn the truth. This is a great site with information on dozens of
common virus myths.
*----------------------[ GIVE A GEEK A GIFT ]-----------------------*
What do you give a computer nerd who already has all the gadgets?
Easy - a new operating system to make it all work better!
Dr. Bob's NO B.S. GUIDE TO LINUX book makes it easy to run Unix on
an ordinary PC. Companion CD-ROM includes Linux Pro, Apache web
server and tons of freeware. 350 plain English pages - $29.95
*---- SAVE $5 ------- ------- SAVE $5 ---*
Tune in Thursday for a posting from guest driver Bob Crispen (that's
Patrick's father). Patrick is having oral surgery on Tuesday and will
be out of action for a couple weeks, so we'll be covering. I might even
find a Southern Word or two! --Bob Rankin
=====================[ Tourbus Rider Information ]===================
The Internet Tourbus - U.S. Library of Congress ISSN #1094-2238
Copyright 1995-97, Rankin & Crispen - All rights reserved
Archives on the Web at http://www.TOURBUS.com
Join: Send SUBSCRIBE TOURBUS Your Name to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Leave: Send SIGNOFF TOURBUS to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
=====================================================================
