This has already been commented on and found to be of virtually no use
against viruses [ viri? ]

Mike

> From: Larry Alofs <lalofs@ENTERACT.COM>
> Reply-To: Larry Alofs <lalofs@ENTERACT.COM>
> Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2001 18:40:17 -0500
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: anti-worm trick?
>
> I can't testify as to the effectiveness of the following, because I use
> Netscape as my mail reader.  It was forwarded to me and I thought it
> might be of use to someone.
>
> Larry A.
>
> As you may know, when/if a worm virus gets into
> your computer it heads straight for your email address book
> and sends itself to everyone in there,
> thus infecting all your friends and associates.
> This trick won't keep the virus from getting into
> your computer, but it will stop it from using your
> address book to spread further, and it will alert
> you to the fact that the worm has gotten into your system.
>
> Here's what you do: first, open your address book
> and click on "new contact" just as you would do if
> you were adding a new friend to your list of email
> addresses.  In the window where you would type
> your friend's first name, type in !000
> (that's an exclamation mark followed by 3 zeros).
> In the window below where it prompts you to enter
> the new email address, type in WormAlert.
> Then complete everything by clicking add, enter,
> ok, etc.
>
> Now, here's what you've done and why it works: the
> "name" !000 will be placed at the top of your address
> book as entry #1.  This will be where the worm
> will start in an effort to send itself to all your
> friends.  But when it tries to send itself to !000,
> it will be undeliverable because of the
> phony email address you entered (WormAlert).  If the
> first attempt fails (which it will because of the
> phony address), the worm goes no further and your
> friends will not be infected.
>
> Here's the second great advantage of this method:
> if an email cannot be delivered, you will be notified
> of this in your InBox almost immediately.
> Hence, if you ever get an email telling you that
> an email addressed to WormAlert could not be delivered,
> you know right away that you have the worm
> virus in your system.  You can then take steps to
> get rid of it!
>