AOL.EXE Joke/hoax

[Mr-Eiz]

Originally posted by Mr-Eiz: Should be called the "What a Jerk" Hoax Consumed with his own interpretation of humor, Ray Owens, the owner of the Joke A Day mailing list, decided to play a spiteful trick on his readers. Taking his cue from the hysteria created by the SULFNBK.EXE hoax, Ray thought it might be funny to compose a similar warning - this time telling people to locate and delete the AOL.EXE file, claiming it was a virus. Complaining that AOL users were the "the absolute stupidest people", Ray created his joke and sent it out on two separate mailing to his list subscribers. Rather than incorporating a bit of humanity and realizing that not all people have achieved the same level of computer savvy as he, Ray then blasted the unfortunate novices who believed the hoax and deleted the file. Shame on you, Ray. The "joke" Ray sent follows: Pay attention: VIRUS WARNING!!! It has been brought to my attention that there's an insidious new computer virus which has already affected close to 30 million computers. Even though I'm running the latest McAfee and Norton viri scans, neither have picked up this virus as it's a mutating virus which isn't set to go off until Friday, June 8, 2001. As many viri are, this one is transmitted by email. I'm required by law to contact everyone that has received email from me in the last six months and warn them about this virus. TO REMOVE THIS VIRUS BEFORE IT BECOMES EFFECTIVE: ** Click your start button. ** Click on "Find". ** Click on Files / Folders. ** Change the "look in" input box to "My Computer". ** The named input file should have: AOL.EXE Once the find engine has located the file, highlight it and press the delete button. Deleting this file will fix a damaged 30 megabyte area of your hard drive and restore it to full functionality. WARNING: KEEPING THIS FILE ON THE SYSTEM AFTER JUNE 8 WILL COST YOU $2.90 MORE PER MONTH! FAILURE TO REMOVE THIS FILE WILL KEEP YOUR "UPPER MEMORY MANAGEMENT" MODULE OF YOUR INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT (IQ OVER 85) BLOCKED. DELETING AOL.EXE WILL FREE YOUR IQ TO GO ABOVE 85!!! About Poll Is Ray Owens, the AOL hoax creator, a: Jerk Funny Guy Can't Decide Current Results DELETING THIS FILE WILL ALLOW YOU TO SPELL CORRECTLY AND USE THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROPERLY. BADLY INFECTED SYSTEMS (I.E., SYSTEMS THAT HAVE DESTROYED YOUR ABILITY TO FOLLOW THE SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS ABOVE) CAN HAVE THE VIRUS REMOVED BY TELEPHONE. CALL 1-888-265-8008 AND TELL THE OPERATOR TO CANCEL THE VIRUS. THE OPERATOR WILL DEACTIVATE THE VIRUS FROM THEIR END. TECHNICAL NOTE: YOU **MUST** EXPLAIN TO THE OPERATOR YOU'RE ATTEMPTING TO DEACTIVATE THE AOL.EXE VIRUS. THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT OFFICE YOU'RE TALKING TO IS EXTREMELY PROFESSIONALLY EMBARRASSED BY UNLEASHING THIS VIRUS ON THE WORLD AND WILL DELAY DEACTIVATING IT. FOR LEGAL REASONS, THEY MAY EVEN *DENY* THE EXISTENCE OF THE AOL.EXE VIRUS. DON'T FALL FOR THEIR STORY! Ray's follow up comments defend his actions, scoffing at AOL users as the "clueless teeming millions who have absolutely no business anywhere near a computer or on the Internet." Careful, Ray. Remember, what goes around, comes around. THIS IS A HOAX

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hunger need brain food
...................Hum you got brain for me??


Hi Ho Hi Ho
It's of to play we go

Eiz

[This message has been edited by Mr-Eiz (edited 06-12-2001).]

[Lavindathar]

You have to admit though, it is funny.But I'm not an AOL user, therefore not stupid.

But If they did delete it,then they really are stupid.

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[Moridin]

I guess that is why the TV adds keep saying "It's so simple to use!"

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Ever wonder if illiterate people get the full effect from alphabet soup?

Originally posted by Mr-Eiz:

LOL.. well, if they believed THAT, they ARE stupid!

[Charean]

There was another version of this virus.. both are based on that Polish virus hoax where you delete your own files via the honor system and pass it on. This other one has you delete a Windows file... insidious, and made rounds in the Government offices before some smart folks got it stopped.

Funny how people don't bother to check and verify things they get in email.

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Defender for the Light -
Goodness knows there is a lot of Dark out there!! - Where are my matches?!?
Wandering Soul - Finding my life's calling is Bodhisattva
Looking for lost brain - I left it only for a moment....and there it goes... rolling under the table!!
Renunciate in Training
Trucker Punkin Fluffy

[RudeDawg]

But, if it's on the Internet, it must be true !!!

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[SSJ4Sephiroth]

that was quite funny, but did he have to call AOL users stupid? some of my good friends use it, and theyre pretty damn smart! o well, guess theyre just misguided

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I'll kidnap ya fer 100, reprogram ya fer 300, and kill ya fer 500! Oh come one! I'll throw in the killin' fer 250!

[Billikins the Bold]

For what its worth, I'll pass another virus warning I got recently, just in case you good folks get hit with it...

VIRUS WARNING
This virus warning is genuine.
There is a new virus going around, called "work." If you receive any sort of
"work" at all, whether via email, internet or simply handed to you by a
colleague...DO NOT OPEN IT.

This has been circulating around our building for months and those who have
been tempted to open "work" or even look at "work" have found that their
social life is deleted and their brain ceases to function properly.

If you do encounter "work" via email or are faced with any "work" at all,
then to purge the virus, send an email to your boss with the words "I've had
enough of your crap... I'm off to the pub."
The "work" should automatically
be forgotten by your brain. If you receive "work" in paper-document form,
simply lift the document and drag the "work" to your garbage can. Put on
your hat and coat and skip to the nearest bar with two friends and order
three pints of beer (or rum punch). After repeating this action 14 times,
you will find that "work" will no longer be of any relevance to you and that
"Scooby Doo" was the greatest cartoon ever.

Send this message to everyone in your address book. If you do NOT have
anyone in your address book, then I'm afraid the "work" virus has already
corrupted your life.



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Fear? I know not the meaning of the word. And you can keep that dictionary away from me!

Originally posted by SSJ4Sephiroth: that was quite funny, but did he have to call AOL users stupid? some of my good friends use it, and theyre pretty damn smart! o well, guess theyre just misguided

.
Not all AOL users, only the ones who didn't spot the clues in the e-mail (e.g., IQ over 85, spelling/grammar comments)
.
I think it's funny myself. Wonder how many people fell for it?


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In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is pimp.
http://lordraptor0.tripod.com/index.html

[Bruce The Aussie]

i'm an AOL user but i'm smart. the reason i'm smart is because i want to get rid of it and get something else. also anyone who didn't realize not to delete that file shouldn't be messing with program files in the first place (bunch of idiots) also since desiding i hated and despised AOL my iq has gone up from 47 to 97 (J/k)

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Bruce The Aussie, Camp Barbarian Hunter OHF
jester of LH and Master Beastmaster of the clan of the Kats