On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 17:21:12 -0500, "Martin X. Moleski, SJ"
wrote:

On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:17:31 GMT, Larry Dighera wrote in :

On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:29:29 +0100, Stefan
wrote:

Larry Dighera schrieb:

That will only affect those users who are ignorant enough to run
e-mail client program that automatically opens links embedded within
e-mail messages such as Microsoft Outlook Express.

Savvy users have nothing to fear.

Actually, it affects those users who are ignorant enough not to
recognize a hoax.

How can one be SURE it's a hoax if one is unable to see the contents
of the e-mail message without launching the links contained in it?

A savvy user either disables that feature or uses an
e-mail client that doesn't automatically launch links
contained in the e-mail.

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/merry-chr...rus-hoax.shtml

http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/invitation.asp

Or they have their incoming e-mail checked for viruses.

Marty


Right. There is NO WAY to know for sure if the e-mail message is
malicious or not without looking at its contents.

My question was a rhetorical challenge to Stefan's assertion:

"Actually, it affects those users who are ignorant enough not to
recognize a hoax."

My point is, that it's not possible to recognize a hoax without
looking at the contents of the message.