How to Spot a Virus Hoax

Part 1. Hyperdriven

(Thoughts travel faster in a vacuum)

As 1997 begins, we've seen several virus alerts. None of them were real. And all of them were probably driven by a previously unwritten law of human nature. This newly-discovered theory explains how ideas are able to travel faster than the speed of thought. The theory may be stated thus:

"Thoughts travel faster in a vacuum."

Think about it. By removing the actual thinking process, thoughts can travel uninhibited and thus exceed all logical bounds. In addition, such thoughts often tend to become hyperdriven (adj. driven by hype). This explains a lot of phenomena. For example, sales are often hyperdriven. Indeed, marketing often depends on the buyer engaging in rational thought only after the fact.

More importantly however, it explains how stories on the Internet can spread so quickly.

Such stories have, of late, been a major problem on the Internet. It might even get to the point where hoaxes are more of a problem than viruses are. After all, a hoax is much easier to write than a virus is. A good rule of thumb for today is, "If you receive a virus alert message, don't believe it."

Let's look at the late-1996 crop of virus hoaxes. Our purpose is to glean enough information about them to easily recognize a new hoax when we see it. (For a fuller list of hoaxes, see our Hype Alert department.)