As someone who is trained in both management and IS, I'm at times puzzled,
amused, and sometimes even irritated about the comments made regarding
computer viruses/worms, and this list is no exception.
1. I know of no sensible person who automatically opens all attachments
before knowing what that attachment contains.
2. I know that we are all responsible for making sure that our systems are
clean from any infectious diseases.
3. As a listowner when I find someone propagating a virus/worm, I suspend
the individual until they remedy the situation. Furthermore, I could use
virus checking utilities on the server before resending the e-mail.
4. I realize not everyone is literate on this subject, and thus much panic
is sown. Are we educators, or are we demagogues?
In summary, let's not be too harsh in our actions or reactions. It could
have happened to any of us (as demonstrated by some of the examples already
posted to the list). No, I don't like receiving infected files, but in the
same way as I may inadvertently pass on an illness at a meeting (let's just
remember that it is possible to be asymptomatic and yet a carrier),
electronic communication has many of the same risks. Let's be adults about
it, and move on to the real substance.
Ron Vyhmeister
Director, Information Systems Programs
Universidad Adventista del Plata
Entre Rios,Argentina