[tlug] Postmasters, DON'T let this happen to YOU Joke of the Day

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com>]

So one of the XEmacs lists gets spammed by a virus _and_ a virus
scanner notification.  A subscriber bitches, and in the process of
trying to figure out how to stop the spam I discover that

(1) The open relay is Japanese
(2) Operated by an ISP (large, if the number of NS registered with
    WHOIS is any indication)[1]
(3) Which proceeded to scan for and remove _two_ viruses
(4) Leaving _the third_ for the Antigen installed at Cornell to bitch
    about.

Sheesh.

But the point is that even if you think you're covered, you can get
hosed by somebody not so clued in your own group (it looks like the
scanner and the relay are two separate hosts).

<RANT>
Why don't _any_ of the virus scanners (not even MIMEDefang, last I
checked) leave a trail behind, eg adding

X-Butchered-By: Antigen@example.com on 2002-04-25 13:13:13 -1313
X-Pounds-of-Flesh-Extracted-From-MIME-Parts: #2, #5, #287
X-Temporary-Storage-URL: http://antigen.no.clue.edu/000@example.com/
X-Best-If-Used-By-Date: 2002-05-02 13:13:13 -1313

to the headers of the message transmitted to the intended recipient
and at least something like

Antigen@example.com discovered virus Procmail_Rocks_Symantec_Sucks.H
in your message <000@example.com> of 2002-04-25 09:09:09 +0900

to the diseased individual?  Huh?  Huh?
</RANT>


Footnotes: 
[1]  Details on request for those with NEED TO KNOW and an If I Told
You, I'd Have To Kill You clearance.  Or two Frosted Flakes boxtops
and the ability to post to a.s.r.


Hi, Echelon-san!
Ruby Ridge Noriega Croatian nuclear White Water New World Order clones
Legion of Doom Clinton terrorist Nazi Khaddafi Albania
counter-intelligence World Trade Center


-- 
Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences     http://turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp
University of Tsukuba                    Tennodai 1-1-1 Tsukuba 305-8573 JAPAN
 My nostalgia for Icon makes me forget about any of the bad things.  I don't
have much nostalgia for Perl, so its faults I remember.  Scott Gilbert c.l.py