As the quite owner and co-moderator of CLICK4HP I would like to offer a
strong suggestion to ourselves when it comes to posting _warning_ and
_action_ messages.

As important as it is to confront the baser side of human activity, and
without getting into what is appropriate for CLICK4HP and what is not,
there is a small and easily correctable problem that comes up with the
anti-XYZ warning/action postings. The same problem comes up with
anti-virus warning/action postings.

There is no way to know if the problem is current (or real) since the
postings do not 'point to' or 'flag' and site or email address that will
allow one to carry out 'due diligence'. This can be easily corrected if
the message contains a web site address where one can go for current
status information. Warnings are known to drift around the internet, like
a ghost ship, for years after they were relevant. When a posting says
'they' are doing it 'again' you should get very nervous about how topical
the warning is.

There are sites that document virus fraud, fund raising fraud (remember
the little virtual girl for whom your email would generate pennies _from_
[sic] the Cancer Society?). So, if possible, make sure the posting has a
reference web site. If it is not there, go look for one. It will only take
a few minutes, you will feel better knowing that what you forward, or
don't forward is handled correctly. The next best thing to a web site is
an email that will verify the authenticity of the message. The "sick
little girl" postings only had a fictious [log in to unmask] place to send
message to but no address to verify the message.

If you have neither of those, don't forward the message. If you feel you
really have to forward it - keep the DATE: and FROM: addresses for those
who supplied it to you and post them at the top of the body of the
message. That way we will know where you got it and if you decide to pass
it on, others will know that you saw fit to pass it on.

But, the best thing to do is check, a little 'due diligence goes a long
way, and those downstream will appreciate your good habits.

Sam Lanfranco <[log in to unmask]> Owner-Co-Moderator, CLICK4HP