Like the explanation David sent, that file was just a little program that assisted programmers. While no real harm should come to your computer from deleting it, there is a valuable lesson in the trick. Even though I'm a little flippant about these circulating E-mails nowadays, they really are a serious issue. Someone with not-so-great judgement accepts them as truth and then sends them out to everyone they know, who take it as words from THAT person. So pretty easily, these mass mails can become advice from trusted friends. It's important to note that when someone is copying a passage of text over that it's NOT coming from them. Although most people do discover their error, they usually neglect to tell all those people they forwarded it to about what the real story is. So it just keeps on going until god-knows-how-many people are affected. =End of my long tangent into computer stuff= --------------------------------------------------------------------- |If we shadows have offended, think but this, and all is mended: you | |have but slumbered here while these visions did appear. And this | |weak and idle theme, no more yielding but a dream. Gentles, do not | |reprehend. If you pardon, we will mend. | --------------------------------------------------------------------- >From: "Reen Brust" <reen at mpls.cx> >To: "David Gunderson" <azarule at hotmail.com> >CC: "Draegara List" <dragaera at dragaera.info> >Subject: Re: Fw: READ! (fwd) >Date: Wed, 12 Feb 2003 20:04:14 -0600 > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "David Gunderson" <azarule at hotmail.com> >To: <dragaera at dragaera.info> >Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2003 7:34 PM >Subject: Re: Fw: READ! (fwd) > > > > For future reference : When you get a notice mass-mailed out by >*anyone*, > > including people you know or don't know, it's a hoax. It's ALWAYS a >hoax. > > > > The starving children who need you to forward the E-mail ? Hoax. > > > > The 'we're checking to see if accounts are active' thing ? Hoax. > > > > Those messages promising free prizes if you reply to them ? Those are >spam. > > Except some. Which are hoaxes. > > > > > > Hope this clears everything up :-) > >Not exactly. Then what was it that I deleted? > >Reen > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > |If we shadows have offended, think but this, and all is mended: you | > > |have but slumbered here while these visions did appear. And this | > > |weak and idle theme, no more yielding but a dream. Gentles, do not | > > |reprehend. If you pardon, we will mend. | > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > > > > > > > >From: David Silberstein <davids at kithrup.com> > > >To: Draegara List <dragaera at dragaera.info> > > >Subject: Fw: READ! (fwd) > > >Date: Wed, 12 Feb 2003 17:28:24 -0800 (PST) > > > > > > > > >[stupid lame-ass hoax deleted] > > > > > >I do hope no-one on this list is actually going to follow the > > >instructions. > > > > > >Hoax info: > > > http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/jdbgmgr.htm > > > > > > Origins: Like the SULFNBK.EXE hoax, this bogus virus warning > > > (also known as the "Bear Virus") attempts to lure gullible users > > > into deleting perfectly innocuous, standard Windows files from > > > their systems. > > > > > > In this case the target file is JDBGMGR.EXE, a Java Debug > > > Manager program used by the Microsoft Java runtime engine. This > > > file is included as part of a standard Windows installation and is > > > not a "virus." (The icon for this file is a graphic of a bear like > > > the one shown to the left.) > > > > > > If you deleted this file, don't sweat it -- JDBGMGR.EXE is only > > > important to programmers who use Microsoft Visual J++ 1.1 to > > > develop Java programs. Its absence will not cause your PC to stop > > > working or interfere with your applications, so if you're not a > > > Java developer, you don't have to worry about restoring it. > > > Consider the experience a lesson learned about the perils of > > > believing and acting upon unverified e-mail warnings. > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE* > > http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail > > > > _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus