Europe has a long history of trials and tribulations. One of those tribulations visited upon the continent was the frequent reoccurrence of the small pox. The disease, at its mildest was physical torture and for 60 to 80% of the given population it was fatal. It came as not surprise to me that my grandmother, usually kind and gentle in of nature would murmur the little statement: A pox on-whatever the offending person place or thing consisted of. Grandmother occasionally murmured a pox on the tax collector, a pox on the village baker when he ruined a week's worth of bread, a pox on the government and of course a pox on the enemy that destroyed the much-needed food crop.

I thought about that when low and behold I read an e-mail that warned me of a virus. The e-mail came from a trusted friend who apparently had received it from a respected colleague. I was informed that she had inadvertently received a virus and possibly handed it off to anyone she'd contacted via e-mail and that included me. She informed that the virus would remain dormant for a period of two weeks. After that time it would invade my address book and mail itself out to everyone listed there. My friend gave me specific instructions on how to eliminated the virus by eliminating a certain file. Of course I would also have to hand that information on to every contact listed in my address book.

I took a deep breath at that point. As former president of Mensa I had approximately 193 contacts listed all over the and beyond the continent. Undaunted, I followed the directions. I eliminated the file and folder in dispute. My computer advised against that. I thought that to be one more ruse of the dreaded virus. It was more difficult to forward my friend's instructions, but I worked at it.

The first doubts entered my mind when all those 'postmaster' notices flooded my e-mail system. E-mail addresses change over time and some of them become nonexistent. Add to that that little voice in the back of my mind. My guru's advice on how not to eliminate something I was unfamiliar with. I abandoned the computer and called Clarence. He wasn't there so I left a message. Total chaos reigned by the time I returned to my computer. As my level of anxiety rose, I became aware of Grandmama's presence in the room. "Closed the barn door after the horse got away????" Of course I did and of course she was right. The phone never stopped ringing that afternoon and it was close to evening before Clarence was able to reach me. "Did you get my e-mail?" he wanted to know. I told him things were sort of messed up in computer land. Clarence, as usual, was short and to the point. What made me think that the person I assumed having sent that e-mail was actually the person who did that; did I call her? No. How could I be certain of the source without checking it? What made me think a virus could lay dormant in the farthest region of my computer only to spring alive two weeks from now? Or did I really think? I Probably did not; with two manuscripts and half a dozen other things in that machine I certainly did not want a virus. "You have backup don't you?" "Yes!" "Your Norton is updated?" "Yes" Before this conversation terminated Clarence filled me in on the things I didn't do. He went to the computer, contacted Symantec, and found out that the whole thing was a hoax. Of course in my hurry to eliminate the virus, I eliminated a file that had something to do with 'Java Script. The only definition of Java that I had that for a cup of coffee to be good it had to be a cup of Java! And there was Grandmama who was interested what a hoaxer was and was the person doing that kind of thing a hoaxer? And what was the purpose of the hoax. I reminded myself of the time, when as children we played blind-man's bluff. I had been blindfolded, turned around several times and than made an attempt to touch someone. One of my more mean spirited friends took that opportunity and placed a newly created pile of cow manure under my feet, and of course I stepped in it. I conveyed that thought to Grandmama. That, I said was the gist of a hoax. I suppose, in a way it had been a learning device. That only happened to me once. For a moment I had the feeling that the old grand dame was a tat' amused at the picture I painted for her. But she also thought that to be mean spirited, an exercise in maliciousness. Clarence, still being the friend in need, the person who rescues, returned the folder I had so quickly eliminated. He did not have to tell me what I forgot to do in the first place. Addresses on e-mail are open invitation to anyone who wishes to invade my privacy for whatever reason. Eliminating my address book was my first means or method of defense. I suggested that to Clarence. "If I told you once, I told you a hundred times, don't pass anything on. That's your best defense." "I never pass anything on!" "You just did!" And he was right. I never thought of 'PASSING THINGS ON' in this way. Those 193 addresses have gone bye bye. I answer E-mail as it comes. By pushing the reply button. I am acutely aware of the harm that can come from opening an attachment. If I am uncertain about the origin of the E-mail I check on it. I take the trouble to go to google and type in the word HOAX. Amazing what's out there. My own computer land, my little village is well guarded now. Clarence made certain before he left here that I would have the information I needed to keep the computer running smoothly. This adds one more item to add to my store of PC wisdom. Don't be affected by those countless names that appear on an E-mail. They are eliminated along with the detachments of attachments. And I agree with Grandmama's parting comment: "A pox on the hoaxer".