Truth About Computer Security Hysteria

Good Times virus

While not the first of its kind, this one proved the first wildly successful hoax virus alert in late 1994. Many hoaxsters copied its technique over the years (sometimes almost verbatim) in an effort to duplicate its success. The person who concocted Good Times remains unknown.

Many corporate & academic email servers crashed throughout 1995 under the strain of this hoax chain letter. Frightened users forwarded the alert to "all," prompting others to hit the "reply to all" button with questions or comments...

The hoax alert warned your computer would get infected if you read the words "Good Times" with your eyeballs. Ironically, users often included the phrase "Good Times" in the subject line of their own warning messages about the virus. In some cases, system administrators forwarded the alert to everyone, then sent another email a few minutes later with "Good Times" in the subject line. If you opened it, you'd find a stern lecture about the danger of opening emails with "Good Times" in the subject line!

Last updated: 2001/2/25