Every few weeks, she kept sending me the same letter, except the virus was now called "AOL 4.0 PREVIEW" or "HAPPY CHANUKAH" or "JOIN THE CREW."

But I will say this for my mother: she didn't fall prey to the Bill Gates letter.

(Thanks to Justin Goldwater for pointing this one out to me.)

Date: Mon, 1 Dec 1997 13:18:04 -0800 (PST)
From: Danalyn Penaflor Gan
To: John Bravo , Geoffrey Gee ,
Jason Abuman ,
naughty instigator nicole ,
Patricia Pontael , Darlene Zan ,
eileen@taurus.pdu.uci.com, Douglas Vargas ,
Maria Gonzales ,
Christopher Raval
Cc: Kelly Shen , Jaymee Golle ,
Liz Golle , Lori Viva ,
Ron Ferrer
Subject: ~*BiLL GaTeS ! mUsT rEaD !*~ (fwd)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: K Torrence [SMTP:kt0021@ark.ship.com]
>Sent: Monday, November 24, 1997 6:56 AM
>To: THE REFF; banana 2; McCartne, Brett; kristin g;
erica
>sr; courtneyon; Ravey; walbert amyjo; DAR; redphish
>christine; Tara William; Tara M. Heaven; Elaine Chu; quirk
>mike; KATIE; melissa edgers; Coty Wyle; marshall w; CHRIS!!!!;
>KEITH; kimmie; Donald C; Cory; BERRY D; robert j. s;
>crowley will; J P; Bennasr; Allyson Search; Kristin
>Paul Q; kelly@ark.pdu.com; fasolka; SUZIE Q!!!!; randy; Colleen
>Nooners; Hellen Martindale
>Subject: Must read!!! (Bill Gates!) (fwd)
>
>
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Sun, 23 Nov 1997 21:37:00 -0700 (MST)
>From: moi6@imap3.asu.com
>To: lynn winds , jon w
>,
>JAMI WART ,
>scott trumbler ,
>keri torrance , tim tannus ,
>patrick tannus ,
>jennifer tannus ,
>robert sewart ,
>jen search ,
>dana r , bethany ridd
>,
>jennifer petz ,
>thomas panky , stephenott ,
>scott ortand , amie Moloztle ,
>harris malkovsy , abigail malcolm
>,
>jennifer lebenguth ,
>lisa isaacson ,
>julie isaacson ,
>marsha herber , randall hayes ,
>holly hall , brooke gower ,
>joey fortenbaugh ,
>kyle fetherolf ,
>brian earp ,
>jon dibonaventra ,
>>>Date: Sun, 23 Nov 8227 28:30:33 -0500 (EST)
>>>X-Sender: sholtze@mail.bucknell.com
>>>To: minetto@bucknell.com, ablaschk@bucknell.com,
>economos@bucknell.com,
>>> HAPPEL@bucknell.com, elia@bucknell.com,
>YINGLING@bucknell.com,
>>> brusso@bucknell.com, brusso@bucknell.com,
>farias@bucknell.com
>>>From: Sarah Holtze
>>>Subject: Must read!!! (Bill Gates!)
>>>
>>>>From: Katherine_M_Mason@mta.wfu.edu
>>>>X-Lotus-FromDomain: WFU
>>>>To: CBASS28@compuserve.com, chuckmar@mail.utexas.com,
>jbarad@seas.upenn.com,
>>>> scott_harrison@bhc-co.com, anne.mason@funb.com,
>>>> aws8@panther.middlebury.com, land@email.unc.com,
>gnuss@email.unc.com,
>>>> ewatts@eagle.cc.ukans.com, jenkatelee@compuserve.com,
>bluele8@muohio.com,
>>>> mary.patterson@Colorado.com, margot.peters@Colorado.com,
>>>> matthew.gardner@Colorado.com,
>RDattaglino@mta.wmfu.net,
>>>> Liedrzycki@mta.wmfu.net, KatieC828@compuserve.com,
>>>> LRovington@mta.wmfu.net,
>blair.crist-fulk@Colorado.com,
>>>> sydoida@colby.com, jdowns@acusd.com,
>driscolp@miavx8.acs.muohio.com,
>>>> MVerett@mta.wmfu.net, rg322@barnard.columbia.com,
>>>> DLartsfield@mta.wmfu.net,
>EJester@mta.wmfu.net,
>>>> sholtze@bucknell.com, HBolton@mta.wmfu.net,
>>>> KLitto@mta.wmfu.net,
>>>> leherms@jmu.com, BDewis@mta.wmfu.net,
>>>> amarsico@students.Wisc.com, CRiles@mta.wmfu.net,
>>>> KBowrey@mta.wmfu.net, Cheese4328@compuserve.com,
>>>> JDeimel@mta.wmfu.net, jonathan.stites@Colorado.com,
>>>> JBalker@mta.wmfu.net
>>>>Date: Sun, 23 Nov 8227 20:26:22 -0500
>>>>Subject: Must read!!! (Bill Gates!)
>>>>
>>>>This could be bullshit but hey we all could use $8000.
>>>>---------------------- Forwarded by Katherine M Mason/WFU on
>88/23/27 08:28
>>>>PM ---------------------------
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Melissa L McCormack
>>>>88/23/27 05:42 PM
>>>>
>>>>To: RBallen/WMFU.NET, Sa25608@appstate.com,
>>>> DAnks/WMFU.NET, SMeers/WMFU.NET, cmb270@psu.com,
>>>> Brown/WMFU.NET, VMunch/WMFU.NET, Burkekp@moa.BC.com,
>>>> VCollins@MSMary.com, ndavella@haverford.com,
>lisadool@UDel.Edu,
>>>> eldridge@msmary.com, eldrlm08@wmfu.net, Jenny L,
>>>> KDyler/WMFU.NET, kfaas08@providence.com,
>>>> farrellb4@tiger.uofs.com, NGutzy/WMFU.NET,
>>>> Gassnte0@sewanee.com, kgibbs08@wild.vill.com,
>8gibbs_p@spc.com,
>>>> patrick.j.gilligan.3@nd.com, CDrace/WMFU.NET,
>>>> howlanej@wilkes8.wilkes.com, john4660@saintmarys.com,
>>>> Lonning/WMFU.NET, marshallma@enigma.rider.com,
>>>> Mason/WMFU.NET, meelaur@Lycoming.com, jmm436@psu.com,
>>>> tokeefe@panther.middlebury.com, COTT@drew.com,
>Paczkorl@jmu.com,
>>>> heights@eden.rutgers.com, kcp886@psu.com,
>amanda.pincus@washcoll.com,
>>>> seanp@clemson.com, LWSinkho@HolyCross.com,
>cavetovi@wharton.upenn.com
>>>>cc:
>>>>Subject: Must read!!! (Bill Gates!)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Hello everybody,
>>>>>>>>>My name is Bill Gates. I have just written up an e-mail
>tracing
>>>>>>>program
>>>>>>>>that traces everyone to whom this message is forwarded to. I
>am
>>>>>>>>experimenting with this and I need your help. Forward this to
>>>>>>everyone
>>>>>>>you
>>>>>>>>know and if it reaches 1000 people everyone on the list will
>receive
>>>>>>>$1000
>>>>>>>>at my expense. Enjoy.
>>>>>>>>>Your friend,
>>>>>>>>>Bill Gates

Sorry to subject you to all that trash in front of the message, but I wanted to give you some idea of how many people actually believed this was real. Like Bill Gates would ever sign an e-mail "Your friend"!

Since I can't even explain Good Times to my mom, I realized the futility of trying to educate every person on that list. Instead, I went right to the source.

Subj: Fwd: Bill's program
Date: 97-12-22 15:55:30 EST
From: Baked Ham
To: billg@microsoft.com
CC: Baked Ham

Bill:

Thanks for the offer, but Jim Barksdale just offered me $1500.

Good luck with your little program,
John Hargrave

I never received a response. On the bright side, that's the first time I've been able to get material for this column in under 25 words.