Iowa State University officials say a rumor circulating campus that warns students of an e-mail virus is just that: a rumor.

The hoax includes e-mail titles “Join the Crew” and “Good Times,” according to information provided by the Computation Center help room in 138 Durham.

Frank Poduska, computer system analyst, said e-mail viruses have been going around “forever,” but that they have a tendency to resurface periodically.

Poduska defines a virus as any snippet of a program that copies itself in a computer.

Some viruses mutate, which complicates removal.

Most viruses are carried in floppy disks or in downloaded documents from the World Wide Web.

Poduska said at the beginning of every semester, similar e-mail virus hoaxes are distributed.

“New users are unsure of what is going on sometimes, and they get scared that the e-mail will contaminate their computer with the virus,” Poduska said.

What many students don’t realize is that computer viruses cannot be carried in an e-mail.

However, viruses can be transmitted as an attachment to a message.

All attachments should be saved and scanned for viruses before executing them, Poduska said.

“If all you are doing is reading an e-mail message, you have nothing to worry about,” he said. “The only time you may have a reason to worry is if the document also contains an attachment such as a [Microsoft] Word document.”

Poduska recommends purchasing anti-virus software for personal computers.

Dr. Solomon, the university’s virus protector software, can be purchased for $1 in Room 195 of Durham.

Dr. Solomon contains a cleaning disk called the Magic Bullet, which protects a computer from viruses after installation in a computer.

“Anyone who carries files or downloads from the Web should get a virus protector,” Poduska said.

Regarding false warnings via e-mail, both Poduska and various Web sites that specialize in e-mail virus hoaxes say “throw them away.”

“The real virus is just that this e-mail is out there worrying people. By passing it on, it is only making the problem worse,” Poduska said.

Not only is the hoax being spread through e-mail, but some students have also spotted posted notices about e-mail viruses in the residence halls.

Melinda Cerney, freshman in English, said she got her information about the “spoof” in Oak-Elm’s TP News from an e-mail forwarded to her.

“It is just a big joke,” Cerney said. “I didn’t think that people were actually taking this stuff seriously.”

More information about e-mail virus hoaxes can be found on the Web at www.kumite.com/myths/.