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4 Aug, 1999 9.08am pdt
New Virus Linked to Microsoft
0024billgates

BE DOPE NEWS (BDN) Microsoft, a computer software company, is at the center of a controversy surrounding a new virus that apparently has been circulating via the Internet and internal corporate networks for months. According to highly placed sources inside the DOJ, Microsfot is responsible for developing and spreading this virus, which is designed specifically to target the threat posed by alternative operatings systems such as BeOS, Linux, FreeBSD, BLT and FicOS.

According to DOJ documents, the virus works by infecting web browsers and rendering links that lead to information determined to be "harmful to the image or practice of Microsoft" inoperable. Often this includes negative news reports about Microsoft, criticisms of Windows 98 and Window NT and especially information about any alternative operating systems.

The virus has now been reported by a handful of machines after leaving its "dormant phase" where it spread rapidly from machine to machine.

"I first suspected something was wrong when I clicked on links to 'User Friendly: the Comic Strip' and nothing happened," said one BeOS-using websurfer. "Then when I noticed most of the links from my homepage did nothing when I clicked them I knew something sinister was in the air."

Most unique about this virus is the fact that it has been ported to many so-called "alternative" operating systems, since users of these operating systems pose the greatest threat to the software giant.

Fortunately, once the virus began surfacing a fix was quickly developed for many operating systems, with remaining fixes near completions. All users, especially those of non-Microsoft operating systems, are strongly encouraged to download the fix from the National VirusWatch Center.

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