It’s strange how seemingly insignificant incidents can have a profound effect on your life. Back in 2002, I was still pretty new to computers and the Internet. So, when I got an email urgently warning me about a dangerous computer virus lurking in a “very cute screensaver of the Budweiser Frogs”, I dutifully sent it off to everyone in my address book. After all, so I thought at the time, the information had been announced by none other than software giant Microsoft and the message implored me to send it on to everyone I know.
Of course, the warning turned out to be just another silly virus hoax, like many others that have circulated before and since. A kind contact politely let me know that the message was a hoax. The experience got me intrigued – and a little embarrassed – so I started researching any suspect email forwards that came my way before I sent them on. Inevitably, quite a few turned out to be hoaxes and I was able to let people know the truth about them.
After a while, friends and family began sending me emails to “check” for them. The concept for Hoax-Slayer began there. In 2003, I started a Yahoo email discussion group that focused on Internet hoaxes and scams. Soon after, I created an early version of the Hoax-Slayer website as a support site for the Yahoo group. Later, I closed the group to concentrate on the Hoax-Slayer site and newsletter.
Nowadays, Hoax-Slayer consumes a great deal of my time and the project is very important to me. So, if I hadn’t received that silly old virus hoax, perhaps my life might have been quite different today. But, I’m really glad that I did get that email. I love what I do!
So, all in all, thanks, Mr Budweiser Frog, goodonya, mate! (The beer’s not bad either!)
Since you’ve read this far…
…can I ask you for a big favour?To enhance your privacy and security and offer you a better user experience, Hoax-Slayer is now ad-free. To keep the site online, I now rely on voluntary contributions from site visitors along with commissions from a few trusted products and services that I promote via reviews on the site.
If you found the above report useful, please consider supporting Hoax-Slayer by making a donation. Any amount you can give will be greatly appreciated.
You can donate using your credit card via the form below. Donations are collected securely via the online payment service Stripe. Stripe uses state of the art security to keep your data safe.
Thank-you.
Brett Christensen