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Help<strong>in</strong>g Teachers Use Anti-Virus Sites on the World Wide Web<br />

Lynn Fox, Ph.D.<br />

World Wide Web access for students and educators demonstrate how today’s technological tools br<strong>in</strong>g<br />

new roles and obligations to school adm<strong>in</strong>istrators and classroom teachers. By necessity, their proficiencies<br />

will expand from the level of computer “newbies” (novices who have m<strong>in</strong>imal computer skills) to the level of<br />

responsible computer users who know how to reduce the chances of viruses <strong>in</strong>fect<strong>in</strong>g their software programs<br />

and destroy<strong>in</strong>g their student’s homework.<br />

To start surf<strong>in</strong>g wonderful web sites and go glid<strong>in</strong>g past viral contam<strong>in</strong>ated waves, school<br />

adm<strong>in</strong>istrators, classroom teachers and students need to learn about us<strong>in</strong>g anti-virus scanners and virus<br />

deleters (shareware or registered). Excellent sources are found at the follow<strong>in</strong>g World Wide Web sites:<br />

http:/www.brs.ibm. com/ibmav.html, http:/www.comm and.com, http:/www. mcafee. com, http:/www.<br />

symantec.com/avcenter.<br />

It is helpful to preview several highly recommended programs (available at most of the web sites listed<br />

above) before <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> one. Fortunately, there is expert advice available, as well as software programs that<br />

will prepare the computers <strong>in</strong> your homes, schools, and offices for safer web surf<strong>in</strong>g and Telnet commut<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

Ways to reduce the chances of contract<strong>in</strong>g computer virus <strong>in</strong>fections <strong>in</strong>clude develop<strong>in</strong>g responsible use<br />

procedures, such as: 1) boot (start) your computers with licensed floppy disks (not pirated copies), 2) use only<br />

software that you’ve scanned with anti-viral software after download<strong>in</strong>g from legitimate bullet<strong>in</strong> boards, 3)<br />

scan all student disks before transferr<strong>in</strong>g data, 4) scan E-mail, 5) write-protect (close one of the top tabs) on<br />

virus free diskettes that have <strong>in</strong><strong>format</strong>ion that you don’t need to update, and 6) use current anti-virus software.<br />

Although computers with virus <strong>in</strong>fections are not amus<strong>in</strong>g, sometimes jokes are remembered longer<br />

than stern warn<strong>in</strong>gs to scan home, office and school computers:<br />

• Politically Correct Virus: Never calls itself a "virus," but <strong>in</strong>stead refers to itself as an "electric microorganism."<br />

• Government Economist Virus: Noth<strong>in</strong>g works, but all your diagnostic software says everyth<strong>in</strong>g is<br />

f<strong>in</strong>e.<br />

• Federal Bureaucrat Virus: Divides your hard disk <strong>in</strong>to hundreds of little units, each of which does<br />

practically noth<strong>in</strong>g, but all of which claim to be the most important part of your computer.<br />

• Gallup Virus: Sixty percent of the PCs <strong>in</strong>fected will lose 38 percent of their data 14 percent of the<br />

time (plus or m<strong>in</strong>us a 3.5 percent marg<strong>in</strong> of error).<br />

• Congressional Virus: The computer locks up, screen splits erratically with a message appear<strong>in</strong>g on<br />

each half blam<strong>in</strong>g the other side for the problem (Missouri.edu, 1996).<br />

These are just a few memorable rem<strong>in</strong>ders to start with . . . and, <strong>in</strong> no time, you’ll be updat<strong>in</strong>g your<br />

classroom and/or office with new rem<strong>in</strong>ders rather than exotically named <strong>in</strong>fections. With thoughtful plann<strong>in</strong>g<br />

school adm<strong>in</strong>istrators, classroom teachers, students and their parents will benefit from computer technology<br />

without hear<strong>in</strong>g . . . “The computer virus ate my homework!”<br />

References<br />

Symantec AntiVirus Research Center. (1996). What’s New In the NAV Def<strong>in</strong>ition Update. Available from<br />

http:/www. symantec.com/avcenter.<br />

Missouri.edu. (1996). Computer Users Beware of These New Computer Viruses: Virus Alert. Available from<br />

http://www.missouri.edu/~c639692/images/bgrpaper.gif.

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