No.  This is a hoax.  For more information please see the following
links on virus hoaxes.

http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACHoaxes.html
http://www.icsa.net/services/consortia/anti-virus/alerthoax.shtml
http://www.nonprofit.net/hoax/hoax.html

How to spot a virus hoax.

1.  The message claims to have information relayed from AOL, IBM,
Micro$oft, or some other large company.  These companies do not issue
virus warnings.  Don't believe it even if they attach someone's name to
it.

2. The virus is "really bad" and will do something horrible like
reformat your hard drive or steal your kidneys and there is nothing you
can do about it.

3. It will infect all kinds of computers.  Viruses are operating system
or application specific.  If a virus is written to take advantage of
some flaw in the Windows 95 operating system odds are it will not be
able to do any damage to a Macintosh.  The exception to this is a macro
virus which might possibly infect both a Windows and Macintosh version
of an application like Word or Excel.

4.  The message tells you to forward it to everyone you know and
everyone you will ever meet.  This is a good indication of a hoax.  A
real virus alert will come from a verified reputable source and will
refer the reader to a web page for more information.  Good sources are
the various anti-virus software vendors.  Trend Micro and McAfee are
two good sources.  I looked for information on california on the Trend
website and confirmed it IS a hoax.

Hope this helps.

Bryan Greenberg
Interstate Brands Corporation
Kansas City MO

-----Original Message-----
From: jlee [log in to unmask]
[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, July 19, 1999 3:59 PM
To: HP3000-L [log in to unmask]
Cc: jlee [log in to unmask]
Subject: Fwd: [Fwd: Fwd: Fw: [Fwd: virus alert]]

This was forwarded to me.  Anybody know if there is any truth to it???

John Lee
Vaske Computer Solutions
>
> If you receive an email with a file called 'California,' do not open
> the file. The file contains WOBBLER virus.  This information was
> announced yesterday morning from IBM; AOL states
> that this is a very dangerous virus, much worse than "Melissa," and
> that there is NO remedy for it at this time.
>
> Some very sick individual has succeeded in using the reformat function
> from Norton Utilities causing it to completely erase all documents on
the
> hardrive.  It has been designed to work with Netscape Navigator and
> Microsoft Internet Explorer. It destroys Macintosh and IBM compatible
> computers.=20
>
> This is a new, very malicious virus and not many people know
> about it.  Pass this warning along to EVERYONE in your address book
and
> please share it with all your online friends ASAP so that this threat
may
> be stopped.  Please practice cautionary measures and tell anyone that
may
> have access to your computer.
>
>