# Goodtimes Virus Goodtimes Virus was a 1994 chain email hoax warning readers that opening any message with 'Good Times' in the subject line would unleash a destructive computer virus that did not actually exist. The warning itself spread like a virus through mailing lists and inboxes for over a decade, eventually inspiring Weird Al Yankovic's 2006 parody song 'Virus Alert' on the album Straight Outta Lynwood. ## Origin The first reported sighting of the Goodtimes Virus warning dates to April or May 1994 according to the Good Times FAQ[1]. The earliest archived copy was posted to the TECH-LAW mailing list by Rich Lavoie on November 15, 1994, then forwarded to the POSTCARD mailing list by Rodney Knight, which pushed it into wider circulation[1]. The original note was short and vague, which let later authors rewrite it freely. Within weeks, dozens of mutated copies were circulating, each adding new fictional symptoms and technical-sounding threats[3]. - **Platform:** TECH-LAW mailing list (origin) / forwarded email (viral spread) - **Creator:** Unknown (Cult of the Dead Cow later claimed responsibility) - **Date:** 1994 ## Overview Goodtimes Virus worked through social engineering rather than code. Each forwarded copy urged readers not to open or even delete any email whose subject line read 'Good Times,' and to warn everyone in their address book immediately[1]. No such program existed, but the instruction to forward made the warning itself behave like an infection, jumping from inbox to inbox for most of the 1990s[3]. Later versions grew elaborate and technical, with the 'Infinite loop' and 'ASCII buffer' editions describing hard drive wipes, irreversible processor damage and buffer overflows[3]. Writers padded the text with meaningless jargon and fake references to agencies like the US Federal Communications Commission to sound authoritative. In 1997, the hacker collective Cult of the Dead Cow claimed they had started the whole thing as a social experiment to test the gullibility of self-described internet experts[3]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Goodtimes Virus? Goodtimes Virus was a 1994 chain email hoax warning readers that any message with 'Good Times' in the subject line carried a destructive computer virus, though no such program ever existed[1]. ### Where did Goodtimes Virus come from? The earliest archived copy was posted to the TECH-LAW mailing list by Rich Lavoie on November 15, 1994, and the hacker group Cult of the Dead Cow later claimed they started it as a social experiment[3]. ### What does Goodtimes Virus mean? The name refers to the fake subject line 'Good Times' that the hoax told readers to watch for; the warning itself, not any real code, was the thing that spread[1]. ### How do you use Goodtimes Virus? People forwarded the warning to friends, coworkers and mailing lists, adding new fictional symptoms like hard drive wipes or an 'infinite loop' that would melt the processor[3]. ### Is Goodtimes Virus still popular? Active circulation faded in the 2000s as users got used to email, but the hoax is still cited as a classic internet urban legend and inspired Weird Al Yankovic's 2006 song 'Virus Alert'[2]. ## References 1. [http://fgouget.free.fr/goodtimes/goodtimes.html]() 2. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvfD5rnkTws]() 3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/goodtimes-virus]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/goodtimes-virus Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library