The AF/91 Virus Hoax (E293)
QAA Podcast7 Syys 2024

The AF/91 Virus Hoax (E293)

This is the story of an April Fool’s Day joke that got wildly out of control. In 1991, a columnist for InfoWorld claimed that he learned of a hyper-advanced computer virus called “AF/91” that disabled Iraqi air defense systems during the first Gulf War. This virus had allegedly escaped Iraq and threatened every computer that used a windows-based graphical interface. The last line of the column revealed the truth: the story of the AF/91 virus was a fun bit of fiction for April 1st. But shortly afterwards, a journalist for U.S. News & World Report reported on a virus that sounded suspiciously similar to AF/91, based on confirmation from two government officials. Though the report was clearly based on the joke virus from InfoWorld, the publication refused to retract. So for more than a decade the story was repeated as if it were true in newspapers, magazines, and even in a report by a major think tank. The boys walk through the evolution of the strange tale of this virus hoax and speculate about why it spread so widely for so long. Subscribe for $5 a month to get all the premium episodes: http://www.patreon.com/QAA Pick up new merch! We've got a mug, a two-sided tee, a hoodie, and an embroidered hat. Each item shows off the new QAA logo by illustrator Pedro Correa. https://shopqaa.myshopify.com/ Editing by Corey Klotz. Theme by Nick Sena. Additional music by Pontus Berghe. Theme Vocals by THEY/LIVE (https://instagram.com/theyylivve / https://sptfy.com/QrDm). Cover Art by Pedro Correa: (https://pedrocorrea.com) https://qaapodcast.com QAA was known as the QAnon Anonymous podcast. REFERENCES Meta-Virus Set to Unleash Plague on Windows 3.0 Users https://books.google.com/books?id=0FAEAAAAMBAJ Computer Virus Story Proves To Be a Twice-Told Tale https://www.newspapers.com/image/532416866/ Russian Views On Electronic and Information Warfare https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/International_Security_Affairs/14-F-0564_DOC_01_RUSSIAN_VIEWS_ON_ELECTRONIC_AND_INFORMATION_WARFARE_vol_1.pdf Taking a byte from Baghdad: Information War could hobble Iraq, but might become a two edged sword https://www.newspapers.com/image/775197909/ One printer, one virus, one disabled Iraqi air defense https://www.theregister.com/2003/03/10/one_printer_one_virus_one/ Attack Of The Trojan Printers https://www.infoworld.com/article/2285234/attack-of-the-trojan-printers.html

Jaksot(500)

Kendrick + Drake = Bake (E279)

Kendrick + Drake = Bake (E279)

This week, Jake and Liv break down the rap beef that took the world by storm this past month. And of course, because it’s 2024 and the universe has decided to spare none of the QAA hosts, the lyrics ...

22 Touko 20241h 21min

On the Road With the Conspiracist Right feat Mike Wendling (Premium E244) Sample

On the Road With the Conspiracist Right feat Mike Wendling (Premium E244) Sample

Mike Wendling is the National Digital Reporter for the BBC. He is the co-founder of the BBC's disinformation unit and was editor and presenter of BBC Trending. While topics related to disinformation ...

15 Touko 202410min

A Farewell To Bad News feat Ken Klippenstein (E278)

A Farewell To Bad News feat Ken Klippenstein (E278)

A discussion of the corporatization of media, his departure from The Intercept, how stories get "killed" and how conspiracy theorists and MAGA supporters' claims about the media get their oxygen — wit...

10 Touko 20241h 6min

Looksmaxxing (Premium E243) Sample

Looksmaxxing (Premium E243) Sample

We dive into an online community hellbent on improving their physical appearance through bizarre techniques like pressing their tongue to the roof of their mouth, hitting themselves in the face, and t...

9 Touko 20249min

Trump and The Flynns vs. The Law (E277)

Trump and The Flynns vs. The Law (E277)

Relatives of Michael Flynn tried and failed to sue CNN because they didn’t like being associated with QAnon (despite saying “Where we go one we go all” on camera.) The QAnon community reacts to Donald...

5 Touko 202456min

Civil War Movie Night feat Mike Prysner (Premium E242) Sample

Civil War Movie Night feat Mike Prysner (Premium E242) Sample

Well, here we are. The Julian loyalists are facing off against the Western Rockatansky forces as veteran journalist Mike Prysner (Eyes Left Podcast, Empire Files) remains a neutral and unwavering eye...

1 Touko 202410min

Fear And Sheriffs In Las Vegas feat. David Gilbert (E276)

Fear And Sheriffs In Las Vegas feat. David Gilbert (E276)

So-called “Constitutional Sheriffs” fancy themselves as the real life version of Judge Dredd: the ultimate arbiters of the law according to their interpretation of the Constitution. Recently the Const...

28 Huhti 20241h 4min

Premium Episode 241: Radium Toothpaste (Sample)

Premium Episode 241: Radium Toothpaste (Sample)

On June 13th, 1996, the leader of a Long Island UFO group was charged with conspiracy to poison local conservative leaders with the most absurdly deranged of methods. His motive? Retribution for the p...

23 Huhti 202410min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

uutiscast
aikalisa
politiikan-puskaradio
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
tervo-halme
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
rss-pinnalla
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
rss-podme-livebox
rss-asiastudio
otetaan-yhdet
the-ulkopolitist
rss-tasta-on-kyse-ivan-puopolo-verkkouutiset
rss-kaikki-uusiksi
rss-raha-talous-ja-politiikka
aihe
linda-maria
rss-merja-mahkan-rahat
rss-ulkopoditiikkaa