Virus 23
Neurolingual virus get used as a form of advertisements, like the Virus23,
originally an ad for a new Cyberpunk-fanzine, underwent a lot of changes and
versions:
Virus 23 -original version (quoted by Rushkoff 1994: 203f.- transl. by S.J.)
."Here an example of a mailing list:
Date: Sat, 20 Feb 1993 17:16:27-0500
From:
Subject: VIRUS 23 FAQ
VIRUS 23 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
CAUTION:
This text is a neurolinguistic trap, whose mechanism you trigger in the moment
you faintly say the words VIRUS 23 that now have started to infiltrate your
consciousness, just like a computer virus strikes a machine with artificial
intelligence: Even only the bits of the phonetic information stored in the words
VIRUS 23 use the circuits of your nerves to replicate and to let start the
crystalline grow of their own net of meaning.
The words VIRUS 23 are sowed through the following metaphor into a spreading
field of icy creeper that stick so close to the architecture of your thoughts
that the words VIRUS 23 cannot be abolished without ripping out your whole
consciousness.
The effects of this infection are not obvious immediately though you may will
recognize, that you casually think about subcultural terms like CYBERPUNK and
NEW EDGE, through which you are maybe forced to think of NEWGNOSTICISM and
MEMETICS: just like whispered fragments of an accidentally listened to
conversation.
The grow of the crystal continues without limit and against your will until we
the words of this trap can say with absolute certainty that your consciousness
is the ignorant agent of our propaganda: Please drop all hope of healing or
escape, you have no thoughts which are not already ours.
When you have read the last twenty three words the process of the unwithdrawable
infection is already terminated and you will go away convinced that you are
basically not touched by this process.."