The Timeshare Bug
The timeshare bug infection has a well-defined pathology.
In the initial infection stages, the victim becomes noticeably anxious and stimulated as the bug spreads throughout the body The victim excitedly makes travel and vacation plans, but this excitement is accompanied by bewilderment as the victim becomes overwhelmed by the pervasiveness and variants in the timeshare bug world-wide. Some confusion and doubt is also typical at this stage as victims wonder what is happening to them and have doubts about whether they made the right decisions. Sleeplessness, accompanied by long hours of looking on line for exchanges, is also common at this stage. Sudden urges to buy more timeshares may also appear at this stage, especially if the victim has been exposed to one of the South African versions.
After several months the symptoms moderate, and the infection becomes a lower grade, chronic infection. The confusion and doubt always diminish in this stage and are the best evidence that the infection is moving into a chronic state. Even after reaching a chronic state, however, the infection periodically flares up into a highly active and visible form, often at least once or twice per year. The more vacation time the victim has available, the more frequent and severe the flare-ups are likely to be.
Research has shown that the mode of transmission for the timeshare bug is via a process called "exchanging", and this occurs in two distinct steps. The process is initiated when the victim" makes" an exchange. This is often accompanied by a sudden burst of happiness, sometimes reaching euphoria. Sometime after the exchange is made, the person usually travels to a distant location to "complete" the exchange. This process usually lasts for about one week. As the exchange is completed, the person usually experiences deep satisfaction. At this time the infection is often transmitted to family members and friends of the victim who are present during the exchange.
Secondary flare-ups can also occur at any time independent of the exchanging process. These are often accompanied by such behaviors as buying or selling of timeshares. These secondary flare-ups are easily triggered by messages from other carriers of the infection. A single message on a BBS has been known to cause simultaneous frenzied buying of timeshare by infected individuals.
Several clear variants in the pathology of the disease are recognized. In Harper's Condition the victim engages in uninterrupted exchange completions lasting as long as four or five months. Fletch's Disorder manifests itself in the continual buying and selling of timeshares, frequent exchange completion, and uncontrollable urges to transmit the Marriott and Royal strains of the bug. DeSchryver’s Syndrome is a particularly strong variant. A victim with DeSchryver's Syndrome manages to maintain the euphoria of the initial stages of the disease almost uninterruptedly into the later stages. A DeSchryver case will also obsess in searching for the timeshare that is the ultimate combination of low cost and high exchange power, and will buy, sell and test timeshares continuously in pursuit of that goal. The DeSchryver also uses the excitement associated with that pursuit to amplify the other pleasurable aspects of the timesharing infection.
There is no known cure for a timeshare infection; nor is there any reason to try to cure the infection since it actually is beneficial. In addition to the pleasurable symptoms described above, many of the victims report lowered stress, happier family life, and increased mental stimulation due to the infection. The only recommended treatment is frequent interaction with a support group comprised of other infected individuals. The TUG remedy has been documented to be the most effective mode of treatment.
