Connecting to the Internet without a firewall is like living in a house with no locks on the doors or windows. Anyone can come in at any time and steal your personal or financial information. They can plant illegal things on your computer such as illegally downloaded music or pornography. They can open a "back door" that will allow them to use your computer as a base for illegal or even terrorist activities.
A hardware or software firewall keeps intruders from accessing your computer without your permission. You can download ZoneAlarm, an excellent free firewall, at www.zonelabs.com.
A computer virus is a program that replicates itself much like an organic virus and, like organic viruses, computer viruses cause all manner of trouble. Although most are more annoying than dangerous, some can delete files, make your computer unusable, or turn your machine into a mass-emailer to send copies of itself to everyone in your address book.
There are many good antivirus programs for sale in local stores or over the Internet. You can download AVG Anti-virus, a free anti-virus program, from www.grisoft.com. Whatever brand you use, be sure to update it every time you connect to the Internet, since new viruses are released every day.
Have you received an email warning you that Congress is about to start taxing email, or that artificial sweetener will cause your toes to fall off, or that a dangerous new virus has been discovered that no anti-virus software can detect? Did you forward it on to all your friends and family? STOP!
Any message that instructs you to forward it to everyone in your address book is almost surely a hoax. You can easily check out any suspected hoax at www.snopes.com or www.urbanlegends.com.
Some people really enjoy receiving humorous or inspirational messages. Some people do not. Many people receive their email at a work address where it's inappropriate for them to receive frivolous personal communication. Others receive many hundreds of legitimate email messages per day and resent having to wade through a dozen daily messages from you full of corny jokes.
We think of email as being free, but that's a misconception. Email requires a distribution system much like physical mail. There are computers that must handle the storage and distribution of email, wires or wireless systems to make the connections, and people who must be hired to make all this work. Every increase in volume of email eventually filters down to each of us in the form of higher Internet connection prices.
If you love the jokes and poems and can't resist the urge to pass them on, be sure you first get permission from the receivers. Ask your friends and family whether they mind getting these forwarded messages. Create a "group" within your email address book and forward only to those who've given you permission to add them to the group. [Editors note: I have such groups that I regularly send inspirational messages to (three each week) and a Christian message to (one each week). If you would like to be added to either or both lists send me an email to inspire@donsingleton.com, and ask to be added to the lists.]
Sherry Zorzi is An APCUG Advisor for Region 8 and Secretary of the Cajun Clickers Computer Club and host of "The Cajun Clickers Computer Show" heard every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. on WJBO Radio.There is no restriction against any non-profit group using this article as long as it is kept in context with proper credit given the author. The Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member, brings this article to you.
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