Computer Tips

From time to time, we will post in this section - in no particular order - some tips that will help you navigate the Web a bit more easily or that may teach you some computer tricks that will make your life a bit easier.

SPAM

As most people are beginning to realize, spam e-mails are getting out of hand. See, for example, "Spam: An Escalating Atack of the Clones." One quick guide to some of the things you can do (and some of the things you should not do) is a New York Times article, entitled: "From Filters to Forwarding: Ways to Fight Junk E-Mail"; see also "Drowning in Spam," from Law Technology News, January 2, 2003.

Unfortunately, there are no certain cures. One of the most effective remedies is to simply delete the junk mail that appears in your mail box each morning. But, the mounting concern about spam has also created a whole cottage industry of new approaches and new solutions - some of which are free - and some of which cost money.

CNet has prepared an excellent review of eight of the most-popular commercial anti-spam software programs - which can be viewed by clicking here. See also, "From Filters To Forwarding: Ways To Fight Junk E-Mail," by Jennifer Lee, The New York Times, June 27, 2002. And see Spam Filters.

On December 16, 2003, President Bush signed into law the "CAN-SPAM Act of 2003," representing the first attempt by the federal government at comprehensive regulation of mass unsolicited commercial e-mail, and pre-empting the laws of 38 states that seek to regulate this area. The act introduces new limits that make it more challenging overall to do mass marketing electronically. But in an interesting twist, the act may actually increase the amount of spam from overseas. See New York Law Journal Article on this new act.

COMPUTER VIRUSES

Computer Viruses - and What to Do About Them

Symantec Corp.: Listing of Latest Virus Threats and Solutions

VIRUS RESOURCES

Get a free online security check of your computer from Symantec by clicking here.

Get a free online virus scan of your computer from McAfee by clicking here.

SPYWARE

"Spy Stoppers," by Cade Metz, PC Magazine, March 2, 2004. An excellent review by the Editors of PC Magazine of many of the new software programs that are available to fight spyware - i.e., the growing number of applications that collect information about your computer activities and then sends that information to another individual or company - or even the FBI and Attorney General Ashcroft - without your knowledge or permission. Spyware is different than computer and internet viruses - and you must have protection against both.

The prices for the dozen or so programs that are reviewed in the PC Magazine article range from free to $70.00; and at the end of the article are some informative articles that help explain both the evils of spyware and how to fight it.

Introduction to the Internet: Even though most of us have not yet retired, the AARP has produced a decent site that can be of help in the Internet/computer world in which we now find ouselves. Its Learn the Internet site has an excellent collection of resources from tutorials about surfing the Internet to tips on buying and settig up a new computer. There's even an e-mail newsletter available with helpful hints and tips on using the Internet.

The New Google Desktop Search Engine: If you are tired of Windows Explorer - the Microsoft tool that purports to let you search your hard-drive for files you have lost or misplaced - try the new Google Desktop Search. It's a terrific - and its free. Not only that, if you use Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express for your emails, it also lets you search your entire jumble of emails. To find out more about this product - and how to install it on your computer - read "Google Takes On Your Desktop," by David Pogue, The New York Times, October 21, 2004.

What to Do About Pop-Up Ads: Another seemingly unstoppable plague on the Internet is the growing use of Web Pop-Up Ads. For a good article that explains some things you can do to limit this problem, see "Puncturing Web Ads Before They Pop Up." There is also a program called Pop-Up Stopper which, as its name implies, helps you eliminate those frustrating ads before they pop-up on your screen.

Running out of disk space - or - need a fast and efficient way to back-up your files? In either case, the cost of a new 120 gigabyte hard drive is now less than $120 - and installing a second hard drive is not only easy, it may save all your data (and your years of hard work) in case your hard drive ever crashes. So if you don't want to risk loosing years of work, purchase and install a second hard drive. Just follow the instructions in the article entitled "How Do I Upgrade My Hard Drive?"

Adobe Acrobat Reader - In order to access many files on the Internet, you must download a software program from the Adobe Systems, Inc. that will enable you to read and print documents that have been posted on the Internet in a format known as PDF (Portable Document Format). To download this software program, just click here and follow the instructions. You will be asked to specify the "platform" that you use on your computer - which means the operating system you use, such as Windows 95 or Windows 98 or Windows 2000, etc. - and whether you use a Windows PC or a Macintosh.

Macromedia Flash Player - Although not as critical as the Adobe Acrobat Reader, more and more sites are using a new technique called "Flash," that requires you to use the Macromedia Flash Player. Macromedia claims that 98.3% of all Web users now have the Flash Player installed on their computers - although the 1.7% who don't have this program installed are probably all lawyers. In any event, it take only about one minute to download this program (with a 56 K modem); and you will find that this feature adds to your ability to navigate and use the Web.

Inside Outlook Express - a Web site devoted to answering all of your questions and solving all of your problems about Microsoft's security-breach-prone and tempermental email program.

Sending and Receiving Email Atachments - Sending and receiving entire files via email is both fast and cheap. Once you master the technique, you can save a lot of time and money compared with more conventional methods such as faxes and messengers. The New York Times has published two articles that take some of the mystery out of "attachments" to emails - and we recommend that you read them both. Article 1 and Article 2.

"Malware: What it is and how to prevent it," by Adam Baratz and Charles McLaughlin of ARS Technica. (Note: This is a link to multi-page article posted on the ArsTechnica Website. To read the entire article please make sure to click on the "Next" button at the botteom of each page.)