28th September 2001

We're tired of dealing with e-mail worms and viruses - and for good reason. They're annoying and destructive. For some, the solution is to simply use something other than Outlook (or Outlook Express). But that doesn't necessarily solve the problem. Education, my brothers and sisters, will lead to our ultimate salvation. We learned our lesson with Melissa and ILOVEYOU: attachments should not be opened willy nilly. Nimda was concept code, although it would not have wreaked such havoc had people been a little more diligent in keeping their software up to date. Windows XP, with its built-in background software patching, should keep the innocent out of digital danger. Have you ever received an HTML message (Web page) from someone, wondering what its originating URL happened to be? Don't bother asking; you can right-click in the message window, view its source, and at the very beginning of the code, you will see the original Web address. >From there, you can copy and paste it into a browser window to view the full URL on the Web. Cool, eh?

Now, what happens when you click on a link? You're usually transported to another Web page. However, I've noticed that some e-mail newsletters have now started tracking those clicks - and associating them directly with your e-mail address. This is fine if you asked for the service, but not so good if they're invading your personal bubble. Hover over a link and check the status bar before clicking on it. Spammers may be using this tactic to see if your address is valid. And clicking isn't the only way they could find out; the same holds true for any images that may load in the process. Of course, loading ANY image from the Web may very well yield the same result. Blame the marketers, folks.