Suggestion, PLEASE!~

A thumb rule for everyone sending a message to many people at the same time is to put everyone on BCC and his/her own address in the TO.

In orther to know other recipients' name one can begin the message with "Dear A, B, C, D, etc"

This in order to avoid the spreading of viruses and trojans. These bugs search for e-mail addresses on the hard disk and then spread to these addresses. I have very warm friendship feelings to everyone here and I am very grateful to Nora's work. Unfortunately I can't know the level of security of everyone's computer (expecially PCs, Macs suffer much less from viruses), if they use a good antivirus and updated antivirus program, a firewall, and so and so on... So, this is a technical matter, not a friendship related one. Hope no one takes it the wrong way, since it's not meant to offend anyone.

Hugs,

Anna Maria

Thank you, Anna Maria! I have REPEATEDLY asked that ppl. put me in the BCC, but they just don't do it.... I'm going to have to abandon a perfectly good email address because of this one... Hugs, Noreen

Just an FYI -- if anyone has your address in their address book, it's a lot more dangerous than if they include you in a bcc or a cc or a TO field (except that bcc-ing it will keep the other recipients from knowing your email address if they don't already have it in their book, and keep it from being added). It's easier for a bot to find an address there than in your emails, because some of the viruses/spyware/trojans target that file specifically. Example, if I have Noreen's and Nora's and Cher's addresses in my book and I happen to be infected, it's almost a moot point if I email them with a bcc or cc or TO, because something will go for my address book before it starts botting incoming emails. Anna Maria is right, no one knows what anyone else's security level is set up like. But so far, I have not had any viruses or other unintentional mailings from anyone on RCTY, so I'm guessing most people here are usenet-savvy and computer-savvy enough to provide for protection.

Precisely why I don't use the Windows address book at all, Karen! I've been using the Secure Address Book for 5 years, and love it. It is unbreakable! JM2C, Noreen

comfortaghan,

I'll jump on the bandwagon with Noreen as I also prefer that people use BCC for email address lists. If any of you should choose to forward her message on to someone else, then please remove all the email addresses first. Also, I think Nora's message should have been taken out of all the responses as I don't like waiting for the download of a picture I've already seen.

Karen, do you work on a Mac.

If or when you indeed work on an Apple computer, it is very seldom or never that you will pick up a virus. Macs on the whole use totally different software. Most viruses are aimed at Microsoft created software. PC are Microsoft software useres. The funny people who create all this mischief, do so on PC. That will leave the Mac users out.

I just think when you are passing on a message you alsways use one address at the time. It is just good computer use manners. Now having said that, we are just in the baby shoes of learning all the rules, so soner or later it will all come together.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and be "cool" in more ways than one.....:=))

Els

Noreen,

I'm still connected to the net via my DOS computer (!!), will probably be getting a new (to me) Windows computer from a friend within the next few weeks.

What's the difference between the Windows addy book and a secure one, and how can one get the secure one? And in what way is it 'unbreakable'?

Cheers

David

Noreen, I along with many others, I'm sure, use Outlook Express for my e-mail software. When sending e-mails in OE, there is NO provision for bcc's, only cc's. If you use a firewall and a good anti-virus, you shouldn't have a problem. I'm fortunate in that my ISP has provided free-of-charge to their customers, Zone Alarm's complete Security Suite, and it works well. I know that Zone Alarm also provides a free firewall for the downloading. Perhaps you could/should look into something like this.

Shelagh

Strange, Shelagh, I use OE, and DO have BCC... Noreen

David, REMIND me at noreen dot j at gmail dot com, and I'll send you the link to get the SAB (secure address book) it's either 19 or 29 dollars, US, but WORTH it. By unbreakable, it means that no outside 'forces' can enter it to send spam as you, EVER, guaranteed for life. Noreen

Yes, Jan! Besides GETTING all those replies, they all had the pic again and again.... grumble, Noreen

Okay, thanks Noreen, done.

David

Shelagh, in my version of OE (6, I think) if you click on "cc", you will get another box for "bcc" and you can then type in the addresses.

Eimear

Another way to do it is put eveyone in the TO field but with () around

*all* the names and adresses - not each one, just ( before the first one and ) after the last one. This shows up as Unknown recipient or Undisclosed or something in the TO field when the emails get to the inboxes.

Another one that gets me is when people forward stuff that's been forwarded to them and all those other addresses are in there too. If you're going to forward the joke or interesting article on to others, either copy and paste it or strip out the other addresses.

sue

Just don't use Outlook Express for mail. For that matter, don't use Internet Explorer for a browser. Mozilla puts out an integrated browser/mail/newsreader or you can download their separate bits as Firefox and Thunderbird. There's also several other standalone mail and/or newsreaders. As was pointed out in the post about Macs, most viruses and trojans easily infiltrate MS products, but aren't so easily picked up by non MS applications.

sue

That is one of my pet peeves. I have a couple of friends who do that with EVERY single joke or picture they get that they think is funny, despite being asked to leave me off (if they send me something individually, and it's not a forward that I have to open, that's one thing; it's when they decide something is so funny that they have to forward it, instead of copying and pasting, and sending it en masse to everyone in their address book that annoys me). I just delete anything that has a FW in front of it.

I also use OE and do have Bcc in the New Message window. I think it is not there by default and finding where to turn it on is not easy Here's how: click View and check All Headers

I just delete anything that has a FW in front of it.

Ahhhh! It's so great to see I'm not alone! lol I do the same thing!

Jenn

Shelagh, I use OE, and there is a provision for BCC in it. I had to set it up under Options, but it was easy to do.

Katherine