Viruses,emails and vendictiveness

[Aharon]

It never fails,always after a friendly arguement (for the most part) or a thread about posting schems deemed "unpostable" I get a  sent couple of viruses over my email that of course my internet provider catches and destroys before it can infect my computer.
As further countermeasure I will,from now on,not open any emails from people I donlt know even if they have seemengly friendly subjects related to the hobby.I get a lot of emails regarding my completed projects and I always answer them trying to help fellow DIYers.No mo.......
From now on I have to restrict it to the forum.

I must say in no way I'm upset with the forum participants and I do enjoy coming here and learning.As a matter of fact,coming to Aron's has become part of my daily rutine.
Thanks to all and take care.
Aharon
PS: be carefull with the mydoom worm,it's out there.

[smoguzbenjamin]

I have a firewall always on, that also helps against that kinda stuff. But that's wierd though, I don't think that anyone here is childish or foolish enough to go ahead and send you a virus after friendly argument :? Are you sure it's from someone here?

[Aharon]

No,I'm not 100% sure.
I'm taking and educated guess because it's happened before right after threads like that.That's why I said I wasn't accusing or upset,I'm just taking precautions to protect me and fellow forum dwellers like clearing out my address book.I could be that somebody's computer is inadvertently infected and sending viruses to people in his/her contact book.
Aharon

[Brian Marshall]

there's a better way

1 dont use outlook.
2 dont open any attachments
3 turn off html, and active content.

if you do that it is basically impossible to get a virus

[smoguzbenjamin]

Exactly. Outlook seems most prone to virus attacks...

[Ansil]

on a similar note  it might behoove us to inform each other that we got emails from somone with nothing in them.  i know ihave had them from several forum members that i have regular talks with and when i reply to them they are like "i didin't send you anything, but howare you" replys

[scratch]

sounds all too familiar ... I've developped a deep 'dislike' of M'u'soft products, seems like a builtin feature ... propagating viruses

[BILLYL]

Know exactly how you feel.  We are having some real problems at work were they are stqrting to isolate pc and taking them off the network.

I did send you an email via this site - wanted to get a followup onthe wireless project.

Thanks
BILLYL

[toneman]

Curious,
know this is not stompbox related,
but, what email program can i use besides
MSOutlook Express????
i'm running MSWinwoz98SE.
I use Netscape7.1  4 internet access.
Know there is a "mailbox" feature.
i've never had a virus on my puter from internet.
Comcast(cable modem) usually filters it out.

True, don't open attachments U don't know the source.
afn
tone

[sirkut]

Netscape's 7.1 email program is a terrible resource hog. Try searching on google for Thunderbird email. It's great! It's similar to the netscape mail except less resources are used. Give it a try, there is also Calypso and Eudora mail. one plus side to Thunderbird is that it's free.

[GuitarLord5000]

Well, I'd hope nobody here would do some crap like that.  Its a shame too.  I've personally sent emails to some of the peeps here for help in some project or another, and I'd hate to lose that avenue of help because some jerk finds it necessary to send viruses to someone over a disagreement.  (If there is such a jerk of course.  Viruses have been known to spawn through their own means.)

[Peter Snowberg]

I wouldn't think that the users here would be the sort that would do that sort of thing. I sure hope not. Most of the worms use the Microsoft address book mechanism to propagate which is one reason that I don't use the address book or Outlook.

I tell everybody I do computer work for that Outlook is like a petre dish for viruses and always recommend Eudora instead.

The safest way to cope with e-mail??..... use a Mac running Eudora for your e-mailing. Safe by design.

Take care,
-Peter

[David]

There's also a freeware e-mail client called Pegasus.  Works very well.  Address book is a pain, but it IS free.  Don't know how susceptible it is to viruses.

[Aharon]

Know exactly how you feel.  We are having some real problems at work were they are stqrting to isolate pc and taking them off the network.

I did send you an email via this site - wanted to get a followup onthe wireless project.

Thanks
BILLYL

Hi Billy,yes, and did you get my reply?,I know you from here but some people that write...........I don't know them from Adam.
Take care
Aharon

[Aharon]

I wouldn't think that the users here would be the sort that would do that sort of thing. I sure hope not. Most of the worms use the Microsoft address book mechanism to propagate which is one reason that I don't use the address book or Outlook.

I tell everybody I do computer work for that Outlook is like a petre dish for viruses and always recommend Eudora instead.

The safest way to cope with e-mail??..... use a Mac running Eudora for your e-mailing. Safe by design.

Take care,
-Peter

That's what I said in my message,I'm not sure but I'll let you know to be on the lookout.The funny thing is that it happens after controversial threads.I have a 6th sense about stuff like this and I've been with the forum since the 90s, 99.9% of the people here are incapable of any bull but that rogue elemet is always out there
Aharon

[Peter Snowberg]

If you can, save the message header (normally invisible) and that will tell you the source IP. You can then use ARIN (or an equiv for other parts of the world) to trace that back to the originating net (provided it wasn't cloaked). I will be happy to compare IPs with any suspect threads you can point me toward.

Out of all the flameish threads I've seen here, you just strike me as somebody who would not be getting any hate mail. Very strange.

My firewall gets hit with attacks every hour or less. There are a lof of these things out there constantly scanning. I just use Hotmail at this point and I don't have my address too publicly listed.

Norton does a decent job of filtering too. Just a thought.

Take care,
-Peter

[Aharon]

My email provider destroys the virus ridden emails plus I even erased the warning they sent but I'll keep that in mind.
I know what you mean about me being one of the last likely recepients of hate emailing since I have clear views on the subject but never go beyond the protocol.
I guess it could be an isolated incident but I nevertheless warn you guys to keep your shields up.
Normally this shitza don't happen.
TAke care
Aharon

[william]

I find web browser hijacking to be more irritating for me.  I had my start page hijaked and a bunch of links added to my favorites menu because of a pop-under ad.  When ever I reboot my computer now, my home page gets redirected to a search page full of ads.  I just managed to cure the last hijack, and now I've to put up with this one till I figure out whats causing it.  It twists my underoo's soo much.  If I wanted to see your freaking ads, I'd turn the television on.  I use the internet to get information and communicate with friends, not buy pills to make my erection larger or lose 50 pounds in a day.  Browser Hijacking is evil, and Microsoft needs to change Internet exploere to prevent it.  Active-X my ass.......

[BILLYL]

Aharon-

thanks - no I haven't seen the reply yet.  

Thanks
BILLYL

[Peter Snowberg]

A great way prevent lots of problems is to install the Google toolbar which has a very effective pop-up blocker, and under Tools>Internet Options>Security, set all the options that allow automatic installations and modification to "prompt" you before allowing. That should take care of >99% of problems like that.

Take care,
-Peter