“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day;
teach him to use the Net
and he won’t bother you for weeks.”
Anonymous
The following articles, tips, and technques will take you step-by-step through the process of understanding how to seach the web, how to search web pages and find the information you want and need, understanding how to work more efficiently on the Internet, and learning about file sharing, shareware, viruses, hoaxes, and more fun and games that can be found on the Internet.
Computer and Internet Tips and Tricks
- Internet Tips and Tricks Introduction for Maximizing Your Internet Experience
- Introduction to the Internet Browser
- Browser Parts and Pieces: Learning Your Online Software Browser
- Web Page Plots – How to Find What You Want from a Web Page
- Working the Internet Offline
- The Search is On – How to Search the Internet
- Hot Searching Techniques for Speedy Internet Research
- Shopping the Net
- How to Download Files and Avoid Viruses
- Customize Internet Explorer to Maximize Your Online Time
- Tips and Tricks Links to Help You Explore the Internet Better
- Keyboard Shortcuts for Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Basic Information on Internet and Email Hoaxes
- Answering All Your Questions about the Internet and Web
- Avoiding, Stopping and Preventing Popup Windows
- Preventing and Stopping Spyware
- Stopping Spam, Spammers, and Unwanted and Unsolicited Emails
- Hoaxes, Rumor Mills, Chain Letters, and Online Trash
- Viruses, Trojans, Worms, and Other Email Miseries
- File Sharing: Kazaa, Kazaa Lite K++, eDonkey, Bit Torrent and More
- Having Fun and Games on Your Computer
- Outlook and Outlook Express Tips, Tricks and Techniques
- Shareware and Freeware Software: Some of the Best Programs are Cheap or Free
Basics of Internet and Email Hoaxes
There are a lot of viruses on the Internet and through email today. But the biggest damage is caused by hoaxes and perpetuated by kind and generous people who pass these on thinking they are doing a favor for their friends and family. We have a more extensive article on Hoaxes, Rumor Mills, Chain Letters, and Online Trash, but we feel it is important enough of an issue to mention it here, too.
The two most popular of these early hoaxes were the “Sulfnbk.exe” and “Jdbgmgr.exe” so called viruses. Email is forwarded from helpful friends, usually not strangers, which instructs you to search your computer for these files and if you find them, remove them immediately. You do, and you feel safe. Next time you turn on your computer, however, it might not work right or work at all. These are Microsoft Windows files and they are supposed to be on your computer. The trouble you create trying to find out what happpened can do even more damage. The hoax is on you trusting everything you read, especially when it comes from a friend.
I’ve heard many different hoaxes like boycotting a world famous company for donating money to the Palestinians or a famous designer for anti-semitic comments he never made on a television show he was never on. Or my personal favorite, that Bill Gates is giving away free money. These are all false. With the fear of terrorism, there are many hoaxes coming out about small pox, anthrax, and other biological terror weapons. Before jumping to conclusions and making assumptions, check it out. The following sites will help, as will the main site of your virus software:
- Truth or Fiction
- Snopes – Hoaxes
- Urban Legends – Hoaxes and Scams
- Hoaxbusters
- Scambusters
- FDA – US Food and Drug Administration – food and drug warnings and hoaxes
- CDC – US Center for Disease Control – medical and health hoaxes and warnings
- Skeptic Magazine – Excellent article on email hoaxes – A MUST READ
- Why Am I Getting All This Spam? Unsolicited Commercial E-mail Research Six Month Report from the Center for Democracy and Technology
- Computer Security Resource Center – Virus Warnings
- F-Secure Virus Information
- Vmyths – Valdating Virus Myths
- Network Associations Virus Information Library
- How Stuff Works: How do viruses work on my computer
- About.com’s Antivirus Information
- CA’s Virus Information
- PC Hell – answers to nagging computer problems, viruses and hoaxes
Lorelle VanFossen has been designing web pages since 1995 and teaches a variety of computer programs including web page design, preparing photographic images for web pages, and other basic computer and Internet basic skills. She and her husband also teach a variety of nature and travel photography programs internationally.
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