Answers To Quick Quiz On Webmail
(answers are in bold)

     1. Choose the correctly written email address

          a. betty&gmail.com
          b. betty@yahoo.com
          c. betty.gmail@.com

      2. Generally when you receive an email, it will appear in your

           a. drafts folder
           b. inbox
           c. outbox

      3.  When you open your webmail account, your email gets downloaded to your
           computer automatically.

           a. True
           b. False

       4. You can use a/an ___________ to automatically include the same text at the end
           of every email you send.

            a. signature
            b. attachment
            c. emotion

        5. Once you've added contacts to your online contacts list, you'll use that same
            contact information with different webmail services, including

            a. email
            b. instant messaging
            c. calendar sharing
            d. all of the above.

       6. You should always send attachments at their original file size.

            a. true
            b. false

       7. It's best to ignore or delete __________ emails , also known as junk email.

           a. draft
           b. spam
           c. trash
           d. archived

If you need help setting up an email account, or understanding webmail, contact me at Pic1cathy@verizon.net.   

What Is This Thing Called Cache, Cookies, & History

Cache
Did you know that every time you visit a website through your web browser, your browser caches it?  This means it stores it in a file, such as HTML pages and images.  These are also known as Temporary Internet Files.  By storing these files, your browser doesn't have to newly retrieve files from the remote web site each time you click Back or Forward or if you re-visit the website.  Over time these files pile up and occasionally, can prevent you from seeing updated content, or cause your computer to run slow.

Cookies
A cookie is a file created by your web browser, at the request of the web site you are visiting, that is then stored on your computer.  This may be done because the website you are visiting wants to keep track of which pages you view or on-line shopping so you don’t have to re-enter your information over and over again.  Accepting a cookie does not give that website access to your computer or personal information, unless you have given it through on-line shopping.   It is also not possible to use a cookie to deliver a virus to your computer.

Sometimes advertisers on a page will store a ‘tracking’ cookie on your computer to track your internet usage.  Have you ever purchased something online and then noticed when you go to other sites, you are being offered similar specials of an item you recently purchased, by other advertisers?  This is because of a ‘tracking’ cookie that was placed on your computer by a third party.  Although it cannot harm your computer, some say it is an infringement of your privacy.

History
Your web browsing history is a list of pages you have visited over the course of time.

Be sure to check out my latest Newsletter on how to clear the Cache, Cookies and History.  Over a period of time, these files may gum up the works and cause your computer to run slow.  I will be posting that newsletter soon!

Spyware, Malware, Scareware And Viruses

One day while doing research using many sites, a window popped up telling me my computer has been infected with several viruses. It looked legitimate and resembled a Windows message or an antivirus program message. It told me to "Click Here" to clean my computer. To the unsuspecting PC user, a click on Okay or Remove and Wham, your computer is now infected.



This is called Scareware. Scareware is a relatively new type of attack, where a user is tricked into downloading what appears to be an antivirus application, which then proceeds to tell you that your PC is infected with hundreds of viruses, and can only be cleaned if you pay for a full license. Of course, these scareware applications are nothing more than malware that hold your PC hostage until you pay the ransom—in most cases, you can't uninstall them or even use the PC. If you ever come across a pop-up with a scare tactic, X out of the web page right away and run a virus scan.

Malware is short for malicious software, and is a general term used to describe all of the viruses, worms, spyware, and pretty much anything that is specifically designed to cause harm to your PC or steal your information.

A virus is a program that copies itself and infects a PC, spreading from one file to another, and then from one PC to another when the files are copied or shared.

Spyware is any software installed on your PC that collects your information without your knowledge, and sends that information back to the creator so they can use your personal information in some nefarious way. This could include keylogging to learn your passwords, watching your searching habits, changing out your browser home and search pages, adding obnoxious browser toolbars, or just stealing your passwords and credit card numbers.

So what can you do to keep your computer safe? I recommend you run both an antivirus and malware program. If you do a lot of web surfing then run them every day. Most programs let you schedule your scans so you don't have to remember to do so. These programs are free and have high ratings. For antivirus programs there are Avast, AVG, Microsoft Security Essentials. For malware programs there are Malwarebytes, Spybot - Search & Destroy, and Ad-Aware which is both malware and a virus protection program.